Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 22:2-3 — Such rejoicing was inappropriate, however, because Isaiah saw in his vision that they would fall to an enemy, not because of combat but starvation. This happened when the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and took it in 586 B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 25:3-4; Jeremiah 52:6). Jerusalem, as well as Babylon, would fall (cf. Isaiah 2:6-22; Isaiah 21:1-10).

Isaiah 35:6-7 — Water gushing out in the arid wilderness and Arabah would be a sign of blessings that they would shortly experience (cf. Isaiah 35:1-2; Isaiah 41:18; Isaiah 43:19-20; Isaiah 44:3-4; Deuteronomy 28:1-14). The desolate resting place where only jackals lived would become verdant with grassy growth. Reversal and transformation will mark this time.

Jeremiah 15:6 — The city had forsaken Yahweh. It had regressed rather than advanced morally and spiritually. The Lord promised to destroy her with His own power. He was tired of returning to a people who implored Him not to leave them (Jeremiah 14:9). He was weary of waiting to judge a people who had grown weary of repenting (Jeremiah 9:4).

Jeremiah 49:16 — Edom had deceived herself by thinking that other nations would be too afraid of her apparently impregnable location to attack her. But the Lord promised to bring her down and to humble her arrogance (cf. Obadiah 1:1-4). "The rock" is a translation of Sela, a site near the city carved out of rock near Bozrah, later called Petra (in Greek).

Ezekiel 1:1-3 — 1. The setting of the vision 1:1-3 "The setting of the Mesopotamian dream-visions-which occurred in both the Assyrian period and the Babylonian period . . . -consisted of four elements: (1) the date, (2) the place of reception, (3) the recipient, and (4) the circumstances. Ezekiel included all four aspects in his vision." [Note: Ibid., p. 754. See Oppenheim, pp. 186-87.]

Ezekiel 44:5 — The Lord spoke to Ezekiel and instructed him to pay close attention to all the instructions that he would receive concerning worship in the temple (cf. Ezekiel 40:4). He needed to give special attention to the entrances leading to the temple proper because it was there that the common life of the people interfaced with the holiness of the inner sanctum.

Hosea 5:11 — Ephraim would experience crushing judgment by an enemy invader because he determined to follow false gods rather than divine commands (cf. Deuteronomy 4:3; Deuteronomy 6:14; Deuteronomy 8:19; Deuteronomy 28:14; Jeremiah 2:5). The human command in view is probably Jeroboam I’s institution of calf worship at altars in Bethel and Dan (1 Kings 12:27-30).

Amos 2:13-16 — Israel’s consequent punishment 2:13-16 In the previous oracles, Amos consistently likened God’s judgment to fire (Amos 1:4; Amos 1:7; Amos 1:10; Amos 1:12; Amos 1:14; Amos 2:2; Amos 2:5). In this one he did not use that figure but described the judgment coming on Israel with other images, especially images of panic in battle.

Matthew 9:9-17 — 4. Jesus’ authority over His critics 9:9-17 Matthew returned to the subject of Jesus’ authority over people (cf. Matthew 8:18-22). In Matthew 8:18-22 Jesus directed those who came to Him voluntarily as disciples. Here He explained the basis for His conduct to those who criticized Him. This is another section that contains discipleship lessons.

Mark 15:42-47 — The burial of Jesus 15:42-47 (cf. Matthew 27:57-66; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:31-42) The burial of Jesus was an important part of the preaching of the early church (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It forms a connection between Jesus’ death and His resurrection. More important, it demonstrated the reality of Jesus’ death.

Luke 2:27-28 — The Holy Spirit led Simeon to be present in the temple courtyard when Mary and Joseph arrived to consecrate Jesus to God (cf. Luke 4:1). Again the presence of Jesus became an occasion for joy and praise of God (Luke 1:46-55; Luke 2:14; Luke 2:20). This was consistently the response of the godly to Jesus in Luke’s Gospel.

Luke 8:16 — This was evidently a favorite saying of Jesus’ (cf. Matthew 5:15; Mark 4:21; Luke 11:33). In view of the context here the lamp refers to a person who has the light of God’s Word within him or her. Such a person has a responsibility to let the light illuminate those around him rather than concealing it from them.

Luke 9:43 — In conclusion, Luke centered attention on the reaction of the crowd. Jesus’ miracle amazed (Gr. exeplesonto, cf. Luke 4:32) the people who recognized it as a demonstration of God’s great power (cf. Luke 5:25; Luke 7:16; Luke 7:18; Acts 2:11; Acts 19:17; 2 Peter 1:16). This sign should have convinced the crowd that Jesus was God.

John 4:39-42 — 3. The response to Jesus in Samaria 4:39-42 The response of the Samaritans to Jesus was considerably more positive than the response of the Jews had been (John 1:11; John 2:23-25). This would prove true as Jesus’ ministry continued. Non-Jews normally responded more positively to Jesus than did Jews both in the Gospels and in Acts.

John 5:26 — This verse explains how Jesus can do these things. He can do them because He has life resident within Himself. He is self-existent whereas humans receive their life from Him, the source of life. This quality of the Son is another that came to Him by the Father’s good pleasure before Creation (cf. John 5:22; John 1:4).

John 7:24 — Jesus concluded by warning His hearers against judging superficially (cf. Deuteronomy 16:18-19; Isaiah 11:3-4; Zechariah 7:9). Their superficial judgment about what was legitimate activity for the Sabbath had resulted in superficial judgment about Jesus’ work and person. He told them to stop doing that. They needed to judge on the basis of righteous criteria, what was truly right.

Acts 20:17 — Evidently Paul’s ship had a several-day layover in Miletus, or he may have changed ships after spending a few days there (cf. Acts 21:3-4; Acts 21:8). It would have taken at least one day for Paul’s message to reach the Ephesian elders and at least one more day for them to make their way to Miletus to join him.

Acts 5:13 — The "rest" (Gr. hoi loipoi) were probably the unbelieving Jews. [Note: See Kent, pp. 55-56.] Other possibilities are that they were the apostles, other Christians, or other Jerusalemites. They steered clear of the Christians because of the Jewish leaders’ opposition (Acts 4:18) and the apostles’ power (Acts 5:1-10). The "people" (Gr. ho laos), the responsive Jews, honored the believers.

Romans 8:24-25 — In the meantime we should look forward with hope to what God has promised and patiently endure present sufferings (cf. Romans 5:4). "The point of these two verses is that the attitude of hope, so distinctive of the Christian, implies that there is more in store for him than anything that is his already." [Note: Sanday and Headlam, p. 210.]

1 Corinthians 8:4 — In this verse Paul returned to the original subject of eating meals in idol temples and applied the priority of love over knowledge to it. Unquestionably idols are not spirit beings such as God. There is only one true God (Deuteronomy 6:4). Every Christian should know that, and the Corinthians did. "We know that" affirms what they all knew as true.