Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 11:1-8 — Solomon’s foreign wives 11:1-8 The writer’s condemnation of Solomon in 1 Kings 11:1-2 rests on Deuteronomy 23:3-9 as well as Deuteronomy 7:3-4. The phraseology goes back to Deuteronomy 23:3-9 and the motive to Deuteronomy 7:3-4 (cf. Exodus 23:31-33; Exodus 34:15-16; Ezra 9:1; Nehemiah 13:26). Solomon’s foreign wives were of two categories: Canaanites prohibited in Deuteronomy 7, and

1 Kings 11:26-40 — Solomon’s internal adversary 11:26-40 Jeroboam, who would become the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, was from Ephraim, the most prominent tribe in the North (1 Kings 11:26). Part of Benjamin affiliated voluntarily with Judah eventually (1 Kings 11:32; cf. 1 Kings 12:21; 2

1 Kings 6:14-36 — The inside of the temple 6:14-36 The altar (1 Kings 6:19; 1 Kings 6:22) refers to the altar of incense (cf. 1 Kings 7:48). This altar evidently stood in the west end of the holy place (cf. Exodus 30:6; Exodus 40:5; Leviticus 16:2; Hebrews 9:4; Hebrews 9:7). The cherubim were figures

Isaiah 2:1-4 — The glorious future of Israel presented here is in striking contrast to the condition of the nation in Isaiah’s day described in chapter 1. An almost identical prophecy appears in Micah 4:1-3 (cf. Psalms 2, 46). Perhaps Isaiah quoted Micah here, or Micah quoted Isaiah, or both of them quoted another prophet. [Note: See Delitzsch, 1:111.] "The last days" is a phrase that describes a distant time from the perspective of the

Matthew 2:3-6 — happened (Matthew 2:16). Already we begin to see the opposition of the people of Jerusalem to Jesus that would eventually result in His crucifixion. Herod assembled Israel’s leaders to investigate the Magi’s announcement further (Matthew 2:4). The chief priests were mainly Sadducees at this time, and most of the scribes ("teachers of the law," NIV) were Pharisees. The chief priests included the high priest and his associates. The high priest obtained his position by appointment

Matthew 3:7-10 — Lord’s day-a letter-strictness which overlaid the law with traditional interpretations held to have been communicated by the LORD to Moses as oral explanations of equal authority with the law itself (cp. Matthew 15:2-3; Mark 7:8-13; Galatians 1:14). . . . "The Sadducees were a Jewish sect that denied the existence of angels or other spirits, and all miracles, especially the resurrection of the body. They were the religious rationalists of the time (Mark 12:18-23; Acts 23:8),

Deuteronomy 5:19 — is going one place while really all or part of it is going somewhere else. Usually it is going into the pocket of the swindler. A person can be guilty of theft by falsifying accounts (e.g., paper theft as on one’s income tax forms; cf. Amos 8:4-6; Romans 13:7). He can do so by misusing personal discount privileges or stealing from an employer by not working all the hours his employer has contracted for. He may also do so by not paying debts (e.g., alimony, child support, bankruptcy) and by

Deuteronomy 7:1-11 — Moses mentioned seven nations that resided in Canaan here (Deuteronomy 7:1), but as many as 10 appear in other passages (cf. Genesis 15:19-21; Exodus 34:11; Numbers 13:28-29; Judges 3:5). Perhaps Moses named seven here for rhetorical purposes, seven being a number that indicates completion or fullness. One reason for the total extermination of these idolaters was the evil effect their corrupt worship

John 8:12 — The context of the events in this paragraph continues to be the temple during the feast of Tabernacles (John 8:20; cf. John 7:14). Jesus was speaking to the Jews who had assembled there, some of whom were residents of Jerusalem and others pilgrims from other parts of Palestine and the world. This teaching may have taken place on the day after the feast, which was also a day of

1 Corinthians 12:10 — alter the natural course of events. Probably all types of miracles beside healings are in view. God gave the ability to do miracles to His Son and to some Christians in the early church to signify that He was with them and empowering them (cf. Luke 4:14 to Luke 9:50; Galatians 3:5; Hebrews 2:4). Luke’s Gospel, in particular, presents Jesus as teaching and then validating His teaching by doing miracles. Acts shows the apostles doing the same thing. Prophecy has a four-fold meaning in the New

Galatians 5:1 — triumphant work for him and live in the power of Christ’s Spirit. . . . The appeal is for an obstinate perseverance in freedom as the only proper response to an attempt to bring Christians once more under legalism." [Note: Boice, p. 486.] In the quotation above, Boice used the term "legalism" as it is commonly used to describe both legalism and nomism. In what sense has God liberated Christians from the "yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1) that is the Mosaic Law

Ephesians 2:10 — works (Ephesians 2:10). God saves us by faith for good works. Good works are what God intended for us to practice, with His divine enablement. He intended that we walk in them, as a pedestrian walks along a path, before He saved us (cf. Ephesians 1:4). This verse reveals that God is ultimately responsible for our good works (cf. Romans 9:23; Philippians 2:13). Paul developed the idea of walking in good works further in chapters 4-6. ". . . God has prepared a path of good works for believers

1 Thessalonians 4:17 — saints alive on the earth into the air and unite us forever with Christ. The word in the Latin Vulgate translated "caught up" is rapturo from which the term "Rapture" comes. In Greek it is harpazo (cf. Acts 8:39; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4). Living saints will experience translation-their bodies will become immortal-and saints who have died will experience resurrection with immortal bodies. Both kinds of Christians will meet (Gr. apantesis, cf. Matthew 25:6; Acts 28:15) in the air with

1 Timothy 1:3-4 — written evidence to those who objected to Timothy’s activities . . ." [Note: Richard C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians, to the Thessalonians, to Timothy, to Titus, and to Philemon, p. 498.] The error of the objects of Paul’s criticism seems to have been more in their emphasis than in their content. "Strange doctrines" (Gr. heterodidaskalein) is a general term that contrasts their novel teaching with what is edifying.

1 Peter 3:19-20 — prison" is problematic. The plural "spirits" describes human beings only one other place in the New Testament (Hebrews 12:23), but it describes evil spirit beings frequently (Matthew 10:1; Mark 1:27; Mark 3:11; Mark 5:13; Mark 6:7: Luke 4:36; Luke 6:18; Acts 5:16; Revelation 16:13; et al.). Thus we would expect that evil angels are in view, but does what Peter said about them confirm this identification? He said they are in prison (cf. 2 Peter 2:4) and that they were disobedient in the

Judges 21:1-4 — The plight of the Benjamites 21:1-4 The "wife oath" that the Israelites had taken at Mizpah (Judges 20:8-11) may have had some connection with God’s commands concerning Israel’s treatment of the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 7:1-3). Israel was to destroy these enemies

1 Samuel 10:9-16 — means that God gave him a different viewpoint on things since he had received the Holy Spirit. Some interpreters have taken this as Saul’s conversion. [Note: E.g., Zane C. Hodges, "The Salvation of Saul," Grace Evangelical Society News 9:4 (July-August 1994):1, 3.] In Hebrew psychology the heart was the seat of the intellect, emotions, and will. God’s Spirit also gave Saul the ability to prophesy (1 Samuel 10:10). This was the outward evidence that God was with Saul. It apparently

1 Samuel 24:1-22 — 3. David’s goodness to two fools chs. 24-26 ". . . chapters 24-26 form a discrete literary unit within 1 Samuel. Chapters 24 and 26 are virtually mirror images of each other, beginning with Saul’s receiving a report about David’s latest hiding place (1 Samuel 24:1; 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 29:1-5 — commanders of the Philistine city-states mustered their troops and marched north to the town of Aphek. It is interesting that the first place the Philistines mustered their troops for battle against the Israelites in this book was at Aphek (1 Samuel 4:1), and the last place they did so that the writer recorded was also at Aphek. This indicates that Israel had not subdued her neighbor enemy effectively during Saul’s reign because of his failure as her leader. Aphek stood near Philistia’s

2 Samuel 9:1-13 — events in David’s early reign. "It is, in my personal opinion, the greatest illustration of grace in all the Old Testament." [Note: Swindoll, p. 169.] If Mephibosheth was five years old when Jonathan and Saul died on Mt. Gilboa (2 Samuel 4:4), he was born in 1016 B.C. When David captured Jerusalem in 1004 B.C., Mephibosheth was 12. Now we see Mephibosheth had a young son (2 Samuel 9:12), so perhaps he was about 20 years old. People frequently married in their teens in the ancient Near