Bible Commentaries

Jeremiah 1:5 — Yahweh knew (Heb. yada’, committed Himself to) Jeremiah before He had formed him in his mother’s womb (cf. Genesis 4:1; Psalms 1:6; Hosea 4:1; Amos 3:2). Jeremiah existed as a human being during his gestation period (cf. Psalms 139:13). God had set him aside (Heb. hiqdish) from all other uses for prophetic ministry even before his birth (cf. Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 1-3;

Jeremiah 30:21 — them. The Lord would bring this leader to Himself, i.e., would call Him to His place of service. Approaching Yahweh was a priestly prerogative, so this verse may hint at the future ruler’s priestly as well as His kingly function (cf. Psalms 110:4; Zechariah 6:13). "The ruler will need no mediator. Thus he will be greater than even David and Solomon. Like Melchizedek he will have a dual role. No man can take to himself the office of priesthood (cf. Hebrews 5:4). In fact, it was dangerous

Jeremiah 49:6 — Later, however, Yahweh would restore the fortunes of the Ammonites. This occurred briefly after the Exile. Tobiah was a Persian governor of Ammon during the postexilic period (cf. Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:7). But restoration of this region will also take place in the Millennium (cf. Jeremiah 46:26-28; Jeremiah 48:47). Nebuchadnezzar brought the Ammonites under his authority when he advanced into Palestine in 605 B.C. After that, Ammon proved disloyal

Ezekiel 1:4 — Ezekiel saw within the opened heavens a great cloud blown toward him by the north wind with lightning flashing from it almost constantly (cf. 1 Kings 19:11-13; Job 38:1; Job 40:6; Psalms 29:3-5). Israel’s enemies had invaded from the north, so the implication was that an invasion was coming. He also saw a bright light around this cloud and something like hot glowing metal shining in its midst, evidently God Himself

Daniel 5:10 — (Daniel 5:2), but this woman now entered it apparently for the first time. She also spoke to the king more as a mother than as a wife. [Note: Arthur Jeffery, "The Book of Daniel, Introduction and Exegesis," in The Interpreter’s Bible, 6:426.] Moreover, she spoke as one who had personal acquaintance with Daniel’s earlier interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream (cf. Daniel 4:8-9; Daniel 4:18). Probably this woman was Belshazzar’s mother and the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar.

Joel 3:9-11 — judgment against them. The nations should prepare for a great battle by beating their plowshares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears. At a later time, in the Millennium, they would do the reverse because Messiah will end war (cf. Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3). The weak should "psych" themselves up in preparation. The nations should hurry and assemble (cf. Zechariah 12:9). Joel also called on Yahweh to bring down His mighty army of angelic warriors to engage the enemy of His people (cf.

Amos 1:11-12 — 4. An oracle against Edom 1:11-12 Amos next moved from addressing chief cities to addressing countries, specifically countries with closer ethnic ties to the Israelites. Perhaps their closer relationship to Israel is why he mentioned countries rather

Obadiah 1:4 — 2:122.] The Edomites might have been humanly unassailable, but they were not divinely unassailable. They had proudly boasted, "Who will bring me down to the earth?" (Obadiah 1:3), but Yahweh replied, "I will bring you down" (Obadiah 1:4). He would burst their bubble. He Himself declared that He would. Malachi, who wrote some 400 years later, mentioned that the Edomites were still in existence then (Malachi 1:3-4). By 312 B.C. the capital of Edom was in Nabatean hands, and Edom had

Malachi 3:7 — straight path that Yahweh had prescribed for them to walk in the Mosaic Covenant. They had disobeyed covenant stipulations. The almighty Lord called His people to return to Him with the promise that if they did He would return to them (cf. Deuteronomy 4:30-31; Deuteronomy 30:1-10). A command to "return" to the Lord, in Malachi 3:7, occurs at the beginning of this speech, and a promise that the Lord would "return" to them, in Malachi 4:6, ends the speech. The response of the people

Matthew 10:7-8 — The apostles were to herald the same message that John (Matthew 3:2) and Jesus proclaimed (Matthew 4:17; Matthew 4:23; Matthew 9:35). They were to be itinerant preachers, as these men had been. [Note: Cf. Plummer, p. 149.] The absence of "repent" here should not be a problem since, as we have pointed out, repentance was not a separate step

Mark 6:49-50 — Mark noted that all the disciples saw Jesus, and they all thought He was a phantom (Gr. phantasma). Jesus told them to take courage and stop fearing (cf. Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 41:13-14; Isaiah 43:1; Isaiah 44:2). Some interpreters believe the reference to Jesus passing by them (Mark 6:48) and His words, "It is I," indicate a theophany (cf. Exodus 3:14; Exodus 33:19; Exodus 33:22; 1 Kings 19:11; Isaiah

Luke 9:30 — work of the Exodus to its eschatological consummation. Moses was the original redeemer of God’s people. Elijah was the prophet whom God predicted would turn the hearts of the people back to Himself in the future as he had in the past (Malachi 4:4-6; cf. Deuteronomy 18:18). The facts that no one could find Moses’ corpse (Deuteronomy 34:5-6), and that Elijah ascended into heaven while still alive (2 Kings 2:11-12; 2 Kings 2:15-18), intimated Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. However,

John 10:14-15 — love. "’Know’ (ginosko) in this Gospel connotes more than the cognizance of mere facts; it implies a relationship of trust and intimacy." [Note: Tenney, "John," p. 109. See also Wiersbe, 1:330.] John also used the word this way in 1 John (John 4:7-8; John 4:16; John 5:20) where he expounded the importance of not just believing in but abiding in Jesus Christ.

John 13:35 — off as His disciples. It is possible to be a disciple of Jesus without demonstrating much supernatural love. However that kind of love is what bears witness to a disciple’s connection with Jesus and thereby honors Him (cf. 1 John 3:10-23; John 4:7-16). John’s first epistle is really an exposition of the themes that Jesus set forth in the upper room discourse. [Note: See John R. Yarid Jr., "John’s Use of the Upper Room Discourse in First John" (Ph.D. dissertation, Dallas

Acts 22:30 — proved inconsequential, Claudius Lysias would release him. If the Jews charged him with some religious crime, the Sanhedrin could try him. If they charged him with a civil crime, the Roman provincial governor would try him. [Note: See my comments on 4:5 for information about the Sanhedrin.] This was at least the sixth time that the Sanhedrin had to evaluate the claims of Christ. The first occasion was when it met to consider reports about Jesus (John 11:47-53), and the second was Jesus’ trial

Acts 23:1 — Jews (lit. "Men brothers," Gr. Andres adelphoi). He identified himself as a Jew since his loyalty to Judaism was in question. Paul frequently claimed to have lived with a clear conscience before God (cf. Acts 20:18-21; Acts 20:26-27; Acts 24:16; Romans 15:19; Romans 15:23; Philippians 3:6; 2 Timothy 4:7). Paul referred to the conscience about 23 times in his epistles. Here this claim meant that he believed that nothing he had done, which he was about to relate, was contrary to the will

Acts 28:10 — people of Malta benefited them physically and spiritually, and they expressed their gratitude by honoring him in many ways. Even though Paul was a prisoner, his service of God resulted in blessing for others and for himself (cf. Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19). "The account of Paul’s healings on Malta is quite similar to the account of Jesus’ healings at Capernaum at the beginning of his ministry (Luke 4:38-40). In both cases the healing of an individual is followed by the healing of

Romans 4:23-24 — Paul applied God’s dealings with Abraham to his readers in this pericope’s final verses. God will credit His righteousness to all who believe Him. As in Romans 4:3, the content of faith is not specific (Romans 4:24). The more important point is that we trust God as Abraham did. Our confidence must be in Him. Paul was not saying here that we need to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. That is important,

1 Corinthians 2:15 — spiritually mature person. That is all right, in one sense, because the spiritual person’s judge is ultimately God, not other people. [Note: See Charles C. Ryrie, "What Is Spirituality?" Bibliotheca Sacra 126:503 (July-September 1969):204-13, or idem, Balancing the Christian Life, pp. 12-23.] This verse is not saying believers are responsible only to God but that the Christian is answerable to God alone ultimately (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:3-4). Paul recognized the value of church discipline

1 Corinthians 4:11-13 — Paul proceeded to detail the dishonor that befalls those who bear the message of the cross. The Greeks despised people who did manual labor, as Paul had done in Corinth (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:4-18; Acts 18:3; Acts 18:5; 2 Corinthians 11:9; 2 Corinthians 12:13-17); they regarded it as the work of slaves. [Note: Morris, p. 81.] To the world it is foolish to bless those who curse us, but that is what Paul did following the teaching and example