Bible Commentaries

Exodus 14:19-20 — recorded. In these verses, we have: (1) the positioning of the Angel of Jehovah between the two encampments; (2) the positioning of the pillar to correspond with that, indicating that the pillar was a visible manifestation of the Angel of Jehovah; and (3) the fact of darkness resting upon the Egyptians and light enabling the Israelites to go forward at night, suggesting that this was to be a night-time deliverance. Regarding the Angel of Jehovah: "The Angel of Jehovah, previously mentioned as the Lord

Exodus 17:16 — disobedience he was rejected as King of Israel. He saved King Agag alive, and presumably some of the king's posterity. That it would have been far better for Saul to have obeyed is seen in the fact that in later generations, Haman the Agagite (Esther 3:1) actually plotted and very nearly carried out the murder of the whole Jewish race. God never ordered the destruction of any man or any people except upon the holy principle of what was necessary for the fulfillment of the purpose of God for the redemption

1 Kings 3:16-22 — between three men, each of whom claimed to be the son and heir of the dead Cimmerian king. He ordered the three men to cast a spear into the corpse of the dead king; and when one of them refused to do so, he was chosen."The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 3, p. 44.

1 Kings 7:40-47 — reveal that it was a center of metallurgy in the kingdom. The amount of bronze work described in this chapter certainly must have taxed the burgeoning metal industry, which Solomon had established south of the Dead Sea."Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 3, p. 178.

2 Kings 1:5-8 — hairy man" The RSV is doubtless correct in its rendition of this clause as, He wore a garment of hair-cloth. This was the traditional clothing of God's prophets, for Zechariah wrote of false prophets, "Who put on a hairy mantle to deceive" (Zechariah 13:4). "Also John the Baptist's garb of camel's hair and a leather girdle (Matthew 3:4) in imitation of his forerunner is sufficient commentary on this phrase."International Critical Commentary, Kings, p. 350. It was not intended to be a comfortable garment,

2 Kings 17:19-20 — but every man of every race is received upon identically the same conditions. One of the mysteries of human behavior is the fact of the Jewish resentment of God's calling the Gentiles, because that had been God's intention from the days of Genesis 12:3. God stated his purpose there in calling Abraham was to bless all men, "all the families of men," not Jews only.

2 Chronicles 7:1-3 — gave thanks unto Jehovah, saying, For he is good; for his lovingkindness endureth forever." Other Biblical accounts of fire coming down from heaven to consume sacrifices are: (1) at the Mosaic tabernacle (Leviticus 9:24), (2) before Manoah (Judges 13:20), and (3) at the Davidic altar on Mount Moriah (1 Chronicles 21:26). Curtis (Madsen) believed that the Chronicler "invented" this;International Critical Commentary, Chronicles, p. 347. but the mystery to this writer is not the the fire from heaven,

Esther 7:1-4 — presented. (1)    Esther protested that if the Jews had merely been sold as slaves, she would have held her peace. (2)    She protested that Haman had lied about being able to compensate the king for the damage done. (3)    She displayed perfect knowledge of Haman's immense bribe, noting that she and her people had been "sold." (4)    She placed all the blame on Haman, ignoring the king's own responsibility for that evil decree.

Job 40:1-2 — disapproval of Job's complaint appears to have centered, "In the spirit which Job had manifested, and especially for his presumption,"Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1987 reprint of the 1878 edition),Job, Vol. 2, p. 238. in supposing that he could even carry his case before God Himself (Job 13:3; Job 13:21-22). But now, having considered the immeasurable greatness and wonder of God's power as exhibited in the natural and sidereal creations, the contender with God

Psalms 51:18-19 — Josephus, Antiquities, p. 210. "The words of David's prayer here do not ask God to build up what had been thrown down, but to go on and finish building what David was then in the act of building. The wall finished by Solomon around Jerusalem (1 Kings 3:1) can be regarded as an answer to David's prayer."F. Delitzsch, Vol. V-B. p. 142. David's prayer is unselfish in this that he did not cease until he had interceded upon behalf of Jerusalem and God's Israel, praying that the Lord would do them good,

Psalms 54:6-7 — mounted up to certainty, and regarding his deliverance as already surely accomplished, David promises to make a freewill-offering as soon as he is able to approach the sanctuary. The freewill-offering mentioned here is the one mentioned in Numbers 15:3."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8, p. 412. "And mine eye hath seen my desire upon mine enemies" We believe this translation is defective because, as Rawlinson said, "There is nothing about `desire' in the original."Ibid. That is the reason the word `desire'

Isaiah 65:8-10 — New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 624. joining many other scholars in stressing the evidences of the unity of the whole prophecy. On this verse, Hailey wrote that, "The Canaanites were cast out of the land because of moral corruption (Deuteronomy 9:3-5); and Israel would retain it only upon the condition of their faithfulness to God (Leviticus 18:24-30; Deuteronomy 4:37-40)."Homer Hailey, p. 515.

Lamentations 5:19-22 — "Although the crown has fallen from the head of David's dynasty (Lamentations 5:16), which has been sent crashing to the earth, the throne of God still abides."The New Bible Commentary, Revised (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdman's Publishing Company, 1970), p. 663. "A noble faith is awakened here, finding its expression in the wonderful words from Psalms 80, `Turn us again, O Jehovah,' thus laying upon Jehovah the task of initiating Israel's restoration: Thou must give us the compelling spirit, else we can do

Hosea 11:12 — not the prelude to a remarriage of the prophet with her. There is another wedding, to be sure, but it was to be with the New Israel, not with the old one. That is why Gomer was not mentioned in connection with the nuptial scenes of Hosea 2:14 to Hosea 3:5. She represented the old Israel, not the new.

Joel 1:5 — to disease. Our own current society has repudiated this view; but it is nevertheless correct. As Shakespeare put it: O thou invisible spirit of wine,If thou hast no name to be known by, letUs call thee devil.William Shakespeare, Othello, Act II, Sc. 3, Line 285. Thomas' comment on this whole verse is pertinent: Awake, you are sleeping on the bosom of a volcanic hill about to burst and engulf you. And weep, because of the blessings you have abused, the injuries you have inflicted upon your own natures,

Numbers 34:13-15 — final and irrevocable. Their fate forever afterward would lie "beyond the Jordan"! Jesus used words similar to these when he said concerning sinful people, "They have received their reward," applying the words to several classes of people in Matthew 6:2-3; Matthew 6:16, etc.

Matthew 6:14-15 — will your Father forgive your trespasses. This is a reiteration of the divine prerequisite for forgiveness, namely, a forgiving heart. This is an absolute condition. True, Luke quoted our Lord as saying, "If he repent, forgive him" (Luke 17:3); but this applies specifically in those cases where a brother is tempted to withhold forgiveness even from one who has repented and must not be construed as an amelioration of the condition laid down here. It appears that forgiveness actually has two

Matthew 6:22-23 — The subject is human duplicity. Christ laid bare the deceitful and double motives which prompt men in their religious actions. Looking back to the beginning of this chapter, note that: (1) men do alms for two motives; (2) they pray for two motives; (3) they fast for two motives; (4) they even SEE DOUBLE! The evil eye is the one that explores every action, regardless of how sacred it is, for the purpose of discovering what base motive might also be served by the doing of it. The corrupting power of

Deuteronomy 32:1-3 — INTRODUCTION (Deuteronomy 32:1-3) "Give ear ye heavens, and I will speak; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain; My speech shall distill as the dew, And as the small rain upon the tender grass, And as the showers upon the herb. For I

Judges 3:31 — slaughter of six hundred Philistines appears to be certain. "The son of Anath" "Anath was the Canaanite goddess of sex and war. She was the sister of Baal. Therefore, `son of Anath' may be interpreted to mean, `the Warrior.'"The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 3-C, p. 35. "With an ox-goad" This was an unusual weapon indeed. An ox-goad was a slender rod (a pole) some six or eight feet in length with a spike on one end and a flat knife on the other end. The knife was used to clean the plowshares, and the spike