Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 8:1-29 — Kings 4:38. 2. The land of the Philistines] This was a corn-growing district, near the still more productive country of Egypt. 3. To cry unto the king] Her property, being vacant during her absence, had seemingly passed to the crown: cp. 2 Kings 4:6. 7. To Damascus] It is possible that Elisha in thus visiting the Syrian capital was carrying out a commission of Elijah’s (1 Kings 19:15). For Ben-hadad see 2 Kings 6:24. 8. Hazael] one of Benhadad’s servants. 10. Say unto him] Elisha presumably

Psalms 1:1-13 — final editor, was used as the nucleus of the entire collection. They have two wellmarked characteristics: (1) the constant use of the name Jehovah (rendered the Lord), and the comparative absence of the name God (Heb. Elohim); the former occurring 272 times, the latter only 15 times: and (2) the description of them all, with the exception of Psalms 1, 2, 10, , 33, as ’of David’ (Heb. Le David), a fact which has been taken to indicate their derivation from a still earlier collection which

Psalms 18:1-50 — Sorrows] RV ’cords.’ So in Psalms 18:5. 5. Hell] RV ’Sheol,’ the state of the dead. Prevented] RV ’came upon.’ So in Psalms 18:18. Psalms 18:4-5 mean that David felt himself in peril of death. 6. His temple] in heaven. 7-16. In these vv. the manifestation of God’s power to deliver is poetically described as the physical appearance of God Himself, accompanied by the most impressive natural phenomena, such as earthquake and thunderstorm. He is conceived as dwelling

Psalms 60:1-12 — 60:6-12). 1. Turn thyself to us] RV ’restore us,’ not necessarily from captivity. 2. Earth] RV ’land.’ The imagery is that of an earthquake. 3. Wine of astonishment] RV ’wine of staggering,’ or reeling: see Isaiah 51:17, Isaiah 51:22,; where God’s wrath is similarly compared to stupefying wine. 4. That it may be displayed, etc.] Read with LXX ’that they may betake themselves to flight before the bow.’ Israel has raised the standard only to flee.

Psalms 9:1-20 — 6. RV ’The enemy are come to an end, they are desolate for ever: and the cities which thou hast overthrown, their very memorial is perished.’ The words are still part of the prayer to Jehovah. Faith in God demands complete deliverance. 7. Shall endure] RV ’sitteth as king.’ The eternal rule of God contrasted with the passing powers of earth. 8. People] RV ’peoples.’ 10. Thy name] see on Psalms 5:11. 11. Which dwelleth in Zion] Jerusalem, and especially the hill

Isaiah 2:1-22 — Deuteronomy 4:30; Jeremiah 23:20). Its use in the prophetic books makes the expression practically equivalent to ’Messianic times,’ and the Apostles in NT. use the corresponding Gk. in the sense of ’the Christian dispensation’ (Acts 2:17; 1 Peter 1:20; 1 John 2:18; Hebrews 1:1-2). In the top of] RM ’at the head of.’ Under the figure of a physical change is set forth the supremacy of Israel’s religion: Zion will be recognised as the spiritual capital of the world. 3.

Isaiah 49:1-21 — correspondence, even in detail, with the Passion of Jesus Christ cannot fail to arrest attention. The way in which the Servant is despised and misunderstood by His contemporaries (Isaiah 53:3), His patience and silence before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7), and His association with malefactors in His death (Isaiah 53:9): these read like a description of what happened in the case of our Lord. How far the prophet understood the meaning of his own words it is difficult to say. No doubt he was thinking at

Jeremiah 6:1-30 — Hew ye down trees] to clear the approaches to the city. Cast a mount] earth was carried in baskets and poured in a heap until it was on a level with the walls: cp. this method of assault in 2 Kings 19:32; Isaiah 29:3. To be visited] with punishment. 7. Grief] RV ’sickness.’ 9-21. Retribution awaiting the guilty people. 9. Into the baskets] RM ’upon the shoots.’ As the grape-gatherer goes back over the tendrils, lest he should have missed any of the fruit, so the people shall

Lamentations 5:1-22 — (Leviticus 20:24). 3. Our mothers are as widows] i.e. without protection and support. 5 Our necks are under persecution] RV ’our pursuers are upon our necks.’ 6. To the Assyrians] Babylonians of course are meant (Jeremiah 2:18; 2 Kings 23:29). 7. And we have borne their iniquities] not in contradiction to Jeremiah 31:29; Ezekiel 18:2, nor that they were not themselves great sinners, for Ezekiel 18:16 shows that they acknowledged they were, but that the nation’s guilt extended back into

Ezekiel 10:1-22 — the ’glory’ which Ezekiel saw in his visions was the same as that by which God’s presence had been hitherto manifested in the Holy of Holies. 5. As the voice, etc] like thunder. 6. Beside the wheels] RV ’beside a wheel.’ 7. One cherub] RV ’the cherub,’ the cherub next the particular wheel just mentioned. The scribe-angel did not actually go between the wheels himself, but stood beside the chariot and received the fire from one of the cherubim. 12. The cherubim,

Ezekiel 37:1-28 — The Revival and Reunion of Iseael From the future of the land Ezekiel now turns to that of the nation, long ago divided by the revolt of the Ten Tribes, and now seemingly extinct. The exiles feel themselves to be but its scattered bones (Ezekiel 37:11). In a striking and beautiful vision, suggested no doubt by this current saying, Ezekiel predicts that the dead nation will come to life again (Ezekiel 37:1-14), and by a symbolic action he represents the coming reunion of the rival kingdoms of Israel

Daniel 9:1-27 — pecado de Israel, y suplicando a Dios que tenga misericordia de su pueblo ( Daniel 9:3 ). Entonces el ángel Gabriel le explica ( Daniel 9:20 ) que los setenta años de Jeremías son setenta ''. semanas 'o' siete 'de años (= 490 años), que se componen de (7 + 62 + 1)' semanas '. Las siete 'semanas' comienzan con 'la salida del mandamiento de restaurar y edificar Jerusalén' y terminan con 'el ungido, el príncipe', y las sesenta y dos 'semanas' incluyen la edificación de la ciudad en problemas. veces (

Amos 6:10 — como estas. 13 . No se requiere alteración del original para obtener lo siguiente: "Vosotros que os regocijáis en Lo-Debar, que decís: ¿No hemos tomado para nosotros Karnaim con nuestras propias fuerzas?" Para Lo-Debar, ver 2 Samuel 9:4 ; 2 Samuel 17:27 , y para Karnaim Génesis 14:5 ; Deuteronomio 1:4 ; Josué 21:27 ; Josué 1Ma 5:26: ambas ciudades se encuentran al E. del Jordán y pueden haber sido tomadas por Jeroboam II. Se había producido un gran cambio en la suerte de Israel durante los reinados

Zephaniah 1:1-18 — Stumblingblocks] or, slightly correcting the text to bring it into harmony with the rest of the v., ’I will destroy the wicked.’ 4. I will also stretch out mine hand] cp. the similar powerful refrain in Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 9:12, Isaiah 9:17, Isaiah 9:21. All traces of Baalism, together with the ’Chemarim’ (RV), the black-robed priests of Baal are first to be destroyed, as well as the wicked priests of Jehovah, who degraded His worship. 5, 6. The sweeping judgment and reformation

Luke 16:1-31 — for the good of others, and for the advancement of God’s kingdom, that instead of hindering them from reaching heaven, it will help them to enter there. The prudence (foresight) of the steward is commended in this parable, not his dishonesty. 5-7. Tenants in the East pay their rent in kind, not in money. The landlord provides them with seed, and they return him at harvest-time a certain proportion of the yield. 6. An hundred measures] lit. ’baths,’ the ’bath’ being a

Galatians 2:1-21 — the truth of the gospel. (6) But the most influential leaders of the Jerusalem Church—let their authority be what it may, that does not concern the truth or divine approval of my teaching—had no desire to correct or supplement my views, (7) but recognised that I had my sphere of labour among the Gentiles as truly as Peter had his among the Jews, (8) and that each was successful in his own sphere. (9) Not only so, but these leaders, James, Peter, and John, gave us the right hand of fellowship

Joshua 5:1-15 — Rite of Circumcision. This was necessary, because all those who had come out of Egypt already circumcised (except, of course, Joshua and Caleb) had died in the wilderness; while the new generation of males had not been circumcised by the way (Joshua 5:7). This omission of the rite was of course not necessitated by the journeyings, which were certainly not continuous. It was more probably a deliberate disciplinary regulation, as a sign of the broken covenant: see prefatory remarks. 2. Sharp knives]

James 3:1-18 — The Control of the Tongue 1, 2. Warning against undue eagerness to teach: cp. Matthew 12:37; Matthew 23:7; Romans 2:19-20; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Corinthians 14:26-40; Ephesians 4:11. Masters] better, ’teachers.’ The position of a teacher is one of great responsibility. Greater condemnation] RV ’heavier judgement’ (Luke

3 John 1:1 — length of time which travelling required, (2) from the poverty of the Christians, (3) from the kind of society they would meet at public inns’ (Sinclair). 6. Bring forward] i.e. with practical assistance—money, provisions, escort, etc. 7. Taking nothing of the Gentiles] The missionaries whom Gaius had entertained had not been willing to receive assistance from the non-Christians among whom they had been labouring. While they might properly receive from those who had long been Christians,

2 Samuel 3:1-39 — Abner is Treacherously Murdered by Joab 3. Chileab] We read nothing more of him and he probably died as a child. In 1 Chronicles 3:1 he is called Daniel. Geshur] a kingdom on the border of Bashan, where Absalom afterwards took refuge (2 Samuel 13:37) It must not be confused with the Geshur of 1 Samuel 27:8. 4. Adonijah] see 1 Kings 1. 7. Rizpah] see 2 Samuel 21:8-11. Gone in unto my father’s concubine] According to Eastern ideas this was equivalent to laying claim to the throne: see 2 Samuel