Recent Commentaries

Hezekiah got sick and almost died (v. 24). He prayed, and the Lord gave him a sign that he would recover. He was so proud that he refused to thank the Lord for everything He had done for him (v. 25). This made the Lord angry, and He punished Hezekiah and the people of Judah and Jerusalem …

Having given Absalom advice, that if implemented would turn out well for David, Hushai now informs the priests Zadok and Abiathar who in turn through their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan got  a warning to David to cross the river so he and his people won’t be wiped out (vv. …

Psalm 109, a personal lament of David, is one of the imprecatory (cursing) psalms. As he writes, David is calling on God (Elohim = the Strong One) to avenge his enemies. David had endured many false accusations and now he asks the Lord to not be silent (v. 1). The psalmist prayed that …

The ‘wherefore” (v. 1) that opens this chapter refers back to where Paul expressed his great love and concern for the believers (2:17-20). These new believers must be taught and established in the faith. A key word in this chapter is establish (v. 2). Paul was not only …

The shoe symbolized motion and wandering. To make a sale legal in those days, one person would take off a sandal and give it to the other (v.7). So after the man had agreed to let Boaz buy the property, he took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz (v. 8). The shoe a …

The final problem that Nehemiah faces was the tendency so common in Israel to ignore the prohibitions against intermarriage with pagan peoples. When he returned to Jerusalem, he found the people again disobeying the Law (vv. 23-24). It was true then as it is today that when the f …

We have now completed the history of the Judges. This portion of scripture gives us a full picture of what it was like to live in a day of moral and political disorder before there was a king in Israel (v. 6). Micah was regarded as a religious man. He had “a house of gods” (v. 5). Yet he stole a huge …

Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica was characterized as being free of three things:It was free of flattery – Paul never tried to flatter people (v. 5). Rather than seeking something for himself he delighted in giving to others freely. It has been said that a flatterer is a person wh …

After being threatened, Peter and John returned to the other believers to report what had happened (v. 23). Then they all lifted their voice to God. This is one of the great prayers recorded in the Bible, a good example for us to follow. Their prayer was based on Psalm 2:25-26. Through His …

When Jesus finished teaching He overheard some people commenting on the beauty of the Temple that had been reconstructed (v. 5). But our Lord was not impressed. He told them that the day would come when this beautiful temple would be destroyed (v. 6). Of course, this was fulfille …