Bible Commentaries

Genesis 16:7-14 — The angel of the LORD and Hagar 16:7-14 This is the first of 48 references to "the angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament. Sometimes, as here, the Angel is deity, and in other places he appears to be an angelic messenger from the Lord. "The prophetic description of Ishmael

Genesis 33:18-20 — family into the land of Canaan. He chose Shechem ("peaceful") as his home. By purchasing land there he showed that he regarded Canaan as his permanent home and the home of his seed. The Israelites eventually buried Joseph at Shechem (Joshua 24:32). Shechem was only about a mile from the Sychar of Jesus’ day (cf. John 4:5; John 4:12). God had granted Jacob’s request by bringing him safely back into the Promised Land (cf. Genesis 28:20-21). As he had vowed, Jacob worshipped the

Exodus 13:11-16 — male baby was to take place after the nation had entered the Promised Land (Exodus 13:5; Exodus 13:11-12). This was to be a memorial of God’s redemption from Egyptian slavery, as were the feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread (cf. Exodus 12:14). However, God took the Levites for His special possession in place of the first-born. This happened at Mt. Sinai (Numbers 3:12-13). Consequently this dedication never took place, but the Israelites did circumcise their sons and observe the Passover

2 Chronicles 1:1-17 — in response." [Note: Michael Wilcock, The Message of Chronicles, p. 122.] Solomon requested the wisdom he needed to understand and obey the Mosaic Law by which Israel’s kings were to shepherd the nation (2 Chronicles 1:10; cf. Deuteronomy 4:5-8; Deuteronomy 17:18-20; Matthew 7:7; James 1:5). Solomon’s heart was right, as David’s had been. He wanted to serve God faithfully and to honor Him above himself. He was off to a good start as Israel’s shepherd. "Solomon’s

2 Chronicles 33:1-20 — N. Manasseh 33:1-20 Manasseh was one of the few examples of an evil Judean king who became good. Nevertheless his many years of wickedness made captivity inevitable for Judah (2 Kings 23:26; Jeremiah 15:4). "Manasseh’s acts are . . . a calculated attempt to throw off the lordship of Yahweh, to claim independence from the Covenant, to drive him from the land which he had given Israel." [Note: McConville, p. 250.] "If Manasseh

Ezra 10:1-4 — The proposal of Shecaniah 10:1-4 The writer did not list Shecaniah among those who had married foreign wives (cf. Ezra 10:18-44). He appears to have been another faithful Jew like Ezra. The present situation distressed him. He too, though faithful, identified with the unfaithful. Shecaniah

Job 14:1-22 — Job’s despair ch. 14 In this melancholic lament Job bewailed the brevity of life (Job 14:1-6), the finality of death (Job 14:7-17), and the absence of hope (Job 14:18-22). "Born of woman" (Job 14:1) reflects man’s frailty since woman who bears him is frail.

Job 26:1-14 — Lord’s speeches, as is fitting. It sounds well in Job’s mouth, and ends the dialogue, like the first movement of a symphony, with great crashing chords." [Note: Andersen, p. 216.] Job began by rebuking Bildad’s attitude (Job 26:1-4). Sarcastically he charged Bildad with the same weakness and inability Bildad had attributed to all men (Job 26:2-3). Bildad’s words were not profound but quite superficial (Job 26:4). "These verses contain Job’s harshest rejection

Ezekiel 40 overview — C. Ezekiel’s vision of the return of God’s glory chs. 40-48 The Book of Ezekiel begins with a vision of God’s glory (ch. 1), records the departure of God’s glory (chs. 8-11), and ends with another vision of God’s glory (chs. 40-48). This last one is the longest vision outside the Book of

Ezekiel 47:12 — Joel 3:18; Romans 8:19-22). This river is similar to two other rivers in the Bible: the river that flowed out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:10) and the river that will flow in the New Jerusalem during the eternal state (Revelation 22:1-2; cf. Psalms 46:4; Psalms 65:9; Joel 3:18; Zechariah 14:8). Like the river in Revelation the one in Ezekiel will flow from the throne of God; He is the source of both rivers. However, there will be a temple in the millennial earth, but there will not be one in the

Numbers 10:1-10 — ordered that priests should announce His movement of the people by blowing two silver trumpets because the Israelites would not watch the cloud continuously. The blasts from the trumpets would reach the farthest tents in the camp (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). "Whereas the cloud in Numbers 9:15-23 represents the divine initiative in leadership the trumpets constitute the response of the human leadership as it summons the congregation to gather at the tent, and signals the moment of advance for

Numbers 12:10-15 — The Lord punished Miriam for her dissatisfaction with her divinely appointed role in the nation. He punished her with leprosy, the disease that specially symbolized sin (Leviticus 13-14). Frank Cross suggested that Miriam’s punishment of white, leprous skin was a divine response to her prejudice against her black sister-in-law. [Note: Frank M. Cross, Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic, p. 204. See also Cain H. Felder, Troubling Biblical

Numbers 21:10-20 — The journey toward Moab 21:10-20 The list of stopping places Moses recorded here differs from the one in Numbers 33:41-49. Apparently neither list is complete but both are selective. Archaeologists have not yet identified most of the sites Moses mentioned here. The route of the Israelites was around Edom in a counter-clockwise direction until they came to the Wadi

Matthew 4:17 — 2. Jesus’ essential message 4:17 (cf. Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:14-15) The clause "From that time Jesus" (Gr. apo tote epxato Iesous) is very significant in Matthew’s Gospel. The writer used it only twice, here and in Matthew 16:21, and in both instances it indicates

Joshua 18:1-10 — location (Joshua 18:1). God undoubtedly made the choice of Shiloh (lit. rest; cf. Deuteronomy 12:11). [Note: See Israel Finkelstein, "Shiloh Yields Some, But Not All, of Its Secrets," Biblical Archaeology Review 12:1 (January-February 1986):22-41.] The name of this town was significant because of Jacob’s prophecy of Shiloh (Genesis 49:10) and the association of God’s name with the Israelites’ rest. God’s people could find rest where He abode. The tabernacle stood at

1 Timothy 3:2-7 — "Moral Virtues Associated with Eldership," Bibliotheca Sacra 160:638 (April-June 2003):202-18.] 1.    The description "above reproach" (irreproachable, Gr. anepilempton, 1 Timothy 3:2; cf. 1 Timothy 5:7; 1 Timothy 6:14; Titus 1:6) means that he should possess no observable flaw in his character or conduct. That is, there should be no cause for justifiable criticism now or in his past (cf. 1 Timothy 3:10) that anyone could use to discredit him and bring reproach on

Ruth 1:19-21 — blessing and loss since she had left Bethlehem. When she returned home she chose to emphasize her hardships. She had forgotten God’s faithfulness and His promises to bless all Israel (Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 12:7), her tribe in particular (Genesis 49:8-12), and all the godly in Israel (Deuteronomy 5:7-10). But her emptiness (Ruth 1:21) was only temporary. Her pessimism at this point contrasts with Ruth’s optimism (Ruth 1:16-18). "In Israel, names were not just labels of individuality

1 Samuel 17:1-11 — king and he was going to carry on as though nothing had changed." [Note: Wood, Israel’s United . . ., p. 151.] Goliath was apparently 9 feet 9 inches tall. Another view is that he was 6 feet 9 inches tall. [Note: See the note on 1 Samuel 17:4 in the NET Bible, and J. Daniel Hays, "Reconsidering the Height of Goliath," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 48:4 (December 2005):701-14; Clyde E. Billington, "Goliath and the Exodus Giants: How Tall Were They?" Journal

1 Samuel 18:10-16 — Saul’s first direct attempt to kill David 18:10-16 The evil spirit from the Lord (cf. 1 Samuel 16:4, whatever it was) afflicted Saul the very next day. David and Saul each had something in their hand. David held a harp with which he sought to help the king by playing soothing music. Saul held a spear with which he sought to harm his helper. The writer

2 Samuel 16:5-14 — Shimei’s curse 16:5-14 This second descendant of Saul demonstrated a reaction to David that was the opposite of Ziba’s. Ziba had been ingratiating and submissive, but Shimei, a "reptile of the royal house of Saul," [Note: Alexander Whyte, Bible Characters,