Bible Commentaries

Job 4:1-6 — Eliphaz’s rebuke of Job 4:1-6 Eliphaz began courteously but moved quickly to criticism. He commended Job for having encouraged others in the past, but rebuked him for not encouraging himself in the present. He did not offer encouragement to his distressed friend. It is unclear whether Job 4:6 is an ironic rebuke or a subtle reminder.

Psalms 57:1 — David began by comparing himself to a little bird that takes refuge from a passing enemy by hiding under the wing of its parent (cf. Psalms 17:8; Psalms 36:7; Psalms 61:4; Psalms 63:7; Psalms 91:4). The overarching side of the cave in which David hid may have reminded him of a bird’s wing.

Jeremiah 31:6 — their fellow countrymen to make pilgrimages to God’s chosen city, Jerusalem, to worship Him there. After the kingdom divided, the northern Israelites worshipped at Bethel and Dan, not at Jerusalem. Thus a reunited Israel is in view. Jeremiah 31:4-6 picture God’s restoration of Israel as a time of renewed joy (Jeremiah 31:4), peace and prosperity (Jeremiah 31:5), and renewed commitment to Yahweh (Jeremiah 31:6). "This restoration reverses at least six aspects of the judgment suffered

Ezekiel 17:24 — restoration of Judah under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, the language goes beyond such limited scope (cf. Ezra 9:8-9) to a time yet future when Israel will have its perfect King, the Messiah, reigning on the earth in righteousness." [Note: Cooper, p. 184. See also Merrill, p. 381.] "These concluding verses without question introduce a Messianic prophecy (cf. Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-4)." [Note: Feinberg, p. 97.]

Numbers 8:1-4 — The lighting of the lamps 8:1-4 The lighting of the lamps in the tabernacle symbolized the consecration of the Levites who were to represent the whole nation as lights to the world (Numbers 8:1-4; cf. Isaiah 42:6). The high priest was in charge of the lampstand (cf. Revelation 1:20 to Revelation 3:22).

Zechariah 3:3 — Joshua stood before the angel of the Lord dressed in excrement bespattered garments (cf. Isaiah 4:4). He was ministering to the Lord in this extremely filthy and ceremonially unclean condition. This represented the unclean state in which Israel stood in Zechariah’s day as she ministered before Him as a kingdom of priests in the world.

Matthew 12:15-17 — Jesus withdrew when opposition became intense before His time to go to the cross had arrived (cf. Matthew 4:12; Matthew 14:13; Matthew 15:21). "This is the pattern of His ministry until His final and open rejection in chapters twenty-one to twenty-seven-opposition, withdrawal, and continued ministry." [Note: Toussaint, Behold the . . ., p. 161.]

John 1:39 — coming to Jesus could they really comprehend what they were seeking spiritually. The same thing holds true today. The two men accepted Jesus’ invitation and stayed with Him for the rest of that day. Jesus apparently issued his invitation near 4:00 p.m. John was more precise in his time references than the Synoptic evangelists (cf. John 4:6; John 4:52; John 19:14). [Note: See A Dictionary of the Bible, s.v. "Numbers, Hours, Years, and Dates," by W. M. Ramsay, extra volume: 478.] The

Acts 11:19 — persecution resulting from Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7:60) is significant. It suggests that he was now beginning to record another mission of the Christians that ran parallel logically and chronologically to the one he had just described in Acts 8:4 to Acts 11:18. [Note: Longenecker, p. 400; Kent, p. 97.] Luke had already pointed out that as a result of Stephen’s execution the gospel had spread throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:4). Now we learn that it was that event that also led to

Acts 17:2-3 — Paul evidently reasoned in the synagogue only three Sabbath days (cf. Acts 13:5; Acts 13:14; Acts 14:1), but he seems to have stayed longer in Thessalonica (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:5). We know Paul supported himself there by making tents (1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10), and the Philippians sent two monetary

Acts 4:32-35 — The unity of the church 4:32-35 This brief pericope illustrates what Luke wrote earlier in Acts 2:44-46 about the early Christians sharing and selling their possessions as well as giving verbal witness. Luke recorded this description to emphasize the purity and unity in the church that resulted from the Spirit’s filling (Acts 4:31).

Romans 5:6 — ourselves." [Note: Sanday and Headlam, p. 127.] At that very time Christ died for us. "At the right time" refers to the fullness of time, the right time from God’s perspective (cf. Romans 3:26; Romans 8:18; Romans 13:11; Galatians 4:4). The second term is "ungodly," a strong pejorative term as Paul used it (cf. Romans 1:18; Romans 4:5). Even though some people who are lost seek the things of God, everyone neglects God and rebels against God. This is ungodliness.

1 Corinthians 4:6 — Paul had used various illustrations to describe himself and Apollos: farmers, builders, servants, and stewards. To exceed what God has written would be to go beyond the teaching of the Scriptures (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). If his readers avoided this pitfall, they would not take pride in one of their teachers over another. In this letter Paul often used the verb translated "arrogant" or "puffed up" (Gr. physioomai) to describe attitudes and activities

Ephesians 4:7 — each Christian the same measure of grace. Paul spoke of God’s gift of grace here as ability to serve God. Though Jews and Gentiles both receive enabling grace from God, God gives this ability to different individuals differently (cf. Ephesians 4:11; Romans 12:4-6; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6). [Note: For defense of the view that spiritual gifts are ministries rather than abilities, see Kenneth Berding, "Confusing Word and Concept in ’Spiritual Gifts’: Have We Forgotten James Barr’s

Joshua 4:15-24 — The text carefully clarifies that it was the presence of God, which the ark symbolized, that held back the waters of the Jordan. When the priests removed the ark from the riverbed, the waters resumed their flow (Joshua 4:18). "The ark is the very symbol of the covenant of the Lord. Thus the full light falls on the redemptive significance of the event. No mere recalling of a miracle is envisaged. The miracle is to be viewed as an expression of covenant fidelity."

1 Timothy 4:1-5 — E. The problem of apostasy in the church 4:1-5 In this pericope Paul reminded Timothy of the apostasy that Jesus Christ had foretold to equip him to identify and deal with it. [Note: See Barth Campbell, "Rhetorical Design in 1 Timothy 4," Bibliotheca Sacra 154:614 (April-June 1997):189-204.]

1 John 2:15 — "world" (kosmos) represents the system of values, priorities, and beliefs that unbelievers hold that excludes God. "The world is that organized system which acts as a rival to God." [Note: Ryrie, "The First . . .," p. 1469.] It is a moral and spiritual system designed to draw people away from God. It is a seductive system that appeals to all people, believers as well as unbelievers, and calls for our affection, participation, and loyalty (cf. John 3:16-19; James 4:4).

2 John 1:5 —      John’s message for this church was not some new revelation. It was a reminder to keep on walking in obedience to God’s truth by continuing to love one another (cf. 1 John 2:3-9; 1 John 3:14-18; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:7; 1 John 4:11; 1 John 4:20-21). This was important since false teachers were encouraging the readers to depart from the truth they were hearing (2 John 1:6). "It is not that love precedes truth or belief but that love

Revelation 1:4-6 — 2. The address and doxology 1:4-6 As is true of New Testament epistles generally, the address of Revelation contains three elements: the writer, the addressees, and the greeting. Thomas argued that the genre of Revelation is prophecy written in epistolary style. [Note: Thomas, Revelation

1 Samuel 4:1-11 — 1. The battle of Aphek 4:1-11 The Philistines, as we have already seen in Judges, were Israel’s primary enemy to the west at this time. Samson, too, fought the Philistines (Judges 13-16). [Note: For a good, brief history of the Philistines, see Edward Hindson, The Philistines