Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 51:4-8 — righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation unto all generations." "This second strophe describes God's salvation as comprehending all mankind and as outlasting the heavens and the earth."Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), p. 336. This analysis is certainly true, and therefore, we must question the use of the word "nation" here instead of "nations," the latter word meaning "Gentiles," and the former leaving the impression that the old fleshly nation of the Jews were

Isaiah 54:4-8 — because, indeed, those who received these promises and honored them were racial Israelites; but as McGuiggan observed, "All such promises, while addressed to the nation at large, are the heritage only of those who commit themselves to God (Isaiah 54:17; Isaiah 55:6-7 and Isaiah 57:13)."Jim McGuiggan, p. 273. However, in all of God's promises, there is an implied condition, whether specifically stated or not, and that is the condition "provided that, those receiving the promises continue in the way

Isaiah 66:5-6 — a voice of Jehovah that rendereth recompense to his enemies." An outstanding thing here is that, "These verses presuppose a schism within the Jewish community, with the faithful believers being persecuted and cast out by their own brethren."Ibid., 372. There is nothing new about this development; throughout Isaiah, the two Israels of God have been clearly visible. This prophecy, without any doubt, applies to the total destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple by the Romans in 70 A.D., whether

Jeremiah 10:11 — 10:6); He is the true and living God (Jeremiah 10:10); He is the Creator of heaven and earth (Jeremiah 10:12); He is the controller of the clouds and of the rain (Jeremiah 10:13); he alone is worthy of the respect and adoration of all men (Jeremiah 10:7); He is especially the God of Israel (Jeremiah 10:16). Before leaving Jeremiah 10:11, we shall note that many recent commentators love to parrot the old critical shibboleth that "This verse, being in Chaldee (Aramaic) is out of place."The Interpreter's

Jeremiah 14:10-12 — summarized God's reply to the prayer as follows: "The measure of Israel's iniquity being now full, they must be punished. The nation is ripe for destruction; intercede not for them."Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (London: T. Mason and G. Lane, 1837), p. 295. "They have loved to wander" There is nothing innocent about this "wandering." Cheyne rendered it, "roving lawlessly about."T. K. Cheyne, Jeremiah in the Pulpit Commentary, p. 355. "Pray not for this people" Twice previously, God gave Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:1-4 — have caused a cry to be heard." "Nebo" "This is not the mountain from which Moses viewed the Promised Land, but the city of Numbers 32:3; Numbers 32:38, built by the Reubenites."R. K. Harrison, Jeremiah in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, p. 174. "Kiriathaim" "A city six miles south of Dibon."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 845. Dibon was where the Moabite Stone was found. "Heshbon" This was an important city, belonging originally to Moab; but then captured by Sihon and made his capital

Jeremiah 5:14-18 — two clues are given here. (1) It is an ancient nation, which excludes the Scythians and points squarely at Babylon. Ash, quoting Herodotus, called the Scythians, "The youngest of the nations."Anthony L. Ash, Psalms (Abilene, Texas: A.C.U. Press, 1987), p. 78. (2) The other clue comes from the words "mighty nation," rendered "enduring nation" by Ash. "These words describe Babylon, not the Scythians."Ibid. Feinberg listed the earmarks of Babylonian identity here as: (1) distant, (2) ancient, (3) enduring,

Ezekiel 15:1-4 — scorched and half burnt; what then?"Albert Barnes' Commentary, 336. We especially appreciate Bunn's answer to that question. He wrote, "It will not even make good charcoal!"John T. Bunn in the Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1871), p. 271. The application of Ezekiel 15:4 to the state of Israel is that they had already had both ends burned, at Samaria in 622 B.C., and at Jerusalem in 597 B.C., the middle, under Zedekiah still remaining, but still fruitless and ready again to

Amos 7:14 — prophet of the Almighty God. We may only deplore the fact that both the RSV and the New English Bible, by rendering the verb here in the present, "I am no prophet, etc.," put in Amos' mouth a denial of the very thing he so emphatically affirmed in Amos 7:15 (next). To be sure, the passage could be rendered in either fashion. "The doubt about the tense arises because in Hebrew the verb is not expressed, but left to be understood."Henry McKeating, op. cit., p. 58. Smith included this further explanation: "The

Amos 7:8 — prophet were not his words at all, but the words of the true God of Israel. "A plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel" This was an ominous promise: "The plumb-line was used not only in building, but in destroying houses (2 Kings 21:13, Isaiah 28:17; Isaiah 34:11, and Lamentations 2:8). It denotes that God's judgments are measured out by the most exact rules of justice."Robert Jamieson, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1961), p. 798. "I will not

Nahum 1:15 — "Behold, upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! Keep thy feasts, O Judah, perform thy vows; for the wicked one shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off." This verse is similar to Isaiah 52:7 and is definitely Messianic, as indicated by "The wicked one shall no more pass through thee." "This is a reference to the "holy Jerusalem" of Joel 3:17 (See in my commentary on the minor prophets, Vol. 1, p. 64). The whole passage looks forward to

Matthew 11:25 — prayer, addressed God as "Father," and called him "Lord." This is in marked contrast to some today who speak in their prayers to God, addressing the Eternal as "You"! Christians should give honor to whom it is due (Romans 13:7); and such a palsy-walsy approach to God appears, in the eyes of this expositor, as falling short of that admonition. The Britannica's World Language Edition of Funk and Wagnalls Standard Dictionary lists "thou" and similar terms as obsolete,

Matthew 24:3 — John, and Andrew (Mark 13:3); and only these four were present to hear the remarkable discourse which begins with the fourth verse of this chapter.J. W. McGarvey, Commentary on Matthew and Mark (Delight, Arkansas: Gospel Light Publishing Company, 1875), p. 204. Note that there are three questions raised by the disciples: 1.    When shall these things be? 2.    What shall be the sign of thy coming? 3.    What shall be the sign of the end

Matthew 26:6-7 — helping with the serving, and Mary, also as usual, was blessed with a deeper insight into the spiritual realities of the occasion. A. T. Robertson's clear word on this incident removes any chance of confusing it with a similar event recorded in Luke 7:36 ff which occurred in the home of Simon the Pharisee. Robertson wrote: This anointing has nothing in common with that given by Luke, except the fact of a woman anointing the Saviour's feet, and the name Simon, which was common. The former was in Galilee;

Deuteronomy 5:1-33 — being unaware, apparently, that the Hebrew writers paid little or no regard to the number of pronouns. "They are used apparently at random"Peter E. Cousins, The New Layman's Bible Commentary, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979), p. 290. throughout whole sections of this book. This same frustration has also led to some very weak and worthless interpretations. We are happy indeed to find more and more scholars who are returning to the conviction that these (the books of the

1 Corinthians 4:3-4 — will they not say that ye are mad?" (1 Corinthians 14:23). Timothy was instructed to have regard to this court through the requirement that any man appointed as a bishop should have a good report from "them that are without" (1 Timothy 3:7). The sacred evangelist Luke stressed that Jesus himself advanced in favor with men (Luke 2:52), and that the believers in Jerusalem had "favor with all the people" (Acts 2:47). Nevertheless, desirable as a favorable public opinion undoubtedly

Hebrews 2:3 — the sinner; (3) the greatness of the eternal reward in heaven provided by it; (4) the greatness of the Saviour's love that underlies it; (5) the greatness of the adversary who opposes it; (6) the greatness of that multitude who shall receive it; and (7) the greatness of those certainties upon which it is grounded. The contrast in this verse is between the sinners of the Old Testament and the New Testament, leading to the conclusion that if they suffered punishment for disobeying the word that came

Hebrews 7:8 — peculiar structure of the words "that he liveth" seems to this expositor sufficient reason for understanding the words as a reference to Christ; for the exact words, "he ever liveth," are spoken of Christ in this very chapter (Hebrews 7:25). However, even allowing the opinions of learned men to be correct, and referring the words to Melchizedek, they would still apply to Christ, of whom Melchizedek was typical; and, therefore, we do not hesitate to make this passage a basis for advocating

Hebrews 9:3 — Holy of Holies. The only access to that Holy of Holies was through the veil, a description of which is afforded by Exodus 26:31 ff. It was this veil which was parted in twain from the top to the bottom at the time of our Lord's crucifixion (Matthew 27:51), thus being brought into focus to reveal an astonishing weight of symbolism. THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE The three colors of the veil (Exodus 26:31 ff), blue above, scarlet beneath, and purple between, formed by the perfect blending of the other colors,

James 5:6 — Ye have condemned, ye have killed the righteous one; he doth not resist you. The righteous one … is an expression used of Christ in a number of New Testament references (Acts 3:14; Acts 7:52; Acts 22:14), and this is clearly the meaning of it here. That James did not specify Christ by name is no problem, because New Testament writers generally were most reluctant to mention by name their own family; and James adhered to this rule, making