Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 17:24-41 — The results of the captivity 17:24-41 The immediate result of the captivity (2 Kings 17:24-33) was twofold. The Assyrians deported many Israelites to other places in the Assyrian Empire, and they imported other people from the empire into the newly formed Assyrian province that they

Psalms 72:5-7 — In Psalms 72:5, the antecedent of "them" in the NASB is "the oppressed" of Psalms 72:4, and "Thee" refers to God. In the NIV the translators, following the Septuagint, felt that the king was the subject of the whole verse. The Hebrew text favors the NASB rendering. In Psalms 72:6-7, the king is the subject. The effects of a

Leviticus 19:11-18 — 155.] God commanded proper attitudes as well as correct actions (Leviticus 19:17-18; cf. Matthew 18:15-17; Matthew 19:19). [Note: See Luke Johnson, "The Use of Leviticus 19 in the Letter of James," Journal of Biblical Literature (1982):391-401.] Compare Leviticus 19:2 and James 4:4-5; Leviticus 19:13 and James 5:4; Leviticus 19:15 and James 2:1; James 2:9; Leviticus 19:16 and James 4:11; Leviticus 19:17 b and James 5:20; Leviticus 19:18 a and James 5:9; and Leviticus 19:18 b and James 2:8. "To

Ecclesiastes 5:13-17 — The effect of misfortune 5:13-17 The Hebrew expression translated "bad investment" (Ecclesiastes 5:14) refers to any misfortune that results in the loss of wealth. Striving to hoard the fruits of labor is futile, because any misfortune can overtake one and reduce him or her to poverty-if God allows it. Death itself is such a misfortune that overtakes

Isaiah 16:6-8 — The prophet explained the reason for Moab’s destruction, pride (cf. Isaiah 16:1-4 a), and its result, grief (cf. Isaiah 15:2-4). Her excessive pride, arrogance, and insolence were the reason for her invasion; the invader was but the instrument of God (cf. Isaiah 13:11). There was no basis in reality for her boasting. Moab was covered

Isaiah 54:11-17 — The rebuilt city 54:11-17 Isaiah changed his illustration from a restored wife to a rebuilt city, but the point remains the same. The contrast between the city of man and the city of God is one that Isaiah developed quite fully (cf. Isaiah 1:26-27; Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah

Isaiah 58:9 — The Lord would hear their prayers, and they would enjoy His presence (cf. Isaiah 58:1-3). Making self the focus of life, in contrast, results in darkness (cf. Isaiah 5:20; Isaiah 8:20; Isaiah 47:5; Isaiah 60:2), disease (cf. Isaiah 1:5), defeat (cf. Isaiah 1:7), and separation (cf. Isaiah 1:4). For these blessings to come, God’s people needed to stop oppressing others, and to stop mocking and showing contempt for others with wicked speech

Ezekiel 13:17-23 — Condemnation of the female false prophets 13:17-23 There were female as well as male prophets in Israel (Exodus 15:20; Judges 4:4; 2 Kings 22:14; Nehemiah 6:14; Luke 2:36) and in the early church (Acts 21:9; 1 Corinthians 11:5). However there were far fewer female than male prophets, and there was no formal order or class of female prophets. God raised up female prophets according

Ezekiel 44:28-29 — These priests would receive no other inheritance in the land but the privilege of serving the Lord in the special ways that He permitted. The Lord would designate a portion of the land in which they would live (Ezekiel 45:4; Ezekiel 48:10-11), but this was not their inheritance. The perquisites of this inheritance would include the privilege of eating parts of the best grains and animals that the people brought to the Lord as sacrifices (cf. Deuteronomy 25:4; 1 Corinthians

Ezekiel 8:1 — 236; and Greenberg, p. 166, dated it on September 18.] This would have been during the time when he was lying on his right side for part of the day dramatizing God’s judgment on Judah for her iniquity (cf. Ezekiel 1:1-3; Ezekiel 3:16; Ezekiel 4:4-8). The elders were the leaders of the Judean exiles in Babylonia who had been deported in 605 and 597 B.C. This verse describes the single vision that Ezekiel wrote about in chapters 8-11.

Daniel 7:8 — among the 10, which displaced three of the 10 horns. This horn had human eyes, probably symbolic of intelligence, and a mouth that spoke boastfully (cf. Daniel 7:11; Daniel 7:20; Daniel 7:25). This is evidently Antichrist (cf. Isaiah 27:1; Matthew 24:5; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; 1 John 2:18; 1 John 4:3; Revelation 13; Revelation 17; Revelation 19). Daniel saw another "little horn" in another vision that he reported having (Daniel 8:9-11). However, the differences between these

Hosea 4:15 — unfaithfulness. He also warned them not to go to the pagan shrines and take an oath in His name since they did not really worship Him. This was pure hypocrisy. Gilgal and Beth-aven were representative pagan cultic sites (cf. Hosea 9:15; Hosea 12:11; Amos 4:4). The prophet had come to refer to Bethel (house of God) by the name Beth-aven (house of wickedness) because it had become one of the main centers of idolatry in Israel since the reign of Jeroboam I (cf. Hosea 10:5; Amos 5:5). The use of one name

Numbers 8:5-26 — The consecration of the Levites 8:5-26 The consecration of the priests had taken place earlier (cf. Leviticus 8). Then the people only looked on (Leviticus 8:3-4). Now God set apart to His service the whole tribe of Levi that He had taken in place of the first-born sons (Numbers 8:16-18). This time the people played a role by laying their hands on the Levites (Numbers 8:10). The Levites stood in the place of

Matthew 5:5 — A "gentle" or "meek" person is not only gentle in his or her dealings with others (Matthew 11:29; Matthew 21:5; James 3:13). Such a person is unpretentious (1 Peter 3:4; 1 Peter 3:14-15), self-controlled, and free from malice and vengefulness. This quality looks at a person’s dealings with other people. A person might acknowledge his or her spiritual bankruptcy and mourn because of sin, but to respond meekly

Acts 5:3-4 — Rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to fill him (cf. Acts 2:4; Acts 4:8; Acts 4:31), Ananias had allowed Satan to control his heart. Ananias’ sin was lying. He sought to deceive the Christians by trying to gain a reputation for greater generosity than he deserved. By deceiving the church, Ananias was also

Acts 7:57-58 — heaven. [Note: Ibid.] The Sanhedrin members therefore cried out in agony of soul, covered their ears so they would hear no more, and seized Stephen to prevent him from saying more or escaping. Stoning was the penalty for blasphemy in Israel (Leviticus 24:16; Deuteronomy 17:7), and the Sanhedrin members went right to it. In the three trials before the Sanhedrin that Luke recorded thus far, the first ended with a warning (Acts 4:17; Acts 4:21), the second with flogging (Acts 5:40), and the third with

Romans 4 overview — C. The proof of justification by faith from the law ch. 4 Paul’s readers could have understood faith as being a new method of salvation since he contrasted faith with the law. The apostle began this epistle by saying that the gospel reveals a righteousness from God, implying something new (Romans 1:17).

Romans 8:17 — Being an adopted child of God makes us His heirs (cf. 1 Peter 1:3-4). We inherit with Jesus Christ our brother (Romans 8:29). We inherit both sufferings, as His disciples now, and glory, most of which lies in the future (cf. 1 Peter 4:13). The phrase "if indeed" seeks to render the first class condition in

Revelation 4:1-5 —   III. THE REVELATION OF THE FUTURE 4:1-22:5 John recorded the rest of this book to reveal those aspects of the future that God wanted His people to know (cf. Revelation 1:19). He revealed the events in chapters 4-18 to enable the readers to understand events leading up to Jesus Christ’s

1 Samuel 1:1 — I. ELI AND SAMUEL 1:1-4:1A First Samuel begins by contrasting Israel’s last two judges (Eli: a failure; and Samuel: a success) and then Israel’s first two kings (Saul: a failure; and David: a success). The first major section of Samuel sharply contrasts obedience