Bible Commentaries

Genesis 2:20 — "And the man gave names to all cattle, and to every beast of the field; but for man, there was not found a help meet for him." The foolish and near blasphemous error supposing that the parade of lower creations in Genesis 2:19 was some kind of ploy to find a proper mate for Adam in those lower creations is so preposterous and ridiculous that it needs no refutation. It was not the ability of the birds and animals that shines in these words, but the ability, genius, and

Psalms 144:10 — idea is repulsive that any other of the so-called Davidic-line of kings would have been called God's servant. Furthermore, it was nothing unusual for David to refer to himself in his writings. "He refers to himself as `David' in Psalms 18:50, and in 2 Samuel 7:27; and he refers to himself as `the king' in Psalms 51:6 and Ps. 53:11."Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1987 reprint of the 1878 edition), op. cit., p. 317.

Psalms 21:7 — "For the king trusteth in Jehovah; And through the loving-kindness of the Most High he shall not be moved." "The Most High" (Psalms 21:7). This is the God who was worshipped by Melchizedek, and also by Abraham who identified the Most High as identical in every way with Jehovah (Genesis 14:22). This title for Almighty God, "Signifies supreme dignity, unhampered power, and universal

Psalms 60:12 — shine into our hearts; and `With God, we shall do valiantly.'"The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8-B, p. 16. "He will tread down our enemies" Thus the psalm ends with a prophecy of total victory for Israel. This prophecy was indeed fulfilled, according to 2 Samuel 8:14; 1 Chronicles 18:13.

Jeremiah 25:30-31 — controversy with the nations; he will enter into judgment with all flesh: as for the wicked, he will give them to the sword, saith Jehovah." Notice how repeatedly the message is emphasized: (1) that all nations shall suffer judgment and destruction; (2) that death shall overtake the wicked; and (3) that there shall be no national exceptions to God's wrath.

Zechariah 2 overview — than to demonstrate, the dimensions of the Jerusalem to be measured, as no measurements appear to have been either made or delivered to the prophet. In this vision, the meaning of it was given by Zechariah in the last half of the chapter (Zechariah 2:6-13). The Jerusalem which is revealed is not the physical Jerusalem at all, but the unlimited and glorious Jerusalem which is "above, which is our mother" (Galatians 4:26). As in all the other visions, there are the most definite Messianic implications

Matthew 12:8 — Christians should keep the sabbath day, but the opposite is taught. The sabbath should be ignored and rejected utterly, unless Christ commanded it (which he did not); for Paul said, "He took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross" (Colossians 2:14).

Matthew 21:13 — unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers. Christ here quoted Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. This was the second time that he cleansed the temple, John's record of the other occasion (John 2:13) standing as supplementary to this one mentioned by the synoptics. This type of activity by Christ was fully in harmony with what was expected of the Messiah from Malachi 3:1-3. Comparison of the two cleansings shows an interval of two years between

Matthew 22:29 — But Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. Certainly, the Scriptures teach the resurrection. Many passages, such as Daniel 12:2; Job 19:25-27; etc., plainly indicate the resurrection; and the Sadducees' disbelief of it was due to their ignorance of the Scriptures. As for their objection that a resurrection would be impossible because of the absurdities it would create, Christ

Matthew 5:5 — Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. This beatitude is mentioned in the Old Testament, although not in exactly the same words (Psalms 37:11). Meekness and lowliness are related terms (Matthew 11:29-30). Both Jesus Christ and the patriarch Moses are set forth in Scripture as being meek. Inherit the earth … does not refer exclusively to the "new heaven and the new earth" (2 Peter 3:13), but to this present earth as well. This is

Matthew 8:2 — in its destructive course through the body bore remarkable suggestions of the similar ravages of sin in the soul. Elaborate rules were set up to isolate the leper and guard against his association with the community. Leviticus 13:49 and Leviticus 14:2 ff show the dread and revulsion associated with this malady. The leper believed in Christ but appeared to be uncertain of our Lord's willingness to heal him.

Mark 15:38 — And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom. This is numbered among the Calvary miracles, and a full treatment of the extensive symbolism of this event is found in my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 27:53. Briefly, the veil symbolized the flesh of Christ himself, through which a new and living way has been opened for Christians (Hebrews 10:19). It means that the Old Testament must be understood in the light of the New Testament (2 Corinthians 3:14-16).

Mark 9:49 — that invariably beset the Christian pilgrimage, it means that none shall be saved except through the endurance of the world's scorn and opposition. Paul expressed this thought as "All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). Of course, this is a difficult verse, and all kinds of notions have been advocated as the meaning of it. Certainly, we may set aside the superstition that this is a reference to all souls passing through the fires of purgatory!

Luke 1:39 — the "city of Judah" mentioned here as a place called "Juttah," basing his conclusion upon the following: (1) From the fact that Juttah was one of the forty-eight cities that were given to the priests (Joshua 15:55; Joshua 11:16). (2) It was in the hill country of Judaea; and (3) This is according to the tradition of the primitive Church.R. Milligan, Analysis of the New Testament (Cincinnati, Ohio: Bosworth, Chase and Hall, Publishers, 1874), p. 18. Some have identified the residence

Luke 6:23 — alleged that Luke's emphasis in this passage is principally social; but this verse disproves such a view. The reason that the poor and the hungry are blessed, in the last analysis, flows out of the eternal reward stored up for them that love the Lord (2 Timothy 4:7-8). If one should take the hope of heaven out of the New Testament, there would be nothing left. Further comment on "heaven" is found in my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 6:9-13.

Luke 7:27-28 — ff), and as the herald of King Jesus. Greater than he … This seemingly paradoxical statement is resolved by the considerations: (1) that John the Baptist was not in the kingdom of Christ, the same not being set up until after John's death, and (2) that the term "greater" has reference to privilege, rather than to character.

2 Corinthians 12:17 — Did I take advantage of you by any of them whom I have sent unto you? Paul's reply here indicates the nature of the "guile" in 2 Corinthians 12:16. As David Lipscomb interpreted this: His contemptible enemies not only stated that Paul did not dare accept support, but insinuated that there was something suspicious about the collection he was taking, and that perhaps he had a secret

Galatians 4:10-11 — have done their best to eliminate the meaning of this passage, but as Huxtable tells us, the words used here "were used by Josephus for the keeping of sabbath days"; E. Huxtable, op. cit., p. 190. and when read in conjunction with Colossians 2:16 there cannot be any doubt that the sin of the Galatians was simply that of keeping, after the Jewish manner, the sabbaths, festivals and special days of the Old Covenant, which if persisted in, would mean their total loss to Christianity. The whole

James 1:19 — perfection has a real problem with his tongue, a subject James would give fuller treatment later in the epistle. The admonition to be "slow to wrath" was given by Paul thus, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26), the same being also condemned by him in a number of other passages: 2 Corinthians 12:20, Galatians 5:20, Colossians 3:8, Ephesians 4:31, etc. "If we treat men according to the first promptings of anger, we shall always do them wrong." A.

2 Samuel 9 overview — DAVID KEPT HIS COVENANT WITH JONATHAN, BEFRIENDING MEPHIBOSHETH This chapter and through 2 Samuel 21, according to many scholars, constitute a unit which even critical scholars accept as absolutely historical, an evaluation which should be applied to the whole Bible. Several names have been suggested for this section. "R. N. Whybray called