Bible Commentaries

Proverbs 6:20-35 — derived little benefit from the Book of Proverbs."Preacher's Homiletic Commentary, op. cit., p. 80. "Lust not after her beauty in thy heart" "These words push the sin of adultery back to the heart of the sinner, even as does the New Testament (Matthew 5:28; Mark 7:21; James 1:14-15)."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 710. There are two fundamentally different interpretations of this section; and the difficult text may be so translated as to support either one of them. This writer accepts the view

Song of Solomon 7:10-13 — consulted. Waddey: "The queen gently requests that her husband take her for a visit to her old home place."James Waddey, p. 122. Bunn: "The maiden now invites her lover to receive her love."Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1972), Vol. 5, p. 146.. Delitzsch, while rejecting it, fairly stated the hypothesis which we have accepted: "Advocates of the shepherd-hypothesis believe that the faithful Shulamite, after hearing Solomon's panegyric, shakes her head (negatively), saying, `I am my

Isaiah 55:1-3 — everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." "Everyone that thirsteth" "It is not improbable that Jesus had his eye on this very passage when he pronounced the blessing upon those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6)."Albert Barnes' Commentary, Vol. II, p. 297. The great misunderstanding here is simply that of supposing that the wonderful blessings of the grace and mercy of God are unconditional! Another error is that of limiting the conditions to conform to

Micah 1:1 — verse. He says that: "This superscription is not the prophet's words.James Luther Mays, Micah, A Commentary (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 36. Micah 1:2 was inserted by the redactor.Ibid., p. 40. The second and third lines of Micah 1:5 are not the language of Micah.Ibid., p. 45. "Thus saith the Lord," God's Word still comes to those who hear and obey the prophetic call.D. Elmo Scoggin, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 7 (Nashville Broadman Press, 1972), p. 189. (in other words, Micah

Luke 1:27 — virgin's name was Mary … This is the same as Miriam and was a common name for daughters in those times, and ever since. CONCERNING THE VIRGIN BIRTH The Old Testament foretold the virgin birth. The first prophecy of the Messiah ever given (Genesis 3:15) identified him as "the seed of woman"; and that never meant, nor could it ever have meant, anything other than the virgin birth of Christ. It was prophesied again in Isaiah 7:14, a prophetic word which an apostle declared a prediction of

Luke 22:67-69 — differently. If I tell you, ye will not believe … Jesus had indeed told them hundreds of times, but they would not believe. If I ask you, ye will not answer … There are a number of examples of this in the gospels. See Luke 14:6; Luke 20:5; Matthew 22:46, etc. Those evil rulers were not able to answer Jesus' questions; they could not stand against him in open discussion; and, even in this trial, they refused to answer his arguments. Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man seated at the

John 11:25-26 — believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this? In this lies the full explanation of Jesus' words, "If a man keep my word, he shall never see death" (John 8:51). Such statements of Jesus never were intended to deny the necessity of physical death. This is one of the most beloved passages in all of the sacred Scriptures. I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE This is the opening sentence in the litany for the

John 13:15 — charities thus: Well reported of for good works; if she hath brought up children, if she hath used hospitality to strangers, if she hath washed the saints' feet, if she hath relieved the afflicted, if she hath diligently followed every good work (1 Timothy 5:10). In Paul's words here, foot washing appears in a list of good works and on a parity with bringing up children and showing hospitality to strangers; and, until churches are willing to ceremonialize the other good works of this passage, it seems that

John 19:1 — outrage, robbery, insult, contumely, his indiscriminate and continuous murders, and his unceasing and vexatious cruelty." B. F. Westcott, The Gospel according to St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971), p. 275. The synoptics leave an impression (but do not state it) that the scourging was part of the sentence of crucifixion; but John sets it in a different light, causing some to suppose there were two scourgings; but Westcott is doubtless correct in seeing

Acts 1:21 — absolutely an error. Went in and went out … This is an idiom. "It is a familiar Hebrew phrase for the whole of a man's life and conduct." E. H. Plumptre, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 5. Luke used it again in Acts 9:28. Witness with us of his resurrection … The prime function of an apostle was that of a witness of Christ's resurrection; and, in the history of the world, there was never any such thing as a person not

Acts 1:25 — forced rendition, the KJV being far better: "From which Judas by transgression fell." Those exegetes who would make Judas a wicked sinner from the very time of his appointment evidently influenced the rendition as in English Revised Version (1885). The Greek word [@parabaino], which means "transgression," is in the Greek text; Vine's Greek Dictionary (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell, 1962), Vol. IV, p. 149. and it should most certainly appear in the English, thus making it

Acts 16:16-18 — Rather, Paul's addressing the "spirit" in her clearly indicates exactly the same kind of demon possession so often healed by our Lord. Servants of the Most High God … The Gerasene demoniacs used this same expression regarding Jesus (Mark 5:7), this speech of the girl thus proving the fact of her being possessed by a demon. Paul being sore troubled … Paul's problem was simple, but difficult as well. The slave-masters who were exploiting this alleged soothsayer were making a lot

Acts 24:25 — of what will finally occur, there lies the conviction that "even a cup of cold water" given in the name of the Lord shall not lose its reward. See more on "The Judgment" in my Commentary on Matthew under Matthew 12:41 ff; Matthew 25:31 ff., in my Commentary on John, under Luke 5:29 and in my Commentary on Hebrews under Hebrews 6:2. One may only grieve for the fact that widespread preaching on the subject of eternal judgment has subsided or disappeared altogether in many churches;

Acts 27:21-26 — God, that it shall be even so as it hath been spoken unto me. But we must be cast upon a certain island. There are a number of similarities in this narrative to what is said in Jonah. In that storm, the sailors threw the ship's wares overboard (Jonah 1:5), and Jonah confessed that he feared God (Jonah 1:9). Paul's mention of what he had predicted was not in a spiteful attitude of "I told you so," but was for the purpose of inducing a more ready belief of what he was then about to say. See

Acts 28:21-22 — they knew they had no case worthy of the name. (3) They had, at that time, no powerful advocate in Rome who could have aided their plea. The date here is 60 A.D., two whole years prior to Poppaea Sabina's marriage to Nero. F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 530. (4) They were as busy as beavers with the intrigues leading to the outbreak of the Jewish war. (5) They could also count on Paul's being held in prison for two more years without any charges being pressed by them; and they could have taken that option

Romans 6:16 — letter, regarding salvation by faith, may in no sense, therefore, be construed as diminishing or omitting the requirement of obedience in all who hope to be redeemed. Paul's gospel is emphatically that of "the obedience of faith" (Romans 1:5; Romans 16:26) and not, as foolishly thought by some, salvation by "faith alone"; but people are tenacious where their theories are concerned, and thus it remains to soften the impact of a sentence like this. Oh, that is not talking about

1 Corinthians 2:16 — being "in us," the Holy Spirit's being "in us," our being "in the Holy Spirit," or our having the word of Christ dwell "in us," and our having the mind of Christ "in us," as here and in Philippians 2:5, are all references to the saved condition, not to eight different conditions. There is a distinction, however, between the Christians of all ages having the mind of Christ and the fact of Paul and the other inspired teachers of the New Testament era

1 Corinthians 9:24 — suggesting that a Christian must contend along with others in the church, and not as some kind of free-lance operator; (2) discipline is required (Hebrews 12:1); (3) some win; others do not win; (4) a host of spectators views the contest (Hebrews 12:1); (5) patience is necessary; (6) the winner receives the prize. The contrasts are: (1) only one may win an earthly race; all may win the heavenly; (2) the earthly reward is but a trifle; the heavenly reward is eternal life. The prize … Johnson objected

2 Corinthians 7:10 — committed suicide; and there have been countless other examples of the sorrow of the world working death; but what is mentioned here goes beyond physical consequences and speaks of "eternal death, which is the opposite of salvation" (Romans 5:21). F. W. Farrar, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), Vol. 19, p. 171.

2 Corinthians 8:1-2 — verses. What an astounding thing it is that "two of the loveliest flowers of Christian character, JOY and LIBERALITY," R. V. G. Tasker, The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1958), p. 111. should bloom in the Macedonian poverty fields. Their poverty was extreme and unusual in an age when poverty was almost universal. McGarvey pointed out that: Macedonia had suffered in three civil wars, and had been reduced to such poverty