Bible Commentaries

Zephaniah 2:15 — beasts rather than barons. Passersby would ridicule the pride of Nineveh verbally by reviling it and bodily by shaking their fists at it after its fall (cf. Nahum 3:19). Motyer summarized five principles that Zephaniah taught in this section (Zephaniah 2:4-15). First, the Lord is the God of all the earth. Second, the Lord plans for the spiritual needs of the world. Third, the Lord is in charge of the whole historical process. Fourth, the Lord’s people are central to his world purposes. And fifth,

Zechariah 11:16 — ’care for the lost . . .’ or . . . ’care for those in the process of being ruined or destroyed’; (2) ’seek the young . . . [or] ’the scattered’; (3) ’heal the injured,’ and (4) ’feed the healthy.’" [Note: Barker, p. 679.] Tearing off the hoofs of the sheep probably represents the avaricious shepherd searching for the last edible morsel that he can extract from his charges whom he has consumed. [Note: Unger,

Zechariah 8:20-22 — would contact people from another of these cities and would plan to go up to Jerusalem immediately to worship the Lord (cf. Zechariah 7:2). They would do this eagerly, not out of a sense of duty or obligation (cf. Zechariah 2:11; Isaiah 2:1-5; Micah 4:1-5). Many people representing many nations from around the world would come to Jerusalem to pray and worship Yahweh Almighty. "Jerusalem is no longer viewed simply as the heart of Judaism but as the centre of God’s dealings with all nations,

Matthew 19:13 — It was customary for people to bring their children to rabbis for blessings. [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 420.] The Old Testament reflects this practice (Genesis 48:14; Numbers 27:18; cf. Acts 6:6; Acts 13:3). The disciples rebuked those who brought the children to Jesus for doing so (Mark 10:13; Luke 18:15). The evangelists did not reveal why the disciples

Matthew 5:25-26 — provoke hate in others if they come before Him with unresolved interpersonal disagreements. Malicious anger is evil, and God’s judgment is certain. Therefore disciples must do everything they can to end inappropriate anger quickly (cf. Ephesians 4:26).

Mark 2:13 — identifies this incident as a different occasion (cf. Mark 1:16). Jesus had been in Capernaum, which was very close to the Sea of Galilee, but now He returned to the water’s edge where He could teach the large crowds that followed Him (cf. Mark 1:45; Mark 2:13; Mark 3:7; Mark 3:13; Mark 4:1; Mark 5:21; et al.). "This action becomes meaningful when it is seen as part of a recurring pattern in Mark’s Gospel. After a demonstration of the saving power of God, Jesus withdraws from the populace

Luke 1:41-42 — favor. She evidently meant that Mary was the most blessed among women. She was most blessed because her Son would be most blessed among all people. "Fruit of the womb" is an old figure of speech for a child (cf. Genesis 30:2; Deuteronomy 28:4).

Luke 10:25 — Lawyers (scribes) were experts in the Mosaic Law. The Greek word translated "test" (ekpeirazon) does not necessarily imply hostility (cf. Luke 4:12). The man simply could have been wanting Jesus’ opinion. He addressed Jesus as a teacher or rabbi. This title tells us nothing about his motivation, only that He viewed Jesus as less than a prophet, the Messiah, or God. He assumed that people

Luke 11:9 — Everyone who asks of God will receive from Him, not just the persistent (cf. Matthew 7:7-8). In the context everyone is every one of His children (Luke 11:13). Jesus urged His disciples to pray. He probably meant that we must ask to receive (cf. James 4:2). Those who seek God’s attention and response in prayer will find it (cf. Jeremiah 29:12-13). Those who knock on the closed door of God’s heavenly house will find that He will open to them and give them what is best (cf. Luke 11:7). "In

Luke 18:16-17 — enter the kingdom. Jesus also had an interest in these children for their own sake. As we have seen, one of Luke’s characteristic emphases in his Gospel was Jesus’ interest in the needy, outcasts, and other types of dependent people (Luke 4:18; et al.).

Luke 20:44 — Jesus drew the logical conclusion by framing it as a question. Messiah must be both divine and a descendant of David (cf. Romans 1:3-4). No synoptic writer recorded an answer. Apparently no one offered one. The conclusion was obvious but unacceptable to the religious leaders. They did not want to admit that Messiah was God. If they did, they would have to prove that Jesus was not God

Luke 4:21 — that He was the predicted Messiah and that the time for God’s gracious deliverance had arrived. [Note: See Daniel Doriani, "The Deity of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 37:3 (September 1994):333-50.] This is one of only two instances in which Luke recorded the fulfillment of Scripture by Messiah, the other being in Luke 24:44. These occurred at the beginning and at the end of Jesus’ ministry. They constitute an inclusio, implying

Luke 9:38-40 — Luke did not identify the boy’s condition as epilepsy, as Matthew did (Matthew 17:15). He probably wanted his readers to understand clearly that it resulted from demonic influence (Luke 9:42). Demons produced the symptoms of epilepsy in this boy, though not every case of epilepsy is the result of demon affliction, of course. Unfortunately through history some people have equated epilepsy with demon possession because of the similar symptoms.

John 10:16 — The other sheep in view refer to Gentiles outside the fold of Israel who would believe in Jesus (cf. John 10:3-4). This is one of a few intimations in the Gospels that a new body would replace Israel as the people of God in the present age (cf. John 17:20; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6). These sheep, with those from Israel, would compose one fold, namely, the

John 11:51-52 — that Jesus would die as a substitute for the Israelite nation (cf. Isaiah 53:8). The outcome of His death would be the uniting of God’s children scattered abroad, non-members of Israel as well as Jews, into one body, namely, the church (cf. John 4:42; John 10:16; Ephesians 2:14-18; Ephesians 3:6; 1 Peter 2:9). Ultimately it would unite Jewish and Gentile believers in the messianic kingdom (cf. Isaiah 43:5; Ezekiel 34:12).

John 12:4-5 — Judas, as well as some other disciples who were present (Matthew 26:8; Mark 14:4), objected to what seemed to be an extravagant waste. Three hundred denarii was a full year’s wages for a working man in that culture. Mary would not give to the Lord what cost her nothing (cf. 2 Samuel 24:24). Real worship always costs the

John 20:9 — John’s faith rested on the evidence that he had seen. [Note: See Zane C. Hodges, "Form-Criticism and the Resurrection Accounts," Bibliotheca Sacra 124:496 (October-December 1967):339-48.] Later he and the other disciples would have additional reasons for believing that Jesus had risen, namely, the prophetic Scriptures that the Resurrection fulfilled (e.g., Leviticus 23:11; Psalms 16:10-11; Psalms

John 3:22 — happened in Jerusalem (John 2:23). Jerusalem was within Judea. After that conversation, Jesus went out into the Judean countryside. Jesus had not yet commissioned the Twelve. That commissioning happened after John the Baptist’s imprisonment (Mark 1:14). The disciples who accompanied Jesus may not have been the Twelve, but they were His followers and they could have included all or some of the Twelve. This is the only record in the Gospels that Jesus engaged in a baptizing ministry similar to John

John 4:21 — urged her to believe Him because she had already acknowledged him as a prophet. This command was an added guarantee that what He said was true. The hour (Gr. hora) or time that Jesus referred to was the time of His passion. [Note: See my comments on 2:4.] The "Father" was a term for God that Jesus employed frequently (cf. John 2:16; John 11:41; John 12:27-28; John 17:1).

Acts 8:3 — use "ravaging" as a synonym for raping. This is how Saul began behaving. The verb is evidently an inceptive imperfect indicating the beginning of the action. Saul was a leader of the persecution in Jerusalem (Acts 9:1-2; Acts 9:29; Acts 22:4-5; Acts 26:11). Evidently Stephen’s execution fueled Saul’s hatred for the Christians and resulted in his increasing antagonism toward them. He not only went from house to house arresting Christians (cf. Acts 2:46; Acts 5:42) but also carried