Bible Commentaries

Exodus 15:1-2 — T. Mason and G. Lane, 1837), p. 372. "My father's God" The singular here for "father" makes this a reference to the patriarch Abraham, or as Keil suggested, "a reference to all three of the great patriarch's Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as in Exodus 3:6."C. F. Keil, op. cit., p. 51.

Exodus 23:4-5 — friendliness and helpfulness even toward their enemies. "One should not allow personal animosity to destroy one's willingness to be of assistance in a time of need."Roy L. Honeycutt, Jr., Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 1 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1969), p. 410. The need in view in Exodus 23:5 is that of a helpless, over-burdened animal, slipping, or failing, under a load and unable to get up. There is also the need of that designated enemy for assistance with a problem that one man could not handle.

Exodus 31:6-11 — 1950), p. 315. "The finely wrought garments (Exodus 31:10)" These included three types of garments, enumerated by Cook, as follows: The three types of dress were: (1)    the richly adorned state robes of the High Priest (Exodus 28:6 to Exodus 29:1 ff); (2)    the holy garments of white linen worn by the High Priest on the day of Atonement; (3)    the garments of white linen worn by all the priests in their regular ministrations.F. C. Cook,

1 Kings 19:15-18 — knees that have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth that hath not kissed him." "Go, return on thy way" From this, Elijah was to learn that, "Man may not abandon his duties, even when they are irksome, and when they seem to be hopeless."Ibid., p. 436. "Elisha… shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room" "God teaches here that there is no such thing as a NECESSARY man; man, even at his best estate, is altogether vanity; but God is all in all. God buries His workmen, but his work goes on."Ibid.,

1 Kings 7:1-8 — special building, or if, perhaps, her house was merely a section of the harem. Keil pointed out that there are a number of special projects included here: "(1) The house of the forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 7:2-5); (2) The pillar hall and porch (1 Kings 7:6); (3) The throne room and judgment hall (1 Kings 7:7); (4) Solomon's own dwelling; (5) The house for Pharaoh's daughter (1 Kings 7:8)."C. F. Keil, Keil and Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries, Vol. 3a, p. 89.

2 Kings 4:32-37 — raising of the daughter of Jairus (Matthew 9:18 ff); (2) the raising of the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:12-18); and (3) the raising of Lazarus (John 11), all by the Lord Jesus Christ; also (4) the raising of Dorcas by the apostle Peter (Acts 9:36-41); (5) the raising of Eutychus by the apostle Paul (Acts 20:10-12); (6) the resurrection of the saints who came out of their graves after the resurrection of Christ (Matthew 27:53); and (7) the Marvel of All Ages - the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!

1 Chronicles 22:12-16 — and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise and be doing, for Jehovah is with thee." The significance here is the reference to the Law of God through Moses, a reference to Exodus 20:1, and the direct quotations from Exodus 3:4 and Joshua 1:6-9 and Deuteronomy 31:24, thus providing incontrovertible evidence of the prior existence of the Pentateuch long centuries prior to the discovery of that allegedly `false document' in the reign of Josiah. No wonder the radical critics hate Chronicles.

Nehemiah 12:44-47 — ordinances by the priests and Levites. By stressing that fact that this was being done, "The author," according to Cook, "Is comparing the religious activity and strictness of Nehemiah's time with that which had prevailed under Zerubbabel (described in Ezra 6:16-22), with the implication that the intermediate period had been a time of laxity."F. C. Cook, Barnes' Commentary Series, op. cit., p. 482.

Job 12:7-12 — JOB APPEALED TO THE LOWER CREATIONS AS SUPPORTERS OF HIS GRAND PROPOSITION IN Job 12:6 "But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the birds of the heavens, and they shall teach thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not, in all these, That the hand

Psalms 20:1-5 — rebellion, this was perhaps the most terrible trouble David ever faced. "Help from the sanctuary… out of Zion" (Psalms 20:2). This indicates that the ark of the covenant had now been transferred to Jerusalem, an event which is described in 2 Samuel 6:12-19. "This means that the psalm is pre-exilic."The Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 48. "Remember all thy offerings… accept thy burnt-sacrifice" (Psalms 20:3). This might be a reference to the prayers and offerings of King David in days gone by;

Psalms 21:5-6 — divinity. "It is from the salvation arising out of David's relationship to the coming Messiah that it is said here that, `Honor and majesty dost thou lay upon him.'"The Pulpit Commentary, p. 145. "For thou makest him most blessed forever" (Psalms 21:6). The literal meaning of the Hebrew text here is, "For thou settest him to be blessings forever."Ibid. This means exactly what God meant when he promised Abraham that in him and in his seed all the families of men would be blessed (Genesis 12:3; Genesis

Psalms 25:8-15 — commandments. "Pardon mine iniquity" (Psalms 25:11). Another word is here added as an explanation of the grounds upon which David asked God's pardon, namely, for thy name's sake. Added to the mercy, lovingkindness, and goodness mentioned in Psalms 25:6-7, we have a four fold statement of the grounds upon which the saints of God may request forgiveness of their sins. See our discussion of this phrase in the Shepherd Psalm, above. "For it is great" (Psalms 25:11). Rawlinson identified the "great sin"

Psalms 31:19-22 — cried unto thee." "Great is thy goodness… laid up" (Psalms 31:19). This is a theme often reiterated in the words of the apostles and of Christ himself. Jesus said, "Great is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:12); and Paul, quoting from Isaiah 64:4, or perhaps inspired by such lines, elaborated them as follows: "Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, And which entered not into the heart of man.Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him"(1 Corinthians 2:9). The full meaning

Psalms 35:11-18 — thanks in the great assembly: I will praise thee among much people." "In this Part 2 of the psalm, persons whom the psalmist had befriended in their sickness, turn against him bearing false witness against him."The Layman's Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, p. 67. "They ask me of things that I know not" These former friends, now false witnesses against David, "Were claiming to be witnesses of violent deeds that David was supposed to have done; and they kept raising questions as if he had done those deeds, but

Psalms 76:10-12 — unto Jehovah your God: Let all that are round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared. He will cut off the spirit of princes: He is terrible to the kings of the earth." Here again we have echoes of that judgment scene in Revelation 6:12-17, where the kings of the earth are seen crying for the rocks and the mountains to fall upon them and hide them from The Lamb and from Him that sitteth upon the throne. "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee" We have chosen this as an appropriate

Psalms 86:11-17 — Dahood in The Anchor Bible, Vol. II, p. 291. "Great is thy lovingkindness toward me" We have often commented upon David's frequent use of this term in psalms that are admittedly his; and we find the term in this psalm no less than three times in Psalms 86:5; Psalms 86:13; Psalms 86:15. "The proud… a company of violent men… who set not thee before them" The evil men described here were proud (arrogant), violent (ruthless), unbelievers who took not God into their thoughts. "But thou, O lord,

Numbers 6:13-20 — wave-breast, and heave-thigh: and after that the Nazirite may drink wine." These verses detail the rather elaborate ceremonies, including the offering of a full list of the Levitical sacrifices, that concluded the days of the Nazirite's separation. Numbers 6:19-20 describe the peace-offerings which were normally consumed by the offerer and his friends, celebrating at the same time the lifting of the ban against drinking wine. As Ward said: "Such O.T. passages as this cannot be used by the Christian to justify

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 — days" (Deuteronomy 30:20). Alexander rendered this: "For this is thy life; to love the Lord is really to live the true, the higher life."W. L. Alexander, The Pulpit Commentary, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 464. "Adam and Eve died the day they ate the fruit; they ceased not to exist, but died out of fellowship with God. People die when they are separated from God as really as the branch broken from the tree. Sin is the mother of death (James 1:15). It brings

Judges 19:10-15 — Jerusalem) In the Conquest, Joshua had indeed captured this city (Joshua 10:23; Joshua 12:10); "But the Israelites had withdrawn and left the city entirely to the Jebusites who continued to hold it until David captured it and made it his capital (2 Samuel 5:6)."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 193. Jerusalem was only a couple of hours traveling time from Bethlehem. "Gibeah" This place, only about two and one half hours beyond Jerusalem, was also known as "Gibeah of Saul," "The same being Saul's birthplace."Ibid.

2 Samuel 16:5-8 — your ruin is upon you; for you are a man of blood." "When King David came to Bahurim" "This tiny highway village some distance east of Mount Olivet is the place where Phalti turned back from following Michal as she was returned to David (2 Samuel 3:15-16), where Shimei's cursing of David occurred, and where the sons of the priests (Jonathan and Ahimaaz) were hidden in a well (2 Samuel 17:18) during their mission of carrying information to David."Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 194. "There came