Bible Commentaries

Jeremiah 23:5-8 — only a few examples of what well-known writers have said and are still saying about this passage. The announcement concerns the ideal king Messiah.J. A. Thompson, The Bible and Archeology (Grand Rapid, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972) p. 489. Messiah is here called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, because he is Jehovah; and he is our righteousness because he justifies us by his merits.Barnes' Notes (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House), p. 206. As a title, BRANCH traces the human and divine

Ezekiel 23:6-10 — with the sword: and she became a byword among women; for they executed judgment upon her." That Oholah should be judged and executed by her lovers verified one of the strange mysteries of wickedness, the classical example of which is that of Amnon (2 Samuel 13), who forced his sister Tamar. Afterward, the Scriptures record that, "Then Amnon hated Tamar with exceeding great hatred; for the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her (2 Samuel 13:15 ff)." "Assyrians,

Hosea 13:2 — image here is "Masseka," exactly the same word used in Exodus for the golden calf. "Figurines on the model of the bull-image were being struck for use in private and public ritual."James Luther Mays, Hosea (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1969), p. 172. It is clearly the calf-worship of the old Canaanite paganism that is in view here. "Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves" Despite the uncertainties and the problems of the Hebrew text in this place, the depravity of the onceworshippers of God

Hosea 14:3 — "Asshur" in the Hebrew text; but the two terms were almost synonymous. "The Semitic name served for the god Asshur as well as for the city and empire. In the present context, this dual meaning is particularly appropriate."James M. Ward, op. cit., p. 227. "True repentance involves abandoning known sin; and here the double sins of relying on nations and idolatry are confessed."J. B. Hindley, op. cit., p. 715. "We will not ride upon horses" is supposed to be a metaphorical way of declaring that, "neither

Amos 7:4-6 — Judgment."Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament, Minor Prophets, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953), p. 317. Schultz and others insist that it is "the summer heat."Arnold C. Schultz, Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, I962), p. 835. Refer to the interpretation of the first vision, above, for the meaning here; for it is identical with this. Regarding some particular historical situation that may, along with others, be symbolized by this, Dean has: "The particular calamity

Jonah 4:5 — the reason for the apparent uncertainty on Jonah's part as to whether the city would be destroyed or not. It appears that Jonah had already concluded that the city would be spared, a conclusion based upon his knowledge of the character of God (Jonah 4:2), and the evident and overwhelming fact of Nineveh's wholesale repentance. "East side of the city" This was the elevated portion of the terrain and provided a better vantage point for seeing the city overthrown, an event Jonah hoped for, contrary to

Zechariah 3:9 — anything except another metaphor of the Son of God. The fact of the stone's having "seven eyes" seals the matter; for anything with eyes is alive; and that identifies this stone as "the living Stone," hailed by the apostles as Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:6-9; Romans 9:32-33). (For extensive discussion of Christ as the Living Stone, see my commentary on Romans, pp. 352-357.) Some have read the word "eyes" as "facets," alleging that the verse should read, "a single stone with seven facets."Hinckley G.

Malachi 1:14 — anger, how much more so in the case of the King of Kings?"Hinckley G. Mitchell, op. cit., p. 34. "My name is terrible among the Gentiles" This, in Malachi's day was a simple statement of fact. Rahab on the wall of Jericho affirmed the truth of it (Joshua 2:8-11). The royal family of Pharaoh knew it; and the royal kings of Babylon also had quailed before the moving fingers of the Lord upon the wall. Yes, God's name was indeed known throughout the pre-Christian Gentile world, but not in the sense of any

Matthew 27:66 — "his day"? The presumption that would make it so is offensive to the emotions and contrary to reason. THE SEVEN WORDS FROM THE CROSS These were: 1.    "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). 2.    "Verily, I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). 3.    "Woman, behold thy son … Behold thy mother" (John 19:26-27). 4.    "My

Mark 1:40 — reported by one or both of the other synoptics, this is the first instance of Mark's having, in any sense, a fuller account; and, even here, it was Matthew and Luke who gave the most vivid details of the leper's "worshipping" Christ (Matthew 8:2) and of his falling "on his face" in order to do so (Luke 5:12), thus associating worship with a humble posture of the body. If one counts the words, or measures the text, of the three synoptic accounts of this miracle, he might fall in with

Mark 16:6 — he is not here: behold, the place where they laid him. The Nazarene … How unlike any human designation was this! When the Lord Jesus addressed Saul of Tarsus from glory, he said, "I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest" (Acts 22:8). Just why the angels of God and Christ himself should have brought the name of that wretched Galilean village into such identifications cannot be fully known; but one thing was certainly in it, namely, a rejection of human value-judgments. He is

John 11:11 — that I may awake him out of sleep. ASLEEP IN JESUS Lazarus is fallen asleep … Of all that Jesus ever said of death, this is the most encouraging. (1) Sleep is a temporary thing; and so by this our Lord revealed that death too is not permanent. (2) Sleep refreshes and rejuvenates; thus in the resurrection this mortal shall put on immortality and this corruptible shall put on incorruption. (3) From sleep, men awaken; and the promise is secure in the Master's words that all that are in the tombs

John 16:14 — I, that he taketh of mine, and shall declare it unto you. Regarding the Trinitarian nature of this passage, Dummelow said: This is one of the leading Trinitarian passages in the New Testament. In it (1) the three persons are clearly distinguished; (2) their relative subordination is clearly taught, the Father giving his all to the Son, and the Son communicating his all to the Spirit; and (3) their equality of nature is distinctly affirmed, for the Son receives from the Father "all things whatsoever

John 7:25-26 — rulers did not know whom they crucified should be rejected. Jesus said publicly of them in a parable: "The husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come let us kill him, and take his inheritance!" (Matthew 21:23). They knew he was the Christ; but, because he was not the kind of Christ they wanted, they murdered him. True, they did not know that Jesus was God in the flesh; and it was of that ignorance which Paul spoke when he declared, "Had they known

Acts 10:32-33 — sight of God, to hear all things that have been commanded thee of the Lord. Thou hast done well that thou art come … The meaning here is not exactly certain, being (1) either the equivalent of a "thank you" for Peter's response, or (2) a complimentary notice of the dispatch with which Peter had come, or perhaps something of both. All here … to hear all things commanded thee of the Lord … Cornelius, by such a remark, made it clear that his only concern was in knowing

Acts 21:8 — place to place proclaiming the gospel"; R. Milligan, Analysis of the New Testament (Cincinnati, Ohio: Bosworth, Chase Hill, Publishers), p. 389. such preachers were ranked after apostles and prophets and above pastors and teachers in Ephesians 4:12. Timothy was another evangelist in the New Testament sense (2 Timothy 4:5). The use of the word as a title for authors of the gospels did not arise until much later. We abode with him … As McGarvey said, "His house must have been a capacious

Acts 3:22-23 — because there were many likenesses between Moses and Christ. Both were sons of virgin princesses, Moses by adoption, Jesus by the virgin birth, etc., etc. For a rather extended enumeration of these, please see my Commentary on Hebrews, under Hebrews 3:2, where nineteen likenesses and thirteen contrasts between Moses and Christ are presented. Significantly, Moses was rejected by Israel, but Moses ruled them despite that; and the inference from Peter's mention of this prophecy is that Jesus, despite

Acts 5:34 — Pharisees opposed. The influence of Gamaliel's advice reflects that situation. Everett J. Harrison, op. cit., p. 401. Furthermore, Gamaliel himself was a man of heroic stature among the Jews of that generation. Saul of Tarsus had been his pupil. (Acts 22:3); and he was widely hailed as the greatest teacher of the Law in his day. Lightfoot further embellished the reputation of Gamaliel by affirming that he was the son of that Simon who took the Saviour in his arms (Luke 2), and the grandson of the famous

Acts 7:1 — And the high priest said, Are these things so? Hervey thought that the high priest at that time was Theophilus or Jonathan, A. C. Hervey, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, Publishers, 1950), Vol. 18, p. 214. both being sons of Annas and both having held the office; but it appears that Bruce was more probably correct in saying that "The high priest was probably still Caiaphas, as at the trial of Jesus; he remained in office until A.D. 36." F.

Romans 11:7 — approval, a thing which they did not truly seek at all, for if they had truly sought the Lord, they would have found him, as one of their great prophets said: And ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Israel did not seek God in the sense of truly believing in him and walking as he commanded, but by the pursuit of their own righteousness (see under Romans 10:3). Thus, the "seeking" in this verse, as it pertained to the old Israel,