Bible Commentaries

Genesis 9 overview — of the Flood is here presented as a weak and sinful man, the reason for this, in all likelihood being that of removing any thought that even one like Noah, who assuredly was "righteous in his generation," and a "preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5), would be able to provide the Saviour that man needed. Only the Holy One, Jesus our Lord, would be able to do that. SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER The Adamic blessing, extended and elaborated, is conveyed to Noah, thus investing him with the status of a second

Exodus 29:5-6 — investiture of Aaron: (1)    Putting on the linen tunic. (2)    The girding with the under-girdle. (3)    Putting on the robe of the ephod. (4)    Putting on the ephod. (5)    Girding with the curious girdle of the ephod. (6)    Putting on the breastplate. (7)    Putting the Urim and Thummin into the breastplate. (8)    Putting on the mitre. (9)    Putting

Exodus 4 overview — happened. In Exodus 3, God dealt with two of Moses' objections: (1) Who am I? and (2) What is thy name? And here, three other objections are encountered and dealt with: (3) "They will not believe" (Exodus 4:1); (4) "I am not eloquent" (Exodus 4:10); and (5) "Send … by the hand of whom thou wilt send" (Exodus 4:13). These latter three objections are topic sentences of the sections where they occur. All objections having been disposed of, Moses asked and received Jethro's permission to return to

2 Kings 13:22-25 — Israel." The last sentence here records the exact fulfillment of Elisha's prophecy of a triple victory of Joash over Syria. We also have here a recapitulation. 2 Kings 13:22 refers back to 2 Kings 13:3, and 2 Kings 13:23 refers back to 2 Kings 13:4-5. "As yet" (`until now' in margin) These are among the most significant words in the passage. "The author here had in mind that the Northern Israel would ultimately be cast away, rejected, and removed out of God's sight (2 Kings 17:18-23), but, as yet,

Nehemiah 11:1-2 — people cast lots" "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord" (Proverbs 16:33). "In the course of Jewish history, they east lots in the selection of persons (Joshua 7:16-18), for the distribution of lands (Numbers 26:25-26), and for determining the order in which persons should execute an office (1 Chronicles 24:5)";Ibid. and, in the previous chapter of Nehemiah, it is written that they cast lots to decide who would bring the wood for the temple, and when they would

Psalms 30:1-3 — Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit." There are five things for which David here thanks God: (1) God has raised him up, (2) has not allowed his foes to rejoice over him, (3) healed him, (4) brought up his soul from Sheol, (5) and kept him alive. "Thou hast raised me up" (Psalms 30:1). The marginal reading here is "drawn me up"; and, "This is the word for pulling up a bucket from a well."Derek Kidner, Vol. 1, p. 128. This appears to us as an expression more appropriate for

Psalms 36 overview — MAN'S WICKEDNESS AND GOD'S LOVINGKINDNESS CONTRASTED There are three divisions in this psalm. "(1) Psalms 36:1-4 give the portrait of the wicked man; (2) Psalms 36:5-9 paint the Divine goodness; and (3) Psalms 36:10-12 have the prayer and an expression of confidence."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8, p. 274. There are representatives of some three types of Hebrew poetry in these few verses. "Each of the three parts

Psalms 87:4-6 — course, were among the bitterest enemies of Israel and of Israel's God; and "The thought is that, Those who were once strangers and foreigners shall become fellow-citizens with the saints of God (Ephesians 2:19)."Matthew Henry's Commentary, Vol. III, p. 568. "This one was born there" This is not a reference to merely one, for it becomes, "This one and that one" in Psalms 87:5; and in Psalms 87:6, it is revealed that when God "writes up the peoples of the earth," i.e., when he calculates the number of

Psalms 99 overview — HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, IS THE LORD OF HOSTS (Isaiah 6:3) "This Psalm falls into three parts: (1) Psalms 99:1-3; (2) Psalms 99:4-5; and (3) Psalms 99:6-9, each concluded with a declaration of God's holiness. It is an echo of the Trisagion of the seraphim (Isaiah 6:3)."F. Delitzsch, Vol. V-C, p. 99. In the light of this discerning remark by Delitzsch, we have chosen the above title

Isaiah 23 overview — this chapter is labeled "The burden of Tyre" in the first verse; yet it actually contains the burden of Tyre, the burden of Sidon, and the burden of the whole of Phoenicia. There are four divisions in the chapter: (1) a prophecy of doom (Isaiah 23:1-5), (2) God is the executioner of wicked nations (Isaiah 23:6-9), (3) the extent of Tyre's destruction (Isaiah 23:10-14), and (4) the prophecy of Tyre's renewal (Isaiah 23:15-18). This chapter concludes the second major division of the prophecy, concluding

Isaiah 28 overview — DIVISION IV (Isaiah 28-35) These four chapters constitute almost one continuous prophecy regarding (1) the destruction of Ephraim; (2) the impiety and folly of Judah; (3) the danger of alliances with Egypt; and (4) the straits to which they would be reduced by the Assyrians.Jamieson,

Isaiah 50 overview — This remarkable chapter contains the beginning of what is called "The Third Servant Song," although the word "servant" does not appear in it. Isaiah 42:1-4; Isaiah 49:1-6; and Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12, are reckoned as the three, along with what is written here. "The first two songs emphasized the Servant's mission; the third one, however, treats of his obedience, and of his steadfast endurance under persecution. Because of the

Jeremiah 14 overview — THE EVENTS OF THE GREAT DROUGHT The efforts of scholars to date this prophecy are somewhat amusing. Cook placed it "in the early years of the reign of Jehoiachim";Canon F. C. Cook, Jeremiah, p. 185. Robinson placed it vaguely in "the reign of Jehoiachim";WR, p. 483. still others have opted for the closing years of Jehoiachim's reign; and some have omitted dating it altogether! "Without chronological references it is difficult to date passages

Jeremiah 41 overview — Gedaliah by Ishmael. The chapter divisions are: (1) the murder of the governor (Jeremiah 41:1-3); (2) the murder of the pilgrims (Jeremiah 41:4-7); (3) captives at Mizpah taken (Jeremiah 41:8-10); (4) Ishmael defeated, escapes to Ammon (Jeremiah 41:11-15); and (5) the people gathered by Johanan to go to Egypt (Jeremiah 41:16-18). The length of Gedaliah's tenure as governor is disputed. In an earlier chapter, we suggested that Jeremiah was enabled to enjoy the protection and peace of Gedaliah's house

Hosea 13 overview — escape her just reward, but that God's purpose will be successful anyway. It shows that it was not God who was defeated by Israel's apostasy, but Israel. The chapter is especially interesting because of Paul's quotation from Hosea 13:14 (1 Corinthians 15:55), and for the reflection of the new birth motif in Hosea 13:13, as adopted and extended by our Lord himself (John 3:1-5). Also, the various parenthetical outbursts in the prophecy of Revelation, extolling the glories of heaven, or the happiness of

Joel 1 overview — plague that came upon Israel, particularly Judah, a disaster so overwhelming that no escape was possible. The fact of it is dramatically stated (Joel 1:1-4); the prophet's admonition to the people is given in three terse commandments: (1) "Awake" (Joel 1:5-7), (2) "Lament" (Joel 1:8-12), and (3) "Gird yourselves with sackcloth" (Joel 1:13-14). Despite the fact of these appeals being directed to three different classes, namely, the drunkards, the agricultural community, and the priests, they should be

Numbers 15 overview — status of having to wait until certain faithless and short-sighted leaders have passed over the river. It is futile to seek any exact dates for events and revelations in these chapters. "While the children of Israel were in the wilderness" (Numbers 15:32) is the only date given, the same being the period after the rebellion of Numbers 14 and until just prior to their entry into Canaan. Gray's outline of the chapter is as good as any:George Buchanan Gray, International Critical Commentary, Numbers,

Romans 3 overview — profit of circumcision (Romans 3:1)? (3) Will the unbelief of the Jews nullify God's promises (Romans 3:3)? and (4) Since man's sin is overruled by God unto the Father's glory, how can it be just for God to punish those whose sins were so used (Romans 3:5)? The answers to all four questions appear in Lard's paraphrase of these first eight verses, thus: The Jews, in being such, possessed many peculiar advantages, among the most important of which was their being entrusted with the revelations of God.

Judges 12:8-10 — And Ibzan died, and was buried in Bethlehem." "After him" This means "after Jephthah," the preceding judge, as is the similar meaning in Judges 12:11; Judges 12:13. "Ibzan" "This name means swift (horse?)."The Anchor Bible Commentary, op. cit., p. 215. "Ibzan of Bethlehem" Keil denied that this was the Bethlehem in Judah on the basis that, "That Bethlehem is usually distinguished as `Bethlehem Judah' (Ruth 1:2) or as `Bethlehem Ephratah' (Micah 5:1)." In our view this is not sufficient reason for

Revelation 12:16 — and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. Earth helped the woman … swallowed up the river … There are two different interpretations of this: (1)    Beasley-Murray illustrated this with Judges 5:20, where it is said that, "The stars in their courses fought against Sisera," also citing the case of the waters of the Red Sea withdrawing and enabling Israel to escape from Pharaoh. G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 206. Barclay also took