Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 7:27-39 — impossible to conclude from what is written here either what might have been the actual appearance of all these articles, or what particular utility was served by any of them. "This description of both the bases and the lavers which they supported (1 Kings 7:27-39) is extremely obscure. We know however that the bases (as the name implies) were simply the stands or pediments for the lavers which they supported."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 5a, p. 132.

2 Kings 23:28-30 — contradiction." (1)    The "in peace" of God's promise may have referred to the fact that Jerusalem would not be under attack at the time of his death. (2)    All of God's promises are conditional (Jeremiah 18:7-10), and it is simply astounding how many learned men apparently remain ignorant of this simple truth. In the light of it, Josiah's engagement of the king of Egypt in battle might have been contrary to God's will, nullifying the promise altogether. See

1 Chronicles 9:35-44 — 203. "This chapter has a list of the post-exilic inhabitants of Jerusalem, to which has been appended a list of the ancestors of king Saul as a fitting introduction to the story of Saul which immediately follows."The Layman's Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 131 J. Barton Payne sharply disagreed with Dentan's statement here, affirming that, "This chapter enumerates the inhabitants of Jerusalem prior to the city's capture and the removal of its people to Babylon."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p.

Esther 3:7-11 — excavations at Susa (Shushan) by M. Dieulafoy, who actually recovered one of those quadrangular prisms engraved with the Numbers 1, 2, 5, 6. The word `pur' is derived from the Persian puru, that is, `lot'; and it is now known that `they cast Pur' (Esther 3:7) means that they cast lots."Archeology and the Old Testament, p. 309. This fully explains why almost a year elapsed between Haman's decision to massacre the Jews, which he published at once, and the date set for the execution of his ruthless plan. Significantly,

Psalms 147:7-11 — DIVISION II Briggs' summary: The congregation is summoned to sing and play to Him who sends the rain upon the earth for the service of man (Psalms 147:7-8), who provideth for the animals, but especially delights in those that fear Him (Psalms 147:9-11).International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 532. "Sing unto Jehovah with thanksgiving; Sing praises upon the harp unto our God, Who covereth the

Psalms 29:1-2 — earth" are the ones here called to worship. We are grateful for the discernment of Ash who stated that, in this verse, "It is possible that the reference is to powerful nobles."Anthony L. Ash, Jeremiah and Lamentations (Abilene, Texas: A.C.U. Press, 1987), p. 111. "Bishop Horne over a hundred and fifty years ago gave the correct meaning here that, `The prophet addresses himself to the mighty ones of earth' exhorting them to give God the glory."Arno C. Gaebelein, p. 134. Yes, the persons here exhorted

Psalms 32:1-2 — (Psalms 32:1). "One hesitates to abandon the classical rendition in the word 'blessed,' here"; H. C. Leupold, p. 266. but Yates affirmed that the Hebrew here is, "Literally, O how happy." Wycliffe Bible Commentary of the Old Testament, Old Testament, p. 507. Kidner also preferred the word "Happy," stating that, "It is a more exuberant word than 'blessed.'" Derek Kidner, Vol. 1, p. 133. Note that sin is mentioned here under four names: (1) transgression, which means breaking the law; (2) sin, which means

Psalms 69:30-33 — which had incited so many of his fellows against him… He did not mean to abolish the temple; he just wanted to put first things first, subordinating traditional rites to the exercise of spiritual worship."The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. IV, p. 367. The imagination of Hans Christian Andersen was not any better than that! The fantasy indulged by many critics that the more perceptive prophets disapproved of animal sacrifices is totally incorrect. All of the passages that are cited as alleged proof

Psalms 72:5-8 — other except the Blessed Messiah. "They shall fear… while the earth endureth… so long as the moon… throughout all generations" Such a time-span as this is a reference to immortality. "Clearly, his immortality is implied in Psalms 72:5."W. E. Addis, p. 385. "He will come down like rain… like showers" Both the rain and the showers come down from the heavens; and Solomon certainly never did anything like that. "Not only will this Great One rule all nations, but his pre-existence

Isaiah 5:3-7 — promise to "command the clouds" in Isaiah 5:6. Only God could do that. At that point, no doubt, the more discerning of Isaiah's hearers had begun to understand; but then the prophet hit them squarely with the full, literal, unvarnished truth in Isaiah 5:7. God indeed had planted the vineyard which was composed of Israel and Judah. He would now remove all of the protection from his people and cause them to be overrun and destroyed. Furthermore, he restated their guilt in some of the most dramatic words

Isaiah 60:4-9 — bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, for the name of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee." Douglas pointed out vocabulary correspondence in Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 11:12; Isaiah 21:16-17; Isaiah 9:4; Isaiah 10:26; Isaiah 2:6-22; and in Isa. 23:1,6.10,18),Ibid., pp. 392,393. with this paragraph. The same author pinpointed such correspondence throughout these last twenty-seven chapters with earlier chapters in Isaiah, making it a practical

Isaiah 62:6-9 — accepted these glorious promises as inevitably applying to themselves without any regard whatever to the kind of lives they lived. The passage of the Old Testament that Israel seemed never to have believed, or even to have heard of it, is in Jeremiah 18:7-10, where it is revealed that "all of God's promises" are contingent, absolutely, upon faithful human obedience to the will of God. The "faith only" Protestants of our own generation need to heed the warning that Israel ignored. "Watchmen upon thy walls,

Jeremiah 30:8-11 — notion that all racial Israel shall ever adore Christ is a gross mistake. "Jacob my servant" Theme of Jacob, or Israel, as God's servant is more fully developed in Isaiah in the series of passages called "The Servant Songs." (Isaiah 41:8-14; Isaiah 43:1-7; Isaiah 44:1-2; Isaiah 51:1 f; Isaiah 53, etc.). "Full end of all the nations… not a full end of thee" Ammon, Moab, Edom, Assyria, etc. no longer exist; but the nation of Israel is still on earth. How do critics explain this without designating

Jeremiah 48:29-32 — and proud indeed he is. Proud, presumptuous, overbearing, insolent. I know his insolence, says the Lord; His boasting is false, false are his deeds."J. A. Thompson, The Bible and Archeology (Grand Rapid, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972) p. 711. "Kirheres" "The literal meaning of this word is `city of potsherds.' It is the same as Kirhareseth (2 Kings 3:25; Isaiah 16:7). Today, it is probably El-Kerak, 17 miles south of the river Arnon, and eleven miles east of the Dead Sea." "Sibmah…

Judges 5:3-4 — water" "Hear, O ye kings… princes" "These kings and princes were not those of Israel; Israel had no kings or princes; these are the kings and princes of the heathen nations."Keil-Delitzsch, Old Testament Commentaries, Vol. 2-A, p. 309. "Psalms 68:7-9; Habakkuk 3:3-16, and this passage all relate to the same event and mutually explain each other. The subject is the march of Israel with the Lord at their head to take possession of Canaan."Albert Barnes, Notes on Bible Books, Judges, p. 426. "Jehovah,

1 Samuel 14:16-23 — ark of God," and some scholars prefer that reading. It appears to us that Willis is correct in his observation that, "Saul's bringing the ark from Kiriath-jearim to Gibeah in a time of crisis is no more out of harmony with the statements in 1 Samuel 7:2 and in 2 Samuel 6:2 than David's taking the ark out of the tent he had made for it (2 Samuel 6:17), so that it could accompany Joab and his army in the siege and conquest of Rabbah (2 Samuel 11:11)."Ibid., p. 143. "Withdraw your hand" Saul was here

1 Samuel 15:4-9 — whose husband Heber had migrated to north Palestine (Judges 4:11; Judges 5:24)."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, Samuel, p. 285. "And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive" Young noted that, "The name Agag is found elsewhere only in Numbers 24:7; and it may possibly have been an hereditary title like Pharaoh)."Ibid. We must reject this opinion regarding an `hereditary ritle'; because, when Haman plotted to kill all the Jews on earth, he was identified as "an Agagite," indicating that he was

2 Samuel 11:14-21 — men,International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 320. all eighteen of them murdered (their death was nothing else than murder) by the express command of David and the expert compliance with his order on the part of Joab. This massacre was effort no. 7 by the sinful king to cover up his crime. However, even more was to follow. "Joab then added his own touch to this iniquitous drama. He went through the form of sending the king a report of the disaster which followed his sending men too near the wall.

2 Samuel 18:1-5 — all the commanders about Absalom." "One third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai… and one third under the command of Ittai" "It was common war strategy in ancient times to divide the army into three bodies (Judges 7:16; Judges 9:43; 1 Samuel 11:11; 1 Samuel 13:17; and 2 Kings 9:5-6)."John T. Willis, p. 382. In this particular case, however, there was another good reason. "Ittai had brought his clan of foreigners with him, and they would have been reluctant to fight

2 Samuel 5:11-12 — always alert to find something they can contradict in the Bible. Since Hiram is mentioned as king in the 20th year of Solomon's reign, Bennett declared, "Hiram I cannot have been reigning so early in David's reign."Arthur S. Peake's Commentary, p. 287. We might ask, "Indeed! And Why not?" Manasseh reigned over Israel for over fifty years; and since this event was probably in the eighteenth year of David's reign, and since the use of the past perfect tense in 1 Kings 9:10 indicates that what Hiram