Bible Commentaries

Ezekiel 17:22-24 — brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I, Jehovah, have spoken and have done it." "This prophecy was fulfilled only in a Messianic sense."J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 503. "We have here a striking prediction of the kingdom of Messiah."Albert Barnes' Commentary, p. 342. May noted that this scripture corresponds, "with the common designation of the Messiah as the Branch."H. G. May in the Interpreter's Bible, p. 152. There

Ezekiel 27:16-20 — 23)."Ibid. One remembers the lament of Lady Macbeth that, "All the perfumes of Arabia cannot sweeten this little hand!" "Precious cloths for riding" This is a reference to saddle blankets, not blankets to go under saddles, but to be used as saddles. Judges 5:10 has a reference to these: "Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on rich carpets." from The Song of Deborah. "Dedan" "Unlike the `Dedan' identified above as Rhodes, this one appears to have been located in NW Arabia."F. F. Bruce in

Hosea 13:13 — noted, the conception of the new birth is dramatically presented, since it is Ephraim which was compared to the fetal infant unable to be born. This absolute requirement of being "born again" was made mandatory for all mankind by the Saviour in John 3:1-5. It is amazing indeed to find the concept in the prophecy of Hosea. Indeed, he did speak the words of God.

Joel 2:2 — the bones in such a manner as to indicate that the Assyrians were more familiar with the human anatomy without skin, than they were with the normal body.Merrill F. Unger, Archeology and the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1954), p. 251. They customarily flayed their victims, and often did this while the unfortunates were still alive! As has been repeatedly stressed in this series, the prophetic description of "the day of the Lord" invariably appears in the very darkest colors.

Micah 1:13 — of Lachish: she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee." "She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion" It is an interesting question how a border town like Lachish, located some 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem, was "the beginning" of the sin of the southern kingdom. It occurred like this: "Lachish was apparently one of the first cities to permit the Northern Israelite cults to be established in it."Gleason L. Archer, Jr., op.

Zechariah 14:17-18 — Christ himself took special precautions to destroy the old Jewish prejudice that God sent his rain only upon the righteous, saying: "The Father... maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust" (Matthew 5:44). Of course, in the history of Israel, there had indeed been a special providence of God in withholding rain from Israel during the idolatrous times of Ahab; but the miraculous interposition on the part of the Father, attempting to rescue Israel

Matthew 11:12 — … but by such breaches as they themselves sought to make in its walls.J. W. McGarvey, The Fourfold Gospel (Cincinnati, Ohio: The Standard Publishing Company), p. 283. Instances of such violence are: (1) Some tried to make him king by force (John 6:15). (2) the mother of James and John sought to obtain secular appointments for her sons in the kingdom (Matthew 20:21). (3) Some supposed the kingdom would appear immediately (Luke 19:11). (4) The apostles quarreled over who should be the greatest (Luke

Matthew 11:14 — And if ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, that is to come. Basing their confident expectation of the return of Elijah before the advent of the Messiah upon Malachi 4:5-6, the Jews of Christ's day expected a literal return of the natural Elijah and had even tried to shake the faith of the apostles in Jesus' Messiahship because, in their view, Elijah had not yet come. Elijah did actually return and met with Christ on

Matthew 19:21 — Mary's house in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12), Philip's great house in Caesarea Palestina (Acts 21:8), and the statement of the apostle Peter that Ananias and Sapphira were not under compulsion either to sell their property or give the money when they did (Acts 5:4) make it very clear that ownership of property was not proscribed in the early church. Furthermore, the Lord's teaching in the parable of the pounds, the parable of the talents, and many other passages suggest and even demand that ownership of property

Matthew 21:44 — a rock of offense; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient" (1 Peter 2:7-8). Thus, our Lord's reference to the Pharisees' falling on that stone (himself) is a reference to their stumbling at his word. The passage also suggests Daniel 2:45 and the "stone cut out of the mountain without hands" which smote the kingdoms and broke them in pieces. Christ's virgin birth was "without hands," in the sense that it was not dependent upon human agency or upon the natural processes

Matthew 26:57 — three times before the Romans and three times before the Jewish tribunals: 1.    Before Annas 2.    Before Caiaphas 3.    Before the Sanhedrin 4.    Before Pontius Pilate 5.    Before Herod Antipas 6.    Before Pilate again THE FIRST TRIAL Matthew omitted the first trial and arraignment before Annas, the ancient head of the high priestly conclave who was doubtless the prime mover

Matthew 27:32 — And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to go with them, that he might bear his cross. Executions inside the city were forbidden (Numbers 15:35; 1 Kings 21:13; Acts 7:58; Hebrews 13:12). The necessity for having someone bear Jesus' cross probably derived from his fainting from physical weakness induced by the scourging and long previous night of brutal abuse. Luke's detail that Simon was

Matthew 5:24 — situations are outlined in which it is imperative that the true follower of Christ "go" to his brother. These are: (1) when a brother has aught against such a one (this passage), (2) when such a one has been wronged by a brother (Matthew 18:15-17), and (3) when one shall observe that a brother has been overtaken in any fault (Galatians 6:1). Need it be said that this is the only procedure laid down in God's word for dealing with the sins of a brother? Furthermore, these divinely imposed procedures

Matthew 8:32 — was a trifling incidental. As soon as the demons had their way, the swine perished. This is always the case when Satan has his way. Judas permitted Satan in his heart (Luke 22:3), and very soon afterwards, he went out and hanged himself (Matthew 27:5). If God is to be charged with all that is permitted, He would then be guilty in the case of floods, earthquakes, wars, pestilence, and indeed for all the unfortunate and destructive things that ever happened on earth. There is another weighty consideration,

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 — sources." etc. Even Von Rad declared the passage "uneven," affirming that in Deuteronomy 26:4, the basket was handed to the priest at the beginning of the ceremony, and that in Deuteronomy 26:10, not until the end of it.Gerhard Von Rad, op. cit., p. 156. It is perfectly obvious that this account is abbreviated, and that not everything in the full ceremony was detailed, and that there is no intention of the Bible in this instance to describe this ceremony in such a complete manner that Von Rad, or

Mark 1:29-31 — and the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. THE HEALING OF PETER'S MOTHER-IN-LAW Simon's wife's mother … points up the fact that Peter was a married man, a fact further corroborated by Paul's mention of Peter's wife in 1 Corinthians 9:5. Lay sick of a fever … Luke, being a physician, was more technical in describing this malady, referring to it as "a great fever," the medical designation of those times for such a malady as typhoid. Luke also recorded the fact of Jesus'

Mark 10:6-8 — shall become one flesh: so that they are no more two, but one flesh. Thus, God's ideal for humanity is "monogamy, which rules out both polygamy and divorce."A. Elwood Sanner, Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1964), p. 354. People have no problem at all in knowing what is the will of God; their problems stem from efforts to make what they do bear the light of it! There is an extreme view, however, which should be avoided, and that is making a violation in this sector

Mark 8:34-35 — positive and complete identity with him. Take up his cross … Cross-bearing is the soul's assumption of the role of Jesus Christ throughout life, the reception of his Holy Spirit, the indwelling of "the mind that was in him" (Philippians 2:5), the permitting of the word of Christ to dwell in the soul richly (Colossians 3:16). Taking up the cross has no reference to the wearing of any ornament, nor to the trials of life, nor the common misfortunes of humanity, but to the conscious acceptance

Luke 8:40-42 — reference is made to them for many comments that will not be repeated here. The scene of this wonder was Capernaum, or very near it; and Jairus was one of the respected managers of the synagogue which had been given to the Jews by the centurion (Luke 7:5). His prostrating himself before Jesus was atypical of his class and probably earned him the sharp disapproval of his peers; but such was the agony of his heart that he braved all the consequences of seeking Jesus upon her behalf who was dying. Nothing

1 Peter 4:7 — sober unto prayer: DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM Such a verse as this, along with many others similar to it, is a problem to some people. "The night is far spent, the day is at hand" (Romans 13:12), "The Lord is at hand" (Philippians 4:5), "The coming of the Lord is at hand" (James 5:8), "It is the last hour" (1 John 2:18), "The time is near" (Revelation 1:3). What is actually meant by all such expressions in the New Testament? Throughout this series, it