Bible Commentaries

Psalms 106:16-18 — SIN NO. 3 This sin was the insurrection against Moses and Aaron by Korah and others, recorded in Numbers 16. "They envied Moses also in the camp, And Aaron the saint of Jehovah. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And covered the company of Abiram. And

Psalms 126:4 — expression, "Restore our fortunes, O Lord." Some scholars would apply it to the captives who yet remained in Babylon, preferring to live there, because they were "Unwilling to leave their possessions," as Josephus said.Flavius Josephus, Antiquities, p. 322. However, we cannot accept such a view as a legitimate meaning of what is written here. This is a prayer for a refreshing season of God's blessings, as Briggs thought, "Probably a desire for good crops."International Critical Commentary, op. cit.,

Psalms 27:7-8 — voice" (Psalms 27:7). Prayer is not merely a silent, or a mental thing; it is an audible petition. From the Cross itself Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." We worship God with "the fruit of our lips" (Hebrews 13:15). So-called "silent prayer" indulged upon many occasions is in no sense equal to one that is vocalized. It reminds one of the way the Quakers once observed the Lord's Supper, with no words, no emblems, no prayers, and no edification! The king of

Psalms 40:4-5 — They are more than can be numbered." "Blessed be the man" This is a beatitude much like those that Jesus used in the Sermon on the Mount. "Nor such as turn aside to lies" "This is the same as, `Those that turn aside to false gods.'"H. C. Leupold, p. 323. "Many… are the wonderful works which thou hast made" The wonderful works of God are: (1) all of those things which are beyond the power of men to accomplish; (2) so complex that they cannot be set in order, meaning that they cannot be classified,

Psalms 71:1-4 — a rock of habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: Thou hast given commandment to save me; For thou art my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked; Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man." "Verses 1-3 here are quoted from Psalms 31."W. E. Addis, p. 385. Most of the terminology here actually has the significance of a Davidic signature. "Thou art my rock and my fortress" This is a quotation from David's Psalms 18:2. "Deliver me out of the hand of the

Psalms 9:1-2 — Name, O thou Most High." The reason for the exultation and joyful thanksgiving and praise of these verses is, "God's mighty acts of salvation on behalf of Israel."Arnold Rhodes, The Layman's Bible Commentary, Vol. 9 (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1960), p. 37. Furthermore, this is true regardless of whether or not the victories had already been given or merely prophesied. What God's prophets prophesied was as certain of fulfillment as if it had already happened; and that is why the Hebrew writers used the

Proverbs 24:19-20 — world where nearly all the people are moving in open rebellion against God, that all kinds of injustices and inequities should be, at times, the portion of the godly. "The prosperity of the wicked is only temporary; they are detested by God (Proverbs 3:32), and are doomed (Proverbs 24:20)."The Anchor Bible (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1982). The second line of Proverbs 24:20 is identical with that of Proverbs 13:9.

Isaiah 13:12-16 — and their wives ravished." These verses recount the atrocities that were common in the fall of ancient cities. Horrible as such cruelties were, they were the common procedures when any enemy of that ancient era overcame a city they attacked. Isaiah 13:14 here speaks of a time when, "The forces of the king of Babylon, destitute of their leader and all of his auxiliaries, collected from Asia Minor and other distant countries, shall disperse and flee to their respective homes."Robert Lowth's Commentary,

Amos 5:6 — sought, or worshipped."C. F. Keil, op. cit., p. 279. Jamieson's comment on this verse is: Break out like fire in the house of Joseph" means bursting through everything in his way. God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; Isaiah 10:17; and Lamentations 2:3).Robert Jamieson, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary Commentary on the Whole Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1961), p. 795.

Habakkuk 1:10 — the Sixth head). "We have no king but Caesar," they cried. "Heapeth up dust and taketh it" On Assyrian monuments, one sees "representations of these mounds, or inclined planes, to facilitate the approach of the battering-ram."W. J. Deane, op. cit., p. 3. "He scoffeth at kings" Jehoikim and Jehoikin, both kings of Israel, suffered the greatest indignities at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chronicles 36:6; 2 Chronicles 2 King 24:14,15; and Jeremiah 22:19).

Habakkuk 3:7 — affliction; The curtains of the land of Midian did tremble." "The tents of Cushan… curtains of Midian" "However these words are understood, "The general reference is to God's interposition against Israel's foes of old."Robert Jamieson, op. cit., p. 832. Cushan should be read as "Cush," because the extra syllable, "an" was added for musical reasons, enabling it to correspond to Midian in the following line. There are other examples of this in the Bible, Lot's name being written in Genesis as Lotan.Ibid.

Zephaniah 3:6 — in this prophecy, meaning that they had become one in vile character with the pagans whom they had displaced, carrying the stern implication that what God had already done once to the old Canaan, he would do again to Israel (Zephaniah 1:11; Zephaniah 3:5).

Malachi 2:6 — that Levi once kept, but that his successors were violating. Clarke has given a summary of these thus: 1.    He feared me; he was my sincere worshipper. 2.    He acted as in the presence of the just and holy God. 3.    The law of God was ever in his mouth. 4.    By example and teaching he influenced others. 5.    No iniquity proceeded from his lips. 6.    He lived in such a manner

Matthew 10:33 — place, and, secondly, claiming a relationship to God which none of the apostles ever used in addressing deity, and which was constantly used by Christ as an affirmation of his divinity. True, Paul said, "I thank my God …" (Philippians 1:3); but even so, it is not used as direct address and does not carry the same connotation as Jesus' expression, "My Father." It is freely admitted that this viewpoint is subject to challenge.

Matthew 19:29 — First, there is the multiplication, on a vast scale, of the wealth that people may forsake to follow Christ. (2) Second, there is the multiplication, on the same vast scale, of loved ones, however near and dear, who may be forsaken for his name's sake. (3) Third, there is the promise of eternal life. But, looking beyond this magnificent triple promise, WHO is he that made it, and how shall he fulfill it? The answer is GOD, and God is able to do all things. Here then is another passage that must be placed

Matthew 20:8 — the end of the day; and it may be dogmatically assumed that any who abandoned work earlier received nothing at all for their labors. It corresponds to Bible teaching that these men were paid at the end of the day (see Deuteronomy 24:15; Leviticus 19-13; Job 7:2; Malachi 3:5; James 5:4).

Mark 2:19 — What a center shot this part of Jesus' reply achieved! It is as though he had said, "Look, you Pharisees, this is a wedding!" The bridegroom … John the Baptist had declared, "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom" (John 3:29); and, from this, some have erroneously concluded that the bride, or church, was in existence when John spoke. The bride of God, or of Christ (he and the Father are one), is actually the true or spiritual Israel; and, when John spoke, the genuine

Mark 2:5 — God" can forgive sins. (2) It was an indication that he had read the hearts of the five men before him, especially of the sufferer, and that he had determined the spiritual attitude of the man to have been fully consistent with the reward bestowed. (3) It proved that Jesus understood the man's greater need as forgiveness, and so that was given first.

Mark 3:11-12 — Christ would have been hauled before the Romans for sedition. (2) If demons had been freely permitted to bear such testimony, it might have appeared to reinforce the slander of the Pharisees that he cast out demons by the prince of the demons (Mark 3:22). Son of God … must be understood here in its unique Messianic import. Any other meaning would not have served the demonic purpose. It should be noted that Christ did not deny their testimony as true, but on the other hand he forbade them

Mark 5:30 — superstition by supposing the tassel did it! Nor should we fall into the guilty error of ascribing ignorance to Jesus as the reason for his asking the question. Was God asking for information when he inquired, "Adam, where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9), or when he asked of Cain, "Where is Abel thy brother?" (Genesis 4:9). The reason for the question was resident in the fact that Jesus desired to bestow upon the woman a greater blessing than mere healing. He would not permit her, in a