Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 45:4-7 — of wickedness...Some see here an attack upon Zoroastrian dualism, with its rival gods of good and evil; these verses are also equally opposed to polytheism, the target of most of the invective in these chapters."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 614. When God speaks of his creating evil here, he is speaking of the disasters and calamities that he brings upon the enemies of his purpose. "This cannot mean that God creates moral evil, but it refers to the judgments God sends into history. He is

Isaiah 58:4-6 — and ashes under him" The question that follows this question requires a negative answer; and the meaning is that they were sitting on sackcloth and ashes when they required their servants to provide them a feast; and they called that a fast! Isaiah 58:6 indicates that there were widespread violations of the requirements of social justice, which should have resulted from the "afflictions" and meditations of the day of Atonement; but that day was not being observed in the manner God commanded.

Jeremiah 10:6-10 — sense out of what lies before us in the text ("Amen," J.B.C.). We discern a reasonable pattern in which alternating assertions are made about idols and Yahweh." Jeremiah 10:1, introductory statement. Jeremiah 10:2-5, a warning against idols. Jeremiah 10:6-7, the supremacy of Yahweh. Jeremiah 10:8-9, the futility of idols. Jeremiah 10:10-13, the creative power of Jehovah. Jeremiah 10:14-15, idols and their makers judged. Jeremiah 10:16, final acknowledgment of Yahweh's supremacy. Seen in this way, the

Jeremiah 12:14-17 — if they will not hear, then will I pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it, saith Jehovah." God's neighbors mentioned in Jeremiah 12:1 were identified by Dummelow as "The Syrians, Edomites, and Moabites."J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 465. The promise that upon the condition of their repentance and conversion that they would be built up in the midst of God's people (Jeremiah 12:16) was, in fact, to be the privilege of all pagan nations under the reign of the Messiah, an event definitely

Jeremiah 17:14-18 — Harrison, Jeremiah in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, p. 1-7. "I have not hastened from being a shepherd after thee" This was merely Jeremiah's way of saying, "I have not abandoned the mission you have given me."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 670. "Destroy them with double destruction" This expression is often found in scripture, as in Jeremiah 16:18, above, and in Revelation 18:6; but the idiom never means "more than the sinner deserves." On the other hand, as Cheyne noted, "It means amply

Jeremiah 31:35-37 — the "True Vine" (John 15:1), that is, the True Israel, and that by virtue of their being "in Christ," in the "true Vine," in the "true Israel," the whole company of the redeemed throughout this dispensation are actually the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). Thus we see the absolute identity of the New Israel (composed of all Christians from every tribe, race and nation) with the old, in this manner achieving the perpetuity of Israel as promised in this chapter. As Paul expressed it in Galatians: "For

Ezekiel 14:10-11 — unconditionally; nor did they understand that such glorious conditions would be attainable only upon the condition of their loving and obeying God."WE, p. 184. The same author noted that, "This verse (Ezekiel 14:11) renews the appeal for repentance given in v. 6, again reminding Israel that the chief purpose of the forthcoming judgments against them was to bring Israel back from her going astray from God, and to cleanse her from the apostasy by which she had become unclean in God's sight and had been cast out

Ezekiel 21:8-13 — sword of punishment coming upon them, because the scepter of the House of David, whom God recognizes as his son, contemneth (despises) all other scepters as mere pieces of wood. "Cry and wail, son of man" This behavior supplements that of Ezekiel 21:6, such bizarre actions being for the purpose of getting attention, and also for the purpose of emphasizing the predictive nature of these prophecies. "Smite therefore upon thy thigh" "This was done as an expression of grief."G. R. Beasley-Murray in the

Ezekiel 7:5-9 — times of Ezekiel. What the prophet says here is that the day of the Lord will be filled, not with joyful shoutings of the harvesters, but with the screams of terror from the triumph of their enemies. The true picture of that day is given in Revelation 6:14-17. "I, Jehovah, do smite" The Jews knew many hyphenated words for God, such as Jehovah-jireh (God will provide), Jehovah-nissi (The Lord is my banner), etc.; but it must have struck them with peculiar shock here that Ezekiel calls him Jehovah-makkeh

Amos 1:14-15 — (along with others) paid Sennacherib tribute and kissed his feet."Ibid Both of these destructions of Ammon occurred at substantial time periods subsequent to Amos' prophecy. "Their last stand seems to have been against Judas Maccabeus (1 Maccabees 5:6)."Paul T. Butler, op. cit., p. 286. "The wall of Rabbah" Dean has a very interesting account of the strength of the remarkable wall of Rabbah: "The massive walls, some of which remain in ruins, rise from the precipitous sides of the cliff… I

Zephaniah 3:14-15 — the Church."J. W. Deane, op. cit., p. 52. "Daughter of Zion… daughter of Jerusalem" These are both synonyms for Israel";T. Miles Bennett, op. cit., p. 99. but, of course, not the old Israel, but the New Israel of God (Galatians 3:29; Romans 9:6, etc.) is the Israel which is meant here. If there had been any doubt of the Messianic thrust of this whole section, Zephaniah 3:14-15 are sufficient to have removed it. As Hanke confidently wrote: "This is a prophetic anticipation of the day when the

Zechariah 12:6 — utterly annihilate all of the Gentile states and turn the government of the earth over to Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians. What the passage really means is that God's people will be able to overcome "all of the fiery darts of the evil one" (Galatians 6:16). As in ancient Israel, so it is today, there are many who do not have the spiritual understanding to discern the true meaning. Some are still waiting for God to do this "literally" in some kind of a millennial kingdom with Jerusalem as the earthly

Malachi 2:4 — Commentary, Vol. 14, Malachi (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 20. The judicial hardening of Israel by God Himself has either already happened, or is in the process of happening. Such a condition was prophesied by Isaiah 6:9-10; and that passage is one of the most frequently quoted from the Old Testament to be found in the entire New Testament. (Matthew 13:14-15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:37 -vi, and Acts 28:25-27). It was to this condition that Paul referred in Romans

Matthew 28:19-20 — mere man, they are nonsense; and therefore in this statement Christ lays claim to status as a member of the Godhead. Ten times in the Greek New Testament, Christ is actually called God (see John 1:1; John 20:28; Acts 20:28; Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:6; Hebrews 1:8; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1; 1 John 5:20; Revelation 1:8; also Colossians 2:9 and John 14:9). This says nothing of the countless passages in which he laid claim to attributes of deity, as for example when he said, "Before Abraham was,

Matthew 3:13 — traces or suggestions of that expanded significance that would accrue to baptism in the New Covenant. After Jesus was baptized, he began to pray publicly (Luke 3:21); the Holy Spirit descended upon him as he came forth up from the water (Matthew 3:16); and, immediately upon his baptism, God the Father publicly proclaimed Jesus as his Son. These facts certainly suggest that the Christian's baptism marks the beginning of a significant new prayer life, the reception of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 4:6),

Matthew 4:3 — (Revelation 20:2), as a lion (1 Peter 5:8), and as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). This same triple pattern is seen in the temptation of Adam and Eve, through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the vain-glory of life (1 John 2:16). It is noteworthy that the temptation of Christ followed this same three-phase pattern. Command that these stones become bread … This was the first temptation, and it struck through the basic hunger of the body. Hunger is the body's great passion.

Mark 8:14-15 — bread … This lapse on the part of the Twelve led to their misunderstanding Jesus' reference to "leaven," but Jesus here used that term as a reference to the teachings, philosophy, and life-style of the Pharisees, Sadducees (Matthew 16:6) and Herod. It is very significant that Christ found it necessary here to utter this warning to his apostles. The leaven of the Pharisees … has reference to their hypocrisy and deceit, and especially to the vicious campaign they had launched

Luke 12:33-34 — R. Dummelow, op. cit., p.754. Likewise Russell thought that "This was a command to those who had been chosen to go forth and preach the truth."John William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 171. Strong agreement is felt with Boles' view that: This does not mean that a Christian should give up everything that he has to those who are not trying to serve God; neither does it mean that a Christian should give up what he has to those

Romans 7:14 — status of any other Christian, is to torture the word of God. Such a construction upon these words approaches blasphemy Paul had just finished saying that Christians are "dead to sin" and "alive unto God" in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11); and to apply these words to Christians is to contradict what had just been stated. What was Paul's meaning? The grammatical impossibility of using this verse to cancel Romans 6:11, coupled with the fact that the Holy Spirit is not mentioned in

Galatians 3:29 — here being affirmed to be "Abraham's seed," because, being clothed with Christ, they share his position. "Heirs …" They are heirs, not of Abraham, but of God; for the idea connects to that of the sonship to God (Galatians 3:26), of believers in Christ. E. Huxtable, op. cit., p. 147. NOTE 1: ON COMMENTS REGARDING Galatians 3:27 Observations under Galatians 3:27 are not intended as a presumption that any mortal knows the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:16), or the ultimate judgment