Recent Commentaries

By tracing Jesus’ ancestry back to King David, through the line of Davidic kings, Matthew connects Jesus with his royal heritage (vv. 1-17). Jesus is thus the fulfillment of God’s promise to raise up a king through David’s line. The genealogy in this passage is traced through Joseph, Jesus’ …

When Nehemiah’s enemies heard that their plot had been discovered, they did not attack and the people resumed their construction work (v. 15). However, Nehemiah exercises caution and devises a plan of defense that will unite and protect his people. He divides the people around th …

To understand the geography of this political situation you must remember that Assyria was north of Syria, which was north of Israel, which was north of Judah, with Jerusalem as its capital. During the reign of the pagan King Ahaz of Judah the Northern Kingdom (Syria and Ep …

Nineveh had repented under Jonah’s preaching (Jonah 3:10). Nearly 150 years later she had returned to her wicked ways. The Holy Spirit gives a vision of this great city’s impending judgment to Nahum (v. 1). The annihilation of Nineveh is seen against the background of God’s divine …

This psalm teaches us how to pray when calamity strikes. Just like we are so prone to do the psalmist asks why?Why have you abandoned your own people? (v.1) “Thine enemies roar” (v.4)Why have you abandoned your own possessions? (v. 2) “They break down the carved wo …

As the people began to understand Jesus’s teachings, they found them to be totally unacceptable. Besides the hostile Jewish leaders, many of the Galilean disciples turned away from Him. The popular enthusiasm for Jesus as a political Messiah (v. 15) was then over. They saw that He was …

Jehoram, the second son of Ahab began reigning over Israel in the eighteenth year after Jehoshaphat began reigning as sole king of Judah. Moab’s rebellion during this time did not affect only Israel but was also a threat to the kingdom of Judah. Edom at this time was und …

We are told that the Earth is the Lord’s (v. 1). It is certainly true that every nook and cranny is His, but there is one spot to which he lays special claim and that is the land of Israel. The Palestinian Arabs and the P.L.O. say it belongs to them, but it doesn’t. It belongs to God, and he has deeded it …

We find one of the rulers of the synagogue shoving his way through the crowd to get to Jesus. This man had a high position of authority whose duty it was to be in charge of the service. In spite of his position as a leading person in the community, he humbled himself and fell at J …

It seems that the author felt that, after some heavy and solemn warnings, a word of encouragement was in order. He states that he is confident that the people he is addressing are ready for better things that come with salvation (v. 9). The words are like those of a pastor who, a …