Bible Commentaries

Genesis 26:34-35 — Esau’s marriage 26:34-35 We can identify three purposes for this brief section. 1.    Moses explained and justified the reason for Jacob’s later departure for Paddan-aram (Genesis 27:46 to Genesis 28:2). 2.    Moses identified

2 Chronicles 3:10-1 — 3. The temple furnishings 3:10-5:1 The cherubim (2 Chronicles 3:10-13) represented angelic beings (cf. Genesis 3:24). Probably they looked more like the sculptured combination human-animal-bird creatures that archaeologists have discovered in the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian capitals, than like pudgy-winged children. The child image is traceable back to medieval

Isaiah 28:16 — building. Builders oriented the rest of the foundation in reference to this stone (cf. Ephesians 2:20), and it supported the major portion of the superstructure. What was this stone? I believe it was Messiah (cf. Psalms 118:22; Zechariah 3:9; Zechariah 10:4; Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Romans 9:33; Romans 10:11; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6).   The commentators have offered many interpretations of this cornerstone, and several of them have written extended discussions of the figure.

Jeremiah 29 overview — Nippur, close to the Kabar Canal. [Note: Harrison, Jeremiah and . . ., p. 132.] Jeremiah 29:1-23 contain the first letter in the Bible. [Note: Feinberg, p. 551. For other letters in the Old Testament, see 2 Chronicles 21:12-15; 30:1, 6-9; 32:17; Ezra 1:2-4; 4:9-22; 5:7-16; 6:3-12; 7:12-26.] Jeremiah wrote a letter to the exiles (Jeremiah 29:1-23). What Jeremiah sent the exiles may have been more like a booklet containing a collection of prophecies than a simple letter. [Note: Scalise, p. 65.] This letter

Ezekiel 5:1-2 — The prophet was to shave the hair of his head and beard with a sword symbolizing the defilement and humiliation that would come on Jerusalem because of her sin. Shaving the head and beard was forbidden for Israelites in their law (Deuteronomy 14:1). It was a pagan practice that expressed great grief and humiliation (cf. Ezekiel 9:3; Ezekiel 27:31; 2 Samuel 10:4-5; Isaiah 15:2; Isaiah 22:12; Jeremiah 16:6; Jeremiah 41:5-6; Jeremiah 48:37; Amos 8:10). If an Israelite priest shaved his head, he

Ezekiel 8:16 — the temple, to a place between the altar of burnt offerings and the temple porch. There Ezekiel saw about 25 men bowing down to the ground with their backs to the temple facing east worshipping the sun. The Mosaic Law forbade sun worship (Deuteronomy 4:19), but King Manasseh had promoted it in Judah (2 Kings 21:5). [Note: See H. G. May, "Some Aspects of Solar Worship at Jerusalem," Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 55 (1937):269-81.] Many interpreters assume that these

Zechariah 1:7-8 — visions: an introduction, an explanation of what the prophet saw, his request for clarification of its meaning, and the elucidation. Oracles accompany three of the visions making their messages clearer (Zechariah 1:16-17; Zechariah 2:6-13; Zechariah 4:6-10). Some interpreters also connect the oracle in Zechariah 6:9-15 to the vision in Zechariah 6:1-8, but it seems to me, and others, that that oracle was separate from the preceding vision. ". . . The arrangement of the visions follows a chiastic

Matthew 6:16 — it (Nehemiah 9:1-2; Psalms 35:13; Isaiah 58:3; Isaiah 58:5; Daniel 9:2-20; Daniel 10:2-3; Jonah 3:5; Acts 9:9). People who felt anguish, danger, or desperation gave up eating temporarily to present some special petition to the Lord in prayer (Exodus 24:18; Judges 20:26; 2 Samuel 1:12; 2 Chronicles 20:3; Ezra 8:21-23; Esther 4:16; Matthew 4:1-2; Acts 13:1-3; Acts 14:23). Some pious believers fasted regularly (Luke 2:37). The Pharisees fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12). God only commanded the Israelites

Deuteronomy 6:20-25 — But true covenant keeping in the final analysis is a matter of faith, not merely of works and ritual. Thus the central feature of the covenant stipulations is their providing a vehicle by which genuine saving faith might be displayed (cf. Deuteronomy 24:13; Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Romans 4:1-5; Galatians 3:6-7)." [Note: Ibid., p. 175.] In view of God’s grace to His people, believers should respond with love for God. We should express that love in obedience to His revealed will, and we

Mark 13:14 — "But" identifies the contrast between the false and true signs. The true sign was the appearance of the abomination of desolation (cf. Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11; Matthew 24:15). The abomination of desolation is something abominable associated with idolatry that would defile the temple resulting in its desertion by the godly. [Note: Cf. C. E. B. Cranfield, "St. Mark 13," Scottish Journal of Theology 6 (July 1953):298-99.]

Luke 13:32-33 — Pharisees shows that He viewed them as Herod’s messengers. They were as antagonistic to Him as they claimed Herod was. A fox is, of course, a proverbially dangerous and cunning animal that destroys and scavenges (cf. Lamentations 5:17-18; Ezekiel 13:4; 1 Enoch 89:10, 42-49, 55). Jesus walked in the light, but foxes went hunting in the dark. In Jesus’ day foxes were also insignificant animals (cf. Nehemiah 4:3; Song of Solomon 2:15). Jesus viewed Herod similarly. Jesus explained that He would

Luke 2:36-38 — Anna, whose name is equivalent to the Hebrew Hannah, was a female prophetess (cf. Exodus 15:20; Judges 4:4; 2 Kings 22:14; Nehemiah 6:14; Isaiah 8:3; Acts 2:17; Acts 21:9; 1 Corinthians 11:5). Her mention continues Luke’s interest in the renewal of prophecy at this time (cf. Luke 1:67; Luke 2:34-35). Perhaps Luke referred to Anna’s ancestors

Galatians 3 overview — III. THEOLOGICAL AFFIRMATION OF SALVATION BY FAITH CHS. 3-4 Here begins the theological section of the epistle, which Paul led up to in his preceding historical account of his own conversion and calling culminating in his confrontation with Peter over justification. In one sense Paul began this emphasis in Galatians

Philippians 1:27 — The first part of this verse gives the main command in the section (Philippians 1:27 to Philippians 4:9) and the reason for it. The phrase "conduct yourselves in a manner worthy" is just one word in the Greek text (politeuesthe). It means literally "to live as a citizen." This word was especially appropriate to use in a letter to

Philippians 4:2 — but unity is. Paul urged each of these two women individually, perhaps so neither would feel that responsibility for healing the breach lay with the other. Urging was all Paul felt he had to do, not commanding (cf. Philippians 1:27 to Philippians 2:4). He assumed they would respond to gentle persuasion. The addition of "in the Lord" would remind them that they were under His authority and had much in common as sisters in Christ. [Note: See A. Boyd Luter, "Partnership in the Gospel:

Colossians 2:16-17 — false teachers were to some extent Jewish (i.e., advocating obedience to the Law of Moses for justification and sanctification). "The believing Gentiles in Colossae never were under the Law of Moses since that Law was given only to Israel (Romans 9:4). It seems strange that, now that they were Christians, they would want to submit themselves to Jewish legalism!" [Note: Ibid., 2:128-29.] The dietary and festival observances were like shadows of Christ. They were ". . . a dim outline, a

Hebrews 5:5-6 — God appointed Christ as king-priest when He sat down at the right hand of God following His ascension (Hebrews 1:5). The title "Christ" (Anointed One) stresses our Lord’s humility. As the Anointed of God, Jesus (cf. Hebrews 4:14) did not exalt Himself as He might well have done. [Note: Guthrie, p. 127.] These two offices and functions were primary in the writer’s argument in this epistle. Psalms 2:7-9 and Psalms 110:1 (cf. Hebrews 1:13) predicted Messiah’s reign.

Revelation 11:18 — The elders continue to anticipate the beginning of Messiah’s rule on earth by foreseeing the raging response of unbelieving Gentiles (cf. Revelation 16:14; Revelation 16:16; Revelation 16:19; Revelation 20:8-9; Psalms 2:1; Psalms 2:5; Psalms 2:12) and the outpouring of God’s holy wrath (cf. Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7; Romans 2:5; Romans 2:8; Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). They

Revelation 8:7 — represents judgment more generally and the one-third of the earth simply a large portion of humankind. This holocaust included a third of its trees and all of its grass. There are two explanations of how all the grass perishes here but in Revelation 9:4 we read that grass exists later. First, the grass may grow again since some time elapses between these two references. Second, it may only be the grass that is green that perishes now and what is now dormant and brown will be green when the events of

Revelation 9:20 — a change of mind in rejection of something that is anti-God (cf. Revelation 2:21-22; Revelation 9:21; Revelation 16:11)." [Note: Ibid.] Elsewhere in Scripture the phrase "the works of their hands" refers to idolatry (cf. Deuteronomy 4:28; Deuteronomy 27:15; Deuteronomy 31:29; 2 Kings 19:18; 2 Kings 22:17; 2 Chronicles 32:19; 2 Chronicles 34:25; Psalms 115:4; Psalms 135:15; Isaiah 2:8; Isaiah 17:8; Isaiah 37:19; Jeremiah 1:16; Jeremiah 10:3; Jeremiah 10:9; Jeremiah 25:6-7; Jeremiah