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Showing 926 to 950 of 1185 results

926. Ai Destroyed

Joshua 8:1-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... enemy away from the city in pursuit. The ambushing force will then take the now largely defenseless city, setting it on fire (8:3–7). Everything goes according to plan (8:10–19). As Joshua and his men pretend to flee, all the men of Ai pursue, leaving the city open and defenseless. At the right moment, the Lord tells Joshua to hold out his javelin toward Ai, a detail previously unmentioned, but obviously understood by all as a sign for the ambushing force to attack. The ambushing force thus takes the ...

927. Southern Cities Conquered

Josh 10:16-43

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... they hide themselves in a cave (10:16). When Joshua is told where the kings are hiding, he gives orders for large stones to be rolled over the mouth of the cave and for guards to be stationed to prevent them from escaping. The Israelites then pursue the rest of the enemy troops. After annihilating most of them, they return to their interim camp in Makkedah, where Joshua has the captured kings brought before them. Telling his commanders to put their feet on the kings’ necks to force them into a submissive ...

928. Northern Kings Defeated

Joshua 11:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... with the divine plan, Joshua surprises his enemies by boldly taking the offensive against them at their base camp (11:7). As Joshua follows the Lord’s instructions, the Lord hands the enemy over to the Israelites. They strike the enemy down and pursue them until they are completely destroyed. Then the Israelites return to Hazor, whose king led this northern coalition. Applying the principle of herem (see commentary on 6:1–27), Joshua has the king executed and the people totally destroyed. The city is ...

929. Gideon Defeats the Midianites

Judges 7:1-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... (7:19–25), and the Midianites flee, probably taking the noise and light to be indicative of a much larger Israelite contingent. In the process, the Lord confuses the Midianites and their allies, and they end up attacking each other. As the Israelites pursue, Gideon sends word to the Ephraimites, asking them to block the fords of the Jordan so that the enemy will not be able to escape back to their eastern homeland. The Ephraimites are thus able to capture and kill two Midianite generals, although ...

930. Gideon's Retaliation

Judges 8:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a strong complaint against Gideon for failing to involve them earlier (8:1–3). But Gideon credits the Ephraimites with the more significant accomplishment, and a potential internal conflict is averted. As Gideon and his three hundred men continue to pursue the escaped Midianite kings east of the Jordan, he seeks help from two Israelite towns, Sukkoth and Peniel (8:4–9). Each, however, refuses to help, and in response, Gideon threatens punishment on his return. Indeed, after successfully capturing the ...

931. Ruth’s Proposal

Ruth 3:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... fears and without hesitation happily obliges. His unequivocal acceptance of her proposal relies on the fact that she is a woman of noble character (3:11). Indeed, as a new Israelite, Ruth is a worthy woman. He deems it honorable that Ruth has pursued and preferred him (3:10). It is unfathomable given the writer’s intentionality in bolstering Boaz’s godly and reputable character that he would agree to marry “Ruth, the Moabite” if she had not changed her ethnic identity. Although Boaz agrees to the ...

932. Israel Routs the Philistines

1 Sam 14:15-52

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... sacred. Saul builds his first altar at this time, perhaps to atone for the actions of his men and to express thanks to God for the great victory over the Philistines. After the soldiers eat and regain some strength, Saul proposes they continue to pursue the Philistines during the night to follow up the victory. The men agree, but when Ahijah inquires of the Lord—presumably through the Urim and Thummim—there is no answer. Saul reasons that someone must have broken his oath and prays that the Lord ...

933. David Spares Saul's Life

1 Samuel 24:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

When Saul returns to pursue David he happens to relieve himself in the same cave where David and his men are hiding (24:1–7). Apparently Saul is alone, leading David’s men to proclaim this as the Lord’s timing, with the implication that David should kill Saul. David does not kill Saul but ...

934. The Advice of Hushai and Ahithophel

2 Sam 16:15–17:29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the concubines in a tent pitched on the roof, he also ensures that all Israel knows what he is doing. Given the skill and the reputation of Ahithophel, it comes as a shock to see his advice rejected in 17:1–14. Ahithophel recommends that Absalom pursue David immediately, before he has a chance to escape very far or to organize his forces. If he had killed David quickly, then David’s supporters would likely have paid allegiance to Absalom and the nation would not have been divided by a long and bloody ...

935. Naaman Healed of Leprosy

2 Kings 5:1-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... s words: (literally) “Your servant didn’t walk here and here” (5:25; NIV “Your servant didn’t go anywhere”). The chapter begins and ends with leprosy, but with startling reversal, as Gehazi and his descendants will forever embody the decision to pursue Naaman and hoodwink him for some silver and new clothes. A contrast emerges between Gehazi (a servant lad) and the captured Israelite at the beginning of the story (a servant girl). The girl in exile has deeper acquaintance with the prophetic word ...

936. Commissioning Solomon

1 Chronicles 28:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 1 Chronicles 22:6–16. David’s call to courage is not based primarily on the extensive resources that David has provided for the project (28:21) but first and foremost on the theological premises that God will be with Solomon and will not fail or forsake him as he pursues this massive task (28:20).

937. Zophar

Job 11:1-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ). The NIV represents another direction: that a witless person will no more become learned than a wild donkey will be born to a human. At first glance, Zophar seems to mean that he believes Job incapable of true wisdom. Yet Zophar’s following words encourage Job to pursue the right path (11:13–20). In context, then, Zophar appears to be challenging Job not to be a hollow man. 11:13–20 · Zophar’s instruction to Job now follows. If Job can learn from Zophar’s words, he is well on the road away from ...

938. Psalm 23

Psalm 23:1-6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the author expresses full confidence in the Lord because God provides for his needs in times of weakness (23:1–3), guides and protects him in near-death experiences (23:4), and honors him abundantly in the midst of immediate danger (23:5). David concludes by announcing that God aggressively pursues (not simply follows) him in this life and ensures that he will dwell with him in the next (23:6).

939. Psalm 35

Psalm 35:1-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

David describes the dark side of life, where his enemies pursue him, set traps for him, and rejoice when he falls. His enemies dominate the “headlines”—God being far less prominent in Psalm 35 than he is in Psalm 34. Every command in Psalm 35, however, is directed toward God, with David imploring God to defend him, defeat his enemies, or ...

940. Pleasures Accomplish Little

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... accomplishments (2:9) and opportunities for self-gratification (2:10a) and concludes positively (2:10b) that his heart (i.e., the core of his being) “took delight in all [his] work” and in the fruits of his labors. Such efforts ultimately can be viewed as only temporary and futile, like pursuing the wind, since they bring no lasting gain or benefit (2:11, answering the question posed in 1:3). Precisely why this negative conclusion is warranted will be explained in 2:17–23.

941. Time and Eternity

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 16–17, which continues the theme of divine judgment. An alternative translation of the difficult wording of verse 15b is “God seeks out the persecuted,” which does not fit the context as well, or “God can seek (successfully) that which already has been pursued” (in vain by others), which contrasts with verse 15a. The opening phrase of 3:16–22, “and I saw something else,” links this section with 3:10 rather than with chapter 4. Here Qoheleth describes something that does not appear to be very ...

942. Wealth is Meaningless

Ecclesiastes 5:8--6:12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... who has learned the proper conduct for societal survival. Better is “what the eye sees” as a present possession (i.e., a bird in the hand) than “the roving of the appetite” (i.e., two in the bush, 6:9a). Being content with what one has is a gain, while pursuing satisfaction through further acquisition is futile. The final occurrence in the book of the phrase “a chasing after the wind” concludes its first major subdivision.

943. I am a Rose of Sharon

Song of Songs 2:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... he come from the hills and peer through garden lattices for a glance of the maiden? If the maiden is confined in the palace precincts and Solomon and the lover are one in the same, why must she (even in a dream) steal through the streets of Jerusalem pursuing her lover? The anthology-of-love-poems approach considers this poem an invitation by the man to the woman to join him in a tryst (and addressing the issue of morality by assuming the context of marriage based on a canonical reading of the Songs [e.g ...

944. Judgment and Hope

Isaiah 31:1-9, Isaiah 32:1-8, Isaiah 32:9-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... act in accordance with the word of God. They will hasten to do his will on the earth in contrast to the past, when they hastened to do their own will. In their pursuit of godly wisdom, they will hate folly and wickedness. The wise person pursues what is noble (i.e., godly wisdom). The wise people of God will no longer take their counsel in accordance with earthly standards and be primarily concerned with earthly matters, but rather they will have new standards and concern about the things that pertain to ...

945. Oholah and Oholibah

Ezekiel 23:1-49

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Lord of those nations? To be sure, this is not an innovation of Ezekiel’s contemporaries. Earlier prophets (Isa. 7:1–8:22; 30:1–31:9; Jer. 2:20–25; Hos. 7:11–13; 8:9) condemned their generation for fornicating with Gentiles, for pursuing alliances with foreign nations. God’s people have become the Lord’s unfaithful wife. As her husband, the Lord demands of Israel exclusive fidelity. That is what he has given her, and she needs to reciprocate. If she insists on multiple suitors, then God’s ...

946. Jesus’s Birth

Matthew 1:18-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... This provides the context for Joseph’s plan to “divorce” Mary. (If later rabbinic writings indicate first-century marriage practices, Mary and Joseph were likely in their teens: Mary between the ages of twelve and fourteen with Joseph a bit older.) Before Joseph is able to pursue this plan, however, an angel of the Lord appears and speaks to him in a dream. Angels and dreams will continue to guide Jesus’s family in the days ahead (2:13, 19; cf. 2:12). Matthew draws on the plot features of angels and ...

947. Jesus’s Temptation

Matthew 4:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... manna to teach them the true source of their sustenance (Deut. 8:2–3), with Deuteronomy 8:5 identifying Israel as God’s son. The use of Deuteronomy 8:3 connects the wilderness testing of Jesus to that of Israel, contrasting Jesus’s obedience by not pursuing bread with Israel’s disobedience (8:3, 5; cf. Exod. 16:1–5). In the second temptation, the devil entices Jesus to throw himself from the highest point of the Jerusalem temple, citing Psalm 91:11–12 as evidence that God will send angels to ...

948. Jesus’s Fourth Discourse—The Community Discourse

Matthew 18:1-9

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The messages of the Community Discourse—embedded in 16:21–20:28, with its focus on defining Messiah and discipleship—center on the need for the messianic community to renounce status concerns, care for their most vulnerable, and pursue restoration and forgiveness of those who stray. The community of disciples must deny self and live a cross-shaped existence (16:24) empowered by Jesus’s presence within the community. Though possessing a certain seamlessness, Matthew 18 may be divided into two ...

949. Jesus Prays

Mark 1:35-39

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Galilee. This is the first of three times in Mark when Jesus seeks solitude in order to pray (also 6:46; 14:32–39), each of which is set within a context of either implied or expressed opposition. Here Peter and other, unnamed disciples pursue Jesus and seek to control his movements. The effect, whether intended or not, would prevent Jesus from fulfilling his wider ministry. In 8:32–33 Peter will pose a greater hindrance to Jesus’s ministry. Jesus resists the intrusion of the disciples by reasserting ...

950. Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

John 3:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... be appropriated. Belief in the Son gains eternal life (3:15–16, 18). Disbelief gains judgment and condemnation (3:18–19, 35). This sums up the worldview characteristic of John’s Gospel: one is either attracted to or repulsed by the light (3:19–21); one pursues either truth or evil. There is no equivocation here. Yet the coming of the Son was not inspired by a desire to condemn—it stemmed from love (3:16–17). But judgment is an inevitable result. Light brings exposure (3:20): it reveals who we ...

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