Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 12:16-17 — have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them." Here in 1 Kings 12:17 is established a permanent separation of the northern Israel from the southern Israel, the former to be known as Israel, and the latter as Judah; and this usage is found extensively in the rest of the O.T. "As for the children of Israel that dwelt

2 Kings 19:5-7 — `boys.'"Homer Hailey, p. 506. Thus, the first thing Isaiah did was to cut the blasphemers from Sennacherib down to size, saying in effect, "Those boys have said nothing of any importance." "Four things the Lord said here: (1) God would put a spirit into him; (2) he would hear a rumor; (3) he would return to his own land; and (4) in that land he would fall by the sword."George C. M. Douglas, p. 287. All of this came to pass exactly as the Lord had said.

2 Chronicles 33:21-25 — XIV. AMON (642-640 B.C.)THE SHORT AND EVIL REIGN OF AMON "Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did Manasseh his father; and Anton sacrificed unto

Ezra 6:6-7 — on the building."Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Vol. 16, p. 81. Matthew Henry commented that, "The manner of Darius' expression here indicates that he knew that Tattenai and his companions had a mind to hinder the work."Matthew Henry's Commentary, Vol. 2, p. 1047.

Esther 2:8-11 — should not make it known. And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her." The key development here was Hegai's partiality to Esther. The words speedily and the best place (Esther 2:9) show that Hegai probably shortened the one year stay in the house of women for Esther and that he moved her as quickly as possible into the rotation for the king's bed.

Job 29:12-17 — here, with the silence of his friends standing as an eloquent proof of what he said, it is almost inconceivable that they should have accused him of so many crimes during the dialogues. The two themes of this chapter are: (1) Job's former security, and (2) his prominent and positive role in society; "And these two themes will be repeated in Job 29:18-25."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 579.

Psalms 100:2-3 — Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." "No more appropriate words for the call to worship were ever written. An alternative reading for "and we are his" (Psalms 100:2), is, "and not we ourselves." This meaning is reflected in the second line of the second stanza of Kethe's poem, "Without our aid he did us make." The thought is accurate, whether or not it is justified in the text. Furthermore, Rawlinson defended the

Psalms 146:1-2 — that he will praise God during his lifetime, but as long as he has an existence. In the future world, forever, he would praise him."Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1987 reprint of the 1878 edition), Vol. III, p. 325. The poet Addison caught something of this meaning in these lines. "Through every period of my life Thy goodness I'll pursue;And after death, in distant worlds,The glorious theme renew.Through all eternity to TheeA joyful song I'll raise;But oh, eternity's

Psalms 3:7-8 — here as wild beasts, whose weapons are their jaws and teeth. Let God break these, and they are harmless."Ibid. "Salvation belongeth unto Jehovah." When Jonah cried to God from the fish's belly, his triumphant cry was, "Salvation is of Jehovah"! (Jonah 2:9). "Thy blessing be upon thy people." The Psalmist here rose above his own selfish interests in seeking God's help, linking it with the blessing of God upon all of his people.

Psalms 45:16-17 — eternal kingdom of God alone fits such particulars as these. "Thy children made princes in all the earth." All of God's children are "kings and priests unto God" (Revelation 1:6) Also Peter wrote: "Ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, etc." (1 Peter 2:9). The ability to make kings and royal princes "in all the earth" has never pertained to any one other than the Lord Jesus Christ. It is most appropriate, therefore, that this incredibly beautiful Messianic Psalm should conclude, as Leupold noted,

Psalms 93:5 — true, and every man a liar." The "testimonies" here mentioned are of many kinds. There are warnings, instructions, commandments, promises, ordinances, prohibitions, prophecies and axioms of eternal truth; and all of them are to be trusted implicitly. (2)    The second great lesson here is that "holiness" or sanctity is alone appropriate for the house of God. The sacred fellowship of the family of God must not be defiled by wanton, lustful behavior. No person whomsoever can remain

Proverbs 20:25 — man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vow."The New International Version (NIV). "Jephthah is a startling example of one falling into the snare that is mentioned here (Judges 11:34-40)."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 726. Jonah's mention in his prayer from the fish's belly that he would pay his vows is a strong indication that he also had made some rash vows (Jonah 2:9). "The Pharisees developed a casuistry regarding gifts to the Temple that Jesus condemned (Matthew

Proverbs 7:24-27 — down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host. Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death." "The defense advised here is threefold. (1) Guard your mind. One is in danger as soon as his mind wanders in her direction. (2) Keep away. Avoid all contact, literally, as well as mentally. (3) Look past her, farther down the road, to the countless slain, to the chambers of death."Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, op. cit., p. 76. "Her slain are a mighty host" "We think of

Isaiah 38:2-3 — Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore." Hezekiah's turning his face to the wall, "Resembles that of Ahab (1 Kings 21:4); but the spirit is wholly different."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 10b, p. 36. Ahab turned away to the wall for a sullen pout; but Hezekiah did it for privacy and to collect his thoughts for the prayer. Josephus tells us that the reason for Hezekiah's

Jeremiah 13:18-19 — Judah is carried away captive, all of it; it is wholly carried away captive." The mention of the queen-mother indicates the importance of the king's mother among the kings of Judah. "They seem to have had some official status in Judah; indeed, 1 Kings 2:19 suggests that she even occupied a throne adjacent to that of the king." The passage before us also may indicate that she likewise wore a crown. "Because Jewish kings generally married subjects, and lived in polygamy, the king's mother took precedence

Jeremiah 31:2-6 — the planters shall plant, and shall enjoy the fruit thereof. For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the hills of Ephraim shall cry Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto Jehovah our God." "People that were left of the sword" (Jeremiah 31:2). Some see this as a reference to the deliverance from Egypt, and others suppose that it refers to the Israelites left after the destruction by Babylon. We prefer the latter understanding because, God did not call Israel to "rest" in the wilderness

Ezekiel 16:39-43 — bring thy way upon thy head, saith the Lord Jehovah: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness with all thine abominations." "They shall strip thee of thy clothes" Biblical examples of the degradation of a harlot by exhibiting her naked are found in Hosea 2:12, Nahum 3:5, and in Jeremiah 13:22; Jeremiah 13:26.

Ezekiel 31:18 — with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt be in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord Jehovah." THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IN Ezekiel 31:2 "To whom art thou thus like" "This is the answer to the question that opened the allegory."John Skinner in the Expositor's Bible Commentary, p. 274. Jamieson also agreed with this. "Pharaoh's end shall be the same humiliating one, just as I have depicted

Ruth 4:10 — from Naomi and that the land purchase also included the right and the obligation for his marriage to Ruth. The proceedings here procured for Boaz only the right to marry Ruth; "the actual marriage is recorded in Ruth 4:13."Robert L. Hubbard, Jr., p. 256. Leon Morris noted that this magnanimous and unselfish action on the part of Boaz tells us something about God: "(1) God must feel at least as compassionate toward all the Ruths of Moab and Babylon and of every other land as His creature Boaz felt

1 Samuel 25:3 — of good understanding and beautiful, but the man was churlish and ill-behaved; he was a Calebite." "Nabal" means "obstinate fool,"The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 300. and Abigail means, "the joy of her father."Matthew Henry's Commentary, Vol. 2, p. 413. It seems most unlikely that any parent would have named a son "Nabal," and the name may therefore be explained as an epithet assigned to him by his contemporaries who so judged his character. "He was a Calebite" The Calebites were attached