Bible Commentaries

2 Chronicles 21:8-10 — loss of two subject peoples, the Edomites from east of Jordan, and those of Libnah from the area of the Philistines, was directly due to the wickedness of Jehoram and were the result of the judgment of God upon him. Part of this chapter is parallel to 2 Kings 8:17-24, and our comments on some of these events are found in the Commentary on Second Kings.

Nehemiah 1:4 — Nehemiah was a prominent and trusted member of the king's court, living in honor, security and luxury; "But he could not forget that he was an Israelite, and this was similar to the emotions that governed the life of Moses."George DeHoff's Commentary, Vol. 2, p. 486. "I prayed before the God of heaven" "This title of the Almighty is Persian rather than Jewish; but it was a favorite of Nehemiah who had been brought up in Persia."F. C. Cook, Barnes' Commentary Series, op. cit., p. 459. We keep encountering

Psalms 106:13-15 — SIN NO. 2 This was the first of the sins of Israel on the eastward side of the Red Sea. "It was their ungrateful, unthankful, impatient, unbelieving murmuring about their food and drink."F. Delitzsch, op. cit., p. 154. "They soon forgat his works; They waited

Psalms 122:8-9 — the good of a great walled city is the business of a king, not that of an ordinary citizen. The reasons here assigned for the concern and solicitation for the peace, prosperity and "good" of Jerusalem are: (1) for the sake of the psalmist's brethren; (2) for that of his companions; and (3) for the sake of the "house of Jehovah." How, then did this psalm come to be among the psalms of the Little Psalter mentioned in the introduction to these fifteen psalms? There could have been nothing whatever in

Psalms 28:6-7 — heard the voice of my supplications. Jehovah is my strength and my shield; My heart hath trusted in him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; And with my song will I praise him." "He hath heard the voice of my supplications" (Psalms 28:6). This man, when he stood praying, believed that he had what he asked, and, so, believing, had it. There was no change in circumstances, but he was changed. Now there was no fear of going down into the pit, and the dread of the evil-doers disappeared.Alexander

Psalms 3:5-6 — insufficient grounds for such a name; but still we do not object to it. It has been used as a morning reading by countless people in all ages. "They have set themselves against me." "According to Kay, this is a military expression, as used in Isaiah 22:7."Ibid., p. 18. The background of this Psalm is given in 2 Samuel 15-16. Before leaving these verses, it is appropriate to remember that no one knows when he goes to sleep, whether or not he shall ever awaken, and that only the blessing of God enables

Psalms 43:1-2 — Absalom. Oh yes, Absalom was as wicked as any man could possibly be; but David loved him in spite of this, even giving orders to the military to "deal tenderly" with him. Besides, this deceitful and unjust man was "an oppressor" of the psalmist (Psalms 42:9 and Psalms 43:2); and Absalom, despite his intentions was never in a position to "oppress" David.

Psalms 9:17-18 — nations that forget God." Four times the Word of God thunders the message, "Beware lest thou forget the Lord thy God," nevertheless, whole nations transgress against that commandment continually. (For an elaboration of the theme "Forgetting God" see pp. 211-213 in Vol. 2 of my minor prophets series of commentaries.) The necessity for help on the part of the needy and for remembrance upon behalf of the poor and oppressed are cited here as reasons why God will eventually judge the nations. The righteousness

Proverbs 5:1-2 — understanding: That thou mayest preserve discretion, And that thy lips may keep knowledge." This solemn plea for strict attention indicates the importance of the severe warning against adultery that is about to be given, a subject briefly mentioned in 2:15-19. "The writer, in addition, will return to this subject again in the latter part of Proverbs 6 and in all of Proverbs 7."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 9, p. 106. The emphasis given this subject in Proverbs is significant. "If a young man would take

Isaiah 63:15-16 — Redeemer from everlasting is thy name." "Thou art our Father" "The triple repetition of these words give this prayer its special intensity, as Israel's sense of estrangement struggles with their desire for acceptance."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 623. Beginning with Isaiah 63:15, and to the end of the chapter, "We have Israel's earnest prayer for God to look down from heaven and save them, because he is their `Father.'"Pulpit Commentary, Vol. II, p. 443. The ground of Israel's appeal is that God

Jeremiah 13:20-21 — had cultivated the friendship of foreign powers, seeking to make alliances with them from time to time. It will be remembered that Hezekiah had embraced Merodach-baladan as his friend, showing him all of the treasures of the whole kingdom (Isaiah 39:1-2); and the question of this passage is, "What are you going to say when such a `friend' becomes your king?"

Jeremiah 13:22-24 — scatter them, as the stubble that passeth away, by the wind of the wilderness." "For the greatness of thine iniquity" This is God's blunt answer to the question of why? all these things happened to Israel. "Thy skirts uncovered" See under Jeremiah 13:26. below, for comment on this. "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots" A negative answer is required for both of these questions; and the meaning is simply that it is too late for Israel to change her ways. She has persistently

Jeremiah 13:25-26 — The shameful punishment of an adulterous woman in antiquity included lifting her skirts above her head, exposing her nakedness, smearing her with filth, and driving her through the city. The expression, "your heels shall suffer violence" (Jeremiah 13:23) could refer to "your body, or genitals."J. A. Thompson, The Bible and Archeology (Grand Rapid, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972) p. 374. This drastic kind of punishment prescribed for Israel was justified and appropriate, because,

Jeremiah 42:18 — ye shall enter into Egypt; and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more." "The Lord's reply to the people's request regarding God's will for them extends through this Jeremiah 42:18; but the last four verses of the chapter constitute an epilogue, in which Jeremiah once more pleads with the people to do God's will."C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 145. The

Joel 3:14 — cit., p. 788. On the fact of God's causing the nations to move into the valley of decision, two facts are pertinent: (1)    in the very nature of man's probation, he is always in the valley of decision as long as he is on earth, and (2)    when either individuals or whole nations exhibit a final and stubborn attitude of rebellion against God, judicial hardening always occurs eventually, as in the classical instance of Pharaoh, or of Judas, or of secular Israel. Every

Joel 3:17 — beautifully understood and commented upon by Hailey in these words: "Spiritual Zion is impregnable; strangers will not pass through her as they did physical Jerusalem. The kingdom over which Jehovah reigns from Zion is one that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28); it will stand forever" (Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:13-14).Homer Hailey, op. cit., p. 60. "Jerusalem shall be holy" This, more than anything else, demands a spiritual application of these words. In no absolute sense was the literal Jerusalem ever "holy";

Jonah 3:1 — Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament, Minor Prophets, Vol. I (Grand Rapids, Baker Book House, 1953), p. 413. At any rate, it was certain that Jonah had settled down "somewhere"; for the Word of God that came the second time, said, "Arise and go (Jonah 3:2)"; and that is inconsistent with the idea that Jonah was already on the way.

Micah 1:4 — poured down a steep place." The geophysical disturbance of the whole earth is repeatedly mentioned in both the Old Testament and the New Testament as accompaniments of the final judgment day. See Revelation 6:14 ff; Revelation 11:19; Revelation 16:17-21, etc. The mention of such phenomena here definitely indicated that the judgment about to be executed against Samaria and Jerusalem is typical of that ultimate judgment upon all mankind, hence the propriety of demanding that "all nations" hear it (Micah

Micah 1:6 — vineyards; and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will uncover the foundations thereof." The fact of this verse being a prophecy of what God promised that he would do indicates that the prophecy was written some time prior to 722 B.C., at which time the most terrible fulfillment of all that was promised here actually occurred. Sargon I I, completed the seige in the latter part of 722 and the first part of 721 B.C., having succeeded to the Assyrian throne after Shalmaneser had

Nahum 2:5 — "He remembereth his nobles: they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the mantelet is prepared." Like this whole passage, Nahum 2:5 is impressionistic: "remembereth his nobles" shows the king's hasty call for battle as the flood descended upon them and the attack was renewed; "stumble in their walk" appears to be a description of the drunken state of those who should have been