Advanced Commentary
Texts -- Genesis 2:1-21 (NET)
Pericope
NET
- Gen 2:4-25 -- The Creation of Man and Woman
Bible Dictionary
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Eden
[ebd] delight. (1.) The garden in which our first parents dewlt (Gen. 2:8-17). No geographical question has been so much discussed as that bearing on its site. It has been placed in Armenia, in the region west of the Caspian Sea, ...
[isbe] EDEN - e'-d'-n (`edhen, "delight"; Edem): (1) The land in which "Yahweh God planted a garden," where upon his creation "he put the man whom he had formed" (Gen 2:8). In the Assyrian inscriptions idinu (Accadian, edin) means ...
[smith] (pleasure). The first residence of man, called in the Septuagint Paradise. The latter is a word of Persian origin, and describes an extensive tract of pleasure land, somewhat like an English park; and the use of it suggests ...
[nave] EDEN 1. The garden of Eden, Gen. 2:8-17; 3:23, 24; 4:16; Isa. 51:3; Ezek. 28:13; 31:9, 16, 18; 36:35; Joel 2:3. 2. An Aramaic city-state; traded with Tyre, 2 Kin. 19:12; Isa. 37:12; Ezek. 27:23; Amos 1:5. 3. A Gershonite, ...
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GARDEN
[isbe] GARDEN - gar'-d'-n (gan, gannah, ginnah; kepos): The Arabic jannah (diminutive, jannainah), like the Hebrew gannah, literally, "a covered or hidden place," denotes in the mind of the dweller in the East something more than t...
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Fall of man
[ebd] an expression probably borrowed from the Apocryphal Book of Wisdom, to express the fact of the revolt of our first parents from God, and the consequent sin and misery in which they and all their posterity were involved. The ...
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God
[nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...
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EVOLUTION
[isbe] EVOLUTION - ev-o-lu'-shun: 1. The Idea of Evolution: Evolution is a scientific and philosophical theory designed to explain the origin and course of all things in the universe. By origin, however, is not understood the produ...
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ADAM IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE APOCRYPHA
[isbe] ADAM IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE APOCRYPHA - ad'-am, ('adham; Septuagint Adam). 1. Usage and Etymology: The Hebrew word occurs some 560 times in the Old Testament with the meaning "man," "mankind." Outside Gen 1 through 5 t...
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Tree of the knowledge of good and evil
[ebd] stood in the midst of the garden of Eden, beside the tree of life (Gen. 2, 3). Adam and Eve were forbidden to take of the fruit which grew upon it. But they disobeyed the divine injunction, and so sin and death by sin entere...
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Creation
[nave] CREATION Begiing of, Gen. 1:1. History of, Gen. 1; 2. See: Animals; Birds; Earth; Fish; Grass; Heavens; Mankind; Moon; Seas; Stars; Sun; Water; Women. See: God, Creator; Jesus, Creator.
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IMPUTATION
[isbe] IMPUTATION - im-pu-ta'-shun: I. MEANING AND USE OF THE TERM II. THE THREEFOLD USE OF THE TERM IN THEOLOGY Original Sin, Atonement, Justification III. THE SCRIPTURAL BASIS OF THESE DOCTRINES 1. Imputation of Adam's Sin to His...
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ANTHROPOLOGY
[isbe] ANTHROPOLOGY - an-thro-pol'-o-ji: I. TERMS EMPLOYED II. NATURE OF MAN BIBLICAL CONCEPTION III. ORIGIN OF MAN FROM SCRIPTURE ACCOUNT: NARRATIVES OF CREATION IV. UNITY OF THE RACE: VARIOUS THEORIES V. EVOLUTIONARY THEORY AS TO...
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GENESIS, 1-2
[isbe] GENESIS, 1-2 - jen'-e-sis: I. GENERAL DATA 1. The Name 2. Survey of Contents 3. Connection with Succeeding Books II. COMPOSITION OF GENESIS IN GENERAL 1. Unity of the Biblical Text (1) The Toledhoth (2) Further Indication of...
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GENESIS, 3
[isbe] GENESIS, 3 - III. The Structure of the Individual Pericopes. In this division of the article, there is always to be found (under 1) a consideration of the unity of the Biblical text and (under 2) the rejection of the customa...
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ADAM IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
[isbe] ADAM IN THE NEW TESTAMENT - (Adam): The name of Adam occurs nine times (in five different passages) in the New Testament, though several of these are purely incidental. I. Gospels. In Lk 3:38 the ancestry of Jesus Christ is ...
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MARRIAGE
[ebd] was instituted in Paradise when man was in innocence (Gen. 2:18-24). Here we have its original charter, which was confirmed by our Lord, as the basis on which all regulations are to be framed (Matt. 19:4, 5). It is evident t...
[isbe] MARRIAGE - mar'-ij: Introduction Scope and Viewpoint of the Present Article 1. Marriage among the Hebrews 2. Betrothal the First Formal Part 3. Wedding Ceremonies 4. Jesus' Sanction of the Institution 5. His Teaching concern...
[smith] Its origin and history . --The institution of marriage dates from the time of man?s original creation. (Genesis 2:18-25) From (Genesis 2:24) we may evolve the following principles: (1) The unity of man and wife, as implied i...
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Adam
[ebd] red, a Babylonian word, the generic name for man, having the same meaning in the Hebrew and the Assyrian languages. It was the name given to the first man, whose creation, fall, and subsequent history and that of his descend...
[nave] ADAM 1. The first human. Creation of, Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7; 1 Cor. 15:45; 1 Tim. 2:13. History of, before he sied, Gen. 1:26-30; 2:16-25. Temptation and sin of, Gen. 3; Job 31:33; Isa. 43:27; Hos. 6:7; Rom. 5:14-21; 1 Tim. 2:...
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Gold
[ebd] (1.) Heb. zahab, so called from its yellow colour (Ex. 25:11; 1 Chr. 28:18; 2 Chr. 3:5). (2.) Heb. segor, from its compactness, or as being enclosed or treasured up; thus precious or "fine gold" (1 Kings 6:20; 7:49). (3.) He...
[isbe] GOLD - gold (zahabh; chrusos): 1. Terms: No metal has been more frequently mentioned in Old Testament writings than gold, and none has had more terms applied to it. Among these terms the one most used is zahabh. The Arabic e...
[smith] Gold was known from the very earliest times. (Genesis 2:11) It was at first used chiefly for ornaments, etc. (Genesis 24:22) Coined money was not known to the ancients till a comparatively late period; and on the Egyptian tom...
[nave] GOLD Exported from Havilah, Gen. 2:11, 12. From Ophir, 1 Kin. 9:28; 10:11; 1 Chr. 29:4; 2 Chr. 8:18; Job 22:24; Tarshish, 1 Kin. 22:48; Parvaim, 2 Chr. 3:6; Sheba, 1 Kin. 10:10; 2 Chr. 9:9; Psa. 72:15; Uphaz, Jer. 10:9. Re...
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RIVER
[ebd] (1.) Heb. 'aphik, properly the channel or ravine that holds water (2 Sam. 22:16), translated "brook," "river," "stream," but not necessarily a perennial stream (Ezek. 6:3; 31:12; 32:6; 34:13). (2.) Heb. nahal, in winter a "t...
[isbe] RIVER - riv'-er: (1) The usual word is nahar (Aramaic nehar (Ezr 4:10, etc.)), used of the rivers of Eden (Gen 2:10-14), often of the Euphrates (Gen 15:18, etc.), of Abana and Pharpar (2 Ki 5:12), the river of Gozan (2 Ki 17...
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ADAM IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
[isbe] ADAM IN THE OLD TESTAMENT - (Evolutionary Interpretation): (NOTE: It ought to be superfluous to say that the unfolding or development of the human personality here identified with evolution is something far higher, deeper, a...
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Sabbath
[ebd] (Heb. verb shabbath, meaning "to rest from labour"), the day of rest. It is first mentioned as having been instituted in Paradise, when man was in innocence (Gen. 2:2). "The sabbath was made for man," as a day of rest and re...
[isbe] SABBATH - sab'-ath (shabbath, shabbathon; sabbaton, ta sabbata; the root shabhath in Hebrew means "to desist," "cease," "rest"): I. ORIGIN OF THE SABBATH 1. The Biblical Account 2. Critical Theories II. HISTORY OF THE SABBAT...
[smith] (shabbath), "a day of rest," from shabath "to cease to do to," "to rest"). The name is applied to divers great festivals, but principally and usually to the seventh day of the week, the strict observance of which is enforced ...
[nave] SABBATH Signifying a rest period, Gen. 2:2, 3; Lev. 23; 25; 26:34, 35. Preparations for, Ex. 16:22; Matt. 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31. Religious usages on, Gen. 2:3; Mark 6:2; Luke 4:16, 31; 6:6; 13:10; Acts ...
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Life
[ebd] generally of physical life (Gen. 2:7; Luke 16:25, etc.); also used figuratively (1) for immortality (Heb. 7:16); (2) conduct or manner of life (Rom. 6:4); (3) spiritual life or salvation (John 3:16, 17, 18, 36); (4) eternal ...
[isbe] LIFE - lif (chayyim, nephesh, ruach, chayah; zoe, psuche, bios, pneuma): I. THE TERMS II. THE OLD TESTAMENT TEACHING 1. Popular Use of the Term 2. Complexity of the Idea III. IN THE APOCRYPHA IV. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 1. In t...
[nave] LIFE. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Brevity and Uncertainty of; Everlasting; From God; Long; Spiritual. Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics Breath of, Gen. 2:7. Called Spirit of God, Job 27:3. Tree of,...
Arts
Hymns
(Note: In "active" or "on" condition, the hymns music will be played automatically when mouse hover on a hymns title)
- Hai Anak-Anak, Muda dan Belia [KJ.67]
- Mahkota Duri yang Kejam [KJ.219] ( The Head That Once Was Crowned )
- Pada Mulanya [KJ.69]
- Pataka Raja MajuLah [KJ.171]
- T'rang Bintang Fajar Berseri [KJ.139]
- Takkah Patut Ku Bernyanyi [KJ.290]
- Tuhan, Pencipta Semesta [KJ.289]
- [Gen 2:2] Again Returns The Day Of Holy Rest
- [Gen 2:2] Hail! Sacred Day Of Earthly Rest
- [Gen 2:2] Resting From His Work Today
- [Gen 2:2] Welcome, Day Of Sweet Repose
- [Gen 2:2] Welcome, Sweet Day Of Rest
- [Gen 2:7] Arise, All Souls, Arise
- [Gen 2:7] Lord At First Had Adam Made, The
- [Gen 2:7] O Breath Of Life
- [Gen 2:10] Christians, Come, In Sweetest Measures
Questions
- The verb is imperfect, which won't solve your problem. If it had been in the perfect tense it probably wouldn't have convinced the fellow who is arguing for a contradiction. I think your argument that Gen 1 is chronological a...
- As to 1 Tim 2.12, here's my take: It seems that Paul is definitely restricting the role of women in terms of roles of leadership. 1 Tim 2.12 says that women should not teach or exercise authority over men. The passage almost ...
- I have come across Lilith in literture twice, but never among my Jewish friends. The first time that I read and connected with the person of Lilith was in a book called "Adiel" by Shlomo DuNour. I came across it while brows...
- In a very general way, I think I can say that one could come to faith in Christ for salvation without believing in the inerrancy of the Word of God, but I am doubtful that one could stay that way for long. The disciples of ou...
- Many have asked: "How long did it take God to create the world and what was the order in which the various beings and things were brought forth?" There are many theories propounded concerning Creation. Some interpreters conte...
- If you have not read Dan Wallace's outstanding article, What is the Head Covering in 1 Corinthians 11 and Does It Apply to Us Today? I would encourage you to do so. You'll find it in the "Prof's Soapbox" section on our web si...
- Read Genesis 2:4-6. This, according to some geologists, indicates that the earth, being then in a cooling condition, had no rain; and they also affirm that there may have been none until the great precipitation at the Flood c...
- You have asked some interesting questions. I do not know of a Bible passage that clearly answers your questions, but I would like to point out what the Bible does clearly tell us. I believe that we can infer the answer to y...
- The following material from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia should be helpful here: III. Significant numbers Numbers are also used with a symbolical or theological significance. One is used to convey th...
- In our day and time this is a very emotionally charged issue, but I am personally convinced that Scripture teaches us that women should not be elders nor should women be in leadership positions where they exercise authority o...
- Of course, the Scripture is silent on this. The appearance of a crafty snake prompting Eve to sin is a mystery. The text is interested neither in the origin of evil in the serpent nor in the nature of the serpent. It primaril...
- There are many mundane things beyond the reach of present human knowledge and the site of Eden and the language of our first parents are among the number. Some philologists have ventured the conjecture that the primeval langu...
- The Sabbath was divinely ordained as a day of cessation from labor. In the Jewish Church, the restrictions were most rigid and profanation of the day was severely punished. It was a day. of rest, reconciliation, worship and r...
- The following sections on Matthew 19:11-12 are from The Bible Knowledge Commentary and The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. From The Wycliffe Bible Commentary: 1) Teaching on Divorce. 19:1-12. 1. Beyond Jordan. From the Greek...
- Adam means "red" and so also does the word Edom, both having relation to the ruddiness of flesh and the color of the clayey soil. (See Gen. 2:7.) Some commentators hold that Adam, the first man, was probably of the complexion...
- Thanks for your question about the use of the unity candle. To be honest with you, I am not sure of the origins of this tradition. If it's origins are that distant and unknown, I doubt that it is worth the effort for us to ...
- The material below is taken from Henry Morris' book Biblical Creationism, which I think answers your questions. I hope it helps. Before God formed Eve, however, he "introduced" Adam to the animals he had formed earlier in...
- The suffering I have experienced does not compare to what you have described. The problem of pain is one that requires much more than a glib response. Indeed, the answer is probably the content of a book -- one...
- An ever fruitful topic is the date of Creation. The chronology which one finds in the marginal columns of many of the older Bibles, notably in the Authorized Version of King James, is not a part of the Bible itself by any mea...
- Gen. 2:9 and 3:22,24 tells practically all that we know of the "tree of life," although a vast amount of speculative literature has appeared on the subject. Various references to the "tree of life" elsewhere in Scripture show...
Sermon Illustrations
General;
Trinity Explained;
What Was the Curse God Put on Creation?;
Qualities Needed in Parenting;
The Godly Woman;
Compare with Dichotomy;
Soul and Spirit;
Rest in Six Aspects;
Time Off;
Meaning of the Unstrung Bow;
To be Set Apart for Holy Use
Resources/Books
Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)
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Each book of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament, called the Torah [instruction] by the Jews) originally received its title in the Hebrew Bible from the first word or words in the book.1The Hebrew word t...
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The events recorded in Genesis stretch historically from Creation to Joseph's death, a period of at least 2500 years. The first part of the book (ch. 1-11) is not as easy to date precisely as the second part (ch. 12-50). The ...
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Genesis provides the historical basis for the rest of the Bible and the Pentateuch, particularly the Abrahamic Covenant. Chapters 1-11 give historical background essential to understanding that covenant, and chapters 12-50 re...
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The message of the Bible might be the best place to begin our study of the Old Testament. What is the Bible all about? We could state it as follows: God desires to glorify Himself by blessing humankind.The message of the Pent...
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The structure of Genesis is very clear. The phrase "the generations of"(toledotin Hebrew, from yaladmeaning "to bear, to generate") occurs ten times (really eleven times since 36:9 repeats 36:1), and in each case it introduce...
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Chapters 1-11 provide an introduction to the Book of Genesis, the Pentateuch, and the whole Bible."What we find in chaps. 1-11 is the divine initiation of blessing, which is compromised by human sin followed by gracious prese...
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God created the entire universe and then formed and filled it in six days. He brought order and fullness for humankind to enjoy and to rule over. He then blessed and set apart the seventh day as a memorial of His creative wor...
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"Great sea monsters"(Heb. tauninim, v. 21) were large fish, whales, squid, and all large creatures living in the water. The pagans worshipped these, but they were under God's authority.Note that Moses wrote that God created b...
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1:24-25 "Cattle"probably refers to animals that man could tame and "beasts"to wild animals.What happened to the dinosaurs? Conservative Bible interpreters generally believe they existed but became extinct before the Flood or ...
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"2:1-3 echoes 1:1 by introducing the same phrases but in reverse order: he created,' God,' heavens and earth' reappear as heavens and earth' (2:1) God' (2:2), created' (2:3). This chiastic pattern brings the section to a neat...
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This story has seven scenes that a change in actors, situations or activities identifies. Moses constructed this section of Genesis in a chiastic (palistrophic, crossing) structure to focus attention on the central scene, the...
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2:4 Having related the creation of the universe as we know it, God next inspired Moses to explain for his readers what became of it.129Sin entered it and devastated it."The destiny of the human creation is to live in God's wo...
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2:18 Adam's creation was not complete because he lacked a "helper"who corresponded to him. This deficiency led God to pronounce Adam's condition "not good."151God not only evaluated Adam's condition, He also rectified it.152"...
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As in chapters 1 and 2, the word of the Lord is very important in chapter 3. Here Adam and Eve doubted God's integrity. This pericope also has something to teach about the acquisition of wisdom. Chapter 2 anticipated God's gi...
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In this section the relationship that God had established with man, which is the focus of the creation story, is broken. We can gain a great insight into human nature from this story. Adam and Eve's behavior as recorded here ...
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This section begins to relate the effects of the Fall. We now see the God who was creator and benefactor in chapters 1 and 2 as judge (cf. 1:3-4). He first interrogated the offenders to obtain a confession, then announced new...
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As the result of man's disobedience to God, the creation suffered a curse and began to deteriorate.195Having been thrice blessed by God (1:22, 28; 2:3) the creation now experienced a triple curse (3:14, 17; 4:11)."In the Bibl...
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1. Adam would have to toil hard to obtain a living from the ground (vv. 17-18). Adam already had received the privilege of enjoying the garden (2:15), but this did not require strenuous toil."As for the man, his punishment co...
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Chapter 4 shows the spread of sin from Adam's family to the larger society that his descendants produced. Not only did sin affect everyone, but people became progressively more wicked as time passed. Verses 1-16 show that the...
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Many commentators regarded this verse as the first reference to prayer as we know it in the Bible. Prayer is basic to man's relationship with God, which is a major theme in Genesis. However the phrase "call on the name of the...
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There are at least three purposes for the inclusion of this genealogy, which contains 10 paragraphs (vv. 1-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17, 18-20, 21-24, 25-27, 28-31, and 32).1. It shows the development of the human race from Ada...
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Following the Flood God established human life anew on the earth showing His high regard for it. He promised to bless humanity with faithfulness, and He prohibited murder. He also promised with a sign that He would not destro...
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The main emphasis in this section is not the building of the tower of Babel but the dispersion of the peoples. We can see this in the literary structure of the passage.361AAll the earth had one language (v. 1)Bthere (v. 2)C o...
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"The Babel account (11:1-9) is not the end of early Genesis. If it were, the story would conclude on the sad note of human failure. But as with earlier events in Genesis 1-11, God's grace once again supersedes human sin, insu...
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One of the significant changes in the emphasis that occurs at this point in Genesis is from cursing in the primeval record to blessing in the patriarchal narratives. The Abrahamic Covenant is most important in this respect. H...
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"These verses are of fundamental importance for the theology of Genesis, for they serve to bind together the primeval history and the later patriarchal history and look beyond it to the subsequent history of the nation."414"W...
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This chapter records how Abram, though threatened with major conflict with Lot because of their herdsmen's strife, magnanimously gave his nephew his choice of what land he wanted. Lot took an area that was very fertile, thoug...
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Abram asked God to strengthen his faith. In response Yahweh promised to give the patriarch innumerable descendants. This led Abram to request some further assurance that God would indeed do what He promised. God graciously ob...
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The words of Joseph's brothers may or may not have been true (vv. 16-17). Jacob may have left such a message even though Moses did not record it in Genesis. Since Moses did not record it, he probably intended the reader to co...
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Aalders, Gerhard Charles. Genesis. The Bible Student's Commentary series. 2 vols. Translated by William Heynen. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas...
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"We now reach the climax of the entire Book, the central and most exalted theme, all that came before being, as it were, a preparation for it, and all that follows, a result of, and supplement to it."327There are two types of...
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The Sabbath was the seventh day, Saturday. This day was to be a day of rest for Israel because God ceased from His creation activity on the seventh day (Gen. 2:3). God blessed it and made it holy (v. 11) in that He made it di...
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Chapter 31 summarizes what God required for His people to approach Him. God appointed the men who would be responsible for interpreting Moses' instructions about the tabernacle and constructing it. He filled them with His Spi...
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"As a sign of the Noahic covenant is the rainbow (Gen. 9:13), and as the sign of the Abrahamic covenant is circumcision (Gen. 17:11), the sign of the Mosaic covenant is the observance and celebration of the Sabbath day (Exod....
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Adams, Dwayne H. "The Building Program that Works (Exodus 25:4--36:7 [31:1-11])."Exegesis and Exposition1:1 (Fall 1986):82-92.Aharoni, Yohanan. "Kadesh-Barnea and Mount Sinai."In God's Wilderness: Discoveries in Sinai, pp. 11...
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"This chapter contains a selected list of creatures that divides each type of creature into various classes of purity. According to the final verse in the chapter, the decisive question was whether a class of animals was uncl...
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We have here the same threefold division of animals that inhabit the land, sea, and air as the one that appears in the story of creation (Gen. 1:20-23)."It has long been recognized . . . that the order of the purity laws in L...
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The laws of purification begun in this chapter connect in principle with the preceding ones that deal with unclean food and animals. The defilement dealt with in this group (chs. 12-15) proceeded from the human body. Pollutio...
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As God ordered the people to rest every seventh day, so He ordered them to let the land rest every seventh year. By resting the people renewed their strength and rejuvenated their productivity in His service. By resting the l...
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The benefits of faithful obedience to the law of God would be fruitful harvests (vv. 4-5, 10), and security and peace (v. 6) including victory in battle (vv. 7-8) and numerical growth as a nation (v. 9; cf. Gen. 17:7). The ob...
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Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell, The Archaeology of Palestine. 1949. Revised ed. Pelican Archaeology series. H...
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The twelve tribes excluding the Levites camped in four groups of three tribes each on the tabernacle's four sides. The Levites camped on all four sides of the tabernacle but closer to the sanctuary than the other tribes (v. 1...
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This is the most positively stated of the Ten Commandments. Only one other commandment appears in the affirmative, namely, the fifth. The fourth commandment is a charge to refresh oneself physically and spiritually. The Hebre...
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The meaning of the Hebrew word ratsahtranslated "kill"or "murder"(NASB, NIV) is "murder"or "slay."Of course, humans rather than animals are in view. Both forms of murder, premeditated and non-premeditated (i.e., manslaughter ...
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The duty of obedience did not lie beyond the average Israelite's ability if he or she turned to Yahweh wholeheartedly (v. 10). God was not asking something impossible of His people (vv. 11-15; cf. Rom. 10:6-8). He had given t...
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One writer called the Song of Moses "one of the most impressive religious poems in the entire Old Testament."336It contrasts the faithfulness and loyal love of God with the unfaithfulness and perversity of His people. As othe...
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Four Interpretive Problems in Deuteronomy 24:1-4370Deuteronomy 24:1-4 is a passage that is very important in the biblical teaching on divorce and remarriage. There are four problems that need solving for us to determine the c...
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Adams, Jay. Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible. Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1980.Albright, William Foxwell. The Archaeology of Palestine. 1949. Revised ed. Pelican Archaeology seri...
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The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
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Achtemeier, Paul J., and Elizabeth Achtemeier. The Old Testament Roots of Our Faith. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979.Ackerman, James S. "Knowing Good and Evil: A Literary Ananysis of the Court History in 2 Samuel 9-20 and ...
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Job evidently considered his conception as the beginning of his existence (v. 3). His poetic description of his birth sets forth his regret that he had left his mother's womb alive."Leviathan [3:8] was a seven-headed sea mons...
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45:10-11 The psalmist gave some good advice to the bride. She would be wise to make her husband her primary object of affection (cf. Gen. 2:24). This would make her even more attractive to him. She should also honor him becau...
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104:24-30 The psalmist broke out in praise to Yahweh for His wisdom in creating as He did. He also acknowledged that all God created belonged to Him. This even included the sea with all its hidden treasures. Leviathan probabl...
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As was true in the chapter 10-15 section, this one (16:1-22:16) also becomes more difficult to outline as it ends because there are fewer groupings of proverbs.19:7 The first part of this verse is hyperbole (overstatement to ...
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Again Solomon began with a clear statement of his point and then proceeded to prove and illustrate its truth in the verses that follow. "Remember"means to live your life with what you know about God clearly in view, not just ...
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12:6 Solomon described the end of life first as the extinguishing of a light. The "golden bowl"is a bowl that holds a flame. When the "silver cord"that holds it breaks, the bowl crashes to the floor and the light goes out. Go...
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1:12-14 The Shulammite girl (6:3) described the effect that seeing Solomon had on her as he reclined at his banquet "table."She wore nard (spikenard, "perfume"NASB, NIV; cf. Mark 14:3; John 12:3), which was an ointment that c...
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This section (2:5-22) closes as it opened, with an exhortation, this one negative. Isaiah called on his hearers to stop trusting in man. His life, after all, comes from God, who should be trusted (cf. Gen. 2:7; 7:22; Ps. 146:...
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Isaiah revealed that the Lord's people are at the center of His plans for the world (cf. 14:2; 21:10). He will preserve them even though He will judge sinful humanity.227This passage contains many connections with the flood n...
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Isaiah next described the remnant who will stream to Zion praising God at the beginning of Messiah's reign. Notice the many triadic formations in the structure of this chapter, creating a feeling of the completeness of joy. T...
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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)...
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God not only will be faithful to His promises in spite of Israel's unfaithfulness (63:1-65:16), but He will demonstrate His ability and desire to provide righteousness for sinful humankind by creating new heavens and a new ea...
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This is the first of several symbolic acts that Jeremiah performed to communicate divine messages (cf. 16:1-4; 18:1-12; 19:1-2, 10-11; 27:1-28:17; 32:1-15; 43:8-13; 51:59-64). Other prophets did the same thing (cf. Isa. 20:2-...
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Sometimes God used the events in the lives of His prophets to speak to the people as well as their messages."Hosea's unhappy marriage (Hos. 1-3), Isaiah's family (Isa. 7-8), the death of Ezekiel's wife (Ezek. 24:15-27), and J...
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29:1-3 Jeremiah sent a letter to all the Judahites who had gone into exile in Babylon with King Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) in 597 B.C. We do not know the date of its composition, but Jeremiah probably wrote it within a few years o...
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18:1-2 The Lord told Ezekiel to ask the people what they meant when they used a proverb that implied that the present generation of Israelites was suffering because of the sins of their forefathers (cf. Jer. 31:29). They were...
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This well-known apocalyptic vision of the valley of dry bones pictures the manner in which Yahweh would restore His people.473This may be the best known section of the Book of Ezekiel."Few other passages have suffered more fr...
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47:1 Ezekiel's guide, who appears to have been his original guide in this vision (v. 3), brought him back to the main entrance to the temple proper. Ezekiel saw water flowing to the east from under the temple threshold.565It ...
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2:36 Daniel carefully distinguished the dream (vv. 31-35) from its interpretation (vv. 36-45) for the sake of clarity. His reference to "we"telling the interpretation is probably an editorial plural. This form of speech allow...
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This section stresses Israel's covenant disloyalty to Yahweh.6:4 The Lord twice asked rhetorically what He would do with Ephraim and Judah. The questions express frustration, helplessness, and despair more than inquiry. The l...
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This verse contains the title of the book, the shortest title of any Old Testament prophetical book, as well as a summary of the Lord's decree against Edom. This revelation came as a vision (Heb. hazon; cf. 1 Sam. 3:1; Isa. 1...
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1:4 Jonah subjected himself to dangers that Israel and the entire ancient Near East viewed as directly under divine control when he launched out on the sea. The sea to them was the embodiment of the chaotic forces that humans...
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The Lord proceeded to teach Jonah His ways and to confront him with his attitude problem.4:5 We might have expected Jonah to leave what so angered him quickly, as Elijah had fled from Israel and sought refuge far from it to t...
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Matthew began his Gospel with a record of Jesus' genealogy because the Christians claimed that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. To qualify as such He had to be a Jew from the royal line of David (Isa. 9:6-...
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In the previous encounter Jesus appealed to Scripture, but in this one He did not. In that one His disciples were the target of Pharisaic criticism, but in this one He was.12:9-10 The Pharisees believed that it was permissibl...
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12:18 The Sadducees were mainly urban, wealthy, and educated Jews. Their numbers were comparatively few, but they occupied important positions including many in the priesthood. Their influence was greater than their size as a...
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This is another incident that only Luke recorded. It reflects his interest in needy people receiving salvation from Jesus. This is such a dominent theme in Luke's Gospel that one commentator concluded that this incident is th...
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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...
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Jesus next addressed those in His audience who had expressed some faith Him (v. 30).8:31 The mark of a true disciple is continuation in the instructions of his or her teacher. A disciple is by definition a learner, not necess...
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The exact time of this miracle and Jesus' resultant discourse is unclear. Evidently these events transpired sometime between the feast of Tabernacles (7:2, 10; September 10-17, 32 A.D.) and the feast of Dedication (10:22-39; ...
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This pericope contains another post-resurrection appearance of Jesus that bolstered the disciples' faith. It also contains John's account of the Great Commission.20:19 John moved his readers directly from the events of Easter...
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21:1 John recorded still another post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to His disciples. It undoubtedly occurred during the 32-day period between Thomas' confession (20:28) and Jesus' ascension (Acts 1:9). Exactly when is uni...
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Paul's final argument in support of justification by faith was a development of his previous emphasis on the solidarity that the saved experience with their Savior (5:1-2, 9-10). In this section (5:12-21) he expanded that ide...
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Paul passed from a loosely connected series of exhortations in 12:9-21 to a well-organized argument about a single subject in 13:1-7."Forbidding the Christian from taking vengeance and allowing God to exercise this right in t...
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Paul advised married people not to abstain from normal sexual relations.7:1 Again Paul began what he had to say by citing a general truth. Then he proceeded to qualify it (cf. 6:12-13). The use of the Greek word anthropos(man...
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Paul moved from advice to the married regarding sexual abstinence to advice to the unmarried. He advised this group, as he had the former one, to remain in the state in which they found themselves, but he allowed them an exce...
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Paul proceeded with a second supporting argument to correct the Corinthians' perversion regarding women's head coverings.11:7 Men should not cover their heads in Christian worship because they are the glory of God. Whereas Pa...
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Paul now returned to his analogy between Adam and Christ (cf. vv. 21-22) to reinforce his argument, which he had brought to a head in verse 44.15:45 The natural body is physical, the product of Adam who received life from God...
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The apostle warned his readers not to think that they could satisfy the demands of the Mosaic Law by obeying only a few of its commands. Only complete compliance satisfies its demands.5:1 Paul's readers were in danger of retu...
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3:18 Paul did not say all women should be subject to all men, only that wives should be to their own husbands."The exhortation should not be weakened in translation in deference to modern sensibilities (cf. again 1 Cor. 14:34...
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"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...
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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...
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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...
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The writer returned again from exhortation to exposition. He now posed the alternatives of rest and peril that confronted the new people of God, Christians.127The writer warned his readers so they would not fail to enter into...
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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...
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"The present vv, 3:4-9, form six strophes, each of which divides . . . roughly into half. The two halves of the strophes balance one another; for the second part of the v provides a development of the first part (vv 4, 5, 7),...
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Before analyzing each of the seven letters that follows we should note some of their features as a group. They are similar in that they are all brief, and each contains a unique description of the Lord Jesus drawn from 1:12-2...
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An invitation preceded the promise, as in all the letters to follow (cf. 1:3). Jesus was the only person to issue this invitation in Scripture. The Gospels also record Him doing so seven times (Matt. 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9...
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The scene continues to be on earth.7:1 The phrase "after this"(Gr. meta touto) indicates that what follows is a new vision (cf. 4:1). The general chronological progression of the visions suggests that the events John saw now ...
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20:7 At the end of the Millennium God will release Satan from the abyss (cf. 1 Pet. 3:19). Two reasons are implied in the text: to demonstrate the incorrigibility of Satan, and to demonstrate the depravity of humanity.695God ...
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Essentially what John saw next was Paradise regained (cf. 2:7; Gen. 2; Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:2). Having viewed the splendor of the New Jerusalem he now saw what will nourish and enrich the lives of God's people there."Up to t...
Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)
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Genesis 1:26; 2:3We are not to look to Genesis for a scientific cosmogony, and are not to be disturbed by physicists' criticisms on it as such. Its purpose is quite another, and far more important; namely, to imprint deep and...