Bible Commentaries

Psalms 20 overview — himself, which to modern ears sounds unnatural; but David may have composed this prayer to be prayed by the people upon behalf, not merely of himself, but on behalf of kings who would arise after him. In this view, the use of the second person in Psalms 20:1-5 is not unnatural. It was John Calvin's opinion that, "Under the figure of the temporal kingdom,"John Calvin, as quoted by W. L. Watkinson, p. 94. God here laid down the principle reiterated in the New Testament to the effect that public prayers

Psalms 47 overview — GOD THE KING OF THE EARTH THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST There are three different interpretations for this chapter, listed by Baigent as, (1) "The celebration song of a recent historical victory, (2) a hymn anticipating the future establishment of the kingdom of God, and (3) a cultic enthronement hymn."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 631. The third so-called "interpretation" we reject altogether as being merely a recent device artificially

Psalms 66 overview — LET ALL THE EARTH PRAISE GOD Superscription: For the Chief Musican A Song, A Psalm. Addis stated that, "We have two Psalms here: (1) that of the nation (Psalms 66:1-12); and (2) that of an individual (Psalms 66:13-20."W. E. Addis, p. 384. Despite opinions of this kind offered by a number of scholars, we find no necessity whatever for the acceptance of such notions. Yes, indeed, it is true that there is a sharp change

Leviticus 26 overview — PART FIVE CONCLUDING EXHORTATIONS (Leviticus 26-27) "This chapter is indeed an inspired prophecy in the true sense of that word, an utterance of the Spirit of God regarding things then present and things yet future."F. C. Cook, Canon of Exeter, Commentary on the Holy Bible, Leviticus (New York:

Isaiah 25:6-8 — nations. He hath swallowed up death forever; and the Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of his people will he take away from off all the earth: for Jehovah hath spoken it." "In this mountain" This refers back to Isaiah 24:23 and means mount Zion, that is, Jerusalem. Part of these verses refer to the literal, earthly Jerusalem, because there is where Jesus was crucified, and that was the occasion when he destroyed death by giving his life on the Cross. On the other hand,

Hosea 6:1-3 — advantage of this interpretation of the place is that it sees the passage as a prophecy of the ultimate fulfillment of God's will long after the old Israel has fallen short and has been rejected. The veiled prophecy of the resurrection of Christ in Hosea 6:2 fits such a view perfectly, thus making this brief passage exactly the same kind of proleptic vision that is found repeatedly in the prophecy of Revelation. The omission of Israel's acknowledgment of guilt and claim of repentance would in this understanding

Numbers 27 overview — The narration of only two events makes up this chapter. These are: (1)    the new legislation that came because of an appeal by the daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 27:1-11), and (2)    Joshua's appointment as leader of Israel upon God's announcement of the impending death of Moses. The principal critical conceit with reference to this chapter is that which would relegate it to the status of a

Haggai 2:9 — observed, the subjective imaginations and guesses by scholars trying to figure out what they suppose Haggai thought he was saying are absolutely irrelevant. We hold that the words were not Haggai's at all, but God's; and as Peter indicated (1 Peter 1:10-12), students in the present dispensation have a far better opportunity to understand what God wrote through that prophet than he did. Therefore, although Haggai probably understood God's words which came through him as predictions of what would be fulfilled

2 Corinthians 3:6 — enjoyed only by those who have received the blessed Holy Spirit, there is no reference to that here. As Hughes said, "It is unlikely that a direct reference to the Spirit is intended." Philip E. Hughes, op. cit., p. 101. "The contrast in 2 Corinthians 3:6 is not between the outward and inward sense of scripture, but between the outward and inward power of the Jewish and Christian dispensations." J. W. McGarvey, Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians (Cincinnati, Ohio: The Standard

Joshua 10:1-5 — sense at all. The expression "God Most High" receives further light in the N.T., where the expression is found five times: (1) in Mark 5:7, where a demon protested an order from Christ, addressing Jesus Christ as, "Jesus, thou Son of God Most High"; (2) Luke 8:28 states that a demon, pleading with Christ not to torment him, addressed Our Lord as, "Thou Son of the Most High God"; (3) the Christian martyr Stephen declared that, "The Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands"; (4) the demon-possessed

1 Thessalonians 3:1 — as Timothy had been sent to Thessalonica; but it is to be restricted to Paul, as is evident from 1 Thessalonians 3:5, and inasmuch as Paul was left alone in Athens; the plural being used here for the singular. P. J. Gloat, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 21 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 55. Here the "we" is purely epistolary, referring to Paul himself. A. M. Stibbs, New Bible Commentary, Revised (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,

2 Thessalonians 3:6 — Now we command you, brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us. See under 2 Thessalonians 3:4 regarding "we command." In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ … This is an appeal by the apostle to the authority of his commission and office as an apostle of Christ. It should be noted that he did not fail to mention

Titus 3:7 — reception of the Holy Spirit, but that "his grace" justifies us by exactly the same means. As Zerr pointed out, "justification has many shades of meaning," E. M. Zerr, Bible Commentary (Marion, Indiana: Cogdill Foundation, 1954), p. 205. but two of these meanings are predominant, "Justification" in the ultimate sense of being the grounds upon which the Father declares men to be righteous is grounded in the perfect faith and obedience of Jesus Christ our Lord, in whom sinners

Hebrews 10:27 — sensitive to the plain teachings of the word of God on such a thing as "fire" for the wicked; but the burden of scriptural emphasis on this subject is far too great to be ignored or cast aside. Fire destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24); Korah and his company were consumed by fire (Numbers 16:35); and it was by fire that God answered the prayers of Elijah (1 Kings 18:38). Strangely, God himself is described a moment later in this epistle as a "consuming fire"! (Hebrews

Hebrews 12:15 — Looking carefully lest there be any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. This verse emphasizes that God's grace which has appeared to all people (Titus 2:12) and brought salvation to the world, may yet be ineffective in some because of their failure to abide by the conditions upon which salvation is offered. It should be noted that it was not merely the faith of those which the author questioned, but

Hebrews 9:27-28 — inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him unto salvation. See under Hebrews 6:2 for notes concerning the "judgment." It needs only to be added here, in the words of Milligan, that The true character of every individual is determined on his exit from this world; and that his destiny is then virtually determined. And just

James 3:17 — qualities, including that of purity just mentioned, are exactly those extolled by the Master in the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount; thus James continues his fidelity to the teaching of the Lord. Gentle … Paul stressed this, notably in 2 Timothy 2:24. Gibson says this means "forbearance, even under provocation." E. C. S. Gibson, Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 21, James (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 45. All who teach others should ever be conscious

Judges 14:15-20 — is no evidence that he paid any attention to it. Some commentators have trouble with the references here to "three days" and to "seven days," but as Hervey noted, There are two streams of the narrative here: (1) one tells what the young men did; and (2) the other tells what Samson's wife did."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 154. Unraveling the tangled narrative, we see that: (1)    From the first, Samson's wife, anxious to have her husband confide in her, tearfully attempted

Revelation 18:4 — "'judging." That was the great sin of the great harlot herself who arrogated to herself alone the right of deciding who is saved or lost, and then enforcing that decision even through the gates of the cemetery. "The Lord knoweth them that are his" (2 Timothy 2:19); and we consider it unchristian to meddle with this question in any manner. We have the commission to teach what the New Testament says, but not the right to bind our deductions from it upon others. That God's people in the apostate church

1 Samuel 17:1-11 — arrogant challenge and the dismay and fear that fell upon all Israel as a result. The scene of this confrontation was, "The valley of Elah, one of the major passes from the Philistine plain up to the highlands of Judah."The Teachers' Bible Commentary, p. 172. The description of the giant's armor stresses the weight of it. Scholarly estimates of what the weight was in our own terminology vary considerably; but John Willis gives what must be considered as an approximation of the actual weight.John T. Willis,