Bible Commentaries

Job 40 overview — GOD CONCLUDES HIS SPEECH TO JOB (Job 40-41) "This concluding speech of God to Job falls into three parts: (1) Job is (ironically) invited to assume the throne of the universe (Job 40:7-14). (2) There is the description of Behemoth (Job 40:15-24), and (3) the description of Leviathan (Job 41:1-34)."New Century Bible Commentary, p. 234. In the Genesis account of Jacob's wrestling with `a man' until the breaking of day, some respected writers

Jeremiah 15:19-21 — the hand of the terrible." God made it clear in these verses that he did not approve of Jeremiah's conduct. If Jeremiah would win a place back in God's favor, he was commanded to do the following: (1) he must repent of his distrust and selfishness; (2) he must rid his message of all that is unworthy. If Jeremiah will do these two things, four results will follow. (1) He will again be God's true messenger to the people; (2) He will not conform to the wishes of the people, but will cause the crowd

Jeremiah 43 overview — Moody Press), p. 637. There is probably nowhere to be found a better comment upon the incredible blindness of human politicians than the one afforded by this chapter. The chapter divisions are: (1) Judah's leaders reject God's word (Jeremiah 43:1-4); (2) Jeremiah and Baruch taken to Egypt (Jeremiah 43:5-7); (3) Prophecy of conquest of Egypt (Jeremiah 43:8-11); and (4) Prophecy against the gods of Egypt (Jeremiah 43:12-13).

Jeremiah 46:1-2 — the official prophet who would declare their fate (Jeremiah 1:10). Several of God's prophets pronounced doom against the nations, as did Isaiah, Amos, and others. "By the river Euphrates in Carchemish" The battle fought here about 605 B.C.HER, p. 492. was one of the decisive battles of history, for it spelled the end of Egyptian domination and heralded the arrival of Babylon as the new world power. It was fought at a strategic location several miles north of the Chebar's junction with the Euphrates.

Ezekiel 7:5-9 — an evil without precedent or parallel."Matthew Henry Commentary (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell), p. 785. "It waketh for thee" The judgment against Israel is here personified, "as long slumbering, but now awake."Albert Barnes' Commentary. 320. The same personification of judgment is also found in 2 Peter 2:3. A day of tumult, and not a day of joyful shouting upon the mountains. The popular idea of `The Day of the Lord' envisioned it as a time when God would suddenly appear and kill all

Daniel 12:3 — the post-resurrection glory of the saints who have been glorified. This is a Scriptural promise to be fulfilled in the Final Judgment, that day mentioned by Paul when all of the saints in Christ shall receive the crown of life that never fades away (2 Timothy 4:8). Although the apostle Paul did not quote Daniel, he nevertheless applied this conception of the saints being glorious like the stars in this passage: "For one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the

Joel 2:18 — "Then was Jehovah jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. Whether viewed as a prophecy of Joel of relief for the penitent people or as an exclamation of praise after the event of his mercy, this section (Joel 2:15-17) is rich with a portrayal of God's abundant blessings upon the covenant nation (not the secular state, as such, but the spiritual remnant who, in scripture, were always equated with the "true Israel"). "Apparently Joel had been successful in inspiring

Matthew 2:16-18 — fourth century historian, Macrobius, referred to the slaughter of those children and affirmed that Herod's own son was among the slain, hence a proverb that arose, "It is better to be Herod's hog than his son."Adam Clarke, op. cit., on Matthew 2:16. As a Jewish proselyte, Herod refrained from killing swine or having anything to do with them or their flesh. Two years old and under … This period is hard to place. Do they refer to children two years older, or younger than Christ; or do

Matthew 26:28 — having "trodden under foot the Son of God" and as having "counted the blood of the covenant wherewith (they) were sanctified an unholy thing" and as having "done despite" (insulted) unto the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29). Of vast significance are the words "unto remission of sins," translated "for the remission of sins" in the KJV. Note that Christ's blood was not shed because men were already forgiven but in order that they might be forgiven.

Matthew 28:16 — mountain in Galilee was located, nor, for that matter, why Christ should have selected any location in Galilee. Christ made an appointment to meet his disciples in Galilee, and that appointment HE KEPT. He kept it in spite of: (1) his sleeping disciples, (2) his betrayal, (3) their forsaking him, (4) his death, (5)his burial, (6) Peter's denial, (7) the big lie, and (8) the unbelief of many. The only persons who did not meet Christ on that mount in Galilee are those who did not go there to keep their appointment.

Luke 1:77-78 — "Dayspring from on High" (as in the KJV) is the best rendition. Christ is indeed the Light of the world; and it was appropriate that he should thus have been identified by the very first prophet to speak after the promise of Malachi (Malachi 4:2) that "the Sun of righteousness" should arise "with healing in his wings." There is a strong resemblance here to 2 Peter 1:19, in which Christ is compared to a lamp shining in a squalid room. Shall visit us … should in all

Luke 23:36-37 — offering him vinegar, and saying, If thou art the King of the Jews, save thyself. Spence observed that there were three instances of vinegar being offered to Jesus, as follows: (1) There was a draught prepared with narcotics and stupefying drugs (Matthew 27:34), which Jesus refused. (2) The one here mentioned in Luke…was one of the tortures of the crucifixion, (the soldiers) lifting sour wine to his lips and then whisking it rapidly away. (3) The third was when the Lord was almost exhausted (John

John 13:36 — such heavenly strength would come to Peter only after the victory of Jesus upon the cross had made it possible. In his reply, Jesus addressed Peter's intentions, not his question, and pointed out (1) Peter's present inability to follow the Lord, and (2) the full ability of Peter to do so after the enabling sacrifice on Calvary had been made.

Acts 3:24 — to the coming of Christ and to qualities and events of the kingdom he would receive. Some have questioned whether Samuel spoke of Christ, but of course he did. It was he who anointed David king and delivered the prophecy of David's perpetual throne (2 Samuel 7:12-16), all of which was fulfilled in Christ. Some 333 prophecies of the Old Testament, embracing practically every aspect and feature of Christ's coming and of his life, sufferings, death, burial, resurrection, glorification, etc., and of

1 Corinthians 15:28 — the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all, in all. It is a gross error to see this passage as reducing in any manner the status of Jesus Christ and his "equality with God" (Philippians 2:6), the thing in view here being the end of Christ's mediatorial office. At the time of his kingdom being united with godhead in heaven, the need of those special devices which were necessary in human redemption shall have disappeared. This verse marks

1 Corinthians 15:56 — discovered by Adam and Eve, and all of their posterity. The strength of sin is the law … As Dummelow said: This is true because the law reveals sin and, indeed, intensifies its power, without giving power to overcome it (Romans 7:7-13; Romans 8:2-3). J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 920. See my Commentary on Romans, pp. 265-264, for discussion of the law and its relation to sin. Paul here briefly mentioned the subject that he treated at length in Romans 7.

Philippians 4:11 — opinions of scholars: (1) "Paul uses the word content (a moment later) in the sense of his being independent of circumstances; but his all-sufficient resources are by the grace of Christ who lives in him." Frances Foulkes, op. cit., p. 1138. (2) Sir William M. Ramsay believed that Paul had inherited, or otherwise come into possession of, a large sum of money, founding his opinion on the fact of Luke's attendance upon Paul and other conditions of Paul's imprisonment. Despite the plausibility

2 Timothy 4:19 — couple had saved Paul's life, putting the whole world of Gentile churches in their debt; and both in this list and in Romans 16:3, Paul mentioned them above all others. For discussion of their relationship with Paul see my Commentary on Romans, 511,512. The house of Onesiphorus … Comment on this Christian friend of Paul's will be found above, under 2 Timothy 1:17. It is not known whether or not he had perished, or if he had been sent on some mission. There is no reason to suppose that Paul

1 John 2:4 — He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; This is the negative of the same teaching given in 1 John 2:3. John's converse statement of the same principle here is blunt, powerful, and incapable of being misunderstood. It reminds one of Jesus' saying, "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that

2 Samuel 14 overview — ABSALOM FORGIVEN AND BROUGHT BACK TO JERUSALEM This chapter and through 2 Samuel 19 relate the tragic account of Absalom's rebellion against David, which ended in Joab's killing the evil rebel as he hung by that gorgeous head of hair tangled in the branches of a tree. Following his murder of Amnon, Absalom had fled to Geshur