Bible Commentaries

Hosea 10:12 — to repent. They should cultivate righteousness with a view to reaping the Lord’s kindness (Heb. hesed). Breaking up fallow ground is what a farmer does when he plows land that has remained untouched for a long time, even forever (cf. Jeremiah 4:3). This is a figure for confessing sins and exposing them to God when they have remained unconfessed under the surface of life for a long time. It was time for the people to seek Yahweh, whom they had failed to seek in repentance for so long. They

Amos 5:20 — Rhetorically Amos stated that the coming day of the Lord would be a day characterized by darkness and gloom (despair) rather than by bright light (joy; cf. Joel 2:1-2; Joel 2:10-11; Zephaniah 1:14-15). A brighter day of the Lord was also coming (cf. Amos 9:11-15; Jeremiah 30:8-11; Hosea 2:16-23; Micah 4:6-7; Zephaniah 3:11-20), but first a dark one would appear. The Israelites wanted to hasten the good day of the Lord, but they wanted to forget

Micah 5:5 — Israel’s victory over the Assyrians. This did not happen in the history of Israel; Assyria defeated the Northern Kingdom and most of the Southern Kingdom. Thus this prophecy must continue the vision of the distant future that God gave Micah (Micah 4:1 to Micah 5:5 a). When future Assyrians, representative of Israel’s enemies (cf. Micah 7:12; Isaiah 11:11; Zechariah 10:10), again invade the Promised Land and break down its mansions (cf. Zechariah 12:9; Zechariah 14:2-3), the Israelites will

Habakkuk 2:2 — recorded the vision, Habakkuk, and other messengers, should then run to tell their fellow citizens what God’s answer was. "The matter was to be made so clear that whoever read it might run and publish it." [Note: Kerr, p. 876. Cf. Daniel 12:4.]   "It [the interpretation of the Lord’s command here] could involve passers-by, who will be able to read the message as they go by and then pass the message on informally to those they meet, or it could mean a herald, whose specific

Zephaniah 1:18 — themselves out of their trouble when the Lord poured forth His wrath (cf. Ezekiel 7:19). He would devour the whole earth with the fire of His jealous rage, jealousy provoked by His people’s preference for various forms of idolatry (Zephaniah 1:4-6). He would destroy completely and terribly all the inhabitants of the earth (cf. Zephaniah 1:2-3; cf. Joel 2:1-11). The comprehensive nature of this judgment suggests that at this point the prophet’s perspective again lifted to what we can now

Zechariah 13:1 — In that day God would open a fountain for the complete spiritual cleansing of the Israelites, both for their moral sins and for their ritual uncleanness (cf. Ezekiel 47). The figure of a fountain pictures abundant cleansing that would continue indefinitely. This will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to forgive the sins of His people Israel in the New Covenant (Zechariah 3:4; Zechariah 3:9; Jeremiah 31:34;

Matthew 11:7-8 — not go out to see a man in soft, even effeminate clothes (Gr. malakos) either. Such people lived in palaces. Jesus probably alluded derogatorily to Herod who had imprisoned John. Herod wore soft garments, but John wore rough garments (cf. Matthew 3:4-6). By replying this way Jesus was allaying public suspicion that John’s question might have arisen from a vacillating character or undisciplined weakness. John’s question did not arise from a deficient character but from misunderstanding

Matthew 20:22 — The "cup" in Old Testament figurative usage sometimes refers to blessing (Psalms 16:5; Psalms 23:5; Psalms 116:13). Sometimes it is a metaphor for judgment or retribution (cf. Psalms 75:8; Isaiah 51:17-18; Jeremiah 25:15-28; Ezekiel 23:31-34). It also pictures suffering (Isaiah 51:17-23; Lamentations 4:21). Jesus used this figure to represent the divine judgment that He would have to undergo to pay for the sins of humanity and its attendant suffering. The disciples evidently thought that

Matthew 22:46 — to His authority, as they should have (cf. Matthew 21:23), they plotted His destruction. "Defeated in debate, the leaders withdraw from Jesus in the temple, just as Satan, also defeated by Jesus in debate, had earlier withdrawn from him (Matthew 4:11)." [Note: Kingsbury, Matthew as . . ., p. 7.] Matthew 22:46 finishes off this entire sub-section of the Gospel (Matthew 21:23 to Matthew 22:46). Israel had rejected her King. Jesus had predicted this rejection (Matthew 21:18-22). It resulted

Mark 10:2 — the Roman ruler with His views. The form of their question implied they thought that Jesus was against divorce for any reason. The Pharisees all believed that the Old Testament permitted Jewish men to divorce their wives and to remarry (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). They disagreed among themselves on the grounds for divorce. Followers of Rabbi Shammai believed Moses meant the only ground was fornication, sexual sin. Rabbi Hillel’s disciples held that anything a wife did that displeased her husband constituted

Mark 6:17-29 — The death of Jesus’ forerunner 6:17-29 (cf. Matthew 14:4-12) Mark 6:17-29 are a flashback in which Mark explained how John had died. This is the only story in Mark’s Gospel that does not concern Jesus directly. [Note: Taylor, p. 310.] Why did Mark include it? Perhaps he did so because John’s

Luke 1:34 — had not had sexual relations with any man. [Note: Brown, The Birth . . ., p. 289.] Evidently Mary assumed that Gabriel meant she would conceive before she and Joseph consummated their marriage. [Note: Ellis, p. 71; G. H. P. Thompson, St. Luke, pp. 53-54; et al. Marshall, The Gospel . . ., pp. 69-70, listed several other explanations all of which I regard as inferior.] The euphemism of "knowing" someone sexually comes from the Old Testament (Genesis 4:1; Genesis 19:8; et al.).

Luke 12:20 — God said something different to the man than he had said to himself. This contrast shows the error of the rich man’s thinking. In the Old Testament a fool is essentially someone who disbelieves or disregards God (e.g., Psalms 14:1; cf. Luke 11:40). That is precisely what this man had done regarding the meaning of life. He had thought that he would be comfortable for many years to come (Luke 12:19), but God demanded his life that very night (cf. James 4:13-16). This loss of

Luke 14:5-6 — Jesus proceeded to show the logic of His action (cf. Matthew 12:11). The Old Testament and rabbinic tradition permitted saving a son and even an animal in such a situation (cf. Exodus 23:4-5). [Note: Mishnah Shabbath 128b.] Jesus implied that the sick man belonged to Him. This was the case since Jesus is the possessor of heaven and earth. His critics had no reply since Jesus’ logic was irrefutable. Moreover they already knew what

Luke 15:20 — The father put feet to his feelings by running out to meet his son, even though it was undignified for an older man to run in Jesus’ culture. Embracing and kissing him continually also expressed the father’s loving acceptance (cf. Genesis 45:14-15; Genesis 33:4; 2 Samuel 14:33; Acts 20:37). This attitude also contrasts with the elder brother’s attitude and the Pharisees’ attitude. The father initiated the restoration of fellowship before the son could articulate his confession.

Luke 16:25-26 — repentance. Notice that there is no suggestion of a middle ground between Hades and Abraham’s bosom, no purgatory. Lazarus had been one of those poor and crippled that had responded to Jesus’ invitation and had become a believer (cf. Luke 4:18; Luke 14:13; Luke 14:21).

Luke 19:3-4 — Zaccheus’ curiosity about Jesus was understandable since one of Jesus’ disciples had been a tax collector (Luke 5:27-30). Moreover Jesus had a reputation for associating with people in his profession (Luke 5:29-30; Luke 7:29; Luke 7:34; Luke 15:1). Luke’s reference to his stature prepares the reader for his climbing a tree to see Jesus (Luke 19:4). It is interesting that Zaccheus did some childlike things, namely, running to see Jesus and climbing a tree, unusual activities

Luke 24:47 — Next Jesus proceeded to show them how the Old Testament also predicted that the gospel should go to everyone, all the nations or Gentiles, beginning from Jerusalem (e.g., Isaiah 2:2-3; Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6; Isaiah 60:3; Joel 2:28-29; Joel 2:32; Micah 4:1-2). This was also teaching that the Jews of Jesus’ day resisted strongly. The theme of Gentile evangelism is strong in Luke (Luke 10), and it carries over into Acts (Acts 10-11;

Luke 24:5-7 — The angels’ words stressed the fact that Jesus was alive. It was inappropriate to look for a living person in a tomb (cf. Acts 2:24). They then flatly declared that Jesus had risen from the dead and reminded the women of Jesus’ prophecy that He would rise after three days (Luke 9:22; Luke 9:43-45; Luke 18:31-33). Luke wrote that the meaning of Jesus’ prediction was incomprehensible

Luke 7:2-3 — his slave whom he honored and respected (Gr. entimos), which was unusual and commendable. This affectionate regard is also clear in his use of the Greek word pais to describe the servant (Luke 7:7). This word elsewhere sometimes describes a son (John 4:51). The centurion also enjoyed the respect of the Jews in Capernaum so much that he felt free to ask some of the local Jewish leaders to approach Jesus for him (cf. 1 Timothy 3:7). Normally the Jews did not like the Roman soldiers who occupied their