Bible Commentaries

Exodus 29:43-46 — might dwell among them: I am Jehovah their God." "And they shall know that I am Jehovah their God" The knowing here means knowledge through experience; and it is exactly the same kind of knowledge referred to in the early chapters of Exodus (Exodus 3:14; Exodus 6:3) as a knowledge they had not previously known. The same pattern is here. Yes, Israel already knew Jehovah had brought them through the Red Sea on dry land; but the knowledge spoken of here is a greater, more complete, knowledge. Here

Psalms 29:3 — THE THUNDERSTORM "The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters: The glory of God thundereth. Even Jehovah upon many waters. The voice of Jehovah is powerful; The voice of Jehovah is full of majesty." "The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters" (Psalms 29:3). In the land of Palestine, where David lived, such a statement clearly means that "It is thundering out in the Mediterranean Sea as a great thunderstorm approaches the land." Another acceptable interpretation is that of Rawlinson who wrote that the

Psalms 46:1-3 — trouble. Therefore will we not fear, Though the earth do change, And though the mountains be shaken into the heart of the seas; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains tremble with the swelling thereof. (Selah)" Psalms 46:2-3 here are considered to be figurative, standing for all kinds of political commotion and turbulent conflict among nations. Rawlinson identified these terrible political upheavals as, "Probably those caused by the Assyrian career of conquest."The Pulpit

Proverbs 3:11-20 — the utility of sufferings and misfortunes borne by the righteous, "Is the same solution to that problem that was proposed by both Eliphaz (Job 5:17 f) and Elihu."Arthur S. Peake, A Commentary on the Bible (London: T. C. and E. C. Jack, Ltd., 1924), p. 399. And, although their understanding of it as it regarded the miseries of Job was inaccurate, it is nevertheless one of the valid reasons why God causes his saints to pass through afflictions. "God's people, like Jonah, may fall into sin and fall asleep

Isaiah 33:2-3 — prayer and prophecy is somewhat strange; but the situation was one of great emergency and extremely high levels of emotion. The first verse of this alone may be properly understood as the prayer of Isaiah and the Jews to Jehovah for his help. Isaiah 33:3 is a reference to Sennacherib's lifting up of himself with the consequential fear and scattering of the nations; and according to Lowth, Isaiah 33:3 is actually answered in Isaiah 33:10, where God lifts himself up with doleful consequences for Sennacherib.

Jeremiah 23:5-8 — merits.Barnes' Notes (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House), p. 206. As a title, BRANCH traces the human and divine ancestry of Messiah and focuses upon the kingly and priestly natures of the Messianic task.The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 641. In Jeremiah 23:5-8, we have the promise of Messiah.J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 479. Under the just scepter of Messiah, all Israel will reach the destiny designed for it by the Lord.C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans

Joel 3 overview — understand; all interpreters are at variance upon it,'" himself leaning toward the view that it referred to certain victories or changes in the fortunes of the secular state of Israel. It is our conviction that most of the failure to understand Joel 3 derives from a misunderstanding of the secular state and fleshly nation of the Jews as the principal, or even the sole, subject of God's concern and of his prophetic word, i.e., a confusion of the two Israel's of God, the one of the flesh alone, the

Zephaniah 3:1-3 — light, perhaps the supreme sin should be understood as "false religion ? In any case, Zephaniah certainly dealt with the evils of injustice and exploitation in these very verses. "Polluted" "This word is a term usually connected with blood (Isaiah 59:3; Lamentations 4:14)."T. Miles Bennett, Nahum and Zephaniah (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1969), p. 92. Zephaniah 3:2 carries a four-fold indictment of the proud and wicked Jerusalem: She obeyed not the voice (of God). She received not correction

Zechariah 3:3-4 — thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with rich apparel." "Filthy garments" Some have advanced the notion that the filthy garments here indicate penitence and mourning on the part of Joshua; but the mention of "iniquity" in Zechariah 3:4 confirms the view that they stand for the scandalous sins of Israel, the whole nation, the sins of their kings, judges, priests and the people generally. They are represented, moreover, as being still filthy, even after their being plucked out of

Zechariah 7 overview — This Chapter deals with a question from the Jews at Bethel about keeping a certain fast day. Zechariah 7:1-3 give the situation and state the question; and the balance of the chapter (Zechariah 7:4-14) reveals the prophet's response. Actually, this chapter is a unit with Zeph. 8; because the prophet's answer was given in six statements. "Each statement is

Matthew 11:21 — own city" (Matthew 9:1). Chorazin is nowhere else mentioned in the New Testament. McGarvey wrote that "When the time came for evangelizing the Gentiles, Tyre and Sidon accepted the gospel, and verified the words of the text" (Acts 21:3-6; Acts 27:3).

John 15:4 — "in him" until probation has ended. Jesus did not here elaborate the means by which one is brought into such a sacred relationship with himself; but the New Testament leaves no doubt of how this comes about. Men are baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27), nor is any other means of entry into Christ disclosed in the sacred Scriptures. See under John 14:20.

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

2 Corinthians 3:7-8 — with glory? MINISTRATION OF DEATH The old covenant, deficient on account of man's sins, was nevertheless attended at its inception by glorious manifestations of God's power and majesty, including the radiance of Moses' face mentioned here (see Exodus 34:29-35). Paul's argument is simply this, that if even the old covenant, called here the ministration of death, was attended by such glory, how much more glorious is the gospel of Christ, or the new covenant. Of deep interest is Paul's view of history,

Galatians 3:5 — 484. and logically refers to the miracles which Paul himself had performed among them, notable examples of which, as Ramsay pointed out, were: (1) the healing of the lame man at Lystra (Acts 14:9), and (2) the signs and wonders done at Iconium (Acts 14:3). Of course, Ramsay identified "the Galatians" as those churches of Paul's first missionary journey. William M. Ramsay, op. cit., p. 327. Works of law … hearing of faith … See under Galatians 3:2.

Joshua 3:7-10 — said, Hereby shall ye know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite." In Joshua 3:7, it is revealed that one of the purposes of the great miracle in this chapter was that of elevating Joshua in the minds of all Israel. This was by no means the most important purpose, but was surely one of the reasons for it. In the kind of war about

Colossians 1:17 — And he is before all things, and in him all things consist. Again, here is an astounding coincidence of thought with that of the author of Hebrews. See my Commentary under Hebrews 1:3. Not only did Jesus Christ create the universe, he sustains, upholds, and supports it! And he is before all things … See under Colossians 1:15. Findlay was also impressed with the implications "he is" as used here. He said: In the mouth

Titus 3:5 — of this, it is profitable to glance at other Scriptures which are admitted by scholars to be parallel to the teaching here. Scripture is always the best comment on Scripture. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). Of this verse, Spence said, "The apostle has grandly paraphrased his words here in Titus 3:5." H. D. M. Spence, op. cit., p. 261. And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name

2 Peter 2 overview — Paul, Peter and John. It is printed as a single paragraph in the ASV, but a workable outline of it is given by Strachan, thus: R. H. Strachan, Expositor's Greek Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), pp. 133-141. The false teachers and their judgment (2 Peter 2:1-3). Historical illustration of Divine judgment on the wicked, and care of the righteous (2 Peter 2:4-10 a). Further description of the false teachers (2 Peter 2:10 b-14). The example of Balaam

2 Samuel 19:24-30 — home.'" "And Mephibosheth the son of Saul" Of course, Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of Saul, but the use of the term "son" in the Bible is very flexible: (1) It may mean simply descendant of (Matthew 1:1); (2) grandson as here; (3) Levirate son; (4) adopted son (Luke 3:23); (5) actual son; (6) son by creation (Luke 3:38); (7) a possessor of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14); (8) merely a follower of as in Acts 13:10; or (9) son-in-law (Luke 3:23). "He had neither dressed his feet,