Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 18:16-19 — in this interview. It was Elijah who rebuked the king and issued the orders for a general assembly of the covenant people. Snaith believed that Ahab consented to this because, "He believed himself to be a true worshipper"The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 3, p. 152. of the God of Israel. To this writer, it appears more likely that Ahab desperately needed rain to save those horses and mules, and that he was willing to do ANYTHING that Elijah requested, in the hopes of getting it. Matheney also credited

1 Kings 2:1-4 — throne forever, and (2) the continuity of David's earthly dynasty. The promise of the Messiah was unconditional, but the promise of the continuity of David's posterity upon the throne in Jerusalem was conditional. (See our full discussion of this in Vol. 3 of the Historical Books (1 Samuel) in chapter 7.) The Book of Kings spells out in the most dramatic record the shameful and rebellious apostasy of David's dynasty, beginning with Solomon himself, and ending in the tragic death of Zedekiah, who, along

1 Kings 9:10-14 — for nothing district." No wonder he returned them to Solomon. The worthlessness of the territory mentioned here was proverbial. "It was that area later known as `Galilee of the Gentiles" (Matthew 4:15)."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, op. cit., p. 320. "And Hiram sent to the king six-score talents of gold" Like a great many other things in this narrative, the appearance of this statement at this point is by no means chronological. This gold which Hiram sent to Solomon is that gold mentioned in

2 Kings 10:15-17 — And when he came to Samaria, he smote all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spoke to Elijah." (For a discussion of the unique sect of the Rechabites, see my commentary on Jeremiah 35.) These people lived in tents and clung tenaciously to the ancient and original worship of Israel, namely, the worship of Jehovah. They were not Israelites, but Kenites, and had accompanied Israel when they came up out of Egypt. They had a very good

2 Chronicles 1:1-6 — it." "The brazen altar that Bezalel… had made" Continually throughout Chronicles we find an acute consciousness of all that was written in the Pentateuch in the times of Moses. The references here are from Exodus 17:10; Exodus 28:1-8; Exodus 31:2. "Solomon offered a thousand burnt-offerings upon it" This means that Solomon provided the burnt-offerings, not that he offered them personally, a duty that pertained to the priests. "This altar is mentioned as assurance that Gibeon was the proper

Ezra 6:16-18 — scholarly imagination, and not upon any fact. The silly reason for such a challenge, according to Hamrick, was that the word Jews was the author's usual term for Israel; but here he referred to them as the children of Israel.Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 3, p. 454. What a foolish assumption it must be that Ezra was not familiar with both expressions and that he would never have used both. At this glorious moment when God's people had been returned from captivity and their temple restored, the more formal

Nehemiah 7:1 — along with the keepers of the city gates; and, because that was something of an unusual assignment for Levites and singers, the critics promptly claim that their mention here is, "A mistaken addition by the Chronicler."Arthur S. Peake's Commentary, p. 332. Of course, Nehemiah is the author here, not the mythical `chronicler' of the radical critics, who, in their view was not merely incompetent, but an unqualified liar as well. This view regarding this verse was long ago disputed and disproved; but

Job 26:5-8 — upon earth, but under the earth as well, even over the inhabitants of Hades, spoken of here as being under the oceans."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 7d, p. 429. Here is a reference to persons under the earth, as also in the New Testament (Revelation 5:3). "And hangeth the earth upon nothing" The amazing truth of what is said here was unknown in pre-Christian ages and thus anticipates scientific information of modern times by thousands of years. Incidentally, the truth of these things here spoken with

Psalms 115:9-13 — will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless them that fear Jehovah, Both great and small." As Dummelow noted, "Psalms 115:9-11 here seem to have been written to be sung antiphonally,"J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 371. the response, "He is their help and their shield," to each exhortation being sung by a separate group of singers. The only question that arises here is that of, "Just who are those addressed as `Ye that fear Jehovah.'"? Three different groups have

Psalms 14:2-3 — arrogant materialist of Psalms 14:1, is but an example of man in general."Derek Kidner, op. cit., p. 79. "What is lamented here is not the corruption of Israel and not that of the heathen, but the universal corruption of man."W. L. Watkinson, op. cit., p. 53. In Romans 3:10-18, we have the following from the apostle Paul: "We laid to the charge of both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin;As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one;There is none that understandeth,There is none that seeketh

Psalms 42:6-8 — bless him, just as he blessed Jonah. The passage recalled here is: "All thy waves and thy billows passed over me… the waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the deep was round about me. Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple" (Jonah 2:3-5). It is easy to see that the psalmist here was appealing to God, that just as he had blessed Jonah, so might the same blessings come to the psalmist. "Jehovah will command his lovingkindness in the daytime; and in the night his song shall be with

Psalms 5:4-6 — being pleased with licentiousness and other forms of evil. The wicked in this passage regardless of their many names have one thing in common. "God hates them." "Alas, what a portion have the wicked. God hates them"!Adam Clarke, On Old Testament, Vol. 3 (New York: T. Mason and G. Lane, 1937), p. 230. But does not God love all men? Yes indeed. God's love potentially belongs to every man who was ever born, but the practice of wickedness alienates that love and changes it into hatred. Some would make

Psalms 6:1-10 — PRAYER FOR MERCY IN SICKNESS (FOR THE CHIEF MUSICIAN, ON STRINGED INSTRUMENTS, SET TO THE SHEMINITH. A PSALM OF DAVID) For ages, Christian scholars have considered this Psalm to be one of the seven Penitential Psalms, namely, Psalms 6; Psalms 32; Psalms 38; Psalms 51; Psalms 102; Psalms 130; and Psalms 143. However, no sin whatever is mentioned in the Psalm; and it is not exactly clear why David felt that he was under the wrath of God. Based upon the fact that David's enemies are mentioned,

Psalms 72:17 — reference at all to any king, much less Solomon. "And men shall be blessed in him" The only one who ever lived on earth "in whom" men can be blessed is Jesus Christ the Messiah. "All spiritual blessings in the heavenly places are in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)." That means, of course, that there are not any blessings "in Solomon." By no system of accommodation known to this writer can such a statement as this be understood of anyone who ever lived except the Lord Jesus Christ. "All nations shall call him

Psalms 77:4-9 — gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?" "Thou holdest mine eyes watching" The Anchor Bible translates this: "Mine eyes are accustomed to vigils; I pace the floor and do not recline."Mitchell Dahood in The Anchor Bible, Vol. II, p. 223. "I call to remembrance my song in the night" "Many have been the songs that he either composed or sang; and he had once derived much spiritual comfort from them; but they gave him no help now, and aroused no feelings of confident faith."H. C. Leupold,

Ecclesiastes 9:16-18 — Bathsheba and the part she played in all that. With these verses, we enter the final phase of Ecclesiastes which contains a large number of proverbs, which may be construed as the author's answer to the question of "What is good for man"? (Ecclesiastes 2:3; Ecclesiastes 6:12). "A great part of these seem to have a special reference to servants of a king,"Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1989 reprint of the 1878 edition), Ecclesiastes, p. 108. as would be natural enough

Isaiah 18:1-3 — Ethiopia with special reference to the swarms of flies and the rivers, which are the Blue and White Nile."Peake's Commentary Series, p. 449. The mention of the ambassadors coming "by sea" primarily refers to the Nile, which is called "sea" in Nahum 3:8, and in Isaiah 19:5.

Isaiah 19:24-25 — entrance because of his race; and no one is denied on account of his race or former enmity against God or his people. "It only means that God's ancient promise that in Abraham and his seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3) will now be fulfilled."Footnote is not available What a glorious work God has accomplished in redeeming even his ancient enemies, bringing all men into one holy body of the redeemed. "How clearly all this was envisioned by God's great prophet."Footnote

Isaiah 6:6-8 — here was not final and absolute, because the ultimate price of all human redemption from sin had not at that time been paid in the bloody sacrifice of Jesus Christ himself. The meaning is simply that God "passed over" his sins as explained in Romans 3:23-26. Rawlinson observed that the symbolical "forgiveness" achieved here by means of the live coal from off the altar actually demonstrated that (1) sin could indeed be purged; but that the highest supernatural creatures, even one standing before God

2 Samuel 24:15-17 — that the death-angel was in the act of continuing the slaughter, and to certain characteristics of the text, Willis wrote that, "This was the first of the three days."John T. Willis, p. 415. Cook referred it to the "Time of the evening sacrifice, at 3 o'clock p.m., when the people assembled for prayer."Albert Barnes, Samuel, p. 127. The same author pointed out that, "The death of seventy thousand men, as reported here, was the most destructive plague recorded as having fallen upon Israel, there having