Bible Commentaries

Exodus 38 overview — This chapter continues in the same pattern as the last, relating the construction of the Altar of Burnt Offering (Exodus 38:1-7), following the directions laid down in Exodus 27:1-8; the construction of the Laver (Exodus 38:8) in the pattern given in Exodus 30:17-21; and the building of the Court (Exodus 38:9-20) in conformity with the instructions given in Exodus 27:9-19. Exodus 38:21-31 give for the first time a summary

Psalms 16:1-4 — with David, or any other person on earth. As McCaw suggested, the continuation here of the earmarks of one who is truly righteous includes the following: (1)    God is the object of his trust; he takes refuge in Him (Psalms 16:1). (2)    Yahweh is his sovereign lord, beyond whom there is no good thing (Psalms 16:2). (3)    He acknowledges the value and fellowship of the saints (Psalms 16:3). (4)    He shuns all false worship

Psalms 61:4-5 — his hope of God's help. This "heritage" is extremely important. "The `heritage' is all-embracing, unlimited, inalienable and inclusive of all the blessed promises to Christians. It is the equivalent of `all things are yours.'"Derek Kidner, Vol. 1, p. 220. "`The heritage here' refers to that distinctive promise which God gave to David through the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 7) assuring him of the eternal continuation of the `Throne of David,' and of one of his seed to sit upon it."H. C. Leupold, p. 456.

Psalms 67:1-7 — our God, will bless us. God will bless us; And all the ends of the earth shall fear him." "God be merciful… bless us… cause his face to shine upon us, etc." As Addis noted, "This Psalm is an expansion of the Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:24-26."W. E. Addis, p. 384. This short psalm is further shortened in meaning by the verbatim repetition of Psalms 67:3 in Psalms 67:5. There is not much we can add by way of interpretation to that which we have already stated above. This great prophecy

Isaiah 24:1-3 — consume all things from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah. I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, and the fishes of the sea… and I will cut off man from the face of the ground, saith Jehovah" (Zephaniah 1:2-3). The last clause here is equivalent to: "I will wipe this Adamic race off the face of the earth." What Isaiah prophesies here might indeed be the prelude to the ultimate destruction promised. As Cheyne said, "The mysteriousness of the language ought

Isaiah 45:4-7 — and create evil; I am Jehovah that doeth all these things." The very special favor shown to Cyrus here on God's part was apparently motivated by three considerations: (1) that Cyrus, the most powerful monarch on earth, might acknowledge the true God; (2) that Israel might be benefited and continued as a separate nation by the termination of their captivity; and (3) that the attention of all the world might be attracted, and that the unity of God might be manifested to all the earth.The Pulpit Commentary,

Jeremiah 32 overview — only the seventeenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonians did not count the year of accession to the throne; but the Hebrews did. George DeHoff noted that the siege, "Began the year before and apparently lasted eighteen months and twenty-seven days (2 Kings 25:18)."George DeHoff's Commentary, p. 207. In the year preceding this chapter, "The siege had been lifted for a short while by the arrival near Jerusalem of an Egyptian army led by Pharaoh-Hophra (Jeremiah 44:30), the Apries of Herodotus, an

Ezekiel 24 overview — GOD'S LAST MESSAGE BEFORE THE FALL OF JERUSALEMTHE RUSTED CALDRON, AND THE DEATH OF EZEKIEL'S WIFE There are three connected themes in this chapter: (1) the parable of the rusty caldron (Ezekiel 24:1-14); the sign of the death of Ezekiel's wife (Ezekiel 24:15-24); and (3) the prophecy of the end of Ezekiel's dumbness (Ezekiel 24:25-27).G. R. Beasley-Murray in the New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 676 The date of this chapter is January 15, 588

Numbers 14:11-19 — text, as explained by Cook: "The syntax of these verses is singularly broken. As did Paul when deeply moved, so Moses presses his arguments one on the other without pausing to ascertain the grammatical finish of his expressions."F. C. Cook, op. cit., p. 212. How else could Moses have spoken as he trembled in the fear of an impending judgment of doom upon the whole nation? The notion that such a man in such awesome fear should have paused to polish up the grammar of his prayer is, in any sober view,

Numbers 8:23-26 — Levites began their service, whereas, previously the age of thirty years was specified. Different situations in view explain the difference: "The age varied for different kinds of service: (1)    for a soldier, it was age twenty, (2)    for a priest, it was age thirty, and (3)    for the Levites, it was age twenty-five."J. Vernon McGee, Through the Bible with J. Vernon McGee (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1981), p. 474. As for the

Deuteronomy 22 overview — Again, in this chapter, there is a collection of miscellaneous laws, apparently mentioned at random. "The miscellaneous character of the precepts found in Deuteronomy 22:1; Deuteronomy 22:12 has perplexed those who regard these chapters as a legal code, but it is natural enough in a spoken discourse."R. K. Harrison, The New Bible Commentary, Revised, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970),

Philippians 4:8 — attitudes." Frances Foulkes, op. cit., p. 1138. Of special interest in Paul's list given here is the word [@arete], translated "virtue." This is found nowhere else in Paul's letters and in only two other New Testament references (1 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 1:3), despite the fact of its being "a frequent word in classical and Hellenistic Greek." R. P. Martin, op. cit.,, p. 172. Lightfoot believed that Paul "seems studiously to avoid this common heathen term for moral excellence."

2 Timothy 2:1-2 — proclaimed by Paul. The school of scholars who find here any reference to "the succession of apostolic doctrine through apostolic men," A. C. Hervey, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), Vol. 21, 2 Timothy, p. 19. find what is not in the passage at all. As Hendriksen put it: This expression undoubtedly refers to the entire series of sermons and lessons which the disciple had heard from the mouth of his teacher during all their association

2 Timothy 3:16 — implies that there are some Scriptures which are not inspired"; A. C. Hervey, op. cit., p. 43. and, in context, it is impossible to suppose that Paul meant to imply that. All Scripture … In distinction from the "sacred writings" (2 Timothy 3:15), "all Scripture" here means everything which, through the testimony of the Holy Spirit in the church, is recognized by the church as canonical. When Paul wrote these words, the direct reference was to a body of sacred literature

Hebrews 10:20 — veil, that is to say, his flesh. The new and living way properly denotes the means of access through Christ by believers into the very presence of God. It was a NEW WAY because: (1) only recently, in the historical sense, had it been made available; (2) it was an essential feature of the new covenant; (3) it is never subject to change or decay, being thus eternally new; and it is a LIVING WAY because: (1) it is through the eternally living Saviour that access exists, not through blood of dead animals;

Hebrews 5:9 — salvation which was procured by the obedience of the Redeemer should be made available to the obedience of the redeemed." Ibid., p. 105. Eternal salvation brings to mind other things mentioned in this epistle: "eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12), "eternal inheritance" (Hebrews 9:15), and "eternal covenant" (Hebrews 13:20). The word "author" is translated from the Greek word "cause," as a glance at the English Revised Version (1885) margin will show.

1 John 2:9 — Jesus nearly a whole generation previously. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said: "If thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness" (Matthew 6:23). Thus, the metaphor of light and darkness goes back to Christ himself. Paul likewise received and used the same metaphor, his message in Ephesians 4:17-18 reading thus: "For they live blindfolded in a world of illusion, and are cut off from the

2 Samuel 14:1-3 — succeeding David to the throne; and Joab thought that this action on his part would be the best way to secure himself against the punishment which he deserved for the murder of Abner."C. F. Keil, Keil and Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries, Vol. 2b, p. 406. Joab's procedure was similar to that of Nathan who brought before David an alleged court case, but which was actually a parable. A significant fact which emerges here is that any wronged person in the entire kingdom had the right to appeal

2 Samuel 20:23-26 — Second Samuel form a kind of appendix."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 495. "Joab was in command of all the army of Israel" "The king did not venture to dispute Joab's right to resume his post of commander-in-chief."Arthur S. Peake's Commentary, p. 292. As DeHoff said, "Joab had murdered Amasa and seized supreme command. David was not deceived as to the kind of man Joab was, but he needed him as a leader at that time."George DeHoff's Commentary, op. cit., p. 223. The similarity of this list and

2 Samuel 9:3 — "And the king said, `Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?' Ziba said to the king, `There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.'" This crippled son, of course, was Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:6), whose real name was Meribbaal (or Meribaal) (1 Chronicles 8:34; 1 Chronicles 9:40). This writer finds it impossible to agree with the position maintained by many scholars that, "Until the times of Jezebel, the name `Baal' retained its innocent