Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 16:7-9 — was saved from his immediate enemies. Damascus was captured, its people deported, and their king Rezin killed."The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 3, p. 273. "This was the end of Syrian Damascus as a power.International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 459. This destruction of Damascus had been prophesied by Amos (Amos 1:3-5). "The word translated `present' in 2 Kings 16:8 is the same word also rendered `bribe'."Ibid., p. 458. This request of Ahaz for Assyrian help must have been celebrated gloriously

2 Kings 25:8-12 — carry away captive. But the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen." "The fifth month… the seventh day of the month" "This was the Jewish month of AbhInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia, p. 542. (July/August) 586 B.C., corresponding to our August 15th.Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 364. A month had elapsed after the flight of Zedekiah from the city; and, "During this time the princes of the Chaldeans had probably gone to Riblah to

1 Chronicles 24:20-31 — as those of his younger brother." "It should be remembered that these lists of names represent families rather than individuals, and that a number of these families continued into N.T. times (for example, Zacharias was of the line of Abijah, Luke 1:5)."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 400. Interesting as the omission is, we can give no reason for the omission of the family of Gershon. The variations in these lists is of no importance. "Some of these courses died out, or had to be consolidated

Ezra 3:6-7 — Persia." There was never any doubt that the returnees would rebuild the temple, which they would do as soon as possible. They wasted no time in raising money for that purpose. "The grant they had of Cyrus" "The full terms of this grant are found in Ezra 6:3-5."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 426. "The Lebanon range of mountains where those wonderful cedar trees grew belonged, at this point in history, to the kings of Persia."Arthur S. Peake's Commentary, p. 327. A number of dependable scholars have

Ezra 6:16-18 — imagination, and not upon any fact. The silly reason for such a challenge, according to Hamrick, was that the word Jews was the author's usual term for Israel; but here he referred to them as the children of Israel.Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 3, p. 454. What a foolish assumption it must be that Ezra was not familiar with both expressions and that he would never have used both. At this glorious moment when God's people had been returned from captivity and their temple restored, the more formal term

Job 26:5-8 — and upon earth, but under the earth as well, even over the inhabitants of Hades, spoken of here as being under the oceans."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 7d, p. 429. Here is a reference to persons under the earth, as also in the New Testament (Revelation 5:3). "And hangeth the earth upon nothing" The amazing truth of what is said here was unknown in pre-Christian ages and thus anticipates scientific information of modern times by thousands of years. Incidentally, the truth of these things here spoken

Job 31:24-30 — p. 269. I have not suffered my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse (v. 30). Job is here speaking of his enemies. "He was untainted by bitterness toward his enemies; and in this he is traveling in the direction of our Lord's words in Matthew 5:44."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 438.

Job 37:1-5 — seems likely that Elihu delivered the remarks of this chapter at the very time that he and the others were watching the approach of a storm. And from thoughts of the storm, he then proceeded to mention snow, rain, and other natural phenomena. "Job 37:1-5 elaborate the picture of the storm; and Job 37:6-13 deal with new evidences, the ice, snow and cold of winter, etc."Ibid.

Psalms 106:1-5 — also John 8:39-44. "Remember me with thy favor… with thy salvation" The psalmist here injects his own prayer for God's favor and salvation, when is accomplished the deliverance which he envisions as coming to the people as a whole (Psalms 106:5). CONFESSION OF ISRAEL'S SINS Israel, at this time was suffering the penalty of God's anger for their wickedness, whether in the distress following the fall of Samaria (722 B.C.), or that of the Babylonian captivity centuries later, or whether from

Psalms 22:1-2 — is much in the sacred Scriptures to commend this view. Christ is spoken of in Hebrews 2:9 as the One, who by the grace of God did indeed, "Taste of death for every man." Isaiah tells us that, "God laid upon him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). Paul mentioned that God Himself "Set forth the Christ to be a propitiation" (Romans 3:25), or an atonement, for the sins of all men. "Christ died for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3); and "Him (Christ) who knew no sin, God made to be sin on our behalf;

Psalms 24:5-6 — "He shall receive a blessing from Jehovah, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek after him That seek thy face, even Jacob. (Selah)" "He shall receive a blessing… and righteousness" (Psalms 24:5). Again we have a statement that requires the application of this passage to the Christ. The only righteousness that this world ever achieved was that which was wrought by Jesus Christ our Lord. Of the totality of mankind, other than Christ, it is stated,

Psalms 29:6-8 — Press, 1987), p. 112. "Jehovah shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh" (Psalms 29:8). This is the third time that the distinction is made in this psalm between the thunder (the voice of Jehovah) and Jehovah himself, namely at the end of Psalms 29:3; Psalms 29:5; Psalms 29:8. David is not really thinking of a thunderstorm but of Jehovah!

Psalms 39:5 — brief candle!Life's but a walking shadow, a poor playerThat struts and frets his hour upon the stageAnd then is heard no more: it is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,Signifying nothing. - William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth, Act. V, Scene 5, Lines 11-20." One can hardly resist the speculation that Shakespeare had evidently read this psalm and made his comment on it in the lines just quoted. We cannot believe, however, that David arrived at the same conclusion as did Shakespeare. There

Psalms 42:6-8 — him, just as he blessed Jonah. The passage recalled here is: "All thy waves and thy billows passed over me… the waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the deep was round about me. Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple" (Jonah 2:3-5). It is easy to see that the psalmist here was appealing to God, that just as he had blessed Jonah, so might the same blessings come to the psalmist. "Jehovah will command his lovingkindness in the daytime; and in the night his song shall be with me"

Psalms 75:10 — words of the psalmist, but the problem with that is that no ordinary person, even a righteous person, has the power and ability to do what is here indicated. What mortal man can say, "I will lift up the righteous and cast down the wicked?" "Psalms 75:10 is best understood as a statement of the psalmist's own purpose. God's servants are his instruments in carrying out his judgments; and there is a very real sense in which all of them should seek to fight against dominant evil and to cripple the power

Psalms 77:4-9 — call to remembrance my song in the night" "Many have been the songs that he either composed or sang; and he had once derived much spiritual comfort from them; but they gave him no help now, and aroused no feelings of confident faith."H. C. Leupold, p. 556. The six plaintive questions of Psalms 77:7-9 are eloquent expressions indeed of the doubts and fears of the psalmist. He strongly desired to find negative answers to all these questions, but the harsh conditions confronting the nation of Israel seemed

Psalms 98:9 — hands, etc. shall be performed "before Jehovah." "Jehovah cometh to judge the earth… he will judge the world." It is amazing that Anchor Bible translates this as God's coming to "Govern the world."Mitchell Dahood in The Anchor Bible, Vol. II, p. 365. No, God's Final Judgment, indicated here, will not be for the purpose of "governing the world." A summary of some of the things God has revealed that will be accomplished upon that Great Day includes the following: (1)    God will

Isaiah 5:1-2 — planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also hewed out a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes." "My well beloved" In the light of what follows in Isaiah 5:7, we know that Isaiah's "well beloved" here is no other than the "Lord of Hosts." As for the winepress, the tower, etc., these are fully discussed in Vol. 2 of my New Testament series, pp. 221-222. The message is that every possible improvement and

Numbers 30:13-16 — changed at some later time. His power and authority are forbidden to be used capriciously. We are indebted to Carson for this summary of the situations treated in the legislation of this chapter: (i) a young woman in her father's house (Numbers 30:3-5); (ii) a married woman who vowed while she was still single (Numbers 30:6-8); (iii) a widow or divorced person (Numbers 30:9); and (iv) that of a wife in her husband's house (Numbers 30:10-15).T. Carson, New Layman's Bible Commentary, Numbers (Grand

Deuteronomy 6:1-3 — days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as Jehovah the God of thy fathers, hath promised unto thee, in a land flowing with milk and honey." Deuteronomy 5 presented the Decalogue; "Deuteronomy 6 is a dissertation on the first and great commandment."Charles R. Eerdman, The Book of Deuteronomy (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company), p. 38. "The words statutes and ordinances in Deuteronomy 6:1