Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 6:1-7 — a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim. And he said, Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand and took it." Dentan alleged that this event is "the most trivial of the stories told of Elisha."The Layman's Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 83. On the other hand, it is actually one of the most important miracles performed by that remarkable prophet. Why? It emphasizes God's concern for the problems pressing upon the hearts of the poor. It was no trivial matter at all that confronted

2 Kings 9:4-10 — 284. of the entire army at Ramoth-gilead. It is evident from this that only a summary of Elisha's instructions to the young prophet was given in 2 Kings 9:1-3. The entire charge of Elisha is revealed in the words of the young prophet to Jehu (2 Kings 9:7-10). "Him that is shut up, and him that is at large in Israel" These words are somewhat ambiguous, but they apparently mean infant children as well as those old enough to be out on their own. "It is the intention of these words to include all of Ahab's

1 Chronicles 17:16-27 — promised this good thing unto thy servant: and now it hath pleased thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee: for thou, O Jehovah, hast blessed, and it is blessed for ever." These verses are parallel to 2 Samuel 7:18-29; and, "The Chronicler followed his source quite closely, with insignificant variations."Ibid., p. 130 We have written three pages of comments on these verses in our Commentary on 2 Samuel, pp. 85-97. There is a strong likelihood that David, at

1 Chronicles 22:2-5 — gather vast quantities of materials with which the temple would be constructed. GOD DID NOT COMMAND DAVID TO DO THIS There can be no doubt whatever that David missed the significant point in the words of God to him through the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 7), in which it was certainly clear enough that God did not desire the erection of any earthly temple whatever. David understood, of course, that he was commanded not to build it, which by any fair interpretation of the prohibition laid upon David would

1 Chronicles 8:29-40 — given here as contrasted with most of the other tribes should not be put down as due to the availability of more information, but should be regarded as a tribute to Benjamin's loyalty to David and his dynasty."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 374. Also it appears that special attention was given to the line of David's friend Jonathan. It is impossible to harmonize this with the parallel list in 1 Chronicles 7:6-12; and some scholars have believed that list to be a "corrupted genealogy of Zebulun

Job 34:1-9 — p. 134. there being no reference whatever to it in the text. However, the idea that the wise men here are a different group from the three friends is supported by the fact that, "The tone of reproof Elihu used in addressing the three friends (Job 32:7 ff) is no longer present in this chapter."International Critical Commentary, Job, p. 295. "Notwithstanding my right, I am accounted a liar" We protest the evil rendition of Job 34:6 by Pope in the Anchor Bible. He rendered it, "Concerning my case, he

Job 5:17-27 — the grass (when, as a matter of fact, his children were all dead) was an almost unforgivable insult. "Oh yes, it actually came to pass, but that did not altar the situation. Here, as elsewhere, Eliphaz was not speaking that `which was right' (Job 42:7). His overconfident and arrogant conclusion (Job 5:27) did not comfort Job, but only added to his irritation."Layman's Bible Commentary, op. cit., p. 72. "What Job needed here was love and understanding, not theological doctrine and criticism."R. B.

Psalms 82:2-7 — As Christ himself explained it, "Their eyes they have closed and their ears they have stopped, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts, and should turn again and I should heal them" (Acts 18:26-27). "All the foundations of the earth are shaken" This simply means that with a corrupt judiciary, Israel's foundation as a nation was already in a very precarious condition. No nation can long survive when the judiciary becomes corrupt. See the chapter

Psalms 91:9-13 — Acts 12:23). (4) They exert influence upon rulers and governments (Daniel 10:20. (5) They aid providentially in bringing the unsaved to hear the saving gospel of Christ (Acts 10:3). (6) They exercise watchful care over little children (Matthew 18:10). (7) They maintain perpetually the availability of the Word of God for the human race. The Rainbow Angel stands upon the land and the sea, having in his hand "a little book, OPEN." That little BOOK is the New Testament (Revelation 10). "Thou shalt tread

Proverbs 1:20-33 — this view. (1) Paul has told us that Christ is indeed "our wisdom" (1 Corinthians 1:30); and (2) the Hebrew word here indicating the personification of Wisdom is "a plural noun,"Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987 reprint of the 1878 Edition), op. cit., p. 17 suggesting the doctrine of the Trinity. The fact of that noun's being feminine does not support this idea; but (3) as Cook pointed out, "The teaching of the Divine Wisdom is essentially the same as that

Proverbs 4:20-27 — every action, attitude and purpose are determined by what one thinks and believes."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 91, The great corollary of this is that "thought control" is the prerequisite of all moral rectitude and uprightness. See Proverbs 23:7. "The last verses of this discourse are put together around the discipline of (1) the heart, (2) the mouth, (3) the eyes, and (3) the feet."Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), Vol. 5, p. 23. This is true, but if one takes charge

Isaiah 18:7 — true. Besides that, in all probability, what is prophesied here is the conversion of many Ethiopians in the Messianic era, as frequently prophesied, not only here, but throughout the Bible. See Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 60-62; Psalms 68:31; Psalms 87:4, and Romans 15:16. GOD'S PROOF OF HIS PROPHECIES In this chapter we have another example of how God's prophecies are "proved" by their very presentation, a phenomenon this writer first noticed in work on his Commentary on Micah (Vol. 2 in the Minor

Isaiah 30:23-26 — instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them" (Jeremiah 18:7-10). "That these verses (Isaiah 30:23-26) refer to the times of the Messiah there can be little or no room to doubt. It is language which Isaiah commonly employed to describe those times; and there is a fullness and splendor about it that can suit no

Isaiah 43:8-13 — Commentary, Revised, p. 613. What a poor witness fleshly Israel proved to be! As Kelley wrote, "One of the amazing things that emerges from this passage is that a task so momentous should have been entrusted to a people as unfit as Israel (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:7)."Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), p. 311.

Isaiah 46:3-4 — stating that, "It makes all the difference to a man how he conceives his religion, whether as something he has to carry, or as something that will carry him."George Adam Smith, The Book of Isaiah, II, Revised Edition (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1927), p. 198. The prophecy here makes it quite clear that idolatry is the kind of religion that men have to carry, not the kind that can carry them. No doubt many of the Jews desperately needed the kind of encouragement provided by this chapter. According

Isaiah 60:19-22 — generation. One thing stands out starkly enough, "Only the righteous, i.e., only those who are the shoot of God's planting, and the work of his hands will participate in Zion's glorious future."Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), p. 361. Isaiah 60:21 emphasizes this truth. It is clear enough that Revelation 21 is based upon the promises of this chapter; and there also we read the identity of the Zion mentioned here. It is the New Jerusalem; it is The Bride, the Lamb's Wife;

Jeremiah 12:7-9 — Testament is almost invariably used of the temple; and we believe that is what it means here. R. Payne Smith declared the meaning here to be, "Not the temple, but Israel and Judah";Scribner's Bible Commentary (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1898), p. 397. and since then, many scholars have followed his lead. Thompson attempted to justify the interpretation by pointing out that "it is parallel to `my heritage' in the next clause";J. A. Thompson, The Bible and Archeology (Grand Rapid, Michigan: Wm. B.

Jeremiah 15:5-9 — the imperfect tense; and most of the rest are perfects. They portray that which has not yet happened as though it had already transpired, so certain is the prophet that it is going to come about."Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), p. 93. "Thou art gone backward" The whole nation had reverted to the gross paganism of the reign of Manasseh. "I am weary of repenting" Judah was aware of the great truth that when they repented God would turn and bless them again, as fully expounded

Jeremiah 21:11-14 — resulting divine punishment that fell upon them. "I will kindle a fire in her forest" Thompson complained that, "In Jerusalem itself, there was no forest."J. A. Thompson, The Bible and Archeology (Grand Rapid, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972) p. 470. But the same scholar tells us that, "The royal palace itself was called the `House of the Forest of Lebanon' (1 Kings 7:2)."Ibid. This supports the opinion of Keil that "The city itself was a forest of houses."C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch's

Jeremiah 8:8 — and this is not to be understood as merely the outward possession of it, but also as the inwardly appropriated knowledge and mastery of it.C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 174.… Jeremiah's whole argument here depends upon the fact that there existed in his day men who claimed to be wise on account of their study of the Pentateuch; and this is utterly inconsistent with assumptions that Jeremiah wrote Deuteronomy.Canon