Bible Commentaries

Ezra 10:5-8 — The assembling of the people 10:5-8 Ezra first secured the cooperation of Israel’s leaders (Ezra 10:5). The Eliashib of Ezra 10:6 was not the same Eliashib who was the high priest in Nehemiah’s day (Nehemiah 3:1; Nehemiah 13:4; Nehemiah 13:28). [Note: See Kidner, pp. 153-55.] Ezra executed the power over the exiles that he had received from Artaxerxes (Ezra 10:8; cf. Ezra 7:26).

Psalms 118:1-4 — 1. Praise for Yahweh’s loyal love 118:1-4 The first verse is a call to acknowledge God’s lovingkindness. Then the psalmist appealed to all Israel, the priests, and all those who fear God to acknowledge the limitless quality of His loyal love (cf. Psalms 115:9-13). Perhaps this call and response structure found expression in antiphonal worship in which a leader or leaders issued the call and the people responded out loud.

Psalms 123:3-4 — 2. Desire for grace 123:3-4 The Israelites needed more grace because their pagan neighbors, who were leading comfortable lives, were ridiculing them for their trust in Yahweh. It is appropriate to request additional divine enablement to bear the criticism and mocking of unbelievers who ridicule faith in God. However, we should maintain a realistic attitude of dependence on God as we petition Him and wait for Him to grant our request.

Psalms 147:7-9 — Psalms 147:7 is a call to praise similar to Psalms 147:1. Psalms 147:8-9 picture God providing for His creatures through the operations of His providence. The psalmist may have mentioned young ravens (Psalms 147:9) because they are especially vulnerable. Ravens do not provide for their young as other birds do. They are very selfish (cf. 1 Kings 17:4-6). Nevertheless God takes care of baby ravens.

Psalms 2:1 — David set forth his amazement in the form of a rhetorical question. He could not believe that the nations would try to do something that was sure to fail. It was senseless to reject God’s rule and ruler (cf. Acts 4:25-28; Romans 1:20-32). The people in the first part of Psalms 1 delight in the law, but the people in the first part of Psalms 2 defy the law.

Psalms 30:8-10 — David had prayed for the Lord to be gracious to him. He had based his request on the fact that, if God allowed him to die, he would not be able to glorify the Lord with his public praises any longer. Consequently, David would not be able to honor God among His people. David based his petition on the glory of God, not on his own selfish desires (cf. James 4:2-3).

Psalms 72:1-4 — This prayer for the ability to rule justly and righteously is similar to Solomon’s request for wisdom, which he voiced at the beginning of his reign (1 Kings 3:9). His references to the mountains and hills are probably metaphorical allusions to his government (cf. Psalms 30:7; Isaiah 2:2; Isaiah 41:15; Jeremiah 51:25; Daniel 2:35; Daniel 2:44; Revelation 17:9). Psalms 72:4 describes basic justice.

Proverbs 23:22-23 — Heeding wise parental instruction is hard for some children, but it is necessary for them to become wise. By listening to and obeying his or her parents, the child learns to listen to and obey God. Submission to parental authority makes submission to divine authority easier (cf. 2 Timothy 3:1-4). Honoring parents here means listening (paying attention) to their instructions. [Note: Toy, p. 436.] It does not necessarily mean obeying their instructions.

Song of Solomon 8:4 — Solomon again urged his wife’s friends not to try to awaken her love for him artificially but to let love take its natural course (cf. Song of Solomon 2:7; Song of Solomon 3:5). Her love was now fully alive and needed no further stimulation. This section (Song of Solomon 5:2 to Song of Solomon 8:4), that began with estrangement, ends with the lovers entwined in each other’s arms.

Isaiah 22:15 — The Lord commanded Isaiah to go to Shebna, who was steward (ruler) over the royal household (cf. Joseph; Genesis 39:8-9; 1 Kings 4:6; 1 Kings 18:3). This was the highest office of state in both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, and sometimes the heir to the throne occupied it (cf. 2 Chronicles 26:21). As the royal steward, Shebna stood nearest to the king and represented the king.

Isaiah 30:7 — Egypt, of all nations, would not be a help to God’s people. She would live up to the nickname that the Lord had given her (cf. Psalms 87:4). "Rahab" means pride, turbulence, arrogance, boastfulness. There is no intended connection with Rahab the harlot (Joshua 2). In popular Ugaritic legend, Rahab was a sea monster, or a dragon. Her promises of help would be worth nothing. Rahab was a "do nothing" ally.

Isaiah 48:14 — The Israelites needed to listen because only the Lord could reveal what He would do. Specifically, Yahweh revealed His love (choice, cf. Deuteronomy 4:37; Malachi 1:2-3) of Cyrus, who would fulfill God’s will on Babylon by defeating the Chaldeans (cf. Isaiah 44:28). The Israelites, in view of who their God is, should not resist His choice of Cyrus or reject the revelation about him. The idols, "them," could not reveal this.

Jeremiah 13:11 — The Lord had purposed for His chosen people to cling closely to Him, and to be an ornament of glory for Him, like a waistband served its wearer. But they did not listen to Him. They had become tarnished and spoiled by contact with polluting influences. Linen was a priestly material (Leviticus 16:4), and similarly Israel was to be a priestly nation that was to cling to Yahweh (Exodus 19:6).

Jeremiah 21:7 — Nebuchadnezzar would also slay King Zedekiah, his servants, and the people who survived the war and its accompanying horrors. The Babylonian king would show no mercy or compassion. Zedekiah did indeed die in Babylon, some time after the Babylonians killed his sons as he watched, and then blinded him (Jeremiah 34:4; Jeremiah 52:11; 2 Kings 25:6-7; Ezekiel 12:13). Jeremiah directed this second oracle against the people of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 22:17 — Jehoiakim had only been interested in acquiring things for himself, even dishonestly. He resorted to oppression, extortion, and even murder to get what he wanted (Jeremiah 26:20-23; 2 Kings 24:3-4). "Jehoiakim, who was only twenty-five years old when he began to reign and only thirty-six when he died (2 Kings 23:36), was evidently a thoroughly spoiled and self-indulgent young despot." [Note: Thompson, p. 479.]

Jeremiah 3:23 — The Israelites confessed that the hills and mountains on which they had worshipped idols had been sites of deception for them and places of unrest. The idols had not provided what they promised, and instead of finding rest by worshipping them, the Israelites had experienced turmoil. They finally acknowledged that only in Yahweh their God could they find true salvation (cf. Exodus 20:2-6; Deuteronomy 5:6-10; Deuteronomy 6:4).

Jeremiah 32:16-25 — Jeremiah’s prayer 32:16-25 The prayer begins with a long ascription of praise to Yahweh (Jeremiah 32:17-23), and concludes by expressing incredulity that the Lord had commanded His servant to buy the land in Anathoth (Jeremiah 32:24-25; cf. Nehemiah 9:6-37; Daniel 9:4-19). [Note: This prayer and the ones in Nehemiah 9 and Daniel 9 are similar in that they all contain praise, confession, and lament.]

Ezekiel 16:9-12 — The Lord also prepared her for a special relationship with Himself. He cleansed and anointed her and clothed her with beautiful, expensive clothing including fine shoes. He also gave her jewelry to make her even more beautiful with bracelets, a necklace, a ring, earrings, and a crown (cf. Genesis 24:53; Psalms 45:13-15; Isaiah 61:10). These were Jerusalem’s glory days under Solomon’s rule (cf. 1 Kings 10:4-5).

Numbers 24:20 — This oracle deals with the Amalekites who lived in southern Canaan and the Sinai peninsula and were implacable foes of Israel (cf. Exodus 17:8-16; Numbers 14:43-45; Judges 6:3; Judges 6:33; et al.). Saul and David both defeated the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:20; 1 Samuel 30:17), but this nation finally suffered complete destruction in King Hezekiah’s time in fulfillment of this prophecy (1 Chronicles 4:43).

Judges 12:8-15 — 4. The judgeships of Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon 12:8-15 These three men were quite clearly successors of Jephthah (Judges 12:8; Judges 12:11; Judges 12:13). Probably Ibzan followed Jephthah (Judges 12:8), and then Elon and Abdon succeeded Ibzan (Judges 12:11; Judges 12:13). The writer noted no special deeds of theirs, either because they performed none or because he chose not to feature them in his narrative.