Bible Commentaries

Genesis 24:50-58 — go." (5)    She followed the messenger to meet her bridegroom. (6)    She was already the bride-elect, but her actual union with Isaac would not occur until many days had passed, and that final "evening" arrived. (7)    Then, in the twilight, with her veil upon her, she went forth to meet the bridegroom! SO IT IS WITH THE BRIDE OF CHRIST Many of the bride's "relatives" are endowed and enriched because of the Church of Christ. Even worldly and

Exodus 1:1 — of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob)." This and the following six verses are a parenthetical statement placed here for the purpose of bridging the gap in Israel's history just recounted in Genesis 37—50. The time-span covered by this parenthesis is more than four hundred years, reaching from the settlement of Jacob's posterity in Egypt to the Exodus, about to be related here. "Now these are the names" It is regrettable that here the translators

Exodus 23:6-9 — Justice as a seated figure holding the balances, and blind-folded. "Take no bribe" There is no indication whatever that Israel, to any great extent, heeded this law. Eli's sons "turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice" (1 Samuel 7:3). In David's time, men's hands "were full of bribes" (Psalms 26:10). King Solomon complained of wicked men "taking gifts out of their bosoms to pervert the ways of judgment" (Proverbs 17:23). Isaiah spoke of the princes of his day, "who love gifts

Leviticus 27 overview — things as chapters, verses, and paragraphs are merely the devices of men, adopted for greater convenience in locating specific passages. Besides that, there are very excellent and logical reasons for the appearance of the instructions in Leviticus 27 just where they are found. Kellogg noted that: "What has preceded in Leviticus has concerned religious duties which were obligatory upon all Israelites, but the regulations of this chapter, on the contrary, have to do with special vows which were not

Isaiah 17 overview — holds them close,And hooting at the glorious sun in heavenCries out, Where is it?"Fears in Solitude" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The comments of critical scholars inevitably bring to mind these words of Coleridge! We refer to such as this: "Chapter 17 is made up of fragmentary oracles having little apparent relationship to one another!"Broadman Bible Commentary, p. 245. On the other hand there is an obvious vital connection in the four parts of this chapter. In the first part (Isaiah 17:1-6), Damascus

Joel 3 overview — the secular Israel completely out of it. The first section of the chapter, in highly metaphorical language, speaks of the "true Israel" receiving the forgiveness of sins, and of the judgments of God upon the nations which opposed his purpose (Joel 3:1-7). Section two (Joel 3:9-13) has the same meaning as the gathering of the nations for the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16); and it also has the summoning of all nations to the Final Judgment, presented under the figure of the sickle and the harvest

Acts 1:18-19 — Akeldama, that is, The field of blood.) These verses, of course, were not spoken by Peter, but by Luke, as proved by "their language" in Acts 1:19. Peter would have said, "our language." Matthew's account of this incident (Matthew 27:7 f) has been alleged to contradict what Luke said here; but, in actuality, the two accounts are in perfect harmony. Judas hanged himself, as Matthew related; but his body also fell, as in Luke. We do not know whether the fall took place as a result

Romans 11:2 — comment is nevertheless helpful. He said, This must not be pressed too far, as implying an absolute indefectibility of divine favor. W. Sanday, Ellicott's Commentary on the Holy Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 247. God's promise of blessing to Israel was always founded upon the premise of their remaining faithful to God. The people God foreknew were those who would be faithful, the elect, the spiritual seed. Hodge expressed it thus: God has indeed rejected his

2 Corinthians 12:3-4 — authority whatever for making this mean the same thing as "the third heaven," despite the fact of endless arguments that they are the same. Paradise … This word in the New Testament is found only here and in Luke 23:43 and in Revelation 2:7. If it is true, as has been assumed, that the third heaven is the place of God's dwelling (see under 2 Corinthians 12:2), Jesus had not yet ascended to it on the day he rose from the dead; for he said to Mary Magdalene, "Touch me not, for I have

Galatians 6:7-8 — of America. It is true in both physical and spiritual creations. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament teach it. "Whoever perished being innocent?" (Job 4:8); "they have sown the wind and shall reap the whirlwind" (Hosea 8:7); "he who sows injustice will reap calamity" (Proverbs 22:8, RSV). In the New Testament, Paul used this principle to teach Christian giving (2 Corinthians 8—9). "No planting, no harvest" is the law of life. The mandate to the

Ephesians 1:10 — 18. Fullness of times … This is a reference to the fact that God scheduled all of the events of time and history, whether sacred or profane, in advance. The first Advent of Christ (Galatians 4:4), the events of our Lord's ministry (John 2:4; John 17:1), the resurrection of the dead (John 5:28), the eternal judgment (Acts 17:31), the rise, growth and subsidence of nations (Acts 17:26), and the Second Advent of Christ with the summing up of God's total purpose in him, as glimpsed in this verse —

Philippians 3:2 — the dogs!" As Foy E. Wallace, Jr., said, "This is an example of ruining the language and literary quality of the Scriptures." Foy E. Wallace, Jr., A Review of the New Versions (Fort Worth, Texas: The Foy E. Wallace, Jr., Publications, 1973), p. 446. "Beware" is a far better word in this place than "look out for." Dogs … evil workers … concision … Many believe that these are not three classes of enemies but three designations of one class, that

Joshua 21:3-8 — time, would become the center of Israel's worship in Jerusalem. Cook thought this was because God "chose Jerusalem beforetime as the site of His Temple."F. C. Cook, op. cit., p. 4132. We partially disagree with this, because it appears from 2 Samuel 7 that a Temple was never in God's purpose at all. God no doubt intended that the Tabernacle should continue to be the location of God's altar after the entry into Canaan. The Temple was David's idea, and, although God accommodated to it, we believe the

2 Timothy 3:5 — of the last times as in some respects present." A. C. Hervey, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), Vol. 21, 2 Timothy, p. 41. This ought not to be surprising, however, for in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, Paul also represented the "spirit of lawlessness" as already working. Neither passage may be pressed into service for the support of the noxious error that Paul expected the Second Advent in his own days. Note also the powerful implication

Titus 3:1 — were especially so in Crete. "The Cretans were very dissatisfied with Roman rule, and showed signs of revolt, according to Polybius and Plutarch." Don DeWelt, Paul's Letters to Timothy and Titus (Joplin, Missouri: College Press, 1961), p. 170. The large Jewish population would also gladly have taken part in such a movement. However, the most remarkable thing about Paul's orders here is the consideration that must be given to the way the apostle felt personally toward the Roman state. There

Hebrews 4:3 — them into such a glorious rest, indeed, had been anticipating it "from the foundation of the world." What is meant by "the foundation of the world"? The words are used in Hebrews 9:26; Matthew 13:35; Matthew 25:34; Luke 11:50; John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8 and the message these references carry is that God's plans and purposes for people predate the formation of the world itself. "He chose us in him before the foundation of the world"

1 Peter 2:12 — Why? The Christians were the noblest, purest and most lovable people ever to appear on earth, and yet they were hated. Why? "Christianity by its very essence opposed the vanities of paganism at every turn." Stephen W. Paine, op. cit., p. 975. Like ancient Noah, the very purity of their behavior "condemned the world" (Hebrews 11:7), and that was reason enough for the world's hatred. There was a double source of hatred for Christians, their model demeanor being one, and their also

Jude 1:11 — for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. Glancing above at the preceding verses, it will be noted that Jude gave three examples of apostasy: the ancient Israelites, the rebel angels, and the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Judges 1:5-7). Next, he indicted the licentious Gnostic heretics as just as guilty as the ancient apostates, emphasizing their sinful and ignorant behaviour by contrasting it with the restraint of the archangel Michael (Judges 1:8-9), these two verses being somewhat

Revelation 14:14 — behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I saw one sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. This through Revelation 14:20 is a vision of the eternal judgment already announced in Revelation 14:7. See the chapter outline, above. White cloud … one like to a son of man … Despite the opinion of respected scholars such as Morris, who thought this being on the white cloud was an angel, Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 184. we do not hesitate

Revelation 6:11 — op. cit., p. 129. They shall rest … Russell cautioned that: Care should be taken not to reason from this passage, that all shall sleep unconsciously in an intermediate world. Sleep is a symbol of rest, but it belongs to life (2 Thessalonians 1:7; Hebrews 4:3; Revelation 14:13). James William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 630. Hinds also pointed out in this connection that: This passage shows that the death of the body does