Bible Commentaries

Genesis 30:9-13 — used more loosely in the patriarchal period. Three women in the patriarchal period are called both wife and concubine: Hagar (Genesis 16:3; Genesis 25:6 indirectly), Keturah (Genesis 25:1; cf. Genesis 25:6; 1 Chronicles 1:32), and Bilhah (Genesis 30:4; Genesis 35:22). Each of these concubines is an auxiliary wife to the patriarch, not a slave, but subordinate to the wife who is her mistress. After the patriarchal period, the term wife is never used as a synonym for concubine. Zilpah, though never

Genesis 6:1-8 — form of new creation are so common to so many peoples in different parts of the world, between whom no kind of historical contact seems possible, that the notion seems almost to be a universal feature of the human imagination." [Note: Whybray, p. 45.] There were two major reasons for the flood: the sins of the sons of God (Genesis 6:1-4) and the sins of humankind generally (Genesis 6:5-8).

Exodus 14:5-14 — This is the first of Israel’s many complaints against Moses and Yahweh that Moses recorded in Scripture. It is the first of ten that culminated in God’s judgment of them at Kadesh Barnea (Exodus 14:11; Numbers 14:22-23). "This is the first example in the Old Testament of what some scholars call ’holy war’ or ’Yahweh war.’ That is, this war was undertaken by the Lord in defense of His own reputation, promises, and self-interest

Ezra 5:1-2 — 5:1). "There is always an effective answer to discouragement in the bold proclamation of the word of God." [Note: McConville, p. 32.] In response to the ministries of these prophets, the people began to rebuild the temple again (Ezra 5:2; Haggai 1:12-14) in 520 B.C. (Ezra 4:24).

Ezra 6:3-5 — the foundations, when completed, appeared less impressive than Solomon’s (Ezra 3:12-13), suggests that the Jews did not take full advantage of their opportunity and resources. The Persian government had committed to pay for the building (Ezra 6:4). We too often fail to take full advantage of our opportunities and resources to glorify God.

Ezra 8:31-36 — their valuable cargo arrived safely. Burnt offerings represented the consecration of the worshippers’ persons to God (Leviticus 1; Leviticus 6:8-13). Sin offerings provided atonement (covering) for the worshippers’ sinful natures (Leviticus 4:1 to Leviticus 5:13; Leviticus 6:24-30). A satrap (Ezra 8:36; lit. protector of the realm) ruled over governors in the Persian governmental structure.

Job 40:3-5 — 2. Job’s first reply to God 40:3-5 Earlier in the book Job had hesitated to confront God (Job 9:14). Gradually he became more confident and demanded an audience with God (Job 13:22 a). Still later, he spoke almost as God’s equal, boasting that he would approach God as a prince

Psalms 2:9 — ra’a’). The emphasis in this verse is on the putting down of rebels rather than the rule that will follow that subjugation. "Rod" describes a shepherd’s staff, a fitting scepter for Him who is the Shepherd of all humankind (cf. Psalms 23:4; Genesis 49:10; Revelation 2:27; Revelation 11:15-18; Revelation 12:5; Revelation 19:15).

Daniel 2 overview — II. THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES: GOD’S PROGRAM FOR THE WORLD CHS. 2-7 Daniel wrote Daniel 2:4 to Daniel 7:28 in the Aramaic language. This literary change gives the reader a clue that this part is a distinct section of the book. The content of this section also identifies it as special. It concerns the future history of the Gentiles during "the

Deuteronomy 14:1-21 — 3. Laws arising from the third commandment 14:1-21 The third commandment is, "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" (Deuteronomy 5:11). This section of laws deals with the exclusiveness of the Lord and His worship as this pertains to Israel’s separation from

1 Corinthians 8:1 — prohibition and in their letter have made four points: "(1) They argue that ’all have knowledge’ about idols [i.e., that there are no such things, so participation in these meals is not an issue, cf. 1 Corinthians 8:1; 1 Corinthians 8:4]. . . . "(2) They also have knowledge about food, that it is a matter of indifference to God (1 Corinthians 8:8) . . . "(3) They seem to have a somewhat ’magical’ view of the sacraments; those who

Joshua 19:40-48 — The inheritance of Dan 19:40-48 Dan received territory primarily in the Shephelah and Coastal Plain west of Benjamin, between Judah and Ephraim. Its land was extremely fruitful. "The Amorites, who settled portions of the Philistine plain (Judges 1:34), drove the Danites out

Joshua 9:3-5 — 10:2), and possibly the Hivite capital. [Note: Bush, p. 99.] It later became a Levitical town (Joshua 18:25; Joshua 21:17). The Israelites eventually pitched the tabernacle there, and it remained at that site until Solomon built his temple (1 Kings 3:4-5; 1 Chronicles 16:39; 1 Chronicles 21:29). Hivites inhabited Gibeon at the time of the conquest (Joshua 9:7). When the leaders of Gibeon learned of the crafty methods the Israelites had used at Jericho and Ai, they determined to use deception too.

James 2:18 — 4. An objection 2:18 James next introduced an objection to his thesis that faith is dead (inoperative) without works. He put it in the mouth of a hypothetical objector. This literary device of objection and response was a common one that Paul also used

Judges 12:13-15 — service or servant) lived in the hill country of Ephraim. Pirathon was west and a little south of Shechem. He too had many sons and daughters who rode on donkeys, reflecting Abdon’s prestige and the peace that prevailed when he judged (cf. Judges 10:4). The fact that several of the judges fathered extremely large families points to their living like the eastern potentates of their day. This is further evidence that Canaanite culture was influencing the Israelites adversely. The judges’ lives

Revelation 18 overview — Babylon’s commercial activity. Though God did not identify Babylon’s religious influence expressly in chapter 17, the harlot seems clearly to symbolize that. The vision in chapter 18 gives further information about the announcements in Revelation 14:8 and Revelation 16:19-21. The belief that salvation is by works is the bedrock of religious Babylon (Genesis 11:4: "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven."). The desire to glorify self rather

1 Samuel 2:11-36 — (section of text). Samuel would succeed and become a channel of God’s blessing. Eli’s sons would fail, would become a source of frustration to Eli and the Israelites, and would ultimately perish. "The section [1 Samuel 2:11 to 1 Samuel 4:1] poignantly illustrates the theme of ’Hannah’s Song’ as it is epitomized in 1 Samuel 2:7 b, ’he brings low, and also exalts’. For it is under the auspices of God who has determined the ruin of Hophni and Phinehas that

1 Samuel 3:1 — C. God’s First Revelation to Samuel 3:1-4:1a This chapter records how God’s blessing of and through Samuel continued and grew as a result of his faithful commitment to God. This is a revelation of another call to ministry that God extended to His servants the prophets (cf. Exodus 3; Isaiah

1 Samuel 6:10-18 — east-southeast of Ekron. To get there the cows walked east up the Sorek Valley, Samson’s home area. Evidently the Israelites, who were reaping their wheat harvest (in June) when the ark appeared, remembered that only Levites were to handle the ark (Numbers 4:15-20; 1 Samuel 6:15). Bethshemesh was a Levitical town (Joshua 21:13-16; 1 Chronicles 6:57-59), so Levites were perhaps nearby. Even though the ark had been absent from Israel for seven months God had not removed His blessing of fertile crops from

2 Samuel 18:6-8 — DeVries, "The Forest of Ephraim," Biblical Illustrator 10:1 (1983):82-85.] As early as the Judges period, so many Ephraimites had settled in Gilead that the western Ephraimites called the Gileadites "fugitives of Ephraim" (Judges 12:4). [Note: George Adam Smith, The Historical Geography of the Holy Land, p. 335, n. 2.] How the forest devoured more of Absalom’s men than David’s soldiers did (2 Samuel 18:8) is not clear, but that it did suggests that Yahweh assisted David’s