Bible Commentaries

Zechariah 1:11 — responsible to the Lord, the Lord’s special angel (cf. Zechariah 3:1-2; Genesis 16:11; Genesis 16:13; Genesis 18:1-2; Genesis 18:13; Genesis 18:17; Genesis 18:22; Genesis 22:11-12; Genesis 22:15-18; Genesis 31:11; Genesis 31:13; Exodus 3:2; Exodus 3:4; Joshua 5:13; Joshua 6:2; Judges 2:1-5; Judges 6:11-12; Judges 6:14; Judges 13:3-23; Ezekiel 43:6-7). The third interpretation is that "the angel of the Lord is a representation of Yahweh in a way that actualizes His immanence, but not in direct

Zechariah 5:3 — The angel explained that the scroll represented the curses that God had decreed against the Israelites who stole and who swore falsely in the Lord’s name (Zechariah 5:4; cf. Deuteronomy 28). According to what God had previously written in the Law, those who stole and profaned His name would die, thus purging the land of sin. The Hebrew word ha’arets can mean either "the earth" or "the land."

Zechariah 5:9 — destination. Some believe they represent agents of evil, perhaps demonic forces. [Note: E.g., Unger, p. 98.] If they were that, however, would they not try to help Wickedness escape? Storks were unclean birds for the Israelites (Leviticus 11:19; Deuteronomy 14:18), so these stork-like women were appropriate carriers of the contaminated basket. They lifted up the ephah into the air flying off from earth to heaven with the divine assistance of the wind (Spirit, Heb. ruah). "The removal of Wickedness, like

Zechariah 6:11 — this in the passage. This crown was not the regular turban of the high priest (Heb. nezer) but a kingly crown with many parts (Heb. ’ataroth; cf. Revelation 19:12). Zechariah was to crown the high priest as a king, not as a priest (cf. Psalms 110:4; Hebrews 7:1-3). "Christ is now a Priest but is still in the holiest within the veil (Hebrews 9:11-14; Hebrews 9:24; cp. Leviticus 16:15) and seated on the Father’s throne (Revelation 3:21). He has not yet come out to take His own throne

Matthew 14:3-5 — for executing John (cf. Mark 6:16-29; Luke 3:19-20). Josephus wrote that Herod beheaded John for political reasons. [Note: Josephus, Antiquities of . . ., 18:5:2.] Probably both reasons led Herod to act as he did. [Note: Hoehner, Herod Antipas, pp. 124-49.] Herod Antipas had two brothers named Philip. The one Matthew referred to here was Herod Philip I. The other brother named Philip was Herod Philip II, tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis. Philip I was Herod Antipas’ half-brother. Therefore

Matthew 18:12-13 — Having taught the importance of humility, Jesus now illustrated it with a parable. Jesus taught the same parable on a different occasion to teach a slightly different lesson (Luke 15:4-7). His purpose there was evangelistic whereas His purpose here is pastoral. The shepherd in the story is God (Matthew 18:14). The sheep are those who follow Him, namely, Jesus’ disciples (cf. Matthew 10:6; Matthew 15:24). God has concern for

Matthew 21:1-2 — between those towns. Bethphage ("house of figs") lay slightly farther west than Bethany also on the southeast slope of the Mount of Olives. It no longer exists, and its exact location is unknown, but it had messianic connotations (Zechariah 14:4; cf. Ezekiel 11:23; Ezekiel 43:1-5). It may have been the name of that district and the name of a little village close to Jerusalem where the district began. [Note: Edersheim, The Life . . ., 2:364.] When Jesus approached Bethphage He instructed two

Matthew 21:42 — Every time Jesus said, "Did you never read?" He was stressing that the Scriptures pointed to Him (cf. Matthew 12:3; Matthew 12:5; Matthew 19:4; Matthew 21:16; Matthew 22:31; Mark 12:10). In these instances He also referred to well known texts, but He used them in unexpected ways. Jesus changed the figure from a vineyard to a building. This quotation is from Psalms 118:22-23. It probably originally

Matthew 28:18 — Notice the repetition of "all" in Matthew 28:18-20: all authority, all nations, all things, and all the days. Matthew stressed the authority of Jesus throughout his Gospel (Matthew 7:29; Matthew 10:1; Matthew 10:7-8; Matthew 11:27; Matthew 22:43-44; Matthew 24:35). "Not merely power or might (dunamis), such as a great conqueror might claim, but ’authority’ (exousia), as something which is His by right, conferred upon Him by One who has the right to bestow it (Rev. ii. 27)."

Mark 4:21 — Jesus continued his address to the inquiring disciples (cf. Mark 4:10-20). The lamp would have been a small clay dish with the edges pinched up to form a spout. A small piece of fabric typically hung over the spout from the body of the lamp serving as a wick. These household lamps usually held only a few teaspoons

Mark 6:39-40 — Mark alone noted the green grass thus dating this miracle in the late winter or early spring. John dated it more specifically as near Pentecost, which fell in late March or early April (John 6:4). Hoehner dated this Pentecost at April 13-14, A.D. 32. [Note: Harold W. Hoehner, Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ, p. 143.] In the summer much of the grass turns brown in Palestine. The orderly division of the people at least facilitated

Luke 1:35 — Gabriel explained that the Holy Spirit would be God’s enabling agent who would make Mary’s supernatural act of service possible (cf. Luke 1:41; Luke 1:67; Luke 1:80; Luke 2:25-27). He would overshadow Mary with His personal presence. Beyond this Gabriel was not specific. "This delicate expression rules out crude ideas of a ’mating’ of the Holy Spirit with Mary." [Note:

Luke 11:1-13 — 3. The relation of disciples to God the Father 11:1-13 Jesus continued to point out the disciple’s proper relationships. Having explained their relation to their neighbors (Luke 10:25-37) and to Himself (Luke 10:38-42), He now instructed them on their relation to their heavenly Father. This pericope, as the former one, clarifies the meaning of the first commandment (Luke 10:27). This whole section consists of teaching on prayer. Luke presented prayer as a major

Luke 12:37-38 — The blessing that Jesus promised was that the Master would serve His servants. This was unthinkable in Jesus’ world (cf. John 13:3-8). However, Jesus enforced its certainty with a strong affirmation that Luke did not record Him using since Luke 4:24. The messianic banquet on earth at the beginning of the millennium is evidently in view here. "Eschatological fulfillment, and specifically sharing in God’s reign, is repeatedly pictured in terms of a festive meal in Luke. This association

Luke 13:10-11 — are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight." [Note: C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, p. 9.] The woman’s physical condition was similar to Israel’s spiritual condition (cf. Luke 4:18-19). She may have had spondylitis ankylopoietica, a fusing of the spinal bones, or skoliasis hysterica, a hysterically induced paralysis, or some other condition. [Note: See J. Wilkinson, "The Case of the Bent Woman in Luke 13:10-17," Evangelical

Luke 23:35 — save people spiritually. Both meanings could have been in their minds. The title "God’s Chosen One" reflects what Jesus claimed that He was and what the Father had acknowledged Jesus to be at the Transfiguration (Luke 9:35; cf. Isaiah 42:1; 1 Peter 2:4). "Jesus crucified is the touchstone revealing what the world is: ’The people stood beholding’ in stolid indifference; the rulers, who wanted religion but without a divine Christ crucified for their sins, mocked (Matthew

Luke 5:31-32 — stressed the positive call of sinners to repentance in this Gospel and in Acts. Luke referred to repentance more than Matthew or Mark did (cf. Luke 3:3; Luke 3:8; Luke 10:13; Luke 11:32; Luke 13:3; Luke 13:5; Luke 15:7; Luke 15:10; Luke 16:30; Luke 17:3-4; Luke 24:47). "The connection between Luke 5:32 and Luke 19:10 suggests that they form an inclusion. That is, we have similar general statements about Jesus’ mission early and late in his ministry, statements which serve to interpret the

Luke 6:46 — The parable of the two claims 6:46 (cf. Matthew 7:21-23) This is a very brief condensation of a parable that Matthew recorded more fully. Matthew’s interest in it connects with the mention of false teachers that occurs in the context of his account of the sermon. Luke simply lifted

Luke 7:36-50 — 4. The anointing by a sinful woman 7:36-50 This incident, appearing only in Luke’s Gospel, illustrates the truth just expressed in Luke 7:35. Here is a case in point of what Jesus had just described happening (Luke 7:34). Jesus reached out to a

Luke 8:51-53 — unnecessary publicity that would inevitably accompany a second resuscitation (cf. Luke 7:11-17). By saying euphemistically that the girl was asleep (Gr. katheudei) Jesus was implying that her death was only temporary (cf. John 11:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). Jesus was expressing God’s view of death, not man’s. Obviously she had died because her spirit had departed from her body (Luke 8:55). It is interesting that these mourners who knew of Jesus’ prophetic powers and gift of healing