Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 14:25-28 — offered us instead, that we shall find in it no more satisfaction than the Israelites found in their shields of brass! May God open the eyes of America! For further comments regarding the Golden Shield which Americans know as "our government," see Vol. 6 (Romans) of our N.T. commentaries, pp. 435, 436.

1 Kings 22:45-50 — the Word of God. In no sense whatever is homosexuality approved of God as an acceptable life-style; and an apostle of Jesus Christ flatly declared that, "They (certain sinners including sodomites) shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:10). It is mentioned here that the king's removal from the land of Judah of all of the practitioners of this type of debauchery was a God-approved act of Jehoshaphat. "And there was no king in Edom" "It is implied here that the deputy who ruled in Edom

2 Kings 8:7-9 — this sickness?" That Elisha was honorably received in Damascus at that time might have been due to his fame that resulted from the healing of Naaman. Certainly, something had changed from that situation in which Benhadad sought to capture him (2 Kings 6:13 ff). "Not only in Israel, but also in the neighboring nations, Elisha was well known and respected as God's man."The Teachers' Bible Commentary, p. 213. "And the king said unto Hazael" This character should not be confused with the father of Benhadad,

Job 34:1-9 — 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 (God) lies, wounded with his dart, yet sinless."The Anchor Bible (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1982), Job, p. 222. Many of the greatest scholars reject such a rendition.

Proverbs 6:12-19 — innocent blood; A heart that deviseth wicked purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief, A false witness that uttereth lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren." "A worthless person, a man of iniquity" Beginning here and through Proverbs 6:15 we have a description of a wicked and deceitful man; but it is not revealed just what was meant by the various winks, signs, gestures and other bodily movements by which he made evil signals, communicated with confederates, or in other ways hoodwinked,

Isaiah 16:1-5 — naught, destruction ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. And a throne shall be established in lovingkindness; and one shall sit thereon in truth, in the tent of David, judging, and seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness." This 16th chapter was divided as follows by Hailey: (1) Moab's hope (Isaiah 16:1-5); (2) Moab's rejection of this hope (Isaiah 16:6-12); (3) the appointed time for the execution of God's judgment upon Moab (Isaiah 16:13-14).Footnote is not available As regards

Isaiah 18:7 — the opposite is always 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

Isaiah 57:14-18 — self-righteousness of the Jews were the stumbling-blocks in the way of their acknowledging Christ."Ibid. "I will not contend forever" Such words as these carry a sense of terrible finality and doom. These are almost the same words as those in Genesis 6:3, "My Spirit will not always contend with man." The meaning is that, since God has given man the freedom of choice, God will not force him to be obedient. The words in Genesis preceded the Great Deluge; and the words here preceded the awful captivity

Isaiah 60:19-22 — glory shall be the light, and the Lamb of God the Lamp of the New Jerusalem, when all mourning is ended and eternal joy will prevail, that great condition will be realized, not upon earth, but in heaven. And when shall this occur? God states in Isaiah 60:22 that, "He will hasten it in its time." The time is not known to men in our 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

Isaiah 61:1-3 — the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified." "The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me" This is a reference to the baptism of Christ (Matthew 3:16 f), upon which occasion the Spirit of God in the form of a dove descended and alighted upon Jesus, remaining upon him. Nothing like this is written of Isaiah. Jesus Christ alone possessed the Spirit of God without limitation (John 3:34). Furthermore,

Jeremiah 15:5-9 — Even the forgiveness metered out to the repentant sinner in many cases can never nullify the physical consequences of a sinful life. "They returned not from their ways" "It was no different in the seventh century from what it was in the eighth (Amos 4:6-11)";J. A. Thompson, The Bible and Archeology (Grand Rapid, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972) p. 390. and from this is seen the fact that a full century of God's forbearance with the rebellious Israelites had made no significant difference

Jeremiah 2:4-8 — the incompetence and inability of Israel's leadership. They were a stupid group of blind, selfish, and apostate leaders. With that type of leadership, the people hardly had a chance. As Jesus stated it, "They were as sheep not having a shepherd" (Mark 6:34).

Jeremiah 4:3-4 — Morality is deteriorating. Someone needs to say something about it. We are still preaching, but we are sowing the seed among the thorns.J. V. McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. III (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982), p. 366. "Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah… take away the foreskins of your heart" The second clause here explains the first. Circumcision was observed for all Jewish males; but the kind of circumcision they needed was not physical but spiritual. Cutting

Jeremiah 49:34-39 — back the captivity of Elam, saith Jehovah." Elam was a very ancient kingdom mentioned in Genesis 14:1. Feinberg stated that it was two hundred miles east of Babylon and west of the Tigris river;Charles Lee Feinberg in Ezekiel (Chicago: Moody Press), p. 671, and Hyatt located it "east of Babylonian and north of the Persian Gulf."James P. Hyatt in the Interpreter's Bible, p. 1122. The prophecy, unlike others in this chapter, is dated in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah in 498 B.C. Scholars, seeking

Jeremiah 8:8 — Jeremiah, in Preacher's Complete Homiletic Commentary (New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company), p. 189.… The presence of scribes demands that there must have been a law by this time, contrary to the view of some Old Testament scholars.CCLF, p. 436.… Behold the false pen of the scribes… (Jeremiah 8:8) The scribes studied and copied the Law; this is the first mention of them in the Bible. Already, they were beginning to make the Law of God void by their tradition (Matthew 15:6).Wycliffe

Ezekiel 22:1-5 — remembered that prior to the Great Deluge, the universal bloodshed and violence were cited as the reason for the destruction of the world in the flood. "And God said, The end of all flesh is before me; for the earth is filled with violence." (Genesis 6:13). The near-universal violence of our own times should be a reason for the most acute concern and apprehension on the part of the leaders of our world. Only God, of course, could know at what point the land "is filled" with violence; but when that

Judges 9:50-57 — requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal" "Thebez" "This place was about six miles northeast of Shechem. It had a late Bronze-Age Canaanite stronghold in the area."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 356. "A… woman cast an upper millstone" Armerding called this: "A massive stone carried to the roof for that purpose."Ibid. However, he and other commentators who insist that the woman could not have "thrown" so large a stone and therefore must have

2 Samuel 15:24-29 — unknown to the Books of Samuel, so obviously (this mention of Levites) is a late insertion."International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 344. Such opinions, of course, are unacceptable. The Levites are mentioned in both Samuels, here and in 1 Samuel 6:15. Parallel accounts also which are found in Kings and Chronicles indicate most emphatically that the Levites during the reign of David fulfilled their usual purpose regarding the ark of the covenant; and there is no good reason for supposing that

2 Samuel 19:24-30 — was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of Saul, but the use of the term "son" in the Bible is very flexible: (1) It may mean simply descendant of (Matthew 1:1); (2) grandson as here; (3) Levirate son; (4) adopted son (Luke 3:23); (5) actual son; (6) son by creation (Luke 3:38); (7) a possessor of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14); (8) merely a follower of as in Acts 13:10; or (9) son-in-law (Luke 3:23). "He had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes" Here was the only

2 Samuel 3:26-30 — murder inflicted upon him by the evil hands of Joab and Abishai. "This evil deed brought upon David an evil name, and four or five more years had to elapse before the tribes could be induced to take him as their king."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 68. "One who has a discharge, or who is leprous, or who holds a spindle, or who is slain by the sword, or who lacks bread" The five curses here invoked by David upon the head of Joab and upon his father's house were itemized by Willis as: "(1) gonorrhea;