Bible Commentaries

Job 20:4-11 — The brief prosperity of the wicked 20:4-11 Zophar reminded Job that everyone knew the wicked only prosper for a short time (cf. Job 15:29). Job 20:5 is his thesis statement. The description of the wicked that Zophar proceeded to draw fit Job very well, and it must have wounded him deeply. The life of the wicked is brief (Job 20:4-11), their pleasure is temporary (Job 20:12-19), and their death is painful (Job 20:20-29). [Note: Wiersbe, pp. 42-44.]

Job 8:1-22 — Job back for some sin he had committed, and he believed God would show Job mercy if he confessed that sin. However, Bildad built his conclusions on a slightly different foundation. Eliphaz argued from his own personal experience and observations (Job 4:8; Job 4:12-21). Bildad cited a more reliable authority: the experience of past generations that had come down through years of tradition (Job 8:8-10). He was a traditionalist whereas Eliphaz was an existentialist.

Psalms 138:1-3 — 1. Praise for answered prayer 138:1-3 The psalmist vowed to praise God wholeheartedly in the temple for His loyal love and faithfulness. The "gods" before whom he promised to give thanks may be judges and rulers (cf. Psalms 95:3; Psalms 96:4; Psalms 97:7) or perhaps the pagan idols that surrounded him (cf. Psalms 138:4-5). God had exalted His Word equally with His reputation by being faithful to His promises (Psalms 138:2). God had answered David’s petition and had strengthened him

Psalms 4:4 — David urged his enemies on the basis of his calling by God (Psalms 4:3) not to give way to sin in their anger against the king (cf. Ephesians 4:26). They needed to tremble with fear and stop sinning. They would be wise to remain still as they meditated on their opposition to David, while lying in bed at night, rather than getting up and opposing him. Opposing the Lord’s anointed would constitute sin. It would be better for them to submit to God by submitting to His agent, King David.

Ecclesiastes 12:2-3 — evil days first to an approaching rainstorm (Ecclesiastes 12:2) that is fearful and uncertain (cf. Ecclesiastes 11:7-8). The Hebrews regarded any decline in a person’s vital energy as a sign that death was beginning to set in (cf. 1 Kings 1:1-4; Psalms 18:4-5; Psalms 88:3-5). The "watchmen of the house" (Ecclesiastes 12:3) probably refer to one’s arms and hands, and the "mighty men" to the legs. The "grinding ones" are probably the teeth, and "those

Isaiah 2:7-8 — encouraged Jewish materialism and neglect of God. Judah had accumulated these things to make herself secure, but she was only trusting in what she herself had made. Contrast the nations that will seek spiritual benefits (Isaiah 2:3), enjoy peace (Isaiah 2:4), and follow the Lord (Isaiah 2:4).

Isaiah 24:22 — Before God punishes them, He will confine them in a pit (cf. 2 Peter 2:4; Judges 1:6; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 18:21; Revelation 19:3; Revelation 19:17-18; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:1-3; Revelation 20:11-15). "Many days" probably refers to the Millennium (cf. Revelation 20:1-3). "What the apocalyptist

Isaiah 51:7 — For a third time the Lord urged His people, who already knew something of righteousness, to listen to Him (cf. Isaiah 51:1; Isaiah 51:4). They were the people who had received God’s instruction by special revelation and who treasured it in their hearts. They were the godly remnant in Israel. They could count on unbelievers reproaching and reviling them. Nevertheless, they should

Jeremiah 7:13 — The people had been sinning in the ways just enumerated for a long time. The Lord had sent them prophets and leaders who had warned them from the earliest days of their departure from Him, but they had refused to respond. The phrase "rising up early and speaking" was a favorite of Jeremiah’s (cf. Jeremiah 7:25; Jeremiah 11:7; Jeremiah 25:3-4; Jeremiah 26:5; Jeremiah 29:19; Jeremiah 32:33; Jeremiah 35:14-15; Jeremiah 44:4). It occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament.

Ezekiel 23:36-37 — The Lord called Ezekiel to pass judgment on Oholah and Oholibah (cf. Ezekiel 20:4; Ezekiel 22:2). He should then announce their fate because they had committed adultery (cf. Exodus 22:20; Exodus 23:13; Deuteronomy 4:15-24; Deuteronomy 12:24-32) and had shed innocent blood in their unfaithfulness (cf. Exodus 20:13; Leviticus 18:21;

Hosea 11:8-11 — B. Another assurance of restoration 11:8-11 As previously, a series of messages assuring Israel’s judgment (Hosea 6:4 to Hosea 11:7) ends with assurance of future restoration. God would definitely bring devastating judgment on Israel, but His compassion for the nation and His promises to the patriarchs required final blessing after the discipline (cf. Deuteronomy 4:25-31). "These

Hosea 13:10 — The people had formerly asked their leaders to give them a king like all the other nations. They hoped that their king and his princes would provide deliverance for them. God had given them kings, first Saul (1 Samuel 8:4-9; 1 Samuel 12:12) and more recently the kings of Israel that were not of David’s line but were kings of the people’s own choosing (1 Kings 12:16-20). Yet all these kings had proved ineffective in saving the Israelites. Only Yahweh was their savior (Hosea 13:4).

Hosea 6:6 — God’s preference is that His people love Him faithfully more than that they offer Him other types of sacrifices. He wanted the Israelites to acknowledge (know) Him rather than bringing burnt offerings to their altars (cf. Hosea 2:20; Hosea 4:1; Hosea 4:6). Sacrifices were meaningless, even offensive, unless offered out of a heart of love that demonstrated obedience to God’s Word (cf. 1 Samuel 15:22; Isaiah 1:11-17; Amos 5:21-24; Micah 6:6-8; Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7).

Micah 2:10 — Sarcastically, Micah told the rich oppressors to rise up and depart from the land (cf. Amos 4:4-5). They were wrong to be at rest in Israel when it had become an unclean place because of the people’s sinfulness (cf. Deuteronomy 12:9; Psalms 95:11). They should leave while they could because painful destruction was coming as punishment

Zechariah 4:11-12 — Zechariah asked specifically for an explanation of the olive trees that he had seen (Zechariah 4:4). He also wanted to know the meaning of the two branches of these trees that emptied olive oil into two golden pipes (spouts) that carried the golden oil into the bowl atop the lampstand. "Golden oil" is literally "gold," but clearly

Mark 1:15 — declarations and two commands. First, He declared that the time that God had predicted in the Old Testament had arrived. He was referring to the end of the present age and the beginning of the messianic age, as His second declaration clarified (cf. Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 1:2; Hebrews 9:6-15). The term "kingdom" (Gr. basileia) as it occurs with "the kingdom of God" in Scripture does not just mean everything over which God exercises sovereign authority. The term "kingdom of God"

Acts 18:24-28 — The ministry of Apollos 18:24-28 The purpose of this pericope (Acts 18:24-28) seems primarily to be to bring us up to date on what had transpired in Ephesus since Paul left that city. [Note: Marshall, The Acts . . ., p. 302.] Luke also introduced his readers to another important servant of the Lord to whom Paul referred elsewhere (1 Corinthians 1:12; 1 Corinthians 3:4-6; 1 Corinthians 3:22; 1 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 16:12; Titus 3:13).

Acts 4:36-37 — The generosity of Barnabas 4:36-37 Luke now gave a specific instance of what he had just described in Acts 4:34-35. This reference to Barnabas is significant because it introduces him to the reader. Barnabas becomes an important character in Acts later, mainly as a missionary (apostle)

Ephesians 4:1-20 — III. THE CHRISTIAN’S CONDUCT 4:1-6:20 Practical application (chs. 4-6) now follows doctrinal instruction (chs. 1-3). "Now the apostle moves on from the new society to the new standards which are expected of it. So he turns from exposition to exhortation, from what God has done

Revelation 16:5 — The "angel of the waters" evidently refers to the angel responsible for the sea and fresh water, the superintendent of God’s water department. Scripture reveals that angels affect the elemental forces of nature (cf. Psalms 104:4; Hebrews 1:7; Revelation 7:1; Revelation 9:11; Revelation 14:18). This angel attributes righteousness to the eternal God for judging in kind (cf. Revelation 15:3-4; Galatians 6:7). The holy and righteous God can judge humanity according to the lex