Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 18:1-8 — (2 Chronicles 28:24; 2 Chronicles 29:3); (2) He ordered the cleansing of the temple (2 Chronicles 29:4-19); (3) He offered appropriate sacrifices (2 Chronicles 29:20-36); (4) He invited Israelites of every tribe to come to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:5-12)."John C. Whitcomb, Jr., Solomon to the Exile. (Winona Lake, Indiana: BMH Books, 1971), p. 111. (5) He also celebrated a Passover that had to be delayed a month to allow the worshippers to become clean (2 Chronicles 30:1-12). Wonderful as these reforms

Psalms 42 overview — following reasons: (1) Psalms 42 has no title whatever in the Psalter; (2) the sentiment is exactly the same throughout both; (3) the whole composition consists of three stanzas, each ending in a kind of refrain in almost identical language in Ps. 42:5; 42:11; and 43:5; (4) Psalms 42:9 and Psalms 43:2 are virtually identical; and (5) as Ash observed: "The general consensus is that they are actually a single psalm; the meter, thought, language and problems are the same. We do not know for sure why

Psalms 45:8-9 — Jesus and bound it in the linen cloths with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury" (John 19:39-40). "Myrrh was an aromatic resin, and aloes was a sweet-smelling wood from India. Cassia is a dried cinnamon blossom used as incense."Ibid., p. 357. In all probability, this was also used in the burial of Jesus, because, "It was one of the perfumes used at funerals."International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Chicago, Illinois: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), p. 582. "All thy garments" The

Psalms 51:1-9 — all mine iniquities." These nine verses are as remarkable as anything else in Scripture. There are three elements here which deserve attention. I. David Accepted Personal Responsibility for what he He Had Done He speaks of "my" transgression (Psalms 51:1), "my" sin and "my" iniquity (Psalms 51:2), "my" transgression and "my" sin (Psalms 51:3), declares that, "I sinned" (Psalms 51:4), again mentions "my" sin in Psalms 51:9. Seven times he takes all the blame and guilt upon himself. David did not attempt

Leviticus 8:31-36 — Just as there was something the ancient priests of Israel were commanded to eat, so it is with Christians. They ate of the flesh of the sacrifice, and Christians must eat of the "flesh and the blood" of the Great Sacrifice, even that of Christ (John 6:53 ff). It is significant that the sons of Aaron (typical of Christians), and not Aaron (typical of Christ) were commanded in this particular what to eat. Aaron doubtless ate as did the priests, just as Christ also partook of the Lord's Supper the night

Isaiah 28:1-6 — clergy participated with disgusting excess."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 628. Their egotistical and boastful over-confidence was noted by Rawlinson: "They said in their hearts, `We have taken to ourselves horns by our own strength' (Amos 6:4-5). They persisted in regarding themselves as secure."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 1Oa, p. 447. The practical interpretation of Isaiah 28:3 means that when the king of Assyria sees Samaria he will immediately take it and eat it up. It also indicates the

Ezekiel 14:7-9 — people, and (3) the experiencing of some terrible earthly calamity, of the type that would get public attention and make the victim an astonishment and a proverb. Two examples of this in the New Testament are the sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:5-11) and the stroke that took away Herod Agrippa II at Caesarea (Acts 12). Nothing could be more terrible for any mortal than the fact of God having set his face against that man. "I have deceived that prophet" As Cooke noted, "A statement like this

Daniel 5:5-9 — nor make known to the king the interpretation. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed." THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL "Excavations in Babylon have uncovered a great hall more than 50 feet by 160 feet;John Joseph Owens, op. cit., p. 405. and, "Robert Kildewey's excavations at Babylon have uncovered just such a large banqueting hail with walls of white plaster."Arthur Jeffery, op. cit., p. 424. This is mentioned to emphasize the

Daniel 6 overview — Darius in this chapter. "From Cyrus' annalistic tablet we know that he appointed his general Gobryas to be governor of Babylon, and that Gobryas set up sub-governors.Arthur Jeffery, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol, VI, Daniel (New York: Abingdon Press, 1954), p. 437. The mention of 120 satrapies in this chapter appears unreasonable to the critics; but the record defies their criticism. There were no less than 127 subdivisions of this same empire in the days of Esther (Esther 1:1); and besides, as Jeffery

Amos 3:3-6 — likewise have a cause and effect connection. "They illustrate the truth that all effects have causes, and that from the cause you can infer the effect."W. J. Deane, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 14, Amos (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 40. GOD IN HISTORY One of the big things in this whole passage is Amos' view of history, not as the accidental and opportunistic deployment of peoples upon the earth, but as a "controlled" entity, subject, absolutely to the will of God. Nations

Matthew 18:15 — It is God, not men, that should be obeyed. Macknight wrote, "Such are the rules which our Lord would have us observe in matters of private offense."James Macknight, A Harmony of the Four Gospels (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1950), Vol. II, p. 177. McGarvey stated that "This rule of procedure is given only for cases of personal offense, where one individual has sinned against another."J. W. McGarvey, New Testament Commentary (Delight, Arkansas: Gospel Light Publishing

Luke 22:1-2 — unleavened bread" was used in several senses: The feast of unleavened bread was the day the Passover lamb was slain. According to Mosaic law, this was called the Passover and was followed by seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:5-6). But at this time the whole period was known by this name. Josephus says: "We keep a feast for eight days, which is called the feast of unleavened bread."Charles L. Childers, Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press,

Luke 22:37-38 — concerneth me hath fulfillment. And they said, Lord, behold here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough. That which is written must be fulfilled … The avowed intention of the Pharisees was to kill Jesus by assassination (Matthew 26:1-5); and despite their change of strategy due to the treachery of Judas, many of them doubtless preferred the method of killing Jesus they had already agreed upon; and the view here is that Christ would have ordered the apostles to resist any effort to

Luke 24:25 — And he said unto them, O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. O foolish men … "This is not the same word as the one used in Matthew 5:22, where we are forbidden to say `Thou fool' to our brother."Charles L. Childers, op. cit., p. 613. This was Jesus' dramatic way of emphasizing their failure to accept the plain teachings of the Old Testament prophecies. It seems incredible that

John 1:21 — the kind of "contradiction" which so delights some of the critics. Literally, John the Baptist was NOT Elijah, and John's literal answer WAS literally true. Typically and spiritually, John the Baptist was THAT Elijah foretold in Malachi 4:5; but there is no evidence that John the Baptist knew his own identity as that Elijah; and, if he did know it, his answer was still the truth. The angel's annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist had clearly linked the great herald with the promised

Romans 11:17-18 — bundles and burn them." This is a metaphor of old fleshly Israel. And what of the branches not "broken off"? They are the true Israel, the spiritual seed, who accepted Christ, and formed the first community of believers in Christ (Acts 2:5-10; Acts 2:22). Thou, being a wild olive, wast grafted in among them … is impossible of misunderstanding, because the only thing in five thousand years of recorded history into which Gentiles could have been "grafted in among" Jews

Romans 4:12 — an inheritance, OBEYED, and he went out not knowing whither he went (Hebrews 11:8). And did Abraham actually enter that land? Let God's word answer: And they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came (Genesis 12:5). And what if Abraham had demurred, had decided that he could believe ONLY, without obeying, and returned home? The obvious deduction thunders in the mind that contemplates such questions as these. For those who will walk in the steps of Abraham's faith,

2 Timothy 3:17 — words, "It is written … it is written … and again it is written." Is it possible to believe that the Lord of Life in such a confrontation would have appealed to a book that was merely human, fallible or untrustworthy? Matthew 19:5 ff. "God (he who created man) said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, etc." Jesus said this, thus attributing the authorship of Genesis to the Creator of the world. John 10:34-36. In this passage, Jesus referred to

Judges 10:6-9 — a single verse introducing the story."Ibid., p. 432. Yates also agreed that, "This chapter is introductory to the Samson story (Judg. 10:13:1-16:31), as well as to the judgeship of Jephthah (Judges 11:1-40)."Wycliffe Bible Commentary, op. cit., p. 253. "And Israel served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth…" In addition to these, they also served: (2) the gods of Syria (which are never mentioned by name); (3) of Sidon (Astarte); (4) of the Moabites (Chemosh); (5) the Ammonites (Milcom); (6) or Molech;

2 Samuel 12:26-31 — arranged it. "And he took the crown of their king from his head" "The word here rendered their king is also the name of the national idol of the Ammonites, namely, Malcam (or Milcom. The RSV margin gives Milcom as the alternative reading). See Amos 1:15 and Zephaniah 1:5. That crown weighed a talent of gold, the equivalent of 100 to 125 pounds."Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 96. Thus it is extremely unlikely that David wore that kind of weight on the top of his head. The weight of that crown indicates