Bible Commentaries

Genesis 8:20-22 — such curse would not be duplicated. The language refers solely to the Deluge, and promises not that God may not sometimes visit particular localities with a flood, but that another such world-wide catastrophe should never overtake the human race."[20] "As I have done ..." This clause is a qualifier of the whole passage. The simple meaning of it is that the Great Deluge will never be duplicated in the subsequent history of the world. The beneficent curse upon the ground for the sake of man will

1 Kings 12:25 — made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up unto the altar to burn incense." "Jeroboam built Shechem" (1 Kings 12:25) This was one of the two capitals that Jeroboam established for his kingdom. It was not only rich in the traditions and history of Israel, but it was a control point on the trade routes to the East. The other capital was Penuel, a "Trans-jordanic

1 Kings 20:1 — against Benhadad. This change of emphasis is seized upon by some critics as "evidence of another source," but that explanation of the change is not correct. The apparent change is only apparent, there being no genuine change whatever. In 1 Kings 20 God is still trying to convince Ahab that Jehovah is the true God (1 Kings 20:13,28). Elijah was not really available in this situation, because, as we saw in the last chapter, he declared that, "It is enough," thus believing that any further

Nehemiah 5:6 — that Nehemiah disciplined himself in the control of his anger. He carefully laid the plans by which he would put an end to their abuses. "Ye exact usury, every man of his brother" (Nehemiah 5:7). This was a heartless violation of God's law (Exodus 22:25), which forbade God's people to charge interest on any loan to a brother Israelite. "He reminded the rulers and nobles that his own conduct had been the opposite of theirs; and that when he had seen Jewish slaves offered for sale in Gentile markets,

Isaiah 43:1 — There is a dramatic change in this chapter from the severe rebukes and denunciations of Israel in Isaiah 42, where Israel appears as the blind and deaf servant, to the glorious comfort promised the people of God in this chapter. Many Christians have made this chapter their favorite of the whole prophecy of Isaiah. However, it should never be overlooked

Joel 3:1 — (not in literal Jerusalem). All men during this phase of divine history will be caught up in "the valley of decision," where will be determined their destiny as servants either of Christ, or of the devil. The final section of this chapter (Joel 3:18-21) is a figurative presentation of the wonderful spiritual blessings available in the kingdom of heaven. Joel 3:1 "For behold in those days, and at that time, when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem. "In those days, and at that

Amos 9:8 — Every sinful kingdom, especially the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom of Israel. The ultimate application of this to the whole world of wicked and unbelieving humanity is dramatically detailed in the prophecy of Revelation (Revelation 19:11-21). In the case of the kingdoms of the Jews, the very initiation of their kingdom under Saul was a rejection of God (1 Samuel 8:7); reciprocally, this was also their rejection of their own status as "God's chosen people," a term that henceforth

Jonah 3:5 — thus: "To believe God means to believe what God says, to be the truth; to believe in God expresses not belief only, but that belief resting and trusting in God; it combines hope and trust with faith and love, since without love there cannot be trust."[21] That the people of Nineveh should have done such a thing as that which is here related must be accounted one of the wonders of all time. That a lone Jewish prophet, a member of a hated and despised race, who reciprocated in every way the hostility

Matthew 13:55-56 — courage. nor logic, nor philosophy, nor honest doubt. What was it? (1) It was unworthiness. That town had justly earned an unsavory reputation. As Christ said, "Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19). (2) It was egotism. Look at the self-glory of the words, "Is not this the carpenter’s son?" What ridiculous snobbery of an inflated ego is implicit in such words as those! Ah, yes; who was speaking? The burgomaster’s daughter, no

Mark 13:2 — as to God's reasons for determining that it should be destroyed. WHY GOD DESTROYED THE TEMPLE (1) It had served its purpose, having pertained to a system that was about to be terminated. One greater than the temple had already appeared (Matthew 12:6). (2) The daily sacrifices, which were the center of temple functions, would no longer be needed, after the Great Sacrifice would be offered upon Calvary, thus rendering the temple useless in its major function. (3) It was in the way of the holy

Mark 15:42 — Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath. THE BURIAL OF JESUS The day before the sabbath … This is generally understood to mean that it was Friday, but the scriptures do not teach any such thing. See in my Commentary on Luke under Luke 22:7. WHAT DAY WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED? This question, admittedly difficult, actually relates to the promise Jesus made in Matthew 12:40 that he would be "in the heart of the earth three days and three nights"; and the importance of it is such that

Mark 15:42 — Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath. THE BURIAL OF JESUS The day before the sabbath ... This is generally understood to mean that it was Friday, but the scriptures do not teach any such thing. See in my Commentary on Luke under Luke 22:7. WHAT DAY WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED? This question, admittedly difficult, actually relates to the promise Jesus made in Matthew 12:40 that he would be "in the heart of the earth three days and three nights"; and the importance of it is such that a

Mark 15:42 — Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath. THE BURIAL OF JESUS The day before the sabbath ... This is generally understood to mean that it was Friday, but the scriptures do not teach any such thing. See in my Commentary on Luke under Luke 22:7. WHAT DAY WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED? This question, admittedly difficult, actually relates to the promise Jesus made in Matthew 12:40 that he would be "in the heart of the earth three days and three nights"; and the importance of it is such that a

Mark 6:17 — provinces of Galilee and Perea with the title of tetrarch, but he was popularly called "king." He reigned from 4 B.C. to 39 A.D. He founded Tiberias on the western shore of Galilee. This is the ruler that Jesus referred to as "that fox" (Luke 13:32); and it was to him that Pilate sent Jesus during the trials prior to the crucifixion. His first marriage was to a daughter of Aretas, the Arabian king; but on a visit to Rome he met Herodias his brother's wife (Philip, not the tetrarch), whom he seduced

Luke 20:9 — this that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner? Every one that falleth on that stone shall be broken to pieces; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust. Parallels: Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12. THE PARABLE OF THE WICKED FARMERS II. This great parable is the central member of a trilogy of magnificent parables, all three of which were spoken by Jesus to set forth the rebellious behavior of official Israel. The full

1 Corinthians 11:34 — Christ died for our sins; and it is that historical event which anchors and perpetuates the Lord's Supper; and thus the historicity of Christ's death and resurrection is demonstrated and proved throughout all times and places by this sacred rite. 2. Prospective. The ancient pagan god of war was the two-faced Janus (from whence the name of the month January), facing in both directions, forward and backward. In a far more wonderful manner, the Lord's Supper faces toward Calvary in retrospect,

Colossians 1:15 — emphatically forbids any such inadequate interpretation of this verse. Image of the invisible God ... John B. Nielson is absolutely correct in the declaration that in these words, "Paul is saying that Jesus Christ is none other than God Himself."[27] He even went further and said that "'firstborn' is equivalent to `only begotten,' and is a Jewish technical term meaning `uncreated'[28] Why, then did Paul use these particular words here? Image ... God created Adam in his own image (Genesis 1:27);

Judges 11:34 — burnt-offering, but a dedication of her to the service of God in the tabernacle located in those days at Shiloh. (1) Jephthah was a man who had the Spirit of God, and that alone would never have allowed him to offer his daughter as a burnt-offering. (2) Jephthah was thoroughly familiar with the Book of the Law of Moses and the laws governing sacrifices. In that Law, the first-born, who were required to be "offered" to Jehovah, were never offered as a burnt-offering, but they were "redeemed" by the

Judges 4:4 — deduction would have made Jonah a citizen of Nineveh! "The palm of Deborah" (Judges 4:5). "This may be a confused memory of another Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, who was buried under an oak in the same district of Ephraim at Bethel (Genesis 35:8),"[12] No, the sacred author of Judges, whom we believe to have been Samuel, was not the man with the "confused memory"; it was the author of the Layman's Bible Commentary comment just cited! The tree under which that first Deborah was buried was an oak,

Revelation 6:7 — such a thing as the disasters depicted under the last three of these horsemen. Caird thought that, "We may be pardoned for asking whether the Lamb who lets such horrors loose on the world is really the same person as the Jesus of the gospel story."[29] A comment like that is grounded in blindness to the great mercy of God evident even in these four judgments; and also, there is a blindness to the truth that it was not the Lamb who let loose the horrors - that epic mistake belongs to Adam and his