Bible Commentaries

2 Chronicles 18:1-34 — 3. Jehoshaphat and Ahab ch. 18 This chapter is very similar to 1 Kings 22. Jehoshaphat’s concern for God’s will guided his actions (2 Chronicles 18:4; 2 Chronicles 18:6). For other instances of prophets providing war oracles for the Divine Warrior, see 2 Chronicles 11:1-4; 1 Kings 20:13; 1 Kings 20:28; 2 Kings 3:11-19; 2 Kings 6:12-22; 2 Kings 7:1-7; 2 Kings 13:14-20; and 2 Chronicles 20:14-19. The

Esther 5:1-8 — The first banquet 5:1-8 Here we have another remarkable example of how God controls the hearts of kings (Esther 5:2; Proverbs 21:1; cf. Genesis 39-41; Ezra 1:1-4; Nehemiah 2; Daniel 2; Daniel 3; Daniel 4; Daniel 5; Acts 2:23). "To half of the kingdom" (Esther 5:3) is hyperbole and means, "I will grant even a very large request" (cf. Esther 5:6; Esther 7:2; Mark 6:22-23). Esther

Psalms 8:3-4 — In view of the insignificance of mankind compared with the rest of creation, especially the heavenly bodies, David marveled that God would even think about human beings (cf. Psalms 144:3-4; Job 7:17; Job 25:4-6). "The Creator has established two spheres of rule: heaven and earth. He has established the celestial bodies in the firmament and has given them the rule over day and night (Genesis 1:17-18), whereas he appointed man

Isaiah 2:12-17 — which He humbles the haughty, but it is particularly the Tribulation-in which He will humble haughty unbelievers. Isaiah used nature and the works of man to symbolize people (cf. Isaiah 1:30; Isaiah 6:13; Isaiah 9:10; Isaiah 10:33 to Isaiah 11:1; Isaiah 44:14; Isaiah 60:16). Here several of these symbols represent the spiritual pride of Israel (cf. Romans 12:3; Ephesians 4:2). "Throughout this section (Isaiah 2:6 to Isaiah 4:1) and many others in the Book of Isaiah, there is an interesting interplay

Isaiah 25:7-8 — The Lord will also remove the curse of death that has hung over humankind since the Fall (cf. Isaiah 26:19; Genesis 2:17; Job 19:26; Daniel 12:2; Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:54; Hebrews 2:15; Revelation 7:17; Revelation 21:4; Revelation 22:3). This will occur at the end of the Millennium, after the final rebellion and God’s creation of new heavens and a new earth. Isaiah’s vision of the future followed the course

Isaiah 55:4 — "him" is an unusual way of referring to Israel in this context. Nor is it the people of God more generally. I think the witness is the Servant Messiah, whom David anticipated and prefigured. Watts believed he was Darius. [Note: Watts, Isaiah 34-66, p. 246.] "The faithful mercies of David" (Isaiah 55:3) point beyond David; they are the faithful mercies promised to David. ". . . the book of the King ([Isaiah] chapters 1-37) portrayed the Messiah as the fulfilment [sic] of the

Jeremiah 17:1 — The indictment against Judah for her deeply ingrained sins was written permanently on the people’s hearts (cf. Job 19:24). It stood etched there and, also figuratively, on their most prominent places of worship, the pagan altars throughout the land. Sins engraved on the heart pictures the chief characteristic that marked the inner life of the people, which was indelible

Ezekiel 21:24-27 — be the only people allowed to remain in it. Yahweh would make Jerusalem the ultimate ruin. The triple repetition of a word in Hebrew, here "ruin," is the strongest way to express a superlative in the Hebrew language (cf. Isaiah 6:3; Isaiah 24:1-3). Jerusalem would no longer enjoy its former glories until One would come who had a divine right to replace both high priest and king (cf. Psalms 110:2; Psalms 110:4; Psalms 72; Isaiah 9:6; Jeremiah 23:5; Jeremiah 33:17; Zechariah 6:12-13). God

Amos 9:13 — the sense of flowing down with produce, perhaps even washing the soil away with grape juice. This verse pictures the reversing of the curse that God pronounced on the earth at the Fall (Genesis 3:17-19). Instead of drought and famine (Amos 1:2; Amos 4:6-8) there would be abundant harvests (cf. Leviticus 26:3-5; Deuteronomy 28:4-5; Deuteronomy 28:8; Deuteronomy 28:11-12). Even though these may be hyperbolic images, the point is clear.

Micah 3:8 — ecstasy) as a result of God’s Spirit. He virtually claimed that his prophecies were inspired. This statement also implies that Micah experienced continuous empowerment by the Holy Spirit as a prophet (cf. Ezekiel 2:2; Ezekiel 3:12; Ezekiel 3:14). Whereas the Spirit empowered some Old Testament servants of the Lord only temporarily (cf. Judges 3:10; Judges 6:34; Judges 11:29; Judges 13:25; Judges 14:6; Judges 14:19; Judges 15:14; 1 Samuel 16:14), He apparently empowered others, including most

Habakkuk 1:13 — Because Yahweh was the Holy One, Habakkuk knew that He was too pure to look approvingly at evil nor could He favor wickedness. This was a basic tenet of Israel’s faith (cf. Psalms 5:4; Psalms 34:16; Psalms 34:21). But this raised another, more serious, problem in the prophet’s mind. Why did the Lord then look approvingly on the treachery of the Babylonians? Why did He not reprove them and restrain them when the Babylonians

Zephaniah 3:19-20 — Having dealt with the Jews’ oppressors (cf. Zephaniah 3:8-15; Zephaniah 2:4-15; Genesis 12:3), the Lord will deliver even the weak and dispersed of His people and give them a worldwide reputation for goodness (cf. Deuteronomy 26:19). He will regather them in their land and give them a good reputation when He restores their

Zechariah 2:10-11 — The Israelites in Jerusalem and elsewhere were to rejoice because the Lord promised to intervene for them and to dwell among them. His return to Jerusalem would prompt the nations to come there and acknowledge Him as sovereign (cf. Psalms 47:9; Psalms 96:1; Psalms 97:1; Psalms 98:4). Many nations would turn to the Lord in that day (the eschatological day of the Lord, cf. ch. 14; Isaiah 2:12-21; Isaiah 24-27; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:28 to Joel 3:21; Amos 5:18-20; Amos 9:11-15; Zeph.) and become

Zechariah 2:12-13 — The Lord would at that time possess Judah as His inheritance in the "holy land" and would choose Jerusalem for special blessing (cf. Isaiah 19:24-25). This is the only occurrence of the term "holy land" in the Bible. Canaan would become holy (sacred, not common or ordinary) because it would be the site of the throne and habitation of God, who is holy, dwelling among His covenant people.

Zechariah 3:6-7 — things, she would govern God’s house (people and temple; cf. Deuteronomy 17:8-13; Jeremiah 31:7), have charge of His courts keeping them pure (cf. Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 31:23), and enjoy free access to God (cf. Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6; Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 10:19-22). "In all this the person and work of Joshua’s greater namesake, Jesus, was being anticipated. The faithful high priest of the pre-Christian era entered into God’s presence as the Christian [believer priest] does

Matthew 14:32-33 — The stilling of the wind is not the climax of the story. The disciples’ worship of Jesus is. This is the first time they addressed Jesus with His full title (Matthew 16:16; Matthew 26:63; Matthew 27:40; Matthew 27:43; Matthew 27:54; cf. Matthew 3:17; Matthew 4:3; Matthew 4:6). This was a new high for the disciples in their appreciation of Jesus’ person. "Retrospectively, the disciples, in making this confession, are giving answer to the

Matthew 15:10-11 — Mark noted that when He said this Jesus declared all food clean (Mark 7:19). As Messiah, Jesus was terminating the dietary distinction between clean and unclean foods that was such a large part of the Mosaic system of worship (cf. Acts 10:15; Romans 14:14-18; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:15). Matthew’s concern, however, was not to highlight this termination but to stress the point of Jesus’ teaching. The point was that to God what proceeds from the heart is more important

Matthew 9:15 — friends of the groom. They were so joyful that they could not fast because they were with Him. [Note: See Richard D. Patterson, "Metaphors of Marriage as Expressions of Divine-Human Relations," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 51:4 (December 2008):689-702.] The Old Testament used the groom figure to describe God (Psalms 45; Isaiah 54:5-6; Isaiah 62:4-5; Hosea 2:16-20). The Jews also used it of Messiah’s coming and the messianic banquet (Matthew 22:2; Matthew 25:1; 2 Corinthians

Deuteronomy 18:1-8 — than their loss of physical benefits. They could eat the produce of the land. In addition to the tithes, the Levites also received the parts of the sacrifices allotted to them that included meat of various kinds, wine, oil, and wool (Deuteronomy 18:3-4). Evidently not all the Levites served at the tabernacle. Some simply lived in their assigned cities. Participation in sanctuary services was apparently voluntary to some extent (Deuteronomy 18:6-8). God did not preserve in Scripture the plan whereby

Deuteronomy 5:1-6 — Abrahamic but the Mosaic Covenant. What follows is an upgrade of the Mosaic Covenant for the new generation about to enter the Promised Land. The "fathers" (Deuteronomy 5:3) were the previous generation. "Face to face" (Deuteronomy 5:4) is a figure of speech indicating direct communication, without a mediator. God uttered the Ten Commandments in the hearing of all the Israelites (Deuteronomy 5:22). This expression also reflects the personal relationship that existed between Yahweh