Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 11:1 — The prophet had just described Assyria cut down like a forest of trees (Isaiah 10:15-19; Isaiah 10:33-34). Likewise, Israel would have only a remnant left after God finished judging her (Isaiah 10:20-23; cf. Isaiah 6:11-13). Now he pictured a shoot (Heb. nezer) sprouting from one of the stumps left after Israel’s harvesting (cf. Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah

Isaiah 53:11 — scholar argued that it was the Servant’s knowledge of God, and of God’s unfolding purpose for the peoples of the world, that satisfied Him and ultimately made many righteous. [Note: James M. Ward, "The Servant’s Knowledge in Isaiah 40-55," in Israelite Wisdom: Theological and Literary Essays in Honor of Samuel Terrien, pp. 129, 135.] The one Righteous Servant would make many people righteous by bearing their iniquities, not His own (cf. Isaiah 53:4-6; John 10:14-18; Romans

Isaiah 7:12 — got Israel into big trouble in the wilderness and at other times, but asking for a sign was not testing God when He commanded it. God prohibited testing Him (demanding proof) when His people doubted or rebelled against Him (cf. Psalms 95:9; Matthew 16:4; Mark 8:12; Luke 11:29), not when they wanted a sign to strengthen their faith (cf. Judges 6:36-40; 2 Kings 20:8-11; Psalms 34:6; Malachi 3:10). Ahaz wanted to appear to have great faith in God, but he had already decided to make an alliance with Assyria. "This

Ezekiel 10:20-22 — purposefulness with which the cherubim moved to carry out God’s will. "Once God passed from the gate, the name Ichabod ("the glory has departed") could have been applied to Jerusalem just as it had been applied earlier to Shiloh (1 Samuel 4:21-22)." [Note: Dyer, in The Old . . ., p. 667.] ". . . the departure of the glory signals the end of a relationship that had existed for almost four centuries. The divine king has abandoned his residence." [Note: Block, The Book . .

Ezekiel 14:4-5 — was an idolater at heart and set a stumbling block in his own path by consulting a false prophet for divine guidance would receive an answer from Yahweh, not from the idol. That answer would come in the form of divine judgment, not words (cf. Ezekiel 14:7-10). The judgment of God on those who pursued idolatry was allowing them to continue in it until it destroyed them (cf. Leviticus 20:3; Leviticus 20:5-6; Deuteronomy 28:37; Hosea 4:17; Romans 1:18-32; 2 Thessalonians 2:11). "This happens only

Ezekiel 16:38-41 — dealt with adulteresses and murderers. The punishment that the Mosaic Law prescribed for a city that practiced idolatry (spiritual adultery) was the sword (Deuteronomy 13:15), and the punishment for adultery was stoning (Leviticus 20:10; cf. John 8:4-5). Yahweh would punish Jerusalem severely in His wrath and jealousy. He would turn her over to her lovers who would take from her everything she had leaving her naked and bare, her original condition (cf. Ezekiel 16:7; Ezekiel 16:22; Hosea 2:12; Nahum

Ezekiel 3:14 — associate the Spirit with God Himself. They thought of the Spirit as a power or influence of God. However there are several indications in the Old Testament that informed Israelites identified the Spirit with God (cf. Genesis 1:2; 2 Kings 2:9; Psalms 104:30; Ezekiel 3:12-14; Ezekiel 11:1; Zechariah 4:6). [Note: See Leon J. Wood, The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, and idem, The Prophets . . ., pp. 85-87.]

Ezekiel 44:6-9 — priests. The Mosaic Law forbade any unauthorized person from serving in the tabernacle or temple as a priest (Numbers 3:10). Believing foreigners could offer sacrifices there and assist the priests, but they could not serve as priests (cf. Numbers 15:14; Isaiah 56:3; Isaiah 56:6-7; Zechariah 14:21). In the millennial temple, foreigners (uncircumcised in heart and flesh, i.e., unbelieving Gentiles) would not be allowed to enter the temple proper and probably not even the temple precincts (Ezekiel 44:9;

Daniel 4:20-23 — himself, even eating grass. Zoanthropy is a form of mental illness that causes such behavior. With it a person imagines himself or herself to be an animal. Perhaps this is what God used to afflict Nebuchadnezzar. [Note: Keil, p. 159; Pentecost, pp. 1342-43.] Another possibility is that the king suffered from boanthropy. With this illness a person thinks himself or herself to be an ox (cf. Daniel 5:21). His or her outer behavior is irrational, but the inner consciousness remains virtually unchanged.

Daniel 6:6-7 — p. 171.]   "The probability is that Darius regarded this act as a pledge of loyalty to himself and a token of their desire to respect his authority to the utmost." [Note: Walvoord, p. 137.] The Babylonians burned criminals alive (ch. 4), but the Persians, who worshipped fire, threw them to the lions. [Note: Olmstead, p. 473.]

Daniel 7:18 — Testament. [Note: Pentecost, p. 1352.] They will receive the (fifth) kingdom and will possess it forever. People will have a share in the Son of Man’s everlasting kingdom after He establishes it. This involves reigning with Christ (cf. Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 5:10; Revelation 20:4; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 22:5). This kingdom will begin with the return of Christ to the earth, continue for one thousand years on the earth, and then continue in the new heavens

Daniel 8:17-18 — Gabriel’s approach made Daniel so fearful that he prostrated himself on the ground (cf. Daniel 2:46; Daniel 10:9-10; Daniel 10:15; Ezekiel 1:28; Ezekiel 3:23; Ezekiel 44:4; Revelation 1:17). The title "son of man" indicates humanity, and here, in contrast to Gabriel, it stressed Daniel’s human weakness (cf. Daniel 7:13; Ezekiel 2:1;

Daniel 9:2 — Jeremiah’s prediction of the length of Jerusalem’s desolation (cf. Jeremiah 36:23; Jeremiah 36:28). Jeremiah had revealed that the city would lie in ruins for 70 years and then God would destroy Babylonia (Jeremiah 25:11-12; Jeremiah 29:10-14; cf. 2 Chronicles 36:21). Daniel received this vision about 67 years after Nebuchadnezzar had deported the first group of exiles, including himself, in 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple and Jerusalem in 586 B.C. The specific period of desolation

Daniel 9:3 — Jeremiah had revealed that God would restore His people to their land when they prayed to Him wholeheartedly (Jeremiah 29:12-14). This revelation prompted Daniel to pray the prayer that follows (Daniel 9:3-19). Daniel’s prayer fulfills what Solomon anticipated in his prayer at the dedication of the temple (cf. 1 Kings 8:33-36). Daniel did not regard prayer as unnecessary

Amos 1:5 — Yahweh would also break the bar that secured the gate of Damascus making it impossible to defend (cf. 1 Kings 4:13). He would cut off the people who lived in the Valley of Aven (lit. evil, perhaps Baalbek or the Biq’ah Valley in Lebanon) and Aram’s ruler who lived in Beth Eden (perhaps Bit-Adini, an Aramean state on the Euphrates River 200 miles to

Amos 9:1 — 68.] The Lord gave a command that someone (an angel?) would strike the capitals that supported the roof of the temple there with such force that its foundation stones would shake and the whole structure would fall down (cf. Judges 16:29-30; Isaiah 6:4; Ezekiel 40:6). The Lord also said He would slay with the sword the rest of the priests and worshippers who survived being killed by the collapse of the temple. No one would escape with his or her life. "The temple was not a literal temple, for

Jonah 3:8 — God. The Hebrew word translated "violence" (hamas) refers to the overbearing attitude and conduct of someone who has attained power over others and misuses it (cf. Genesis 16:5). Assyrian soldiers were physically violent (Nahum 3:1; Nahum 3:3-4; cf. 2 Kings 18:33-35), but so were the Chaldeans (Habakkuk 1:9; Habakkuk 2:8; Habakkuk 2:17) and others who, because of conquest, could dominate others. Discrimination against minorities because they are less powerful manifests this sin. We must not

Habakkuk 3:3 — The prophet pictured Yahweh as rising over His people like the rising sun, appearing over Teman, a large town in Edom, and Mt. Paran, the mountain opposite Teman (cf. Deuteronomy 33:2-4). These locations were to the east of the Israelites as they exited Egypt. The name for God used here, "Elohim," is in the singular, "Eloah," perhaps stressing the essential unity of God who is the Holy One. "Selah" is

Zephaniah 3:9 — presupposes the purification of the heart." [Note: C. F. Keil, "Zephaniah," in The Twelve Minor Prophets, 2:156. Cf. Isaiah 6:5-7.] Yahweh would effect this change in all the people of the world so they would worship Him (cf. Genesis 4:26) and serve Him as one united family of nations. This event has been seen as a reversal of Babel (Genesis 11:1; Genesis 11:6-7; Genesis 11:9). [Note: Craigie, 2:128.] This revelation indicates that everyone living on the earth at the beginning of

Zechariah 8:7-8 — world where He had scattered them and to bring them back to live in Jerusalem (cf. Isaiah 11:11-12; Jeremiah 30:7-11; Jeremiah 31:7-8). Jerusalem stands for the whole land here (by metonymy), not "the true church of God." [Note: Leupold, p. 148. Cf. McComiskey, p. 1141.] It identifies the place where people would come to worship the Lord. There they would enjoy intimacy with Him, a relationship marked by truth and righteousness. This future Exodus depended on Yahweh’s electing grace