Bible Commentaries

Genesis 21:1-7 — Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh; every one that heareth will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? for I have borne him a son in his old age." Genesis 21:1 and Genesis 21:2 stress the fact that God is a God who keeps and fulfills His promises. Note the recurrence of "as he had said … as he had spoken … at the set time of which God had spoken." For a full quarter of a century, Abraham and

Exodus 20:22-26 — the exact significance of this, but it doubtless has two applications: (1) later in the wanderings, the tabernacle would be moved from place to place, and God's name recorded at every place where the tabernacle came was an assurance of his blessing; (2) in the New Covenant, which is always pre-shadowed by everything that happened in Exodus, there would, of course, never be a physical altar, but the promise here still has significant meaning. Just where has God recorded His name in the New Dispensation?

Exodus 21:12-14 — his neighbor, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may, die." This is the first of several protections given to assure the just enforcement of God's law. The law under consideration here was first reiterated in Exodus 21:12, i.e., capital punishment for murderers, but one accused of murder was not always guilty. There were instances of accidental, or of unintentional homicide, and to protect against the unjust punishment of one who had committed a "crime" like that,

Exodus 21:7-11 — another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. And if he do not these three things unto her, then shall she go out for nothing without money." We are surprised that Noth suggested a "contradiction" between Exodus 21:2 and Exodus 21:7, although he did not use that word. The difference he supposed might have been due to the "view that only a man is a person, while the woman on the other hand was a possession."Martin Noth, op. cit., p. 177. How can a "Christian"

Psalms 25 overview — FORGIVENESS We have entitled this psalm "A Prayer for Forgiveness," because of the triple plea to that effect in the psalm. Halley called it, "The Prayer of a Sin-oppressed Soul,"Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House), p. 237. which is also a very appropriate title. Some writers have supposed that the author of this psalm was not, in any sense, writing it as a personal prayer for himself, but as a prayer suggested for others who might need to pray such a prayer. As Taylor

Psalms 27 overview — is as follows: "Those who argue for two independent compositions, here joined, point to differences in tone, to the fact that trust usually follows rather than precedes lament, and to the fact that both parts are complete in themselves. Also, Psalms 27:1-6 address God in the third person, and Psalms 27:7-14 address God in the second person." Those arguing for unity point to a concern for enemies in both sections (Psalms 27:2-3; Psalms 27:6; Psalms 27:11-12), and to affirmations of faith in Psalms

Psalms 48 overview — taken the title that appears in the ASV, because it uses the word "Zion," as a designation of Jerusalem, having a double application, not merely to the earthly Jerusalem, but to the heavenly Jerusalem which is above, "which is our mother" (Galatians 4:26). This psalm, along with Psalms 46 and Psalms 47, forms a trilogy. All three seem to reflect the euphoria of Israel following the miraculous deliverance from the army of Sennacherib. "Psalms 46 extolled the deliverance; Psalms 47 extolled the power

Psalms 49 overview — Ruler, and his parable of the Rich Fool, are doctrinally anticipated in this psalm. Scholars refer to this psalm as `didactic,' i.e., a psalm loaded with teaching or instructions. In some of the psalms, the psalmist is (1) praising God; in others he is (2) prophesying; and in some he is (3) praying; but, "In this one, he is (4) preaching."Wilson Jones, p. 239. In all discussions of the folly of trusting in riches, it should be pointed out that riches are a threatening temptation, not only to their possessors,

Psalms 52 overview — some current critical opinion, there is absolutely nothing in this psalm that does not fit the scandalous conduct of Doeg the Edomite as the occasion that prompted the writing of it. Oh yes, Addis wrote that, "(1) The reference to the Temple (Psalms 52:8), and (2) the silence regarding Doeg's massacre of the priests show that the superscription gives an impossible explanation of the Psalm."W. E. Addis, p. 382. Neither of these objections has any value. (1)    Psalms 52:8, which

Leviticus 9:1-7 — These are called "all the congregation" in Leviticus 9:5, indicating that "all the congregation of Israel" ordinarily meant merely the assembly of its princes, tribal leaders, and elders. All of the quibbling about its being impossible for the whole 2,000,000 people of Israel to assemble before the tent of meeting disappears in the light of what was really meant by such assemblies of all the congregation. "On the eighth day" We believe that Clements is correct in identifying this with Exodus 40:27,

Ezekiel 15 overview — Howie, for example, stated that, "The vine tree was fit only for the production of fruit";Carl G. Howie in the Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 41. but he overlooked the fact that this particular vine was classed with the "trees of the forest" (Ezekiel 15:2), and not with the noble vines which were always in the vineyard. The vine under consideration here is therefore the vine that represents apostate Israel. This vine is variously described in the versions and translations, as bastard, degenerate, wild,

Numbers 10:29-32 — have the Holy Spirit? What do we want experience and counsel for, when Divine guidance has been promised us? The two things work together.Alexander Maclaren, Exposition of Holy Scriptures, Numbers (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1942), p. 314. God's promise of guidance and success never relieved any person of the utmost watchfulness and labor toward the same objective. It will be remembered that God had promised Paul that his life and the lives of all on board the ship would be

Zephaniah 2 overview — righteous to seek the Lord and strive after righteousness an humility, that they may be hidden in the day of the Lord"C. F. Keil, Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. 10, Zephaniah (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 137. (Zephaniah 2:1-3). "These verses have the utility of distinguishing the remnant from the nation, which is not desired."H. A. Ironside, Notes on the Minor Prophets (Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1909), p. 310. The stern tone of these verses is criticized

Joshua 12 overview — division of the territory of Canaan among the individual tribes. "The first part of the book closes with Joshua's triumph, and the second ends with the record of his death."Lindsay B. Longacre, Abingdon Bible Commentary, Joshua (New York: Abingdon Press, 1929), p. 353. This chapter begins with a description of the Trans-Jordanian (eastward) conquests of Sihon and Og by Moses and Israel and the settlement of the two and one half tribes east of Jordan, as allowed by Moses. The author here evidently had two

Joshua 2:8-14 — Naturally, unbelieving enemies of God's Word vent their hatred of a passage like this. Holmes said: "No greater anachronism can be found than the one here, where a Canaanite heathen is made to utter a monotheism worthy of Amos."Samuel Holmes, op. cit., p. 250. It is not that, however, that so upsets Holmes; it is the testimony of this woman to the genuine nature of the Red Sea Miracle! That is what requires unbelieving critics to bring forth every device in their arsenal to try and get rid of it, but here

Judges 17 overview — THE SO-CALLED "APPENDIX" OF THE BOOK OF JUDGES; ALLEGED EXAMPLES PROVING THAT ISRAEL"NEEDED" A KING (Judges 17-21) We reject the designation of these last five chapters of Judges as "an appendix added to Judges by a later hand." There is NO break in the text, and nothing except the theories of critics supports such a view. The reason why some critics (as Dalglish

Revelation 11:5 — 1974), p. 90. Cox explained it as the witnesses' consumption of their enemies "by the fire of truth which they proclaim"; Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 74. and there is surely an element of profound truth in this as indicated by Hebrews 11:17 and 2 Corinthians 2:16; but we believe that something else is indicated, namely, the providential protection of both the Word and the Church by Almighty God through Christ. God will, in the last analysis, permit no man to destroy either! Look at what happened

Revelation 12:14 — nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. The two wings of the great eagle … The great drama of persecution has here moved into its third phase: (1) It first raged against the woman before Christ was born. (2) It reached it bitterest and most intense malignity during the ministry of the Son of God. (3) It next fell upon the young church, the old Israel itself being a satanic instrument in this. The first outrages against the church were promulgated by the

Revelation 15:7 — creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. Are these literal bowls? Not any more than the harps were literal harps, which means they were not in any sense literal. See under Revelation 15:2 for Pieters' comment on the absurdity of taking any of this literally. Bowls … This is a very interesting word. "It meant (1) a shallow vessel used for drinking purposes," Ibid. as in the case of Old King Cole who called for his pipe

Revelation 19:7 — Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 464. The figure of marriage to represent the relationship between the Lord and his people is often used in the New Testament, but in various analogies. In Matthew 22:1-4, the Christians are guests at the wedding. In Matthew 15:1 ff, they are certain of the bridesmaids. In 2 Corinthians 11:1-3, they are chaste virgins betrothed unto the Lord. In Ephesians 5:22-32 and in Romans 7:4, the analogy is that Christians