Isaiah 34:16
Luke 16:29
Verse 29. They have Moses. The writings of Moses. The first five books of the Bible. The prophets. The remainder of the Old Testament. What the prophets had written. Hear them. Hear them speak in the Scriptures. Read them, or hear them read in the synagogues, and attend to what they have delivered. (u) "They have Moses and the prophets" Is 34:16, Jn 5:39Luke 24:44
Verse 44. These are the words. Or this is the fulfilment of what I before told you respecting my death. See Lk 18:33, Mk 10:33. While I was yet with you. Before my death. While I was with you as a teacher and guide. In the law of Moses. The five books of Moses-- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Among the Jews this was the first division of the Old Testament, and was called the law. The prophets. This was the second and largest part of the Hebrew Scriptures. It comprehended the books of Joshua, Judges, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, which were called the former prophets; and Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve smaller books from Daniel to Malachi, which were called the latter prophets. The psalms. The word here used probably means what were comprehended under the name of Hagiographa, or holy writings. This consisted of the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and the two books of Chronicles. This division of the Old Testament was in use long before the time of Christ, and was what he referred to here; and he meant to say that in each of these divisions of the Old Testament there were prophecies respecting himself. The particular subject before them was his resurrection from the dead. A most striking prediction of this is contained in Ps 16:9-11. Compare it with Acts 2:24-32, 13:35-37. (f) "These are" Mt 16:21 (g) "that all things" Lk 21:22, Acts 3:18, 13:27,33 (h) "in the prophets" Lk 24:27 (i) "in the Psalms" Ps 22:1John 5:39
Verse 39. Search the scriptures. The word translated search here means to search diligently or anxiously. It is applied to miners, who search for precious metals--who look anxiously for the bed of the ore with an intensity or anxiety proportionate to their sense of the value of the metal. Comp. Job 28:3. It is applied by Homer to a lioness robbed of her whelps, and who searches the plain to trace out the footsteps of the man who has robbed her. It is also applied by him to dogs tracing their game by searching them out by the scent of the foot. It means a diligent, faithful, anxious investigation. The word may be either in the indicative or imperative mood. In our translation it is in the imperative, as if Jesus commanded them to search the Scriptures, Cyril, Erasmus, Beza, Bengel, Kuinoel, Tholuck, De Wette, and others, give it as in the indicative; Chrysostom, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Wetstein, Stier, Alford, and others, regard it as in the imperative, or as a command. It is impossible to determine which is the true interpretation. Either of them makes good sense, and it is proper to use the passage in either signification. There is abundant evidence that the Jews did search the books of the Old Testament. It is equally clear that all men ought to do it. The scriptures. The writings or books of the Old Testament, for those were all the books of revelation that they then possessed. In them ye think ye have eternal life. The meaning of this is: "Ye think that by studying the Scriptures you will obtain eternal life. You suppose that they teach the way to future blessedness, and that by diligently studying them you will attain it." We see by this-- 1. That the Jews in the time of Jesus were expecting a future state. 2. The Scriptures teach the way of life, and it is our duty to study them. The Bereans are commended for searching the Scriptures (Acts 17:11); and Timothy is said from a child to have "known the holy scriptures, which are able to make us wise unto salvation," 2Ti 3:15. Early life is the proper time to search the Bible, for they who seek the Lord early shall find him. They are they, &c. They bear witness to the Messiah. They predict his coming, and the manner of his life and death, Isa 53:1-12; Dan 9:26,27, &c. Lk 24:27. (p) "they are" Lk 24:27, 1Pet 1:10,11
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