Archives: Commentary

Prophecies: Genesis 2:17

In Genesis 2:17 God warns Adam that on the day he eats of the tree he shall surely die. Yet Genesis 5:5 says Adam lived 930 years. In…
Polygamy: 1 Kings 11:3

1 Kings 11:3 says Solomon had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. Abraham, Jacob and David also had more than one wife. The note observes that…
Paul: 2 Corinthians 12:16

In 2 Corinthians 12:16 Paul answers the charge that he burdened the Corinthians, and says he was crafty and caught them by deceit. The argument takes the verse…
Onanism: Genesis 38:8-9

Genesis 38:8-9 tells how Judah told Onan to go in to his dead brother’s wife and raise up offspring for his brother, and how Onan, knowing the child…
Spirit, Beloved and Helper: 1 John 4:2

Three texts that are often read in unexpected ways are gathered here. First, 1 John 4:2 gives a test of spirits: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ…
Messiah: Genesis 31:13

Messiah is an ordinary Hebrew word meaning anointed one, and Christ is simply its Greek counterpart. The argument shows how widely the Old Testament uses it. In Genesis…
Melchisedek: Hebrews 7:3

Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, appears in Genesis 14:18 with bread and wine. Hebrews 7:3 says of him that he has no father,…
Massacre: Numbers 31:17-18

The argument gathers the passages in which Israel is told to wipe out whole populations. In Numbers 31:17-18 Moses orders every male child and every woman who has…
Keturah: Genesis 25:1

Genesis 25:1 says Abraham took another wife, Keturah, but 1 Chronicles 1:32 calls her Abraham’s concubine. The argument notes that a wife and a concubine are not the…
Jews: Deuteronomy 9:24

The Bible itself describes Israel as a people who rebelled again and again. Moses tells them in Deuteronomy 9:24 that they have been rebellious from the day he…