Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 10:1-13 — The Queen of Sheba’s visit 10:1-13 The writer seems to have included this event here to support his claim that Solomon’s reign was so glorious that rulers came from all over the world to meet him (1 Kings 4:34; cf. 1 Kings 3:16-18). It also shows that some of Solomon’s wealth came to him as voluntary gifts from admirers. Jesus used this queen’s example to challenge His hearers to listen to God’s wisdom through someone greater than Solomon,

1 Kings 8:22-53 — would hear the prayers of His people (1 Kings 8:27-30). In these verses Solomon voiced the truth that Yahweh did not really live on earth but in heaven (1 Kings 8:27). He did not confuse the symbols of God’s presence with God Himself (cf. 1 Samuel 4:3). Solomon referred to himself often as God’s servant (1 Kings 8:28-39, et al.). Then he requested that God would grant mercy when His people turned to Him in situations involving violations of the covenant. These included personal sins (1 Kings

2 Kings 21:1-18 — Judah’s worst king spiritually. "Manasseh was ’the Ahab of Judah’ and the antithesis of the great David." [Note: Wiseman, p. 291.] Among his other serious sins, Manasseh built idol altars in Yahweh’s temple (2 Kings 21:4). This diminished the reputation of Yahweh considerably, as well as diverting worship from Him. Canaanite idolatry, Ahab’s Baalism, Canaanite astral worship, Ahaz’s human sacrifice, and Saul’s spiritism were all heresies he revived

2 Chronicles 24:1-27 — H. Joash ch. 24 Joash’s life, as the writer narrated it, proves again the principles that Chronicles stresses. God was faithful to His promise to provide rulers over His people from David’s descendants. Each king’s success depended on his submission

Nehemiah 8:13-18 — to the people, or at least to the leaders, included Leviticus 23 (Nehemiah 8:13). In Leviticus 23, God called on the Jews to observe the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) on the fifteenth through the twenty-first days of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:34-36). This was a happy celebration that looked back to the Israelites’ years of wandering in the wilderness when they lived in booths that they made out of branches. The Contemporary English Version translators called this feast the Feast of Shelters.

Jonah 3:10 — character of God only from what he does and the words he uses to explain his actions. When he does not do what he said he would, we as finite men can say only that he has changed his mind or repented, even though we should recognize, as Jonah did (Jonah 4:2), that he had intended or desired this all along." [Note: Ellison, "Jonah," pp. 383-84. Cf. Feinberg, p. 37. See also Thomas L. Constable, "What Prayer Will and Will Not Change," in Essays in Honor of J. Dwight Pentecost,

Haggai 1:1 — sent a message to Zerubbabel ("born in Babylon" or "seed of Babylon," an allusion to his birthplace) and Joshua ("Yahweh saves") through the prophet Haggai, though it went to all the Israelites too (Haggai 1:2; Haggai 1:4). Zerubbabel was the political governor (overseer) of the Persian province of Judah who had led the returnees back to the land (Ezra 2:2; et al.). He was the son of Shealtiel ("I have asked of God," Ezra 3:2; Ezra 3:8; Ezra 5:2; Nehemiah 12:1;

Malachi 2:17 — introduced here for the first time in Malachi to three themes, all of which may be expressed, for convenience, as needs: the need for messianic intervention, the need for a day of judgment, and the need for social justice." [Note: Stuart, p. 1346.] Malachi announced to his hearers that they had wearied God with their words; He was tired of hearing them say something. Their response was again hypocritical incredulity. They believed He could hardly be tired of listening to them since He had

Matthew 16:21 — This is only the second time in his Gospel that Matthew used the phrase apo tote erxato, "from that time" (cf. Matthew 26:16). The first time was in Matthew 4:17, where Jesus began to present Himself to Israel as her Messiah. Here it announces Jesus’ preparation of His disciples for the Cross because of Israel’s rejection and His disciples’ acceptance of Him as the divine Messiah. Thus the

Matthew 23:8-10 — 23:8-10 seems to suggest this. If this is true, the person who now addresses a Roman Catholic priest, for example, as "father" is probably using this term in a slightly different sense than the Jews used it in Jesus’ day (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 John 2:13-14). If a modern Christian uses the term with the idea that the "father" is his or her spiritual superior, however, he or she would be guilty of doing what Jesus forbade here. The only person worthy of the title of teacher

Matthew 6:2-4 — Alms-giving 6:2-4 Alms were gifts of money to the needy. What Jesus said on this subject is applicable to all types of giving. Interpreters have understood the practice of sounding a trumpet to announce alms-giving metaphorically and literally. Metaphorically it would

Matthew 8:2-3 — of a new section, not to indicate the next event chronologically. The exact nature of biblical leprosy is unknown. Apparently it included what we call leprosy today, Hansen’s disease, but it involved other skin diseases too (cf. Leviticus 13-14). [Note: A Dictionary of New Testament Theology, s.v. "Leprosy," by R. K. Harrison, 2:363-66; Rebecca A. and E. Eugene Baillie, "Biblical Leprosy as Compared to Present-Day Leprosy," Christian Medical Society Journal 14:3 (Fall 1983):27-29.]

Luke 8:13-14 — been saved and others lost. Jesus did not say they lost their salvation. That is impossible (cf. Romans 8:31-39). He said they turned away in unbelief. In Jesus’ day some of His hearers believed on Him (John 8:31) yet were still unsaved (John 8:44). Similarly today some people respond to the gospel superficially by accepting it, but then turn from it in unbelief. In Jesus’ day others genuinely believed on Him and then stopped believing (e.g., John the Baptist). Jesus used the phrase "fall

John 1:51 — revelation that Nathanael and his fellow disciples-the "you" in the Greek text is plural-would receive. The opening of the heavens pictures the insight that people on earth receive into what God is doing in heaven (cf. Acts 10:11; Revelation 4:1; Revelation 19:11). Jesus would reveal heavenly things, a theme that John developed throughout this Gospel. The angels of God are His agents that assist humans by taking their communications up to God above and by bringing knowledge of divine things

John 10:22-23 — Peraean Ministry would last about three months; the first, from about the end of September to the month of December; the second, from that period to the beginning of April. Of these six months we have (with the solitary exception of St. Matthew xii. 22-45), no other account than that furnished by St. Luke, although, as usually, the Jerusalem and Judaean incidents of it are described by St. John. After that we have the account of His journey to the last Passover, recorded, with more or less detail, in

John 3:16 — This best-known verse in the whole Bible expresses the gospel message more clearly and winsomely than any other. Almost every word in it is significant. Jesus’ mission in the Incarnation (John 3:13; John 3:17) and the Cross (John 3:14-15) resulted from God’s love for human beings. The construction of the Greek sentence stresses the intensity of God’s love. He gave His best, His unique and loved Son. The Jews believed that God loved the children of Israel, but John affirmed

Acts 1:3 — witness. Luke asserted that Jesus Christ’s resurrection was beyond dispute. "The fact of the resurrection was to be the solid foundation of the apostles’ faith and the chief ingredient of their early message." [Note: Blaiklock, p 49.] As 40 days of temptation in the wilderness preceded Jesus’ earthly ministry (Luke 4:2), so He introduced His present ministry with a 40-day period of preparation. Jesus’ baptism with the Spirit occurred before his 40-day test, whereas

Acts 10:46-48 — baptized with the Holy Ghost you do not need to be baptized in water. It is not a question of what you need-it is a question of what God has commanded." [Note: Ironside, Lectures on . . ., p. 257.] The events Luke recorded in Acts 9:32 to Acts 10:48 prepared Peter for the Lord’s further expansion of His church to include Gentiles. Peter had unlocked the door of the church to Jews on Pentecost (Matthew 16:19; cf. Ephesians 2:14). What happened in Cornelius’ house was "the Pentecost

2 Samuel 21:1-6 — Ammonite wars began, David might not have had time for what the writer described here. Consequently a date within 996-993 B.C. for this famine seems reasonable. Characteristically, David sought the Lord about the famine (2 Samuel 21:1; cf. Deuteronomy 28:47-48). Sometimes natural catastrophes such as famines resulted from Israel’s sins, but sin was not always the cause (cf. Job; John 9:2-3). There is no mention elsewhere in Samuel that Saul had broken the Israelites’ treaty with the Gibeonites

2 Samuel 22:1-51 — been recognized that 2 Samuel 22 is not only one of the oldest major poems in the OT but also that, because Psalms 18 parallels it almost verbatim, it is a key passage for the theory and practice of OT textual criticism." [Note: Youngblood, p. 1064.] This psalm records David’s own expression of the theological message the writer of Samuel expounded historically. Yahweh is King, and He blesses those who submit to His authority in many ways. 2 Samuel 22:21 is perhaps the key verse. David