Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 4:38-41 — The deadly effects of apostasy 4:38-41 God again disciplined Israel by withholding fertility from the land and producing a famine (2 Kings 4:38; cf. 1 Kings 17). The people were not only hungry for bread but also for what would truly satisfy their spiritual hunger, namely, the Word

Esther 4:4-19 — III. ESTHER’S INTERVENTION 4:4-9:19 Haman’s plan to exterminate the Jews created a crisis, and now Esther’s intervention with Ahasuerus provided the solution.

Job 4:7-11 — Eliphaz’s view of suffering 4:7-11 This is one of the clearest expressions of Eliphaz’s view of why people suffer and his view of the basis for the divine-human relationship (Job 4:7). He believed good people always win and the bad always lose. He was asserting that Job’s

Psalms 9:19-20 — David concluded this psalm with a request for God to remind the nations of their frail mortality-by judging them. Hopefully this would mean they would stop opposing the godly. Again (cf. Psalms 8:4), David used the word ’enosh ("man" and "men") to emphasize man in his frail mortality (cf. Genesis 3:19; Psalms 8:4; Psalms 39:11; Psalms 144:4). God’s people should remember God’s past acts of deliverance and

Isaiah 61:2 — for oppressors. When Jesus Christ read this passage in the Nazareth synagogue and claimed that He fulfilled it, He stopped reading after "the favorable year of Yahweh" and did not read "and the day of vengeance of our God" (Luke 4:18-19). He meant that He was the Anointed One of whom Isaiah spoke, and that He had come to bring salvation. The day of salvation had begun (cf. Isaiah 49:8; 2 Corinthians 6:2). However, the day of vengeance would not begin until much later, specifically

Jeremiah 4:5-30 — Yahweh’s declaration of divine judgment 4:5-6:30 The Judahites-having sinned greatly (ch. 2)-failed to repent (Jeremiah 3:1 to Jeremiah 4:4). Consequently, judgment in the form of military invasion would overtake them. This whole section is an amplification and explanation of the overflowing

Hosea 4:4-10 — The guilt of Israel’s priests 4:4-10 In this pericope God addressed the Israelites as a whole but identified sins of their priests in particular.

Hosea 8:5 — The Lord rejected the calf idol that had come to mark Israelite worship since Jeroboam I first set up images of calves at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12:28-30). "He" refers to Yahweh (cf. Hosea 1:7; Hosea 2:23; Hosea 4:6; Hosea 4:10; Hosea 4:12; Hosea 8:13), and "Samaria" again represents the whole Northern Kingdom, by metonymy. Hosea spoke to the people about Yahweh in the third person here. The Lord also said His anger burned against the Israelites because

Joel 2:6 — As this army advanced, all the people in and around Jerusalem felt terrified and turned pale with fear (cf. Isaiah 26:17; Jeremiah 4:31; Micah 4:10).

Micah 5:3 — Yahweh would give the Israelites over to chastening until Israel had ended her painful period of suffering (like a woman in labor, Micah 4:9) and she had brought forth a child. In view of previous revelation about Israel’s continuing discipline by God until her Redeemer appeared (Micah 4:10), this seems to be a reference to the second coming of Messiah, not His first coming. This

Matthew 11:1 — 4. Jesus’ continuation of His work 11:1 (cf. Mark 6:12-13; Luke 9:6) Here is another of Matthew’s formulas that ended a discourse (cf. Matthew 7:28-29; Matthew 13:53; Matthew 19:1; Matthew 26:1). Matthew had no concern for recording what happened

John 4:43 — The two days in view are those that Jesus spent ministering to the Samaritans (John 4:40). He now resumed the trip that John referred to in John 4:3.

Romans 4:25 — resurrection with a view to our justification. In other words, it seems best to understand the preposition in a retrospective sense in the first line and in a prospective sense in the second line. [Note: See Moo, pp. 288-89; Cranfield, 1:252; and Robertson, 4:354.] God is the implied agent of the action (cf. Romans 3:25; Isaiah 53:12). "Christ being raised up, God announces to me, ’Not only were your sins put away by Christ’s blood, so that you are justified from all things; but I have also

1 Corinthians 9:25 — liberty for a higher goal as spiritual athletes. Winners in the Isthmian Games received a wreath of parsley, wild celery, or pine. [Note: Bruce, 1 and 2 Corinthians, p. 89.] In the Olympian Games the prize was a wild olive wreath. [Note: Robertson, 4:149.] However the victorious Christian’s reward is imperishable (cf. 2 Timothy 4:8), and it lies in the eschaton. [Note: See Wall, pp. 79-89.] How much more important it is to be willing to forgo our rights for the spiritual advancement of others

2 Corinthians 11:2 — God had jealously guarded His people Israel from the deceitfulness of deceivers who sought to draw their affections away from Himself (cf. Hosea 2:19-20; Hosea 4:12; Hosea 6:4; Hosea 11:8). Paul felt the same concern for the Corinthians. His jealousy was in that sense "godly" (God-like). Paul pictured himself as the father of a virgin bride (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:15; 2 Corinthians 12:14). His desire

Galatians 4:1-3 — Already Paul had compared the Law to a prison warden (Galatians 3:22) and a baby sitter (Galatians 3:24). Now he compared it to a trustee appointed to care for a young child and his property, a guardian. The purpose of all three comparisons was to clarify the difference between the previous historical period of spiritual immaturity and the present period

Philippians 1:7 — Philippians 1:7-8 express the basis of Paul’s confidence that he just expressed (Philippians 1:6). They also develop the theme of partnership in the gospel. How did Paul feel about the Philippians? He felt joyful (Philippians 1:4; cf. Philippians 1:9-11; cf. Philippians 1:25; cf. Philippians 1:27-28; Philippians 2:2; Philippians 2:12-18; Philippians 3:16-17; Philippians 4:17). The reason he said it was right for him to feel that way was the partnership in the gospel that they

Philippians 4:10-14 — A. The recent gift 4:10-14 First, Paul thanked his brethren for their recent gift that Epaphroditus had delivered to him (Philippians 4:10-14).

Revelation 3:7 — 1. Destination and description of Christ 3:7 Philadelphia (lit. brotherly love; cf. Romans 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; Hebrews 13:1; et al.) lay about 30 miles southeast of Sardis. A Pergamenian king, Attalus II (159-138 B.C.), founded it. The town received its name from his nickname, "Philadelphus" or "brother lover." This king had a special

Ruth 4:7-12 — B. Boaz obtains the right to marry Ruth 4:7-12 Probably the practice of standing on land one possessed led to the custom of using the sandal as a symbol of possession in land transactions (Ruth 4:7; cf. Genesis 13:17; Deuteronomy 1:36; Deuteronomy 11:24; Joshua 1:3; Joshua 14:9). [Note: Ernest