Bible Commentaries

Nehemiah 4 overview — BITTER ENEMIES OF ISRAEL OPPOSE REBUILDING THE WALL Two false interpretations of Nehemiah thus far must be rejected. One we have already noted, namely, the allegation that Nehemiah 3 was not written by Nehemiah and that it was "injected" into Nehemiah's narrative. The other is the inaccurate allegation that Nehemiah 3:3-6 "suggest the completion of the wall."The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 3, p. 696. No such suggestion is found in

Ezekiel 9 overview — THE WICKED ISRAELITES SLAIN; THE FAITHFUL SPARED This chapter continues the great theme of these four chapters by recording the first stage of the removal of God's presence (Ezekiel 9:3). Keil's divisions of the chapter are: (1) the supernatural executioners of Jerusalem are summoned (Ezekiel 9:1-3; (2) mercy is extended to the faithful (Ezekiel 9:4-7); and (3) Ezekiel's intercession cannot avail (Ezekiel 9:8-11).Carl Friedrich Keil,

Daniel 3 overview — Father for that people who were destined, in time, to deliver the Messiah to mankind. Note also how effective the miracles recorded here assuredly were. "Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged the true God as being above all the gods that he worshipped (Daniel 3:28). He admitted that it was right for the Jews to worship no other god but their own. He decreed that God's law should be obeyed rather than his (Daniel 3:28); and he forbade under penalty of death that if persons of any people, nation, or language

Amos 3 overview — The nature of Amos 3-6 has been disputed; but it appears that Keil's analysis is correct: "The contents of these chapters show that they do not contain three separate addresses delivered to the people by Amos at different times, but that they group together the leading

Nahum 1:3 — impossibility of escape by the enemy. "He will by no means clear the guilty" It was not an indiscriminate judgment that God pronounced against Nineveh, This prophecy cites exactly the instances and dimensions of Nineveh's guilt: "The guilty" (Nahum 1:3) are the ones God knows to be guilty. "God's enemies" (Nahum 1:8) are those who have revolted from him. "Plotters of evil" (Nahum 1:9; Nahum 1:11) are those who plan and execute evil. "The vile" (Nahum 1:14) are they who have sunken into bestiality. "The

Matthew 13:17-18 — For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not. Here, as in Matthew 13:11, above, Christ referred to the hidden nature of God's eternal purpose for man's salvation. Paul frequently wrote of this, and a more particular attention to that "mystery" can be quite rewarding. The New Testament refers to these mysteries: The

Matthew 18:3 — heaven. Benjamin Franklin, the great Restoration preacher, found in this text one of a triad on the subject of conversion. The expression "turn" or "turn again" is translated "be converted" in the KJV. The other two texts are Acts 3:19 and Acts 28:27. The three texts represent instruction directed to three different classes of persons, depending upon their spiritual development. These are: (1) believers who needed to repent (Matthew 18:3), (2) unbelievers (Acts 28:27), and (3)

Matthew 5:12 — Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you. The apostles took to heart this admonition of the Saviour to rejoice in persecutions. James (James 1:2-4), Paul (1 Timothy 3:12; Colossians 1:24), and the Twelve (Acts 5:41) were happy in persecutions. In this passage, Christ firmly underscored the principle motive undergirding human submissiveness to God. There were, in fact, three of these: love, fear, and hope of reward.

Deuteronomy 6 overview — Saviour's temptation (Matthew 4). It was to this very chapter that Jesus turned for the word that confounded and defeated the sophistry of the Pharisees on the occasion of their captious question, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" (Matthew 22:34). This is an appropriate place, therefore, to note how frequently Christ, the apostles, and the writers of the N.T. quoted directly from Deuteronomy. As a matter of fact, the Cross-Reference Bible (ASV) has exactly 182 N.T. references to Deuteronomy

1 Corinthians 3 overview — This chapter falls logically into two divisions having reference to fellow-laborers in God's field (1 Corinthians 3:1-9 a), and to fellow-workers in God's building (1 Corinthians 3:9 b-17), with a short summary and recapitulation of the apostle's argument in the epistle to this point (1 Corinthians 3:18-23). THE FIELD The unspiritual, worldly conduct of the Corinthians,

Ephesians 3:7 — Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power. In Ephesians 3:2; Ephesians 3:7 and Ephesians 3:8, Paul stressed the grace, that is the divine favor, bestowed upon him by the Father through Christ. "The apostle of the Gentiles enlarged upon the greatness of his special mission. Thrice here he calls it a grace

Ephesians 5 overview — "Walk" as a metaphor of general behavior is used in this chapter to admonish Christians to: (1) walk in love (Ephesians 5:1-2); (2) walk in the light (Ephesians 5:3-14); and (3) walk in wisdom (Ephesians 5:15-21). In Ephesians 5:22, Paul began instructions relative to three classes of reciprocal obligations: (1) those between husbands and wives (Ephesians 5:22-33); (2) those between children and parents (Eph. 5:6:1-4);

Colossians 3 overview — Findlay's outline of this section of the epistle is: a.    The Colossians urged to maintain a lofty spiritual life (Colossians 3:1-4). b.    They were to put off old vices (Colossians 3:5-8). c.    They were to put on new Christian virtues (Colossians 3:9-14). d.    The sovereignty of Christ was to rule them (Colossians

Colossians 3:20 — Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord. "Well-pleasing in the Lord … fitting in the Lord (Colossians 3:18) … fearing the Lord (Colossians 3:22) … as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23) … ye serve the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:24) …" Notice that all of the persons addressed regarding their personal and domestic duties

Colossians 4:3 — divine direction (Acts 16:7), it is also subject to satanic hindrances (1 Thessalonians 2:18)." John B. Nielson, op. cit., p. 422. The mystery of Christ … See other Pauline references to "the mystery" (Ephesians 1:9; Ephesians 3:3; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:26-27; 1 Timothy 3:9; 1 Timothy 3:16, etc.). For which I also am in bonds … One of the salient features of the mystery stressed so often by Paul was that of God's purpose of inclusion of the Gentiles in one body

2 Thessalonians 3:17-18 — The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. See under 2 Thessalonians 3:4 for pertinent comment on Paul's attestation. Significantly, Paul here declared that all of his epistles were similarly authenticated; thus it is likely that the usual Pauline "grace and peace" at the end of his writings were always written

2 Timothy 3 overview — This chapter has a vivid description of the great apostasy (2 Timothy 3:1-9), signs of which were already present, an appeal to Paul's own inspiring and inspired example (2 Timothy 3:10-15), and one of the most impressive paragraphs in all the Bible with reference to the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17). For more extensive discussion of the apostasy, the man of sin, and antichrist, see excursus at end of 2 Thessalonians 2.

Titus 3 overview — This concluding chapter contains sundry instructions for Christians with a warning against factious persons (Titus 3:1-11), a few personal remarks, salutations and the benediction (Titus 3:12-15).

1 Peter 3 overview — The apostle in this chapter continued giving instructions to classes or groups of people: (1) to wives (1 Peter 3:1-6); (2) to husbands; (3) to the community of Christians as a whole; and then, perhaps with the looming terror of the Neronian persecution in mind, he spoke of the blessedness of suffering for righteousness sake (1 Peter 3:13-22).

Revelation 21:6 — is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. And he said unto me … God continues to speak. Dummelow understood this as a reference to Revelation 21:5. J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1090. The creation of all things new is here referred to as a past event, by the prophetic tense, showing that it is as certain to happen as if it had already occurred. I am the Alpha and the Omega, … "As the book opens, so it closes,