Bible Commentaries

Genesis 14:15-16 — army as involved here. Chedorlaomer, perhaps the most important king mentioned, might possibly have been represented by a handful of men. There is no proof that he was king of Babylon.H. C. Leupold, Genesis (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1942), p. 447. Nothing in this account requires that we understand "Chedorlaomer came" to mean that he was personally present in the campaign. "In the inscriptions on ancient monuments, the expeditions sent out by various kings were ascribed to them personally,"Ibid,

Exodus 23:4-5 — get up. There is also the need of that designated enemy for assistance with a problem that one man could not handle. It was a major premise of Judaism that kindness and thoughtfulness for animals were required by God (See Exodus 20:10; Leviticus 22:27; Deuteronomy 22:6-7; Deuteronomy 25:4). Here the kind help of one's enemy was also enjoined. Seeing, therefore, that regard for an enemy was inculcated into the Book of the Covenant, what must we think of Jesus' words: "Ye have heard that it was said,

2 Kings 19:1-4 — denial of Hezekiah's faith, but a confession that he had not been as faithful as had Isaiah. Although this is the first mention of Isaiah in Kings, we learn from Isaiah himself that he had prophesied even in the days of Hezekiah's father Ahaz (Isaiah 7:10-17), but that ruler had despised Isaiah's warnings. "He rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth" "He well knew how largely he himself had been responsible for the terrible situation."Ibid., p. 635. (Gleason L. Archer). "The children are

2 Chronicles 2:11-16 — nothing."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 384. "Of Huram my father's" The RSV should be followed here, "I have sent a skillful man… Huramabi." "The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan" Critics love to cite this as a discrepancy with 1 Kings 7:14, which refers to her as "a widow of the tribe of Naphtali," some even calling it a contradiction. Of course, the two passages teach that Huramabi's mother was, by birth, of the tribe of Dan, and by residence of the tribe of Napthtali. "Let him send

Job 1:20-22 — be the name of Jehovah. In all this, Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." "Naked shall I return thither" Job did not mean that he would return to his mother's womb, but that he would return to "mother earth."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 7. This analogy is expressed in Psalms 139:15, making it quite clear that man has two mothers, his fleshly mother, and the earth itself. Here is revealed the manner in which a righteous person should accept disaster. He accepted it as coming from the

Job 24:2-12 — exact an unjust pledge from widows (Job 24:4) and force their poor laborers who work for them to scavenge for food in the mountains, where they have no residences, and are not sufficiently clothed, and where they are often cold and hungry (Job 24:5-7). "The soul of the wounded crieth out, yet God regardeth not the folly" They violate the spirit of the Law of God (Deuteronomy 25:4) by denying those who tread their winepresses even a taste of the juice, and by forbidding them to eat of the grain as

Job 4:12-21 — be construed as critical of Job. Were not Job's protestations of innocence examples of a man claiming to be more just or pure than God? Almighty God Himself said of the speeches of Job's friends that they had not spoken that which was right (Job 42:7); and this writer does not dare to allege any rightness whatever in this speech of Eliphaz. His angels he chargeth with folly (Job 4:18). Franks, making the mistake of supposing this "vision" had any truth in it, wrote that it is contrary to the doctrine

Psalms 129:5-8 — bluster."Derek Kidner, op. cit., p. 445. However, the Zion of the Psalter is something of exceedingly great importance. "It is the city of our God" (Psalms 48:1); "The mount for God's abode" (Psalms 68:16); and the destined mother-city of the world (Psalms 87). It is a type of the New Jerusalem that cometh down from God out of heaven; and even all the Gentiles must confess that, "All our springs are in Zion" (Psalms 87:7). "In this light, it is appropriate therefore that, laying all metaphors aside, they

Psalms 20:7-9 — are bowed down and fallen; But we are risen and stand upright. Save, Jehovah: Let the King answer us when we call." Again, all the people take up the vocal declamation of this psalm in the last three verses. "Some trust in chariots, etc." (Psalms 20:7). "Men who put their trust in chariots, horses and weapons of war and do not rely on the name of the Lord will surely be brought down."George DeHoff, p. 109. In all ages, it has been God who rules among the kingdoms of men and exalts over them whosoever

Psalms 25:16-22 — deliver me: Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in thee. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for thee. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles." "Desolate… afflicted… troubles enlarged" (Psalms 25:16-17). Also "distresses, affliction, travail, enemies" (Psalms 25:16-19). Behold here the fruits of sin! There can be no doubt of the personal nature of this psalm. The agony of a soul oppressed with the burning consciousness of sins committed is clearly

Psalms 31:14-18 — sung by Christians all over the world continually. See our two page discussion of this blessing in Vol. 4 of our series of Commentaries on the Pentateuch, pp. 319,320. The Psalms have several quotations from this Aaronic blessing Psalms 4:6; Psalms 67:1; Psalms 80:5; Psalms 80:7; Psalms 80:19; and Psalms 119:135.The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.'8, p. 228. In this light it is impossible not to see the five books of Moses as being far older than the Psalms. "Let the wicked be put to shame" (Psalms 31:17).

Psalms 63:9-11 — simply that the enemies of the king shall die. "They shall be given over to the power of the sword" Twenty thousand of Absalom's forces were slain by the sword in the battle that ended the rebellion, which was fought in the forest of Ephraim (2 Samuel 18:7 f). But that was far from all of it. "The forest devoured more people that day than the sword." Thus, more than twenty-thousand more were numbered among the slain. "They shall be a portion for the foxes" "The word here should be translated `jackals,'

Psalms 85:4-7 — God required of them. "This is always the proper spirit in prayer. The first thing is not that God should take away his wrath, but that he would dispose us to forsake our sins."Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1987 reprint of the 1878 edition), Vol. II, p. 348. This paragraph (Psalms 85:4-7) carries three petitions. The first of these is "Turn us" (Psalms 85:4). "Wilt thou be angry forever?… unto all generations" "Such plaintive questions frequently accompany

Leviticus 8:22-29 — offering made by fire unto Jehovah. And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave-offering before Jehovah: it was Moses' portion of the ram of consecration; as Jehovah commanded Moses." Notice that the rules concerning wave-offering (Leviticus 7:33-34) were not followed here. "This ordination was a one-time event; presumably there were no special rules."Bernard J. Bamberger, op. cit., p. 71. The touching of bodily extremities with blood was probably a symbolical sprinkling of the whole body

Isaiah 27:1 — Thus we find right here in Isaiah 27:1 what might serve as the topic sentence of the last half of the Book of Revelation!. It is not necessary to suppose that Isaiah himself had any inkling of the full meaning of what God revealed in this verse through Isaiah. "In that day Jehovah with

Isaiah 37:26-29 — sorely punished and that God would use another instrument to punish him, and that he would be rewarded with the same kind of cruel and inhumane punishment he had so ruthlessly meted out to his unfortunate victims. Douglas pointed out that, "Isaiah 37:29 here is God's explanation a little more fully of what he had already prophesied in Isaiah 37:7."George C. M. Douglas, p. 289. As we have frequently observed this procedure of adding details with each subsequent mention of prophesies or commandments

Hosea 11 overview — This chapter stands sharply detached from the last. The first 7 verses are in the form of a nostalgic remembrance of God's tender care of Israel, especially in their being brought up out of Egypt and disciplined in the wilderness, but in Hosea 11:8, it is clear that Hosea "thinks of the punishment as having fallen."John

Judges 5:12-14 — Machir came down governors, And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshall's staff" "Lead away the captives" Dalglish pointed out how: "A similar phrase, `lead captivity captive,' was later applied to (1) the triumphal procession of God (Psalms 68:17 f); (2) and to the conquering Christ (Ephesians 4:8-10; Colossians 2:15, and 2 Corinthians 2:14-16)."Beacon Bible Commentary, op. cit., p. 410. "A remnant of the nobles and the people" Not all of Israel responded to the call of Deborah. The word "remnant"

Revelation 12 overview — the church, and failing in this, to wage war against the saints. The outline of the chapter is: The drama of the woman and the dragon (Revelation 12:1-6). A retrospective parenthesis to explain Satan's hatred of the woman and her seed (Revelation 12:7-9). A heavenly proleptic doxology, but also including retrospective mention of past events (Revelation 12:10-12). The war against the church by Satan (Revelation 12:13-17). The vision which begins in this chapter has several parts, but, "It does

2 Samuel 16:5-8 — Mount Olivet is the place where Phalti turned back from following Michal as she was returned to David (2 Samuel 3:15-16), where Shimei's cursing of David occurred, and where the sons of the priests (Jonathan and Ahimaaz) were hidden in a well (2 Samuel 17:18) during their mission of carrying information to David."Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 194. "There came out a man… of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei" Cook identified this character as "Cush the Benjamite,"Albert Barnes,