Bible Commentaries

Genesis 46:1-4 — sacrifices before doing so. At any rate, God appeared to him in a vision, thus removing all doubt. "And God spake unto him" As far as the record goes, this was the last appearance of God to Jacob, there being eight appearances in all: (1) Genesis 28:13; (2) Genesis 31:3; (3) Genesis 31:11; (4) Genesis 32:1; (5) Genesis 32:30; (6) Genesis 35:1; (7) Genesis 35:9; (8) Genesis 46:2. It is of interest that the appearance of God to Jacob came not for the personal benefit of the patriarch but upon occasions

Exodus 4:24-26 — not definitely stated here that Zipporah and the sons were sent back, the fact that they were is a mandatory deduction based on the fact of his later sending for the family over a year later, after the Exodus had already taken place. See Exodus 18:2-3. We should give some slight notice to the objections of critics that the omission here of any account of Moses' sending back the family to Midian contradicts the account in Exodus 18:2-3, where it is plainly indicated that he did. Such cavil ignores

1 Kings 22:19-23 — by the direct work of God. In both of these, there are discernible three centers of responsibility: (1) the wicked, unrepentant, enemy of God, who is the subject; (2) the instrument who is a person, or persons, in the willing service of Satan; and (3) God Himself, who wills that the deception be achieved. In the case of the deception of Ahab, he himself was to blame because he did not love the truth, but hated it, and any prophet who told him the truth. The instrument of his deception was his four

1 Kings 8:12-21 — hath said that he would dwell in thick darkness" "Here the darkness of the windowless inner sanctuary is identified with the dark storm cloud over Mount Horeb at the giving of the Law (Exodus 20:18; Psalms 18:10-11)."Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 3, p. 180. "I have surely built thee a house" By this action, "Solomon asserted that he was establishing the Lord as supreme God of all… that the Lord alone is Lord of heaven and earth."The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 3, p. 72. (See more on this

2 Kings 23:4-7 — thereof upon the graves of the common people. And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were in the house of Jehovah, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah." "And for all the host of heaven" This expression, used again in 2 Kings 23:5, is a reference to the constellations. "The word from which this comes is a Hebrew term used only here in the Bible, and, according to the rabbis, it means the signs of the zodiac and the planets."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 365. "The idolatrous

Psalms 140:9-11 — which the Old Testament saints lived was that which is called the lex talionis, which means, "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." As Miller said, "It means, `Let like for like' be administered."C. M. Miller, co-author with Anthony L. Ash, p. 432. The Jewish conception of the ideal fulfillment of this law was: (1) that of the hanging of Haman on the gallows he had built for Mordecai; or (2) the retribution in kind executed upon Adonibezek whose thumbs were cut off and who was compelled to grovel

Psalms 36:1-4 — evidently applied the passage to wicked men generally. The result of this description of Sin's (Personified) assault upon the human heart invariably produces in the sinner who allows himself thus to be deceived, a status described by the last half of Psalms 36:1, "There is no fear of God before his eyes." The apostle Paul quoted these words in Romans 3:18, applying them to the judicially hardened generations, both of Jews and Gentiles, who inhabited the earth at the First Advent of our Lord. Kidner also

Ecclesiastes 9 overview — sense at all. What is the explanation of this? Scholars vary in their explanations; but the conclusion must be; (1) that Solomon is rehearsing the allegations of materialistic unbelievers with a view to refuting them in his conclusion (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14), (2) that he was writing of what he saw `under the sun,' and not of what he believed, or (3) that, "Solomon, for the time being, had abandoned his faith in God, altogether,"James Waddey. p. 53. and that his words throughout Ecclesiastes thus far

Song of Solomon 5:2-8 — as a symbol of, "Israel's condition in the Babylonian captivity, when the glories and privileges of Solomon's Temple were no more."Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989 reprint of 1878 Edition), Song of Solomon, p. 130. Some Christian interpreters saw the bride's sleep as the lethargy and indolence of the Church following the Great Persecutions."The Anchor Bible Commentary, Vol. 7c, p. 514. Pope also mentioned a scholar (Gordis) who took the whole passage from Song

Isaiah 24:17-20 — and every island out of its place (Revelation 6:14), resulting, as Isaiah reveals here, in the "fall of the earth," which shall "not rise again," thus supporting Peter's revelation that we shall indeed look for "A new heaven, and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13)." To us, it appears absolutely mandatory to view this portion of Isaiah as applicable to the final judgment. Note the reference to the opening of the "windows on high," obviously the same as the "windows of heaven" that were opened during the Great

Isaiah 26:16-19 — tribulations they suffered during their earth-life; and they find something for which to be thankful even in all that trouble. Rawlinson explained it thus: "They remember what brought them back to God from the alienation which they confessed (Isaiah 26:13). It was the affliction which they so long endured. Their present bliss is the result of their former woe, and recalls the thought of it."The Pulpit Commentary, p. 415. "We have brought forth wind" This simply means that all human efforts toward salvation

Isaiah 27 overview — Red Dragon" as "The old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world." (2)    The second of God's three greatest enemies was the sea-monster, the terrible enemy of God appearing here (Revelation 13) in the very image of the Devil himself, having "seven heads and ten horns." This creature came up out of the sea and in Revelation is called "the beast," that is the "sea beast" who worshipped the Devil; and the Devil gave his power, his throne, and

Jeremiah 14:1-6 — people are here represented as raising a mighty cry to God in heaven for relief. Throughout their history, the Jews had persistently called upon God when their troubles came upon them. "Their nobles send their little ones to the waters" (Jeremiah 14:3). The word rendered "little ones" here is peculiar to Jeremiah, a very rare word. Most modern scholars insist that it means "servants," "inferiors," or "employees," or "the common people."Scribner's Bible Commentary (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,

Jeremiah 22 overview — the eyes of the Lord are upon the sinful kingdom; and I will destroy it off the face of the earth" (Amos 9:8). Hosea also was commanded to name his firstborn son Jezreel, which means, "I will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease" (Hosea 1:3). The details of that destruction are all evident in this chapter. (For those interested in a further study of this, see Vol. 1 of my commentaries on the minor prophets, pp. 231-235.) As Halley said, "In Jeconiah and Zedekiah, we have the end of the

Hosea 14:1 — versions, leaving the impression from the way the word is used in current English that only a momentary slip, a near-mishap, occurred; but as Keating pointed out, "To stumble in the Bible means to `come to utter disaster.'"Ibid. "These verses (Hosea 14:1-3) appeal for repentance."Ibid. Therefore, the Messianic kingdom is projected by this. The great mark of the emergence of the gospel age lay in this very thing. The Great Herald, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, cried, "Repent ye for the kingdom

Numbers 9:1-3 — ye shall keep it in its appointed season: according to all the statutes of it, and according to all the ordinances thereof, shall ye keep it." "In the first month of the second year… in the fourteenth day of this month" (Numbers 9:1; Numbers 9:3). In this passage, we are exposed to the usual "fembu" from the liberal scholars that this place is, "Secondary… and certainly comes from the post-exilic period."Martin Noth, Numbers, A Commentary, (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1968), p.

Nahum 2 overview — the Book of Revelation are: EGYPT, ASSYRIA, BABYLON, MEDO-PERSIA, GREECE, ROME, BABYLON THE GREAT (another ROME with a spiritual nature, and "diverse from the others," but also identified with the sixth), the Seven Heads of the Sea-Beast (Revelation 13:1-11). God's people had already witnessed the overthrow of the first head (EGYPT) in the Red Sea; and, in Nahum, the second head (ASSYRIA) perished in the ruin of its capitol city; and yet the Sea-Beast would not die throughout history, each mortal

Zechariah 14:1 — enigma by commentators for centuries. Even Luther said, "In this chapter, I surrender, for I am not certain of what the prophet treats."H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Zechariah (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1971), p. 258. Of Zechariah 14:3, Adam Clarke stated that, "This is an obscure place."Adam Clarke, Commentary, Vol. IV (New York City: T. Mason, and G. Lane, 1837), p. 797. After pointing out conflicting interpretations, Pusey could not decide between them, "Leaving the truth of the

Zechariah 14:5 — place called Eroge, half the mountain broke off from the rest on the west, and rolled itself four furlongs and stood still at the east mountain. The roads, as well as the king's gardens, were spoiled by the obstruction."Flavius Josephus, op. cit., p. 293 (Book IX, Ch. X). As Whiston declared, "There seems to have been some considerable resemblance between these historical and prophetic earthquakes."Ibid. That this earthquake is identifiable with the final judgment appears in the fact of that earthquake

Judges 3:7-11 — Othniel's father, which would mean that Othniel was actually Caleb's nephew. Also, as Hervey suggested, "Perhaps we should understand the word `brother' in its wider and very common sense of `kinsman or fellow tribesman.'"The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 3-C, p. 31. Otherwise the chronology poses some problems. Caleb was past eighty years of age when Israel began the conquest of Canaan, and any "younger brother" of his would have been too old to accomplish the exploits mentioned here a whole generation