Bible Commentaries

Genesis 11:10-26 — scaffolding of human pride would be dismantled by the erection of the Shemite line that culminates in obedient Abraham, who likewise is found in the region of Shinar. Abraham would prove to be the nations’ deliverance." [Note: Mathews, p. 487.] "Without the blessing of God the situation of humanity is without hope: that seems to be the chief thrust of the opening chapters of Genesis." [Note: Wenham, Genesis 1-15, p. li.] In contrast to the genealogy in chapter 5, this one emphasizes

Genesis 19:30-38 — history of Israel (that of Baal-Peor, Numbers 25) and the cruelest religious perversion (that of Molech, Leviticus 18:21)." [Note: Kidner, p. 136. See also Henry O. Thompson, "The Biblical Ammonites," Bible and Spade 11:1 (Winter 1982):1-14.]   2.    This story also illuminates the degrading effect that living in Sodom had on Lot’s daughters. The writer censured Lot’s daughters by not naming them (cf. Ruth 4:1). His older daughter was so desperate

Genesis 35:9-15 — Jacob: to give him numerous descendants and the land of Canaan. [Note: See Chee-Chiew Lee, "[Goim] in Genesis 35:11 and the Abrahamic Promise of Blessings for the Nations," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 52:3 (September 2009):467-82.] Here God summed up all the long-range promises that He had made to Jacob at various times in his life. "The purpose of the second renaming . . . is to erase the original negative connotation and to give the name Israel a more neutral

Leviticus 13:45-46 — Tearing the clothes, messing the hair, and covering the upper lip were all signs of mourning (cf. Leviticus 10:6; Leviticus 21:10; Genesis 37:34; Numbers 14:6; 2 Samuel 1:11; 2 Kings 11:14; 2 Kings 19:1; 2 Kings 22:11; 2 Kings 22:19; Ezra 9:5; Ezekiel 24:17; Ezekiel 24:22; Micah 3:7). Not every place outside the camp was unclean; there were clean places outside the camp (e.g., Leviticus 4:12).

Isaiah 13:17-22 — whole human race in the Tribulation. This destruction of Babylon was a judgment of the Lord in a day that would be closer to Isaiah’s own time, a near and limited fulfillment of the day that the prophet just described. The fall of Assyria (Isaiah 14:24-27) was one fulfillment, and the later fall of Babylon (Isaiah 13:17-22) was another. The same principles that operate in the eschatological day of the Lord just described also operate in the earlier days of the Lord. [Note: See G. von Rad, "The

Jeremiah 51:63-64 — answers the objections of those expositors who feel that chapters 50-51 could not have been written by Jeremiah in view of his attitude toward Babylon expressed earlier in the book." [Note: Feinberg, "Jeremiah," p. 687.] Jeremiah 51:64 is the last verse in the book that Jeremiah wrote. The remaining chapter was evidently the writing of someone else, perhaps Jeremiah’s secretary, Baruch. "Babylon is condemned for pride (Jeremiah 50:13-32, Jeremiah 51:25-26), for idolatry

Ezekiel 18:1-2 — for movement, and for divine grace open to all who will listen." [Note: Block, The Book . . .,. p. 561.] Earlier the Lord had told this same audience that other people would quote the proverb, "Like mother, like daughter" (Ezekiel 16:44). This proverb expressed the fact that the Israelites were behaving as the Canaanites did. Ezekiel himself had said that the sufferings of the Exile were traceable to the persistent rebellion, idolatry, and unfaithfulness of former generations of Israelites

Daniel 9:25 — There are four decrees concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem that Scripture records. The first was Cyrus’ decree to rebuild the temple in 538 B.C. (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4; Ezra 6:2-5). The second was Darius I’s decree in 512 B.C. confirming Cyrus’ earlier one (Ezra 6:1; Ezra 6:6-12). The third was Artaxerxes’ decree in 457 B.C. (Ezra 7:11-26). [Note: See William H. Shea, "Supplementary Evidence

Numbers 3:1-51 — in Israel by far. [Note: See Merrill, "Numbers," in The Bible . . ., p. 220, for explanation of the comparatively small number of Levites.] The fact that this figure does not tally with the totals in Numbers 3:22; Numbers 3:28; Numbers 3:34 may be the result of a "textual corruption," [Note: G. Wenham, p. 71. Cf. A. Noordtzij, Numbers, p. 38.] in particular a "copyist’s error." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, 3:23.] Numbers 3:28 probably read 8,300 originally. "3

Malachi 2:16 — their marriage covenants because the person who divorces his mate to marry an unbeliever brings disgrace upon himself. Divorcing for this reason constitutes covenant unfaithfulness, breaking a covenant entered into that God Himself witnessed (Malachi 2:14). As such, it is an ungodly thing to do since Yahweh is a covenant-keeping God; He keeps his promises. To break a covenant (a formal promise) is to do something that God Himself does not do. Divorcing for this reason constitutes covering oneself with

Mark 8:29 — Later in the Old Testament it came to have the technical meaning of the divine Davidic king who would appear to deliver Israel and establish a worldwide kingdom (Psalms 110:1; Daniel 9:25-26). In Mark, Jesus rarely used this term Himself (cf. Mark 9:41; Mark 12:35; Mark 13:21), and He never used it of Himself. Probably He avoided it because of its political connotations and the popular misunderstanding of it, but Jesus accepted the title when others applied it to Him (cf. Mark 14:6-62; John 4:25-26). ".

John 1:14 — among the Israelites in the tabernacle, so it lived among them in the person of Jesus temporarily (cf. Exodus 25:8-9; Exodus 33:7; Exodus 33:11). [Note: See Merrill C. Tenney, "The Old Testament and the Fourth Gospel," Bibliotheca Sacra 120:480 (October-December 1963):300-8, for discussion of the influence of the Hebrew Bible on John’s teaching in this Gospel.] The Gospel of John contains the second largest number of quotations and allusions to the Old Testament in the Gospels after

Acts 1:21-22 — "necessary" to choose someone to take Judas’ place? Evidently he remembered Jesus’ promise that the 12 disciples would sit on 12 thrones in the messianic kingdom judging the 12 tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30; cf. Revelation 21:14). To be as qualified for this ministry as the other 11 disciples the twelfth had to have met the conditions Peter specified. "In Acts 1:21 Peter speaks not of being with Jesus but of going with him on his journeys. . . . This emphasis

Romans 5:21 — domain of righteousness, in which grace reigns and where life is the eventual outcome." [Note: Moo, p. 350.] Contrasts in Romans 5:12-21 [Note: Adapted from Newell, p. 176. See also the chart in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, p. 461.]Two menAdam (; Romans 5:14)Christ (Romans 5:14)Two actsOne trespass in the garden (Romans 5:12; Romans 5:15; Romans 5:17-19)One righteous act on the cross (Romans 5:18)Two resultsCondemnation, guilt, and death (Romans 5:15-16; Romans 5:18-19)Justification,

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 — idem, Faith Works, pp. 162-63; and Wiersbe, 1:679.] However this was not what Paul advocated here or anywhere else in his writings. He was writing to genuine believers (2 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 2 Corinthians 3:2-3; 2 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 8:9). He told them to examine their works to gain assurance that they were experiencing sanctification, that they were walking in obedience to the faith. "Paul’s question is usually construed with regard to positional justification:

2 Corinthians 5:10 — account for our works when we meet the Lord. Then He will reward His children on the basis of their deeds. This is not a judgment to determine whether we will enter heaven but one to determine to what extent He will reward us who enter heaven (cf. Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27). [Note: See Zane C. Hodges, Grace in Eclipse; and Arlen L. Chitwood, Judgment Seat of Christ, pp. 25-34.] "The imagery used here for the future moment of eschatological revelation

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 — teaching by urging his readers not to be shaken from their adherence to the truth he had taught them by what they were hearing from others. The issue centered on Paul’s instructions concerning the Rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:1, cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Other teachers were telling the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord had already begun (2 Thessalonians 2:2). This seemed to be a distinct possibility since Scripture describes that day as a time of tribulation as well as blessing. The Thessalonians

Hebrews 8 overview — Judaism. One writer observed a chiastic structure in Hebrews 8:1 to Hebrews 9:28 that emphasizes the contrast between worship under the Old Covenant and under the New Covenant. [Note: Albert Vanhoye, A Structural Translation of the Epistle to the Hebrews, pp. 4, 20-23.]     A    The old worship, earthly and figurative (Hebrews 8:1-6)         B    The first covenant, imperfect and provisioned (Hebrews 8:7-13)             C    The

Hebrews 8:13 — even as the writer wrote the Book of Hebrews it was also "growing old." It virtually disappeared in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed the temple, terminated its ritual and officiants, and scattered the Jews throughout the world (cf. Matthew 24:1-2). The New Covenant is a branch of the Abrahamic Covenant. In the Abrahamic Covenant, God promised Abraham a piece of real estate for his descendants, an incalculable number of descendants, and blessing for his descendants and for all people through

2 Peter 2:20 — To whom does "they" refer? Some interpreters believe the antecedent is the new Christians Peter mentioned at the end of 2 Peter 2:18. [Note: E.g., Duane A. Dunham, "An Exegetical Study of 2 Peter 2:18-22," Bibliotheca Sacra 140:557 (January-March 1983):40-54.] Others think they are the unstable, unsaved people who were listening to the gospel. [Note: Gangel, p. 874.] Most commentators have concluded, however, that "they" are the false teachers who have been the