Bible Commentaries

Exodus 15:21 — Moses song as a chant at appropriate places in the hymn, which was evidently sung by all the people, or even, possibly, after every line of it. We can know nothing, really, of exactly how all this was done. See another comment on thus under Exodus 15:2, above. However, the significant mention of Miriam here is appropriate, for it shows the important place of women in God's deliverance of his people. It should be recalled here that Miriam saved Moses' life in the events surrounding his birth. Other

2 Kings 1:3-4 — Jehovah" The importance of this event is stressed by the appearance of this Mighty Angel to Elijah. Some identify him with the great Christophanies of the O.T., and Dentan was probably correct in his statement that, "The Angel of the Lord who appears in 2 Kings 1:3; 2 Kings 1:15 is actually the Lord himself."The Layman's Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 71. "Genesis 22:15-16 speaks of the angel of the Lord and the Lord as being the same."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 340. "Now therefore" "The word

2 Kings 24:1-7 — fathers; and Jehoiakin his son reigned in his stead. And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land; for the king of Babylon had taken, from the brook of Egypt unto the river Euphrates, all that pertained to the king of Egypt." Right here in 2 Kings 24:1 is the beginning of the seventy years of captivity for the children of Israel, as Jeremiah had prophesied: "And this whole land (Palestine) shall be a desolation and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy

1 Chronicles 2:1-55 — the families of scribes that dwelt at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Sucathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab." Although there is a great deal of new material in this chapter (1 Chronicles 2:25-41), other scriptures parallel much of it: "1 Chronicles 2:1-2 are parallel with Genesis 35:22 b-26 and Exodus 1:1-6. 1 Chronicles 2:3-4 are in Gen. 38:2-7,29f; 46:12a, and Numbers 26:18 f. 1 Chronicles 2:5 appears in Genesis 46:12 b; Numbers 26:21;

Psalms 116:16-19 — Jerusalem. Praise ye Jehovah (Hallelujah)." "I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid" "Thine handmaid here is `The Church,' or if Hezekiah was the author, `Thy handmaid was Abiyah, the daughter of Zechariah, who `had understanding in the vision of God (2 Chronicles 26:5; 2 Chronicles 29:1).'"The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 72. "I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving" This heart-felt sacrifice is the real worship of which all the ancient bloody sacrifices were only the tokens and symbolical

Proverbs 15:7 — "The lips of the wise disperse knowledge; But the heart of the foolish doth not so." This is very similar to Proverbs 15:2. Toy wrote that, "It contrasts the wise man's devotion to knowledge with the intellectual dullness of the opposite class."International Critical Commentary, Vol. 17, p. 305. However, the concept of the `foolish' in Proverbs (and the whole Bible) is

Proverbs 5:7-8 — nigh the door of her house." There are some temptations that must be avoided in order to be successfully resisted; and fornication, adultery and related vices are in that category. The New Testament echoes the same admonition. "Flee youthful lusts" (2 Timothy 2:22). "Obedience to this injunction might very well require that we should change our job, break with a set of friends,"Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, op. cit., p. 70. or renounce certain entertainment.

Isaiah 61:6 — yourselves." If there had been any doubt of this chapter's application to the reign of Messiah, the question would have been settled here. Only the members of the Church of the firstborn were ever designated collectively as "priests of God" (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 5:10). "Neither will there be a clergy distinct from the laity, for all will be called the ministers of our God."Homer Hailey, p. 494.

Habakkuk 1:10 — of these mounds, or inclined planes, to facilitate the approach of the battering-ram."W. J. Deane, op. cit., p. 3. "He scoffeth at kings" Jehoikim and Jehoikin, both kings of Israel, suffered the greatest indignities at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chronicles 36:6; 2 Chronicles 2 King 24:14,15; and Jeremiah 22:19).

Malachi 2 overview — chapter has in this one continued unabated. The inner spiritual life of the people which should have been nurtured and encouraged by the priesthood is, in this chapter, further hindered and destroyed by an unbelieving, reprobate priesthood (Malachi 2:1-9). God announced even the annulment of the Levitical covenant (Malachi 2:8). In the second chapter division (Malachi 2:9-16), it is starkly clear that the vast majority of the remnant were going the way of Gilgal and Shittim in exactly the same manner

Malachi 2:6 — "The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned away many from iniquity." This verse, along with Malachi 2:5; Malachi 2:7-8, is given to show Levi's obligation under the covenant of life and peace. What God did here was to cite the provisions of the covenant law that Levi once kept, but that his successors were violating. Clarke has given a summary of these

Malachi 3:3 — very passage in mind: "The proof of your faith, being more precious than gold… proved by fire… ye are built up a spiritual house… a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God by Jesus Christ, etc. (1 Peter 1:7; 1 Peter 2:5). The sacrifices "in righteousness" offered by the Christian include: our faith (Philippians 2:17), the love of God (Mark 12:33), our words, "the calves of our lips" (Hosea 14:2), our confession of Christ (Hebrews 13:15-16), our baptism into Christ

Matthew 4:12 — DIVISION 3 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD,AND REVELATION OF ITS PRINCIPLES OFTEACHINGS AND LAWS Matthew 4:12—13:52 Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee. (Matthew 4:12) Delivered up refers to the imprisonment of John the Baptist by Herod. Christ's withdrawal into Galilee was precautionary, to avoid an untimely martyrdom,

Luke 6:37 — manifests toward others are reflected against himself. The thing proscribed is harsh and censorious judgments of the conduct and character of others. Release … The injunction against judging is amplified by two negative commands: (1)judge not, and (2) condemn not; and by two positive commands, (1) forgive, and (2) give. The word "release" has reference to holding an attitude of vengeance, or the keeping account of some injury with a view to retaliation. It was better translated "forgive"

John 8:12 — light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD I am the light of the world … is the second of the seven great "I am's" of John. See: John 6:35; 8:12; 10:9; 10:11; 11:25; 14:6; and 15:5. Several suggestions of what might have prompted such a metaphor by Jesus are: (1) the great lamps kindled in the temple court during the feast of tabernacles, (2) the glorious sun rising at that very moment over

Acts 17:4 — multitude, and of the chief women not a few. Some were persuaded … By the very nature of the gospel, some believe it, others do not; but the difference lies in the hearts of the hearers. The gospel is a message of life to some, death to others (2 Corinthians 2:16). The devout Greeks … "Not necessarily proselytes, but persons who had given up idolatry, attended synagogue services and worshiped God." Ibid. Some have pointed out that this was the first place where Paul gathered

Acts 3:19 — Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. On Pentecost (Acts 2:38), Peter had preached: (1) repent ye, (2) and be baptized, (3) for the remission of sins, and (4) ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Exactly the same four factors are in view here: (1) repent, (2) turn again, (3) that sins may be blotted

1 Corinthians 16:2 — cit., p.549. is to be rejected. That is exactly what it does imply. Macknight translated this clause, "On the first day of every week"; James Macknight, Apostolical Epistles and Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1969), p. 291. Grosheide declared the meaning to be "On every Sunday"; F. W. Grosheide, The New International Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1953), p. 398. and Hodge said it means, "The collection was to be

2 Corinthians 11:20 — anti-Christian and contrary to the Holy Spirit their outrageous behavior surely was. Note what these false apostles were doing: Bringing into bondage. This could have meant that they were being enslaved to keep the ceremonial laws of the Jews (see Galatians 2:4; Galatians 5:1). Devouring them. This, like most of what is said here, has overtones of the Pharisaical methods in Jerusalem. Jesus, for example, said that they "devoured widows' houses" (Matthew 23:14). They took as much money and substance

James 2:8 — neighbor as thyself, ye do well: The royal law … It is impossible to view "royal law" as a reference to the Law of Moses, because Moses was never a king. Furthermore, James mentioned the "law of liberty" a moment later (James 2:12); and he is presenting not two laws but one. In addition, the reference to the "kingdom" (James 2:5) leads naturally to the conclusion that it is the law of that kingdom to which reference is made here. Throughout James, there are dozens