Study
Guide Answers
Matthew Henry
Chapter 1
1.
1. Why is the term “testament”
or “covenant” used to describe the Bible? Answer: This is called a
testament, or covenant (Diatheke)(NT:1242), because it was a settled
declaration of the will of God concerning man in a federal way, and had its
force from the designed death of the great testator, the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world, Rev 8:8.
2.
2.
What does
the word “Pentateuch” refer to? Answer: The first five books of the
Bible.
3.
3. List the threefold
description of the Scriptures according to Jesus. Answer: Law,
Prophets, and Psalms.
4.
4. When was Genesis written?
Answer: While some think, when Moses was in Midian, for the instruction
and comfort of his suffering brethren in Egypt: it is probable that he wrote it in the wilderness, after he had
been in the mount with God.
5.
5. List six things the book of
Genesis introduces. Answer: (1) Creation of the world (2) The
entrance of sin (3) The entrance of death (4) The invention of the arts (5) The
rise of nations and (6) The beginning of the Church.
Exodus
1.
1. In what two ways was Moses a
servant of the Lord? Answer: Moses
used his pen to serve the Lord by recording history and his used his rod of
authority to guide the people of God.
2.
2.
What does
the term “exodus” mean?” Answer: A
departure, or going out.
3.
3.
Give the
spiritual significance of the term “exodus.” Answer: No sooner have
we made our entrance into the world than we must think of making our exit, and
going out of the world. When we begin to live we begin to die.
4.
4.
State the
two major divisions of the book. Answer: I. The accomplishment of the promises made before to
Abraham (chapters 1-19). II. The establishment of the ordinances which were
afterwards observed by Israel (chapters 20-40).
5.
5. What New Testament passage
states that Moses wrote of Christ? Answer: John
5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
Leviticus
1.
1. What three historical
accounts are recalled in Leviticus? Answer: (1) The consecration of
the priesthood (chapters 8-9). (2) The punishment of Nadab and Abihu (chapter
10). (3) The ecclesiastical laws of God.
2.
2. What do the ecclesiastical
laws regulate? Answer: These laws regulated the sacrifices and
offerings of Israel.
3.
3. Where does the term
“Leviticus” come from and what does it mean? Answer: The term comes
from the Septuagint and refers to the priestly tribe of Levi.
4.
4. Does Leviticus suggest that
there is a proper way to worship the Lord? Explain. Answer: In the
divine appointments with God there are particular forms to follow.
5.
5. How might a New Testament
believer apply the teachings found in Leviticus? Answer: While the
New Testament Christian is freed from the yoke of ceremonial law, the ancient
laws strengthen faith in Jesus Christ.
Chapter 4
1.
1. What is the origin of the
title of the book and why is it so named? Answer: While the other
titles for the books of the Old Testament come from the Septuagint, this title
comes from the English. The title comes because of the numbers of the children
of Israel which are so often mentioned.
2.
2. How many times was the
Exodus Generation numbered and where? Answer: (1) At Mt. Sinai
(chapter 1) and (2) on the plains of Moab thirty nine years later (chapter 26).
3.
3. What is contained in the
historical part of the book? Answer: (1) The numberig and
organization of the tribes (chapters 1-4). (2) The dedication of the altar and
Levites (chapter 7-8). (3) The travels of the nation (chapter 9-10). (4) The
murmuring and unbelief, for which they were sentenced to wander for forty years
in the wilderness (chapter 11-14). (5) The rebellion of Korah (chapters 16,17).
(6) The history of the last year of the forty (chapter 20-26) (7) The conquest
of Midian, and the settlement of the two tribes (chapter 31, 32). (8) An
account of their journeys (chapter 33).
4.
4. What did the laws set forth
in Numbers regulate? Answer: (1) Laws about the Nazarites, etc (chapter
5,6). (2) Laws about the priests’ charge, etc. (chapter 18,19). (3) The feasts
(chapter 28, 29). (4) The vows (chapter 30). (5) Their settlement in Canaan
(chapter 27, 34, 35,36).
5.
5. Give the spiritual
application of this book to Christians today. Answer: Hebrews 4:1
provides an application of the book to ourselves. Let us fear lest we seem to
come short.
Deuteronomy
1.
1. What major event is recorded
in the last chapter of this book? Answer: The death of Moses.
2.
2. What does the word
“Deuteronomy” signify? Answer: Literally, the Second Law or the
second time the Law was given.
3.
3. Why was the Law repeated? Answer:
The men of the Exodus generation to which the law was first given were all
dead, and a new generation had sprung up.
4.
4. State one attribute of God
manifested by the giving of the Law. Answer: In compassion to the
infirmities of the people, the laws of more common concern are delivered a
second time.
5.
5. State one spiritual
application of Deuteronomy. Answer: What God has spoken once we have
need to hear twice, to hear many times, and it is well if, after all, it be
duly perceived and regarded.
6.
6. List
three ways the book was to be magnified and honored. Answer: (1) The king was
to write a copy of it with his own hand, and to read therein all the days of
his life, ch. 17, 18, 19. 2 (2) It was
to be written upon great stones plastered, at their passing over Jordan, Deut
27:2-3. (3) It was to be read publicly every seventh year, at the feast of
tabernacles, by the priests, in the audience of all Israel, Deut 31:9, etc.
7.
7.
In which
chapter is a song sung? Answer: Chapter 32.
8.
8. How much time is covered in
the book? Answer: Two months.
9.
9. How should the last words of
a person be treated? Answer: With great respect.
10.
10. How did Jesus use this book of the Bible? Answer:
The Lord answered the devil’s temptations with direct quotations from
Deuteronomy.
Joshua
Chapter 6
1.
1. List some of the “lost”
books of the Bible. Answer: (1) The Book of Jasher (2) The Chronicles
of the Kings of Israel and Judah (3) The Book of Gad (4) The Book of Nathan and
(5) The Book of Iddo.
2.
2. Who might be the author of
Joshua? Answer: Ezra the scribe.
3.
3. In what three ways is Joshua
shown to be the leader of Israel? Answer: (1) He led the people of
Israel into Canaan. (2) He led the people in the conquest of Canaan. (3) He led
the people in the distribution of the land that was conquered.
4.
4. How is the providence of God
revealed? Answer: (1) In the kingdom of nature, (2) in punishing the
Canaanites when the measure of their iniquity was full, (3) by His faithfulness
to His covenant with the patriarchs, and (4) by His kindness to His people
Israel, notwithstanding their provocations. (5) We may see him as the Lord of
Hosts determining the issues of war, and (6) as the director of the lot,
determining the bounds of men's habitations
5.
5. How is Joshua a type of
Christ? Answer: He bore our Savior’s name and serverd as a high
priest (Acts 7:45; Heb. 4:8; Zech.
6:11-12). Joshua saves God’s people from the Canaanites as Jesus promised to
save His people from their sins. Christ, as Joshua, is the captain of our
salvation, a leader of commander of the people, to tread Satan under their
feet, to put them in possession of the heavenly Canaan, and to give them rest,
which (it is said, Heb. 4:8), Joshua did not.
Judges
Chapter 7
1.
1. How many years are covered
in Judges? Answer: Two hundred and ninety nine years.
2.
2. List 12 of the Judges of
Israel. Answer:
(1)
(1) Othniel of Judah
(2)
(2) Ehud of Benjamin
(3)
(3) Barak of Naphtali
(4)
(4) Gideon of Manasseh
(5)
(5) Abimelech his son
(6)
(6) Tola of Issachar
(7)
(7) Jair of Manasseh
(8)
(8) Jephtha of Manasseh
(9)
(9) Ibzan of Judah
(10)Elon of Zebulun
(11)
(11) Abdon of Ephriam
(12)
(12) Samson of Dan
3.
3. How many tribes are
represented by the Judge? Answer: Eight.
4.
4. Characterize the Judges of
Israel. Answer: They do not appear here either so great or so good as
one might have expected the character of such a peculiar people would be. We
find them wretchedly corrupted, and wretchedly oppressed by their neighbours
about them.
5.
5. Describe the government of
Israel during the days of the Judges. Answer: The government of the
judges was not constant, but occasional. The judges were raised up and animated
by the Spirit of God to do particular service to the public when there was
occasion, to avenge Israel of their enemies, and to purge Israel of their
idolatries, which are the two things principally meant by their judging Israel.
6.
6. What was the name of the
woman who judged Israel? Answer: Deborah.
7.
7. Spiritually, who was the true
king of Israel? Answer: During the government of the judges, God was
in a more especially manner Israel’s king; so Samuel tells them when they were
resolved to throw off this form of government (1 Sam. 12:12).
8.
8. In Hebrews 4:12, who are the
four judges honored? Answer: (1) Gideon (2) Barak (3) Samson (4)
Jephtha
9.
9. Ho might be the author of
the book of Judges? Answer: The prophet Samuel.
10.
10. What should a Christian be thankful for? Answer:
Christians should be grateful for magistrates both supreme and subordinate,
for they are ministers of God unto us for good.
Chapter 8
1.
1. Who might have written Ruth?
Answer: The prophet Samuel.
2.
2. What is the design of the
book? Answer: (1) To lead individuals to recognize the hand of
Providence and, (2) to lead people to Christ.
3.
3. Give the most important
descendant of Ruth. Answer: The Messiah.
4.
4. What does Ruth typify?
Answer: In Ruth there is the anticipation of the calling of the Gentiles
in due time into the fellowship of Christ Jesus our Lord.
5.
5. What city is the setting for
the story of Ruth? Answer: Bethlehem.
1 Samuel
Chapter 9
1.
1. Describe the contents of 1
and 2 Samuel. Answer: These books record the fall of Eli and the rise
of Samuel. A full account of his birth, childhood, life and government is
provided. The life of Saul is then followed by the rise of David to power.
2.
2. What is the title of those
works in the Latin Vulgate? Answer: The First and Second Book of the
Kings.
3.
3. What is the title of those
works in the Septuagint? Answer: The First and Second Book of the
Kingdoms.
4.
4. Who is the author of these
works? Answer: It is probable that Samuel wrote the history of his
own time, and that, after him, some of the prophets that were with David
(Nathan as likely as any) continued it.
5.
5. What official position did
Eli and Samuel hold in the nation? Answer: They were priests unto the
Lord.
2 Samuel
1.
1. Who were the enemies of
David? Answer: The enemies of David included Saul, the Jebusites, and
the Philistines.
2.
2. Against whom did David
ultimately sin? Answer: David against Urriah the Hittite and against
the Lord God (Psalms 51).
3.
3. What was the sin of Ammon?
(chapter 13) Answer: He molested his sister.
4.
4. Who was Absalom and what did
he do? Answer: Absalom was the favored son of David and the handsome
crown prince. He led a rebellion against his father to take the throne by
force.
5.
5. For what sin of David did
thousands of Israelites die? (chapter 24) Answer: Lifted up with
pride David counted the people of Israel, not to take a census but to inflate
his own ego. It was a great sin in the sight of God.
Chapter 11
1.
1.
Who was
Solomon? Answer: Solomon was the second son born to David and
Bathsheba who was the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Beloved by God, Solomon was
chosen to follow David to the throne of Israel.
2.
2. What caused the nation of
Israel to be divided? Answer: The many wives of Solomon took his
heart away from the Lord. As a form of Divine judgment, the Lord divided the
kingdom of Israel.
3.
3. Describe the character of
the kings of Judah. Answer: The many wives of Solomon took his heart
away from the Lord. As a form of Divine judgment, the Lord divided the kingdom
of Israel.
David the devout
Solomon the wise
Rehoboam the simple
Abijah the valiant
Asa the upright
Jehoshaphat the religious
Jehoram the wicked
Ahaziah the profane
Joash the backslider
Amaziah the rash
Uzziah the mighty
Jotham the
peaceable
Ahaz the idolater
Hezekiah the reformer
Manasseh the penitent
Amon the obscure
Josiah the tender hearted
Jehoahaz
Jehoiakim
Jehoiachin
Zedekiah all wicked
4.
4. What did David want to build
for the Lord? Answer: David wanted to build a Temple to house the Ark
of the Covenant.
2 Kings
Chapter 12
1.
1. Who was Elijah and what are
some of the miracles he performed? (chapters 17-19) Answer: Elijah was a 9th century prophet
of God who ministered during the reign of King Ahab. He fed a widow and her
son, restored the child back to life when he died, called fire down from
heaven, and prayed that it not rain for three years. The rains ceased until he
prayed again.
2.
2. How did Elijah leave earth?
(chapters 1-2) Answer: Elijah ascended into heaven in a chariot of
fire.
1.
1. List some of the miracles of
Elisha. (chapters 3-7) Answer: (1) The miracle of Jordan (2) The
miracle of the healed waters (3) The miracle of judgment upon irreverent young
men. (4) The miracle of the flood (5) The miracle of the Shunammite’s son (6)
The miracle of the poisoned food (7) The miracle of the healing of Naaman (8)
The miracle of the healing of Gehazi (9) The miracle of the swimming axhead
(10) The miralce of open and blinded eyes and (11) The miracle of the siege
2.
2. Compare and contrast Hazael
and Jehu. Answer: Hazael and Jehu were both anointed as rulers and
appointed to be instruments of God. Hazael would be used of the Lord to bring
correction to Israel while Jehu would bring destruction to the house of Ahab
(chapters 8-10).
3.
3. Describe the reign of
Hezekiah. (chapters 18-20) Answer: The reign of Hezekiah was both
good and glorious.
1.
1. Who was the king that
destroyed Jerusalem? (chapters 24-25) Answer: Nebuchadnezzar
Chapter 13
1.
1. Who is the author of the
Chronicles? Answer: Ezra has been suggested.
2.
2. According to legend what
happened to the Law? Answer: It was burnt and destroyed so that Ezra
was divinely inspired to write it all over again.
3.
3. When were the Chronicles
written? Answer: Following the Babylonian Captivity.
4.
4. Describe the contents of the
Chronicles. Answer: We have in 1 Chronicles (1) a collection of
sacred genealogies (2) A repetition of the history of the translation of the
kingdom from Saul to David and the triumph of David’s reign (3) An original
account of the settlement David made of the ecclesiastical affairs and the
preparations for the building of the Temple.
5.
5. What preparations did David
make for the building of the Temple? (chapters 22-29) Answer: David
provided Trees and stones along with silver and gold for the Temple.
Chapter 14
1.
1. List four empires that once
ruled the world. Answer: Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman
2.
2. Who was Rehoboam? (chapters
10-12) Answer: Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and his successor on
the throne f Israel. His mother was Naamah, an Ammonitess (1 Kings 14:21). Born
c. 975 BC, Rehoboam was about forty-one years old when he began to reign.
Because he was foolish in his political polices the kingdom was divided.
3.
3. What great spiritual lesson
is to be learned from the lives of the kings? Answer: The Lord
honored those who honored God. Those who rebelled against righteousness knew
the heavy hand of Divine discipline.
4.
4. List the books of the Bible
written after the Babylonian captivity. Answer: Chronicles, Ezra, and
Nehemiah.
5.
5. What is one thing that the
Christian can be certain of concerning the Bible? Answer: We may be
confident that the foundation of God stands fast.
Ezra
1.
1. What is the theme of Ezra?
Answer: The history of this books if the accomplishment of Jeremiah’s
prophecy concerning the return of the Jews out of Babylon at the end of seventy
years.
2.
2. What does the book of Ezra
foreshadow? Answer: The narrative foreshadowed the deliverance of the
gospel church out of the New-Testament Babylon.
3.
3. What troubles did the Jew
meet with when they returned to Jerusalem? (chapters 3-6) Answer: Tremendous
personal and physical opposition concerning the rebuilding of the Holy City and
the Temple.
4.
4. What did Ezra force many men
to do? (chapters 9-10) Answer: Divorce their foreign wives.
5.
5. What was the result of this
action on family units? Answer: While much sorrow and heartache was
involved, the nation of Israel became smaller but more racially pure.
Nehemiah
Chapter 16
1.
1. Name three famous Greeks who
lived during the days of Nehemiah? Answer(1) Xenophon (2) Demosthenes
(3) Plato
2.
2. Who was the ruler of Persia?
Answer: Artaxerxes
3.
3. What government office did
Nehemiah hold and for how long? Answer: Twelve years, from his
twentieth year (Neh. 1:1) to his thirty second year (Neh. 13:6), Nehemiah was
the governor of Judea.
4.
4. By what authority did
Nehemiah go to Jerusalem? Answer: As the king’s trusted cupbearer
Nehemiah received a commission from the king to go to Jerusalem.
5.
5. Describe his religious
reforms. (chapter 13) Answer: The religious reforms of Israel
included a solemn reading of the Law, fasting, prayer, and a renewal of their
vows.
Esther
Chapter 17
1.
1. In what passage is the name
of God mentioned? Answer: The name of God is never mentioned in this
book though the Providence of God is evident.
2.
2. What does the Feast of Purim
commemorate? (chapter 9:20) Answer: This feast commemorates the grace
of the Lord in delivering His people from the plot of Haman to destroy Mordecai
and all Jews.
3.
3. Who is the author of this
book? Answer: It is possible that Mordecai is the author note Esth.
9:20).
4.
4. Who was Esther? Answer:
The root meaning of Esther is aster which means “a star” and implies “good
fortune.” She was related to a family carried away captive with Jeremiah about
600 BC. When her parents died, Esther came under the guardian caer of Mordecai,
a palace official, to whom she was related by marriage. In the Providence of
God, Esther became Queen of the land and so was in a position to expose a plot
to destroy her people.
5.
5. Describe the death of Haman.
(chapters 5-7) Answer: When Haman was perceived by the king as making
inappropriate advances against the Queen, he was taken and hanged on the same
gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.