Bible Commentaries

Genesis 35:16-22 — Ben-oni means "son of my pain (Genesis 35:18)." For Rachel, Benjamin’s birth was a fatally painful experience. However the birth of his twelfth son mollified Jacob’s sorrow over Rachel’s death. He named his son Benjamin meaning

2 Kings 22:3-27 — 2. Josiah’s reforms 22:3-23:27 Josiah began to seek Yahweh when he was 16 years old and began initiating religious reforms when he was 20 (2 Chronicles 34:3-7). His reforms were more extensive than those of any of his predecessors. One of them

Jeremiah 7:31 — The people had also built a shrine at a site called "Topheth," in the Valley of Hinnom just south of Jerusalem. The name "Topheth" may come from the Aramaic tephath, meaning "fireplace," "oven," or "hearth."

Numbers 1:1-54 — I. EXPERIENCES OF THE OLDER GENERATION IN THE WILDERNESS CHS. 1-25 This first main section of the book records how God prepared the Israelites to enter the Promised Land from Kadesh Barnea and why they failed to achieve that goal. A. Preparations for

Deuteronomy 33:6-25 — The arrangement of the tribes in this blessing is unusual. Kalland provided a chart of six lists of the tribes that appear in Genesis, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua, each of which contains a different order. [Note: Kalland, p. 222.] Evidently God

Judges 11:29-33 — Jephthah’s vow and victory 11:29-33 God’s Spirit then clothed Jephthah, giving the promise of divine enablement and victory in the approaching encounter with the Ammonite army (Judges 11:29; cf. Judges 3:10; Judges 6:34; Judges 14:6; Judges

Judges 4:4-11 — Deborah was one of three prophetesses identified as such in the Old Testament (Judges 4:4), along with Miriam (Exodus 15:20) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14). Anna (Luke 2:36) and Philip’s four daughters (Acts 21:8-9) were also prophetesses. Deborah