Bible Commentaries

Exodus 6:2 — shall inherit" (Genesis 15:8). The mother of all living in the gates of Paradise itself said, regarding the birth of Cain, "I have gotten a man with the help of Jehovah" (Genesis 4:1). It was under the name Jehovah that God visited Abraham (Genesis 18:13; Genesis 18:17). Under the name Jehovah, he appeared to Isaac (Genesis 26:2); and Jacob explained his early return to Isaac on the occasion of the blessing by saying, "Jehovah thy God (Isaac's God) sent me good speed" (Genesis 27:20). Noah invoked the

Leviticus 10:1-7 — this sin in the form it appears here, but we must agree with Kellogg that, "As regards the inner nature and essence of this sin, no sin in all the ages has been more common."S. H. Kellogg, The Book of Leviticus (Cincinnati: Jennings and Graham), p. 239. What about the countless innovations and variations of Christian worship today? How many things there are which so-called Christian churches are doing "as worship of God," which are absolutely nothing else than the teachings and doctrines and practices

Leviticus 11 overview — oysters. "Pork, improperly cooked, is widely recognized as a carrier of trichinosis. The rock badger and the hare are known carriers of tularemia."Ronald E. Clements, Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, Leviticus (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1972), p. 34. Such facts indeed might have influenced the beginning of taboos against eating those creatures, but there are other forbidden animals that do not follow that pattern, for example, the horse, or the dog. Also, cattle which were designated clean, are

Ezekiel 48:1-35 — teaches that all blessings material and spiritual emanate from the presence of the Lord and of his people."Footnote is not available Did not Paul himself say the same thing? "All spiritual blessings in the heavenly places are in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). When the Jews who returned from Babylon finally got around to restoring the Temple, "Cyrus' decree authorizing the building of the Temple specified a height of 60 cubits, which was twice the height of Solomon's Temple."Footnote is not available Since

Daniel 11:1-21 — century wrote this is obviously ridiculous. What "historical survey" could possibly have passed over the tremendous military campaign of Xerxes against Greece with its tremendous battles which are still the talk of all mankind? Later on in Daniel 11:34, the great campaigns of the Maccabees were practically ignored, being called in that verse "a little help!" It is simply impossible to suppose that any person whatever could have written such a thing after those stirring events of the Maccabean rebellion. The

Amos 4:4-5 — poor" spread out around "every altar" in Israel? "Your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes every three days" To interpret this as it stands in our version, "Amos exaggerates in order to emphasize the beloved fallacy"J. A. Motyer, op. cit., p. 733. that the "more" they served "god" (!) the better things would be for them. The tithes were due once a year, but in this place Amos seems to say, "If you tithed your possessions every three days" it would be only an increase in your sins! Why? nothing

Numbers 18:8-20 — `anointed,' but rather to the gifts which had been `consecrated' to them. Smick rendered this place, "I have given them for an anointed (or consecrated) portion."Elmer Smick, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Old Testament, Vol. 1 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), p. 136. Note that in Numbers 18:10, certain sacrifices were to be eaten by males only, while others in Numbers 18:11, were for the entire households of the priests. "The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land" (Numbers 18:13). These words are clearly

Numbers 24:15-25 — Eber; And he also shall come to destruction. And Balaam rose up and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way." Numbers 24:15-16 are an introduction to the fourth oracle almost the same as that which is given for the third (Numbers 24:3-4). (See under those verses for comment.) The fourth oracle, of course, is the outstanding prophecy of the whole Balaam narrative. The focal point is that mysterious person who rises out of Jacob/Israel, called a Star, then a Sceptre, and in Numbers

Matthew 18:23-34 — SERVANT (It will be noted that this is the first of the parables in which God is represented under the analogy of a king). 1.    God is represented by the king in this parable. 2.    All men are servants of the king. 3.    The servant with the enormous debt stands for every unredeemed sinner on earth whose debt is so large that it is impossible for him to pay it. 4.    The king's forgiveness, without any merit on the part of

Mark 13:14 — desolation standing where he ought not (let him that readeth understand), then let them that are in Judea flee unto the mountains. Then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains. The abomination of desolation … This paragraph through Mark 13:23 has a double application to the approaching destruction of the Holy City and to the second coming of Christ. As Cranfield expressed it: Neither an exclusively historical nor an exclusively eschatological interpretation is satisfactory; … we

John 1:3 — not directly attributed to Jesus in the synoptics, claiming a "contradiction." The point fails in light of the fact that Matthew represented Jesus as having twelve legions of angels, that is, some 75,000 angels, at his command (Matthew 26:53), quoting his words that "All authority in heaven and upon earth" were his (Matthew 28:18-20). One wonders just how such an accumulation of power in Jesus' hands is any less than the power of God! Mark 5:6 represents Jesus as having authority

Acts 2:1 — And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. PENTECOST Pentecost … This was one of the three principal feasts of the Jews (2 Chronicles 8:12-13), the others being Passover and Tabernacles. This feast was known by several names: "Firstfruits," "Harvest Festival," "Feast of Weeks" (Leviticus 23:15 f), and "Pentecost," as here. The last two of these names

Romans 6 overview — memory (Romans 5:20). It is well to trace the continuity of scripture, to read the letter of an inspired writer, as you would any other, as an entire composition. Joseph S. Exell, The Biblical Illustrator (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1963), p. 443. Regarding antinomianism: (It) is an interpretation of the antithesis between law and gospel, recurrent from the earliest times. Christians, being released in important particulars, from conformity to the Old Testament as a whole, a real difficulty

Romans 8:29 — passage in the New Testament where the word "know" does not above all contain the notion of "knowledge," for this is the first and fundamental meaning. The same is the case with the word "foreknow." … In Acts 2:23, "foreknowledge" is expressly distinguished from "the fixed decree" and consequently can denote nothing but prescience; and, as to Romans 11:2, "His people whom God foreknew," the idea of knowledge is the leading one in

Philippians 4:6 — In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. In nothing be anxious … In Matthew 6:25-34, our Lord gave extensive admonition on the subject of anxiety; and reference is here made to the comment on those passages in my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 6:25 ff. In order to avoid anxiety here, Paul followed exactly the instruction given by

Joshua 8:30-35 — just as soon as it was safe to carry it out. In view of this great ceremony coming exactly here, we must conclude that the two initial victories at Jericho and Ai were not all of the victories Israel had won, but especially important ones. There were 31 kingdoms subdued by Joshua in Canaan, and yet this book contains no account whatever of some of them, including Bethel, which, as we have seen, probably occurred almost simultaneously with the destruction of Ai. "Joshua does not profess to give an

Hebrews 12:1 — today!" Barnes said of this expression, "It is a figurative representation, such as is common, and means that we ought to act AS IF they were in sight." Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1963), Hebrews, p. 292. Lenski also rejects the concept of the ancient worthies as spectators, saying, "The souls of the saints are at rest; they are no longer concerned about the trials that occur on earth." R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation

Revelation 8:1 — last day, "the day of the Lord." Even the marvelous two chapters which conclude this prophecy reveal nothing of the events that are to take place afterwards. John himself said, "It is not yet made manifest what we shall be" (1 John 3:2), a statement which is parallel with the thought here. A moment later, we shall note some of the important corollaries that derive from this interpretation; but first, we shall give the interpretation of this verse as found in the writings of others: It

1 Samuel 28:8-14 — one contemplates what is here said. Is there any way that the possible meaning of the clause, "When the woman saw Samuel" might actually be, "When the woman pretended to see Samuel"? Note also that the ancient versions render the words of 1 Samuel 28:13 with the plural for "gods," "I saw gods ascending out of the earth." What, if anything, did she actually see? If she actually saw him, was Samuel brought back from the dead by God Himself?. Or, is it possible to suppose that a wicked persons such as