Bible Commentaries

Exodus 20:14 — secret. None the less, a blow has been dealt the whole society. To make a beast of oneself and a thing of someone else is to rob the world of two persons.Carroll E. Simcox, Living the Ten Commandments (New York: Morehouse-Gorham Company, 1953), p. 97. A scarlet "A" has been burned into the conscience of America today, as attested by the widespread violation of this Divine Law. Our vocabulary is an eloquent witness in the various names given to this sin: adultery, fornication, incest, rape, seduction,

Psalms 16:9-11 — holy one to see corruption." What a pity it is that some scholars see nothing here except the written notion of David the king that, "Maybe God will let him live to a good old age,"Anthony L. Ash, Psalms (Austin: Sweet Publishing Company, 1980), p. 75. or "Probably the poet is thinking merely of a long life, the reward of the pious."W. E. Addis, Peake's Commentary on the Bible (Edinburgh: T. C. and E. C. Jack, Ltd., 1924), p. 376. All such interpretations are founded upon the proposition that David

Isaiah 32:1-8 — no. The situation is the same as it was with other Old Testament heroes who bore the designation of "righteous men." For example, Lot, Noah, and others whose lives were indeed blemished with sin were called, "righteous in their generation" (Genesis 7:1); and that is the way we understand the "righteousness of Hezekiah." Certainly, Hezekiah was not righteous when he was going along with that plot to make an alliance with Egypt, contrary to God's will. There are serious reasons why the theory of this

Isaiah 59:15-21 — is not available As Jamieson noted, the Christian's armor is like that of God's, except that, "We do not possess any `garments of vengeance, or cloak of zeal.' Vengeance belongs to God (Romans 12:19)."Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary, p. 497. As frequently observed in all the prophets, the first advent and the second advent of Christ are often telescoped together in the vision of the sacred writers, mentioning characteristics of both in the single reference. Here, the vengeance upon God's

Isaiah 65:1-7 — idolatry. Also, "The verse alludes to the custom of sleeping in sepulchres or vaults of idol temples to learn the future through dreams."J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 452. "That eat swine's flesh" This was specifically forbidden to Jews in Leviticus 11:7; and the mention of this here is proof that the period of Jewish history in view here is positively pre-exilic; because after the exile, the Jews had renounced idolatry and all such things for ever. This is elaborated in the apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees

Jeremiah 32:36-44 — the hill-country, and in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith Jehovah." These are glorious promises; but, alas, it appears that Israel never did learn the secret of Jeremiah 18:7-10, in which the prophet revealed that all of God's promises, whether of evil, or of good, were subject, absolutely, to the condition of whether or not Israel would truly turn to the Lord and worship him. Most of the wonderful things God promised here

Ezekiel 34:20-24 — quibble over the fact of David's being referred to in Ezekiel 34:24 as "prince," stating, that, "The leader of the ideal theocracy would be `a prince' rather than `a king.'"John T. Bunn in the Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1871), p. 334, How could he have overlooked the God-given name of the Seed of the Virgin, which includes the designation, "Prince of Peace!" (Isaiah 9:6). It is a truth well known to the scholarship of all mankind that, "'Prince' instead of `king' is Ezekiel's

Ezekiel 38 overview — Old Testament. It is difficult to us because we know not the king nor people intended by it: but I am satisfied they were well known in the times when the prophet wrote."Adam Clarke, Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (New York: T. Mason and G. Lane, 1837), Vol. 5, p. 527. Our embarrassment comes from the certainty we feel with regard to their identification; but we claim no originality whatever in the knowledge. The Lord has told us exactly who Gog and Magog actually are. After the thousand years reign

Ezekiel 38:17-23 — own words, but the Word of God. "That prophesied that I would bring thee (Gog) against them (Israel)" Some believe this is a reference to prophecies that may have been lost;Anton T. Pearson in Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), p. 757. but Keil stated that, "It is evident enough that there is no reference here to lost prophecies about Gog and Magog, but to general prophecies that are met with throughout the Old Testament."Ibid., p. 169. Moses, the greatest of the Old Testament

Deuteronomy 14:22-29 — comprehensive statement of the laws on tithing, as it is to guard the tithing procedure from being prostituted to idolatrous ends, that is, to prevent Israel from honoring the Canaanite fertility gods for their harvests.Meredith G. Kline, op. cit., p. 174. With regard to the subject of tithing, a few words on this are in order. It has been a widespread conviction among churches of the Restoration movement that, "We don't have to tithe!" But there remains somewhat to be said regarding this ancient duty

Luke 11:2-4 — Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), p. 230. Hallowed be thy name … The first concern in every prayer should be the honor and glory of God. The third commandment in the Decalogue forbade taking God's name in vain (Exodus 20:7); and the Christian also is instructed to hold the name of God in highest reverence and awe. Thy kingdom come … Later in this same chapter, Jesus said, "Then is the kingdom of God come upon you" (Luke 11:20); and from this it is mandatory

John 10:11 — is vital to a proper understanding of what is meant by Jesus here. Almighty God appears throughout the Old Testament as the true shepherd of Israel. Note: The Lord is my shepherd (Psalms 23:1). We are thy people and the sheep of thy pasture (Psalms 79:13). Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock (Psalms 80:1). For He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand (Psalms 95:7). Moreover, the whole 34th chapter of Ezekiel is given over to

John 3:10 — equivalent of "Look, you Pharisees stop rejecting John's baptism; obey God by submitting to it; but that is only part of it; you must allow the Spirit of God to dwell in your heart, and that can come about only by your following me" (Luke 7:30). Greater importance attaches to John's baptism than is usually supposed. Jesus submitted to that baptism, as did (presumably) all the apostles, for it is inconceivable that the disciples of Jesus would have refused a baptism to which Jesus himself

Acts 27:2 — … It is not certain if Aristarchus was a prisoner or not. De Welt thought he was; Don DeWelt, Acts Made Actual (Joplin, Missouri: College Press, 1958), p. 324. but the text in this place represents him apart from "other prisoners" in Acts 27:1. Paul's reference to Aristarchus as "my fellow-prisoner" (Colossians 4:10) may refer to the fact that Aristarchus was "Paul's voluntary companion in Rome." Orrin Root, Acts (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1966),

Acts 5:1 — with what ensues here. As Boles noted, "The two illustrations here were intended to be brought in contrast, as the conjunction `but' introduces the sentence." H. Leo Boles, Commentary on Acts (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1953), p. 77. The parallel with the conquest of Canaan in the Old Testament is evident in this event, this story being to the book of Acts what the story of Achan is to the book of Joshua. "In both, an act of deceit interrupts the victorious progress of the

Romans 6:14 — grace." The forgiveness available to the child of God "in Christ" is a constant. Thus: If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7). "Cleanseth" is present tense active and may be translated as the present participle, and it means that the Christian is being forgiven and justified every moment of his life! Thanks be to God that we are under grace instead of law! In the

Romans 7:24 — bind people to their former selves, enabling them to be born again. After conversion, the sins that people commit do not remain upon them and bind them, as formerly, but are cleansed and forgiven continually during the Christian pilgrimage (1 John 1:7).

Galatians 3:22 — holy commandments were nullified, expanded, contradicted and perverted in countless ways; as Jesus himself revealed to them, "(You) make void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do" (Mark 7:13). If Israel had properly responded to the Law by realizing and confessing their inability to keep it, and the crying need of their souls for redemption from sin, there would have been a far different attitude on their part when the true Messiah came.

2 Peter 3:7 — that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. This sequence of destruction, first by water, then by fire, was indicated by Jesus himself in Luke 17:25 ff, and reiterated by Peter in 2 Peter 2:5-6. No blue-print of what will occur is given, merely the bare fact of ultimate destruction by fire. People may choose to disbelieve this if they will! Noah's generation did not believe God either; but those

1 Samuel 5:1-2 — reaction to the terrible defeat they had just suffered. He gives us not a single word about the terrible destruction of Shiloh by the Philistine army; and we are able to know about that only from the later references to it in the Bible. From Psalms 78:60-64 and from Jeremiah 7:12 and Jeremiah 26:9, it is clear enough that Shiloh was brutally and thoroughly destroyed, remaining a total ruin for centuries afterward. All of the buildings were demolished; the inhabitants were put to the sword, men women