Bible Commentaries

Psalms 18 overview — of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: and he said): Of all the Psalms accredited to David, "This is the one that can be assigned to him with the greatest confidence."J. R. Dummelow, Whole Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 336. There is another record of this same Psalm, with only insignificant variations, in 2 Samuel 22. The outdated, extravagant, and disproved allegations of radical critics which were popular in some schools of thought during the 19th and early twentieth

Leviticus 1:14-17 — once; (3)    in all ages, it has been the symbol of peace; (4)    it is a messenger, as when the dove brought back the green leaf to Noah; (5)    the carrier pigeon is still used as a messenger; (6)    naturalists tell us that the dove has no gall, anciently understood as a source of bitterness and contention.C. Gordon Brownville, Symbols of the Holy Spirit (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1945), p. 19. (7)    In

Leviticus 10:1-7 — failure in their duty to Tamar (Genesis 38:7-10). In the early church, Ananias and Sapphira were stricken with sudden death for lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5). Uzzah's laying hands upon the ark of the covenant was likewise thus punished (2 Samuel 6:7-8). The startling example here should "challenge Bible-believing Christians whose theological attitudes are influenced by prevailing trends of thought."Ibid. "Devoured them" The meaning here is simply that they were instantly killed. As evidenced

Leviticus 9:22-24 — Jehovah, and consumed upon the altar the burnt-offering and the fat; and when all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces." "Aaron… blessed them" (Leviticus 9:22). Most commentators mention the famous Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:22 ff in connection with this, and such a proposition seems reasonable enough, despite the fact of the blessing's not being given in detail just here. Certainly, the passage in the Book of Numbers does identify the blessing there as with Aaron: "And

Isaiah 7:10-17 — choice of what it might be; but hypocritical Ahaz, having already made up his mind to reject God's counsel, refused to ask, pretending that he did not wish to tempt Jehovah. Of course, he referred to such passages in the Law as that found in Deuteronomy 6:6; but it would not have been `tempting God' for him to accept God's offer. Some believe that, in spite of Ahaz' unbelieving and hypocritical refusal to cooperate with God in the matter of a miraculous sign, God went ahead and gave him the sign of The

Luke 11:37 — Now as he spake, a Pharisee asketh him to dine with him; and he went in and sat down to meat. Our Lord frequently dined with Pharisees, as recorded in Luke 5:29; Luke 7:36; Luke 14:1; Luke 19:5; and in John 2:1-11; John 12:1-2. This was apparently the second meal of the day; and Jesus accepted an invitation to dine, entered the Pharisees' house, omitted the customary ablutions, so dear to the Jews, and sat down to eat.

Luke 14:24 — next paragraph strongly suggests what Jesus did to that great throng in Capernaum who had followed him after the miracle of feeding the five thousand; and what was that? He stunned them with that metaphor of eating flesh and drinking his blood (John 6:52 f). That cooled their superficial ardor; and the same effect was achieved by Jesus in this multitude through the equally hard sayings of the next paragraph.

Luke 16:9 — him to trust in riches. 3.    "In making a man depend on them for happiness, riches rob him of salvation and the glory of God."Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: Carlton and Porter, 1829), Vol. V, p. 462. 4.    It estranges him from earthly friends. 5.    It surrounds him with false friends. 6.    Wealth promises much and delivers nothing. 7.    It is a constant hazard

John 9:7 — has been held as a type of sin. This does not mean that a blind man is a sinner but that the terrible handicap is a forceful illustration of sinful condition. Jesus said, "If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch" (Luke 6:39). See also 2 Peter 1:9 and Revelation 3:18. Thus, blindness is a Scriptural type of sin; and the detail of this sixth sign's deployment upon the sacred page compels the conclusion that this blind man's healing must be construed as typical of the

Acts 19:6 — declared: "The true baptism … and not the imposition of hands … (is among) the conditions upon which the gift of the Spirit depends." John Peter Lange, Commentary on Acts (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1866), p. 350. Bruner, who did an incredible amount of study on this, said: Peter does not contrast the gift of the Spirit and baptism; he joins them … It is one of the major purposes of Acts to show that baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit belong

Romans 3:24 — redemption that is in Christ … The expression "in Christ" is, in some ways, the most important in all the Pauline writings, where this expression, or its equivalent, "in whom," "in him," etc., is used no less than 169 times. John Mackay, God's Order (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1953), p. 97. What does it mean to be "in Christ"? It means to be in his spiritual body, called the church, the body of which Christ is the head, of which he is declared to

1 Corinthians 15 overview — 15:12-34). 3.    If the dead rise not, it would mean Christ did not (1 Corinthians 15:13). 4.    It would follow that preaching was useless (1 Corinthians 15:14). 5.    It would mean faith was worthless (1 Corinthians 15:14). 6.    It would mean that the apostles were liars (1 Corinthians 15:15). 7.    It would deny all possibility of salvation from sin (1 Corinthians 15:16-17). 8.    It would mean that the righteous

Galatians 5:22-23 — any other doctrine of the New Testament. As frequently pointed out in this series, there are no less than eight designations in the New Testament of a single condition (see summary below). Note: Ye are the temple of the living God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:16). For it is God that worketh in you (Philippians 2:13). God abideth in us … we abide in him and he in us … God abideth in him and he in God … he that abideth in love abideth in God and God abideth in him (1 John

Hebrews 1:14 — is considered appropriate to set forth some of the basic scriptural teachings concerning them. They are innumerable (Hebrews 12:22); and from such impressions as may be gathered from our Saviour's reference to "legions of angels" (Matthew 26:53) and the use of words like "archangel" (Jude 1:1:9), as well as from our Lord's making angels of little children to be of the highest rank in heaven (Matthew 18:10), it is inferred that the angelic host are an organized company, or kingdom;

Hebrews 10:19 — 10:19) THE FOURTH EXHORTATION The intensely doctrinal part of the epistle now being completed, there follows at this point an urgent exhortation, the fourth thus far in Hebrews; and this begins with the repetition of a plea already made (Hebrews 4:16), the basis of that one being that our great High Priest can be touched with the feeling of human infirmities and is enthroned on high; the basis of the appeal here, on the other hand, is the further consideration that the great High Priest has offered

Hebrews 11:4 — may believe they found redemption in that blood which was shed from the foundation of the world. Adam's rebellion against his Maker was too great and too glaring to permit his name ever to be mentioned with honor or respect. Adam Clarke, op. cit., p. 762. God walked in the garden in the cool of the evening and called, "Adam, where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9); and both for Adam and his posterity, the words have come ringing down long centuries and milleniums of sin, darkness, bloodshed, wretchedness

Hebrews 12:5-6 — Testament example is Job who suffered the loss of wealth, loved ones, reputation, health, and honor — all upon the specific permission of God. David also suffered chastening in the matter of Shimei's throwing stones and cursing the king (2 Samuel 16:9 ff); and David's submissiveness to that sore trial was evidenced by his saying, "The Lord hath bidden him." It is, therefore, a mistake for the Christian to view his tribulations in a sense of stoicism, or as a result of blind chance, or

1 Peter 3:18 — 1:24). Suffered for sins once … "Once" is the great New Testament word from the Greek [@hapax], meaning "once for all." W. E. Vine, op. cit., p. 137 (vol. iii). It is used of: (1) Christ's coming in human form (Hebrews 9:26); (2) Christ's death (Hebrews 9:28); (3) the deliverance to mankind of the faith (Judges 1:3); (4) the offering of Christ's blood in heaven (Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:26); (5) the appointment to die (Hebrews 9:27); (6) God's shaking the earth and the

Revelation 12:7-9 — angels were cast down with him. It is important to note why this episode was included: The war and its issue are introduced as an explanation of Satan's fury in these last times and a prediction of his final overthrow. Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 618. This war does not merely explain Satan's fury during "these last times" as apparently limited by Beckwith, but also the fury of Satan from the garden of Eden until the end of time, thus providing the true key to the problem of just "when"

Revelation 6:3-4 — horsemen is clear enough. Practically all students see this one as bloodshed, warfare, and the desolation caused by the sword. One point of difference is grounded upon a different word for "sword" being used in this passage and in Revelation 6:8. It could be that the use of a synonym in one place or another has no significance. Swords of all descriptions have been used in warfare throughout history. If a reason is sought, it probably appears in the fact of the Roman sword being in view here,