Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• 3. The curse on Canaan 9:18-29
  This pericope presents the characteristics of the three branches of the human family that grew out of Noah. Moses stressed the themes of blessing and cursing. God cursed Canaan with slavery because Ham showed disrespect towar...
• The tenth commandment 20:17
  It is specifically what belongs to one's neighbor and is not for sale, contrasted with something for sale, that is the focus of this command. A legitimate desire is not the same as coveting, which is an obsessive desire. Cove...
• Betrothal of a female 21:7-11
  Females did not enjoy as much freedom as males in the ancient Near East and in Israel. They were subject to the fathers or husbands in authority over them as well as to God (cf. Eph. 5:22-24; Col. 3:18). Verses 7-11 describe ...
• The time intervals of sacrifices 22:26-33
  Seven additional laws specified the time periods that governed the offering of some sacrifices. The Israelites were not to offer oxen, sheep, and goats as sacrifices before these animals were eight days old (v. 27). It took t...
• The seventh commandment 5:18
  This commandment deals with adultery only. Whereas murder violates life itself, adultery violates the most important and sacred human relationship, marriage.88God dealt with other forms of sexual sin elsewhere (cf. chs. 22-25...
• The tenth commandment 5:21
  Coveting means inordinately desiring to possess what belongs to another person. This commandment deals with motivation rather than deed, with attitude rather than action. It gets at the spirit that often leads to the sins for...
• Pagan gods 12:29-31
  The Israelites were not to investigate the pagan religious practices of the Canaanites with a view to worshipping their gods or following their example in the worship of Yahweh (v. 30; cf. Rom. 16:19; Eph. 5:12). Moses develo...
• The celebration of Passover, Firstfruits, and Tabernacles 16:1-17
  The point of connection of this section with what precedes is the sacrificial meals. Moses repeated here the instructions regarding those important feasts that included sacrificial meals that the people would eat at the taber...
• Personal hygiene 23:9-14
  Various practices, most of which we have discussed previously, rendered the Israelite encampment ceremonially unclean. The laws in these verses applied to Israel after she entered the land and, specifically, while her armies ...
• The presentation of the firstfruits 26:1-11
  When the Israelites entered the land they were to bring a special offering of firstfruits they harvested from the land to Yahweh at the tabernacle (cf. 14:22-27). It was to be an expression of their gratitude to God for fulfi...
• The announcement of Samson's birth 13:2-7
  The Angel of the Lord again appeared (cf. 6:11). This time He announced to a barren Danite woman that she would bear a son (cf. Gen. 16:11; Luke 1:26-38). Samson's birth by a barren woman indicated God's supernatural provisio...
• 2. Restoring fellowship with Yahweh ch. 14
  God blessed David and his kingdom because David had honored God by seeking to bring the ark into Jerusalem. The Chronicler recorded three instances of divine blessing in this chapter.First, God gave David favor in the eyes of...
• 1. God as leader 23:1-4
  23:1 David compared Yahweh to a shepherd as he reviewed His blessings on his life (cf. 28:9; 80:1). This was a familiar role for David who had been a shepherd of sheep as a youth and who later became a shepherd of God's peopl...
• Psalm 45
  This royal psalm glorified the king as he prepared for his wedding. The writer related the counsel that the bride had received as she anticipated the wedding. He then predicted that people would honor the king forever because...
• 3. Benediction on the couple 45:16-17
  The memory of the king's ancestors would pale in comparison with that of his descendents. The king's sons would become famous princes who would occupy positions of authority far and wide because of the king's righteous rule. ...
• 2. The purpose of the book 1:2-6
  "The Book of Proverbs has two purposes: to give moral skillfulness and to give mental discernment. The first purpose is developed in vv. 3-4; then, after a parenthetical exhortation in v. 5, the second purpose is developed in...
• 3. The wise woman 31:10-31
  We have read much in Proverbs already about unwise women. Solomon personified both wisdom and folly as women (chs. 8-9). Perhaps God wanted us to finish reading this book assured that women are not essentially evil or foolish...
• Purpose
  Probably God's primary purpose in inspiring this book of the Bible was to give us revelation concerning the way love between a man and a woman should look.17The characters in the book behave toward one another the way men and...
• Message24
  Contemporary culture has affected the interpretation of this book more than that of most other Bible books. For many years believers considered this book to be a revelation of God's love for the believer and the believer's lo...
• The prophet's first exhortation 2:5
  In view of what the nations will do, Isaiah appealed to the house of Jacob (Israel) to do the same thing immediately, namely, walk in the Lord's light (presence and truth). Commit to follow the Lord. This motivation is also a...
• Two woes against Jerusalem ch. 29
  There are two more "woes"that deal with Jerusalem in this chapter (vv. 1-14, 15-24) in addition to the one in chapter 28. The first of these is similar to the previous "woe"(cf. vv. 1-8 with 28:1-6, and vv. 9-14 with 28:7-13)...
• The certainty of these benefits 62:1-9
  It seemed to Isaiah's audience that the promises in chapter 60 could hardly come to pass since the Babylonian exile was still ahead of them. The Lord assured them that He would surely fulfill these promises."Much of this chap...
• The depth of Judah's sin 5:1-9
  Now God gave His people reasons for the coming judgment. He stressed social and personal sins particularly."Jeremiah now appreciates the moral necessity for God's judgment of His people, as he sees clearly with his own eyes t...
• Jeremiah's warning against making a coalition to resist Nebuchadnezzar ch. 27
  This chapter contains three parts: Jeremiah's warning to the foreign messengers (vv. 1-11), his appeal to King Zedekiah (vv. 12-15), and his appeal to the priests and people of Jerusalem (vv. 16-22).27:1 Jeremiah received a m...
• 1. The recipients of Ezekiel's ministry 2:1-5
  2:1 Yahweh instructed Ezekiel to stand on his feet because the Lord wanted to speak with him."Not paralysis before him is desired by God, but reasonable service. . . . It is man erect, man in his manhood, with whom God will h...
• 2. The guilt of Israel's religious leaders 3:5-8
  3:5 The Lord also had a message concerning the false prophets who were misleading His people. The false prophets gave benedictions to those who paid them, but people who did not give them anything received maledictions of doo...
• Judgment for idolatry 2:18-20
  2:18 Habakkuk, like other prophets, saw through the folly of idolatry and exposed it (cf. Isa. 41:7; 44:9-20; 45:16, 20; 46:1-2, 6-7; Jer. 10:8-16). An idol carved by human hands cannot help its maker because anyone who creat...
• Their condition 5:3-10 (cf. Luke 6:20-26)
  This pericope describes the character of the kingdom's subjects and their rewards in the kingdom.236"Looked at as a whole . . . the Beatitudes become a moral sketch of the type of person who is ready to possess, or rule over,...
• Their calling 5:11-16
  Jesus proceeded to clarify His disciples' calling and ministry in the world to encourage them to endure persecution and to fulfill God's purpose for them."Some might think that verses 11-12 constitute the concluding Beatitude...
• The question of fasting 9:14-17 (cf. Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39)
  The Pharisees criticized Jesus' conduct in the previous pericope. Now John's disciples criticized the conduct of Jesus' disciples and, by implication, Jesus.9:14 The people who questioned Jesus here were disciples of John the...
• Jesus' reply in view of the response 12:25-37
  12:25-26 Probably Jesus' knew His critics' thoughts as anyone else who had suffered such an attack would (cf. 9:4). Alternatively this may be a statement of Jesus' omniscience. Any kingdom, city, or household that experiences...
• 2. The angel's announcement to Zechariah 1:8-23
  1:8-9 Zechariah was serving God faithfully by discharging some temple function as a member of his priestly division. There were so many priests then that the great privilege of offering incense on the golden incense altar in ...
• The parable of the shrewd manager 16:1-9
  "Luke 16:1-8 contains probably the most difficult parable in Luke."36716:1 The linguistic connection that ties this parable with its preceding context is the word "squander"(Gr. diaskorpizo, cf. 15:13). This is the clue to th...
• 6. The concluding exhortation to watchfulness 21:34-36 (cf. Matt. 24:42; Mark 13:33-37)
  Luke concluded his account of the Olivet Discourse with Jesus' exhortation to remain ready for what He had predicted. Jesus' words presupposed an interval before His coming, but He allowed that His coming might occur in the l...
• 3. Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus 3:1-21
  John now presented evidence that Jesus knew people as no others did and that many believed in His name (2:23). This constitutes further witness that He is the Son of God. John summarized several conversations that Jesus had w...
• 4. John the Baptist's reaction to Jesus' ministry 3:22-30
  The writer next noted the parallel ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus in Judea. John the Baptist readily confessed Jesus' superiority to him even though they were both doing the same things. This was further testimony t...
• The importance of believing now 12:27-36
  12:27 Anticipation of the death that had to precede the glory troubled Jesus deeply (Gr. tataraktai, cf. 11:33; 14:1; Mark 14:32-42). It troubled Him because His death would involve separation from His Father and bearing God'...
• The ministry of the coming Spirit 16:5-15
  16:5 Jesus again pointed out that the revelation of His departure had made the disciples sad rather than happy. They had little interest in where He was going. What concerned them was the sorrow that His departure produced fo...
• The descent of the Spirit 2:1-4
  Luke introduced the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry with His baptism with the Spirit (Luke 3:21-22). He paralleled this with the beginning of Jesus' heavenly ministry with the Spirit baptism of His disciples (Acts 2:1-4)...
• The amazement of the onlookers 2:5-13
  2:5-6 The Jews living in Jerusalem were probably people from the Diaspora (dispersion, residing outside the land of Palestine) who had returned to settle down in the Jewish homeland.107"It was . . . customary for many pious J...
• The death of Sapphira 5:7-11
  5:7 The answers to questions such as whether someone tried to find Sapphira to tell her of Ananias' death lay outside Luke's purpose in writing. He stressed that she was as guilty as her husband and so experienced the same fa...
• Compromise in the Samaritan church 8:14-24
  8:14-17 The 12 apostles were, of course, the divinely appointed leaders of the Christians (ch. 1). It was natural and proper, therefore, that they should send representative apostles to investigate the Samaritans' response to...
• 1. The reason for human guilt 1:18
  In this verse Paul explained why Gentiles need to hear the gospel and experience salvation.God has revealed His wrath as well as His righteousness (v. 17) from heaven in the gospel.39As Paul would explain, the unfolding of hi...
• A. Dedication to God 12:1-2
  Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 12 deal with the Christian's most important relationship, his or her relationship to God. These verses are both parallel to the sections to follow that deal with the Christian's conduct, and they int...
• Paul's judgment in the matter 6:7-11
  The apostle now addressed the two men involved in the lawsuit but wrote with the whole church in view.6:7 By hauling one another into court the Corinthians were intent on winning damages for themselves. Evidently a business o...
• 4. The assurance of victory over death 15:50-58
  Paul brought his revelation of the resurrection to a climax in this paragraph by clarifying what all this means for the believer in Christ. Here he also dealt with the exceptional case of living believers' transformation at t...
• The contrast between the message and the messenger 4:7-15
  Paul presented many paradoxical contrasts involved in the sufferings and supports of the Christian to clarify for his readers the real issues involved in serving Jesus Christ."This passage, which is about suffering and death ...
• B. The supreme motive for giving 8:8-15
  Paul cited the example of Jesus Christ's gift of Himself for needy humanity to motivate his readers further to finish their work of assembling the collection.8:8 Paul wanted his readers to understand that he did not want them...
• 1. Paul's reasons for making these claims 11:1-6
  In the first subsection he explained his need to present this evidence.11:1 Paul found it necessary to remind and reveal to the Corinthians some of the evidences of the Lord's commendation of his ministry (cf. 10:18). He call...
• Other sins (v. 21)
  Things like these (similar violations of God's moral will)"The common feature in this catalogue of vices seems to reside not in the precise ways in which these fifteen items manifest themselves but in the self-centeredness or...
• Purpose
  Paul's frequent references to the church as a mystery, previously unknown but now revealed, identify the apostle's main purpose in writing as having been the exposition of the mystery of the church (1:9; 3:3-4, 9; 5:32; 6:19)...
• Message3
  The Book of Ephesians enables us to view God's creation from an alpine altitude. When we study this book, it is as though we have climbed a high mountain peak because the book gives us that kind of perspective on what God has...
• Outline
  I. Salutation 1:1-2II. The Christian's calling 1:3-3:21A. Individual calling 1:3-2:101. The purpose: glory 1:3-142. The means: knowledge 1:15-233. The motive: grace 2:1-10B. Corporate calling 2:11-3:191. Present unity 2:11-22...
• The selection of the Father 1:4-6
  The spiritual blessings that have come to us are the work of all three members of the Trinity. God Himself is the basis of these blessings.1:4 The first blessing is election. God has sovereignly chosen some people for salvati...
• The sacrifice of the Son 1:7-12
  1:7 The "Him"in view is the beloved Son (v. 6).Redemption (Gr. apolytrosin) means release from slavery (cf. v. 14; 4:30; Luke 21:28; Rom. 3:24; 8:23; 1 Cor. 1:30; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:15; 11:35). It involves buying back and sett...
• Supplication 1:17-23
  1:17 Paul returned to his concept of God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 3; cf. Matt. 6:9). He combined with this fact the idea that all glory belongs to the Father (vv. 6, 12, 14; cf. Acts 7:2; 1 Cor. 2:8).Paul as...
• Now alive in God 2:4-10
  The wrath of God on the unbeliever (v. 3) contrasts with the grace of God on the believer (vv. 5, 7, 8). God's grace toward some unbelievers gives them life (vv. 4-5), raises them up (v. 6), and seats them in heavenly realms ...
• 2. Past ignorance 3:1-13
  Paul began to pray for his readers again (cf. vv. 1, 14), but he interrupted himself to tell them more about the church. What he said in this section gives background information concerning the church as a mystery.3:1 "For th...
• III. THE CHRISTIAN'S CONDUCT 4:1--6:20
  Practical application (chs. 4-6) now follows doctrinal instruction (chs. 1-3).
• A. Spiritual walk 4:1-6:9
  Paul had explained the unity of Jewish and Gentile believers in the church and had prayed for the realization of that unity in experience (2:11-3:21). He now told how to attain a spiritual walk, namely a life that manifests t...
• 2. Walking in holiness 4:17-32
  In the first part of this chapter Paul stressed the importance of living in unity in the church. He turned next to the importance of living in holiness."The Bible was written to be obeyed, and not simply studied, and this is ...
• 3. Walking in love 5:1-6
  In addition to calling his readers to walk in unity (4:1) and holiness (4:17), Paul urged them to walk in love (5:2). He first advocated positive love (vv. 1-2) and then negatively warned to abstain from evil (vv. 3-6).5:1 "T...
• 4. Walking in light 5:7-14
  The resumptive inferential particle translated "Therefore"marks the beginning of a new paragraph in Paul's thought (cf. 4:1, 17; 5:1, 15). He related three commands concerning walking (living) in the light in these verses and...
• The basic admonition 5:15-21
  Paul began this section with a basic admonition (vv. 15-21). Then he applied this instruction to various groups of Christians (5:22-6:9).5:15 The word order and usage in the Greek text suggest that "careful"modifies "walk"rat...
• The duty of wives 5:22-24
  "After centuries of Christian teaching, we scarcely appreciate the revolutionary nature of Paul's views on family life set forth in this passage. Among the Jews of his day, as also among the Romans and the Greeks, women were ...
• The duty of husbands 5:25-33
  5:25 In the Greco-Roman world in which Paul lived, people recognized that wives had responsibilities to their husbands but not vice versa.137Paul summarized the wife's duty as submission and the husband's duty as love. The wo...
• The duty of children 6:1-3
  The next basic human relationship that needs affecting by the filling of the Spirit (5:15-21) is that of children and parents.6:1 Children express their submission by obeying their parents (plural). "In the Lord"modifies "obe...
• The duty of fathers 6:4
  Paul addressed fathers because they are God's ordained family heads on whom the primary responsibility for child training rests. When a father is absent in a family, the mother usually assumes this responsibility. In Greco-Ro...
• The duty of slaves 6:5-8
  The third group that Paul addressed was slaves and masters (cf. 1 Cor. 7:17-24). Most slaves served in the home in Paul's day so this section fits in well with what precedes about other household relationships. Some students ...
• The duty of masters 6:9
  Masters should seek to please the Lord in their dealings with their slaves even as slaves should try to please Christ as they serve their masters. They should not threaten because our heavenly Master does not threaten us. Thr...
• B. Spiritual warfare 6:10-20
  That this section is distinct from the five that precede it is evident from two facts. Paul introduced it differently, and the emphasis in it is on God's resources. Earlier Paul urged the strengthening and growth of the body ...
• The antinomian danger 3:18-19
  Another threat to the joy and spiritual development of the Philippians was people who advocated lawless living. This is, of course, the opposite extreme from what the Judaizers taught (v. 2). Paul warned his readers of this d...
• Paul's message 1:25-27
  Paul's role in the household of God (the meaning of "stewardship") was that of a servant who fully expounded God's revelation for the benefit of his Gentile readers."He was a servant of the church, but in the deepest sense he...
• 2. Things to put on 3:12-17
  Paul urged his readers not only to divest themselves of behavior that is inappropriate to their union with Christ but also to clothe themselves with attitudes and actions that are appropriate. He did so to complete their unde...
• C. The fundamental relationships 3:18-4:1
  Paul next set forth certain principles to guide his readers in their most important interpersonal relationships. He did this to enable them to understand what behavior is consistent with union with Christ in these relationshi...
• 3. Slaves and masters 3:22-4:1 (cf. Eph. 6:5-9)
  3:22 Paul probably made this section longer than the preceding two because he sent this epistle to Colosse with the Epistle to Philemon. Onesimus, Philemon's run-away slave, carried them.166Moreover there may well have been m...
• B. The primary responsibilities of the men and the women in church meetings 2:8-15
  "In this paragraph Paul continues his instructions on prayers' begun in verse 1. But now the concern is for proper demeanor on the part of the pray-ers.' But whythese concerns, and why in this way? And why the inordinate amou...
• I. Woman at Creation
  A. Woman has personal equality with man as an image-bearer of God (Gen. 1:27-28; 5:1).Allowing for biological distinctives a woman has the same human nature, qualities and abilities as a man. Maleness and femaleness, though d...
• VI. Women in the Ministry and Teaching of Paul and Peter
  A. Paul affirms the personal equality of man and woman in the new creation by stating that in Christ there is "neither male nor female"(Gal. 3:28).A woman obtains salvation by faith exactly as a man does (Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Pet. 1...
• Young women 2:4-5
  Paul listed seven responsibilities of these women. They were (1) to be lovers of their husbands (to put their welfare before self-interests), (2) to be lovers of their children, and (3) to be sensible (Gr. sophronas; self-con...
• Rationale 3:3-8
  3:3 To motivate his readers to obey these commands Paul encouraged them by reminding them of the way they used to be. They had already come a long way. Each characteristic he mentioned in this verse contrasts with one he had ...
• Message5
  As is true of so many of the shorter Bible books, this one too is an illustration (cf. Ruth and Esther). Philemon in particular illustrates the outworking in life of the great doctrines taught in the other Pauline writings, e...
• Instructions Regarding Morality 13:1-6
  13:1 When love for Jesus Christ falters, love for the brethren normally flags as well (cf. Rom. 12:10; 1 Thess. 4:9-10; 1 Pet. 1:22; 2 Pet. 1:7; 1 John 2:9).13:2 Abraham entertained angels when he showed them hospitality (Gen...
• 3. The inconsistency of favoritism 2:5-7
  James' three questions in these verses all expect positive answers, as is clear in the construction of the Greek text.2:5 Since God has chosen the poor of this world to be the recipients of His blessings it is inconsistent fo...
• 4. An objection 2:18
  James next introduced an objection to his thesis that faith is dead without works. He put it in the mouth of a hypothetical objector. This literary device of objection and response was a common one that Paul also used (Rom. 9...
• B. Self-exaltation 4:11-12
  Having dealt with the source of interpersonal and inner personal conflicts that believers in particular and all people generally experience, James dealt next with a different aspect of the same problem. He did so to motivate ...
• B. Respect for Others 2:13-3:12
  This section of the letter clarifies what it means to function obediently as God's people in a hostile world. It contains one of the tables of household duties in the New Testament (2:13-3:7; cf. Eph. 5:21-6:9; Col. 3:18-4:1)...
• 1. Respect for everyone 2:13-17
  Peter continued to give directions concerning how the Christian should conduct himself or herself when dealing with the state since his readers faced suffering from this source.2:13-14 The Christian's relationship to the stat...
• 3. Wives' respect for their husbands 3:1-6
  Having explained before how Christians should conduct themselves in the world, Peter next gave directions about how Christian wives and husbands should behave. He did this to help his readers identify appropriate conduct in f...
• C. The Conduct of False Teachers 2:10b-19
  Peter next emphasized the conduct of false teachers to motivate his readers to turn away from them.2:10b "Daring"means bold to the point of being presumptuous, and "self-willed"is arrogant."They are concerned about doing thei...
• A. God as Light 1:5-7
  John began his explanation of what it means to live in the light by emphasizing that God is light.1:5 This verse provides a basis for what follows in verses 6-10. It gives the standard against which the three following Christ...
• Historical background
  The writer identified himself as "the elder"(v. 1). The writings of the early church fathers attribute authorship of this epistle to the Apostle John. The early Christians commonly recognized him as "the elder"in view. We mig...
• 1. The praise of God in heaven 19:1-10
  This pericope has strong ties to what precedes (16:17-18:24). It is the concluding revelation concerning the fall of Babylon, the latter-day Egypt and Tyre, and Antichrist, the ultimate Pharaoh of the Exodus and King of Tyre....

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• God's Imitators
  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.'--Eph. 5:1.THE Revised Version gives a more literal and more energetic rendering of this verse by reading, Be ye, therefore, imitators of God, as beloved children.' It is th...
• What Children Of Light Should Be
  Walk as children of light.'--Eph. 5:8.IT was our Lord who coined this great name for His disciples. Paul's use of it is probably a reminiscence of the Master's, and so is a hint of the existence of the same teachings as we no...
• The Fruit Of The Light
  The fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.'--Eph. 5:9 (R.V.)This is one of the cases in which the Revised Version has done service by giving currency to an unmistakably accurate and improved readin...
• Pleasing Christ
  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.'--Eph. 5:10.THESE words are closely connected with those which precede them in the 8th verse--Walk as children of light.' They further explain the mode by which that commandment is to...
• Unfruitful Works Of Darkness
  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.'--Eph. 5:11.WE have seen in a former sermon that' the fruit,' or outcome, of the Light' is a comprehensive perfection, consisting in all s...
• Paul's Reasons For Temperance
  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret, 13. But all things that are reproved are made manife...
• Sleepers At Noonday
  Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.'--Eph. 5:14.THIS is the close of a short digression about light.' The wherefore' at the beginning of my text seems to re...
• Redeeming The Time
  See, then, that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.'--Eph. 5:15-16.SOME of us have, in all probability, very little more time' to redeem.' Some of us have, in all p...
• Thankful For Inheritance
  Giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.'--Col. 1:12 (R.V.)IT is interesting to notice how much the thought of inheritance seems to have been filling the Apost...