The Bible is not always easy to read. It happens that you come across some verse, and there is either an animal with a bunch of heads, or someone overthrown from a mountain, or threats from the Lord, you don’t know who. The Bible story seems to leave the reader behind.
Either there is not enough education, or it was not written for that era. Is life enough to shorten this distance and make the text of Holy Scripture more transparent for yourself? This is very difficult, because you just want to live, and not just study texts about antiquity.
But, fortunately, there are ready-made commentaries on the Bible. Some of the best were written by Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin.
The author of the explanatory Bible is researcher A.P. Lopukhin
Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin was born on October 10, 1852. His life cannot be called interesting or exciting. No special incidents happened to him. After graduating from theological seminary and academy, Lopukhin began working as a psalm-reader in New York until 1881.
1913
this year Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible was published
In 1881, Lopukhin moved to St. Petersburg, where he was a teacher:
- At the Department of Comparative Theology;
- At the Department of Ancient Civil History.
On August 22, 1904, Lopukhin died, but left behind a huge amount of work. And this is not surprising, because he was:
- Professor;
- Translator;
- Biblical scholar;
- Bible scholar;
- Theologian;
- Writer;
- Interpreter.
Lopukhin was well versed in history and the Bible. It was important for him to convey his knowledge to people, and Lopukhin’s main work was the Explanatory Bible. It was published periodically in the form of a free publication.
A.P. Lopukhin - author of the Explanatory Bible
The interpreter himself was unable to complete the matter because he died. But his mission was continued by a responsible team of the best specialists assembled by Lopukhin.
The main objectives of this work were named:
- Compile the most accurate guide to understanding the Bible;
- Draw on scientific and theological commentary;
- Clarify the most difficult places;
- Oppose false teachers and false teachings.
Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible was published from 1904 to 1913.
Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible - a text understandable to the modern reader
What is so good about Lopukhin’s explanatory Bible? One of its advantages is its modern language, understandable to any reader.
There are plenty of commentators on the Holy Scriptures. But sometimes it’s unbearable to read them. Trying to clarify the biblical code for oneself, a person is faced with a new difficulty - the need to deal with the outdated language of historical interpreters.
Lopukhin is clearer and closer to us.
For example, here is what St. George of Zadonsky writes about Christ’s phrase “I am the light of the world”:
Georgy Zadonsky
recluse of the Zadonsk Mother of God Monastery
“Thoughts, like clouds, soar, fly and change. When the day suddenly darkens and the sun is covered with clouds, then it seems that the heavenly land is dressed in mourning of sadness. Deprivation of daylight strikes with boredom and languid despondency. This is what happens with the human heart if it does not follow Jesus Christ, who says: “If you walk after Me, you will not have to walk in darkness, but will have living light” (John 8:12), says the Lord to everyone. Therefore, everyone can understand that the traces of Christ are His teaching and commandments; and whoever does not live according to His will dies according to his own will. Those who reject a good yoke and a light burden are subject to the languor of the impenetrable night.”
The meaning of the commentary is not very vague, but it requires reading into it. Lopukhin clearly, concisely and specifically explains the philosophical and theological meanings of the statement, its practical significance for the believer, and also provides references to verses that echo the meaning of the Holy Scriptures:
Alexander Lopukhin
Professor
“I am the light of the world.” The word “light” as a term denoting spiritual enlightenment is often used by the prophets (Isa. 9:2, 49:6). But Christ, calling Himself light, wants to say by this not only that He is the bearer of divine saving truth, but also that He, by virtue of His closest unity with the Father, is the primary source of all light in the world, that from Him comes not only the true knowledge of God , but also depends on the entire spiritual life of a person, who otherwise, without Christ, would walk in darkness (cf. John 1:5). To get out of this darkness, you need to believe in Christ and follow Him.”
It would seem that this is already enough. But this is only a fragment of the comment. To present it in its entirety within the framework of the article would be too much. Therefore, we will limit ourselves to one more interesting excerpt, where Lopukhin points out where Christ got the metaphor about light from:
“There is nothing incredible in the assumption that the reason for calling Himself the light of the world was given to Christ by one rite of the Feast of Tabernacles. It was on the night from the first to the second day of this holiday that two large candelabra were lit in the temple in the inner front courtyard, which had four golden cups of oil, which were constantly replenished. The light of these candelabra spread throughout Jerusalem at night. The Lord could, applying His speech to this custom, speak of Himself as a light that shines not only on Jerusalem, but on the whole world.”
3-volume edition of Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible
Lopukhin’s interpretation of the Old and New Testaments is not based on the misconceptions of the past
Many authors base their interpretation of the New Testament or the Old on the experience of previous commentators. This contributes to the fact that misconceptions migrate from one text to another. A great example is the commentary on the book of Isaiah, in which most interpreters see the devil:
Is. 14:12
“How you fell from the sky, Lucifer, son of the dawn! crashed to the ground, trampling the nations."
St. Anthony the Great clearly sees here the story of the fall of the angels, which, by the way, is not in the Bible:
Anthony the Great
early Christian ascetic
“By this he communicates that the essence of the Angels is fiery and luminous, and is powerful in rank, comparable to the image of a star.”
Origen makes the same mistake:
Origen
Greek Christian theologian, philosopher, scientist
“The prophecy shows very clearly that he who was formerly a star and rose in the morning fell from heaven. If he was a creature of darkness, as some think, then how then is it said that he was a star? Or how could he rise in the morning without having anything luminous in himself... Consequently, the devil was once light... And only then he committed treason and fell, and his glory turned to dust.”
Commentators on the “Lopukhin” Bible are not deceived by poetry and look to the essence.
But Lopukhin, like other insightful authors, is not misled by the poetic language of Isaiah. The Explanatory Bible includes the context of that era in its interpretation of the Old Testament and proves that we are talking about the king of Babylon:
“The Prophet, for his part, confirms the surprising fact for everyone of the death of the king of Babylon.
Pride, that is, all luxury, and noise, that is, the sounds of harps, with which the Babylonian king delighted (cf. Isa. 5:12; 24:8) descended into the underworld, that is, they completely disappeared. The king himself, dead, lies, eaten by worms, like some kind of carrion... And earlier he burned with a bright brilliance, like the morning star (in Hebrew, heilel from the verb halal - to shine), i.e., like the brilliant star Venus, which is on The southern sky shines much brighter than ours, and which the Assyrians called mustilil (brilliant star).
<�…>
Son of the dawn. The morning dawn seems like a mother giving birth to this star. Among the ancients, the star served as a symbol of royal power (cf. Numbers 24:17); That’s why Isaiah, wanting to point out the high political significance of the Babylonian king, the prototype of the Antichrist, called him a star<…>
Israel, redeemed and exalted by God, will sing a victorious, joyful song about the death of the tyrant king of Babylon, and other nations will join this rejoicing. The cypresses and cedars of Lebanon will be glad of this fall of the Babylonian king, and all the inhabitants of the latter will laugh evilly at the tyrant who has descended into the underworld. <…> In the end, as Isaiah proclaims, the entire dynasty of the king of Babylon will be destroyed, and then all the inhabitants
The king of Babylon is not just any king, but all the kings of Babylon, who acted in the same spirit.”
Biblical history of the old testament
Period One From the Creation of the World to the Flood
I Creation of the World
The world, considered in its external beauty and internal harmony, is a marvelous creation, amazing with the harmony of its parts and the wonderful variety of its forms. In all its immensity it moves regularly, like a majestic clock wound by a great and skillful craftsman. And just as when looking at a watch one involuntarily thinks about the master who made and wound it, so when looking at the world in its correct and harmonious movement, the mind involuntarily comes to the thought of the culprit to whom it owes its existence and wondrous structure. That the world is not eternal and has its own beginning, this is clearly proven, first of all, by the common belief of peoples, who all preserve the most ancient tradition about the beginning of all things. Then, the study of the course of the historical life of mankind, especially its most ancient peoples, shows that historical life itself has a very limited extent and soon passes into the prehistoric era, which constitutes the childhood of the human race, which necessarily presupposes, in turn, a birth or beginning. The same is indicated by the course of development of the sciences and arts, which again leads us to the primitive state when they just began. Finally, the latest sciences (geology and paleontology), through the study of the layers of the earth's crust and the remains contained in them, irrefutably and clearly prove that the globe was gradually formed in its surface, and there was a time when there was absolutely no life on it, and it itself was in a state of formless matter. Thus, the beginning of the world is certain, even if it was in the form of a formless, primeval substance, from which all its forms were gradually formed. But where did this primeval substance itself come from? This question has long occupied human thought, but it was powerless to resolve it without higher help, and in the pagan world the greatest sages and founders of religions were not able to rise above the thought that this primeval substance existed from eternity, and from it God created or created the world, being thus only the creator or organizer of the world, but not in the proper sense its Creator. Then the Divine Revelation, contained in the books of Holy Scripture, appeared to the aid of the human mind, and it simply and clearly proclaimed the great mystery of existence, which the sages of all times and peoples tried in vain to comprehend. This secret is revealed on the first page of the book of Genesis, with which the Biblical history of the world and humanity begins.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” says the life writer, St. prophet Moses. These few words express the truth, immense in its depth, that everything that exists in heaven and on earth, and therefore primeval matter, has its beginning, and everything was created by God, who alone is eternal and existed in pre-temporal existence, and, moreover, was created from nothing, as the verb bara
, used to express the word “created.” God is the only Creator of the universe, and without Him nothing could happen.
By affirming this idea, the writer of everyday life thereby rejected all other ways of explaining the origin of the world, i.e. that the world could not have arisen either from chance, or from spontaneous generation, or from the struggle of good and evil principles (as the pagan sages taught, and after them the newest wise), but solely from the free decision of the will of the omnipotent God, who deigned to call the world from non-existence to temporary existence. This decision flowed solely from the love and goodness of the Creator, with the goal of giving the creature the opportunity to enjoy these greatest properties of His being. And so “He,” in the words of the inspired psalmist, “said and it was done, He commanded and everything appeared” (Ps. 33:9). His instrument during creation was His Word (“said and was made”), which is the original Word, the Son of God, through whom “all things began to be, and without Him nothing was made that came into being” (John 1:3). Since the second verse separately speaks about the participation of the Spirit of God in the work of creation, it is clear that God acted in the creation of the world as the eternal Trinity.
Having revealed the secret of the origin of the world as a whole and its two component parts - heaven and earth, the writer of everyday life proceeds to describe the order of formation of the world in its present form, in all the diversity of its visible forms, and since the chronicle of existence was intended to teach the inhabitants of the earth, then the main attention it is addressed precisely to the history of the formation of the earth, so that in the second verse there is no mention of heaven. In its primitive state, “the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the abyss; and the Spirit of God moved over the waters.” It was a newly created formless substance - chaos, in which the blind forces of matter wandered, awaiting the creative word of the Creator, and over this wandering abyss there was darkness, and only the creative Spirit of God hovered over the water, as if fertilizing the embryos and seeds of the life that had arisen on the ground. Revelation says nothing about the duration of this chaotic state. Only from a certain moment did the creative and educational activity of the Creator begin, and it took place in six successive periods of time, called the days of creation.
When the time came to begin creative activity, the word of God thundered over the dark, formless substance: “Let there be light! and there was light." Over the abyss of chaos, the beautiful day of God instantly dawned and illuminated the gloomy womb of pre-temporal darkness. “And God saw the light that it was good”; and “God separated the light from the darkness. And God called the light day and the darkness night. And there was evening, and there was morning: one day.”
Creation of Light
With the appearance of light, the fermentation of forces in the bubbling matter of chaos intensified. Huge masses of vapor rose above the surface of the earth's body and shrouded it in impenetrable clouds and haze, so that any line separating it from other celestial bodies was lost. “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate water from water; (and it became so). And God created the firmament; and he separated the water that was under the firmament from the water that was above the firmament; and it became so.” The lower layers of vapor turned into water and settled on the surface of the still seething abyss, and the upper ones evaporated into the vast region of heavenly space, and the beautiful blue sky that we see now opened above the earth. It was day two.
Above the earth's body there was an atmosphere already cleared of vapors, but the earth itself was still a solid sea. Then “God said: Let the waters that are under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear; and it became so.” The thickened and gradually cooled substance rose in some places and sank in others; elevated places were stripped of water and became dry land, and the depressions and depressions were filled with water flowing into them and formed seas. “And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of waters he called the sea: and God saw that it was good.” But no matter how good this distribution of sea and land was, the earth did not yet possess what was the purpose of its creation: there was no life on it yet, and only bare, dead rocks looked gloomily at the reservoirs of water.
But when the distribution of water and land was completed, and the necessary conditions for life were formed, the first beginnings of life did not hesitate to appear - in the form of vegetation. “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, grass yielding seed (after its kind and likeness), and a fruitful tree bearing fruit after its kind, in which is its seed on the earth, and it was so.” “And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning: the third day.”
But vegetation needs the right change of light and darkness to thrive. “And God said: Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven (to illuminate the earth), to separate the day from the night, and for signs and seasons, and days and years, and let them be lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light on the earth: and it was So". According to the word of the Creator, the solar and stellar system was finally established as it exists now. The sun flared with its mighty, life-giving light and illuminated the surrounding planets; The heavenly vault was decorated with myriads of stars, and their enchanting shine aroused the delight of the heavenly angels, who praised the Creator in chorus (Job 38:7). “And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning: the fourth day.”
The sky was already decorated with luminaries, gigantic vegetation was developing on the ground; but there were no living creatures on earth yet who could enjoy the gifts of nature. There were still no proper conditions for their existence, since the air was saturated with harmful fumes, which could only contribute to the plant kingdom. But the gigantic vegetation cleared the atmosphere, and conditions were prepared for the development of animal life. “And God said, Let the water bring forth living things; and let the birds fly over the earth, across the firmament of heaven.”
By virtue of this divine command, a new creative act took place, not just educational, as in previous days, but in the full sense creative, as was the first act of creation of primeval matter - out of nothing.
Here a living soul was created, something was introduced that was not in the existing primitive substance. And indeed, the writer of everyday life here uses the verb “bara” for the second time - to create out of nothing. “And God created the great fish and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth. And there was evening and there was morning: the fifth day.”
The water and air were filled with life, but the third part of the earth still remained deserted - the land, the one that provides the most convenience for the life of living beings. But now the time has come to move it in. “And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds, cattle, and creeping things, and wild beasts of the earth, after their kinds: and it was so. And God created the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and the cattle according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth according to their kinds.” All these animals were formed from the earth, from where they now extract their nutrients, and into which they return again during decomposition. “And God saw that it was good.” Thus, the earth was already inhabited in all its parts by living beings. The world of living beings was represented by a slender tree, the root of which consisted of protozoa, and the upper branches of higher animals. But this tree was incomplete; there was still no flower to complete and decorate its top. There was no man yet - the king of nature. But then he appeared. “And God said: Let us make man in our image (and) after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that moves on the earth. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.” Here, for the third time, a creative act (bara) took place in the full sense, since man again has in his being something that was not in the nature created before him, namely the spirit, which distinguishes him from all other living beings.
Thus ended the history of creation and formation of the world. “And God saw everything that He had created, and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning: the sixth day.” “And God finished His work on the seventh day, and rested on the seventh day from all His work, which He had created and created. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” This is where the establishment of the Sabbath as a day of rest originates, and on this establishment the correct alternation of work and rest in human life has been based until now.
II The creation of the first people and their blissful life in paradise
Man, as the crown of creation, was created on the special advice of the Creator, and he alone was created in the image and likeness of God. His body, like the bodies of all animals, is formed from earth; but the spiritual part of it is the direct inspiration of the Creator.
“And the Lord God formed man (Adam) from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” The image and likeness of God in man therefore consists in his spiritual sonship to God, in the striving for mental and moral perfection, which gives him the opportunity to dominate nature. As the king of creation, he is introduced into a special garden or paradise planted for him in Eden in the east, all creatures are brought into subjection to him, and he becomes the ruler of the earth.
But man, as a rational and spiritual being, would not be a worthy representative of the Divine on earth if he lived in solitude or in communication only with beings either higher than him, like angels, or lower, like animals. It was necessary for him not only for pleasure and happiness, but even more for the perfection of the divine work, to have an assistant on his own, capable of perception and mutual communication of thoughts and feelings.
Meanwhile, among the already created living beings, “for man there was no helper like him.” “And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone; Let us make him a helper suitable for him.”
And so a wife is created, and, moreover, from the rib of the man himself, taken from him during deep sleep.
As soon as a woman was created, man immediately understood in this work of the Creator the desire for happiness for the social life of man and prophetically pronounced a proposition that became the law of marriage for all subsequent centuries: “This is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, she will be called a wife, for she was taken from her husband. Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife; and the two will become one flesh.”
From these words, as well as from the circumstances of the very creation of the wife, it naturally follows that husband and wife are the unity contained in marriage, that marriage should consist of the union of one man with one woman, and that the wife should submit to the husband as his helpmate, created for him.
“And God blessed them and said: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over all creatures.”
And so the first people, in the bliss of their innocence, lived in paradise, enjoying all its fruits and enjoying all its joys. They were given all the benefits of a perfect and innocent life.
Materially, they were surrounded by an abundance of the richest gifts of paradise nature, together with the fruits of the trees, which had a particularly miraculous value for their bodily strength and vitality, giving them immortality.
Their spiritual needs found complete satisfaction in direct conversation with God, who appeared “in paradise during the cool of the day,” as well as in finding the best ways to dominate and control the nature subject to them, for which Adam named the animals, and also, of course, to all other objects, thus establishing language as a means of distinguishing objects and social intercourse. But their highest perfection lay in moral innocence, which consisted in the absence of the very thought of anything unclean and sinful. “And Adam and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed.”
The Explanatory Bible is attentive to historical and mythological context
Lopukhin responsibly approaches the study of historical sources. He prefaces the chapters of the Bible with some information about their content and the context of the era. To better reveal Lopukhin’s method, let us return again to the topic of the “fall” of Satan. There is this passage in the book of Ezekel:
Ezek. 28:13-15
“You were in Eden, in the garden of God; your garments were adorned with all kinds of precious stones; ruby, topaz and diamond, peridot, onyx, jasper, sapphire, carbuncle and emerald and gold, everything skillfully placed in your nests and strung on you, was prepared on the day of your creation. You were an anointed cherub to overshadow, and I appointed you to do so; you were on the holy mountain of God, walking among the fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until iniquity was found in you.”
The Explanatory Bible is not deceived by popular myths, but is based only on facts.
There is a great temptation to take this text and fit it into the myth of the angelic origin of the devil. But Lopukhin’s Explanatory Bible coldly weighs the facts and quotes:
“Ezek.28:2. son of man! say to the ruler in Tire: Thus says the Lord God: because your heart is lifted up and you say: “I am God, I sit on the seat of God, in the heart of the seas,” and being a man and not God, you put your mind on a par with the mind of God "
Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible in 7 volumes
That is, we are talking about a person. Further, Lopukhin’s Explanatory Bible clarifies who exactly we are talking about:
“The king of Tire then was Itobaal II (Joseph Flavius S. Arr, 1, 21), but since the king in Tire enjoyed insignificant power and influence and nothing is known about any inclinations of the Tyrian, as well as Semitic kings in general, not only to idolize themselves , but also to the production of a kind of kind from the gods, then the king is taken here (as in the further prophecy of the Pharaoh in Egypt) as a representative of Tire itself. Thus, the self-deification of which the prophet accuses the Tyrian king is the same pride that, on the other hand, on the external side, is described in Chapter XXVII; here it is viewed psychologically, from the inside.”
Lopukhin also explains several complex expressions:
““On the seat of God in the heart of the seas.” Tire's maritime position made it in his opinion as inaccessible as the throne of God. In Ps 103.3 God is pictured sitting on the waters. The Tyrians called their island holy (at Sanchoniaton); every center of a special cult was considered a sacred place.
"Mind", thank you. more precisely, “heart”, i.e. self-awareness. Living in a place on earth that could be considered the dwelling place of God, Tire thought that he could act and dispose of himself completely according to the inclinations of his heart.”
Already this preliminary information is enough to understand who we are talking about in the passage given at the beginning. Lopukhin’s Explanatory Bible draws attention to a rather ambiguous phrase:
Ezek.28:9
“Will you then say before your killer: “I am a god,” while in the hand of the one who slays you you will be a man and not a god?”
And then the commentator breaks down the complex passage itself:
“In what sense could it be said about the king of Tire that he was and lived in the paradise of God? Since every beautiful area of the earth is not only compared with paradise, Eden in the Old Testament, but is directly called so (Eze 31:9, 18, 36:35; Isa 51.3; Joel 2.3), here Tire itself could be called paradise "
Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible indicates that there is little information left to understand the reasons for identifying the king of Tire with the cherub, but this, of course, has its own metaphor. About the “mountain of God” the commentator explains:
“Tyre, being on an island washed by the sea, stood as if on a mountain of the sea, which could be called “holy” and “God’s” for the abundance of God’s blessing on Tyre.”
Further, the commentator, focusing on the mountain, discovers a parallel with pagan beliefs:
“The Prophet here refers to the idea of the mountain of God that was dominant in the then pagan world - the Indian Meru and Kailasa, the Iranian Garaberetsaiti or Albordsh, the Greek. Olympus; paradise, according to pagan ideas, should have had some connection with this mountain, if it was not directly identical with it; therefore, the cherub, being in paradise, was also on this mountain, overshadowing and making it impregnable.”
Thus, Lopukhin’s Explanatory Bible piece by piece removes the patina of poetic imagery from biblical verses (images of precious stones, angels, mountains, etc.), revealing the unambiguous historical meaning of the verse.
We discover that further discussion will turn to trade, the king of Tire will be called a man several times, and not a trace will remain of the myth of the former angel Lucifer.
Preface to the first edition
An extraordinary movement is currently taking place in historical science, precisely thanks to those amazing discoveries that are being made in the forgotten ashes of the historical life of the ancient peoples of the East. From that happy hour when historians, not limiting themselves to the pen, took up spades and shovels and began to dig up the debris of ruins in the valleys of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, as well as in other countries of the historical East, a whole world of new historical knowledge opened up before the eyes of researchers: pale and the thin pages of the history of ancient peoples became extremely enlivened and expanded; even the existence of new, hitherto completely unknown peoples and monarchies was discovered, the knowledge of which shed new light on the entire fate of ancient humanity. But these extraordinary discoveries received even more significance due to the fact that they were in close correlation with biblical history, and not only shed a lot of new light into it, often clarifying its darkest pages, but also presented an almost miraculous confirmation of many biblical events and facts, which hitherto could be subjected to the criticism of skepticism with impunity. This circumstance has greatly revived interest in biblical history, which has ceased to be a dry specialty of theologians, and now attracts the attention of both secular learned historians and the entire educated society of all civilized peoples. This interest is also noticeable among us; but, unfortunately, in our country it has not yet emerged from the narrow confines of a circle of specialists, and for our society, in fact, there is literally not a single publicly available book that could serve as a guide or introduction to this deeply interesting and highly instructive field of knowledge. Satisfying this, in our opinion, urgent need is partly what this book aims to do.
In its main parts, it was compiled several years ago and was intended only as a summary for our personal office studies in the area of biblical and historical knowledge related to our specialty (“History of the Ancient World”). But the consciousness of the deep need indicated above prompted us to process this summary in such a way that it could satisfy this need, even in the slightest degree, namely by providing a coherent and living course of biblical history with the introduction into it of the most important features from the inexhaustible wealth of the latest biblical-historical research. It is clear that within the framework that was outlined for this manual, the aforementioned studies could not find an independent place in it, and we really limited ourselves to only introducing some features from them; but we hope that readers will notice their presence at every more or less important biblical-historical event, and will see for themselves how much light the latest discoveries shed in the field of history and how much fresh interest they give to the most well-known facts and events.
We intend our “guide” to be read in general, but we would especially like it to find access among young students. It is our deep conviction that biblical history can become an inexhaustible source of moral and higher historical education for any person more or less capable of serious mental life. Every story is a teacher of the mind and heart and a teacher of wisdom; but biblical history in this regard stands above all other stories, because its subject is the central points of the spiritual life of mankind, and the deepest laws of world-historical development are revealed in it. It can show most clearly that in the history of peoples there is nothing accidental or arbitrary, that any attempt to “make history” is meaningless and harmful, because everything awaits and demands the “fulfillment of times,” which can neither be brought closer nor delayed. At the same time, it presents a series of deep everyday experiences of the greatest characters, who, with their virtues and no less their vices, widely open the door to the very depths of the spiritual life of man and thereby teach the deepest lessons for anyone with a sufficiently lively moral sense to perceive such amazing experiments. Our “guide,” of course, has no pretensions to presenting biblical history from this particular side: understanding this side of it presupposes preliminary acquaintance with the rudiments of biblical-historical knowledge, and it is precisely these rudiments that we offer in our book, in the hope , that it can serve as a guide to penetration into a deeper area of knowledge.
A similar “Guide to the Biblical History of the New Testament” will soon follow.
SPb. December 31, 1887
A.L.
This work relies on linguistics to interpret the Gospel and the entire Bible.
To correctly interpret the Old or New Testament, it is important to pay attention to the meaning of specific words. Sometimes they can significantly change the meaning of a phrase.
Until now, in the context of talking about Lopukhin’s method, we have refuted the myth of the Fall of Satan. Let's continue this here. There is such an interesting phrase in the Bible:
OK. 10:18
“And he said to them: I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning.”
Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible 2021 edition,
Origen, who we have already met, remains true to himself and again sees the devil here:
Origen
Greek Christian theologian, philosopher, scientist
“Therefore, the devil was once light.”
The commentator, referring to Spitt’s interpretation of the Gospel, makes an interesting linguistic observation:
“Another interesting interpretation is expressed by Spitt’s scholar in “Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft” (1908, Heft 2). In his opinion, the Lord was not talking here about the fall or overthrow of Satan, because He does not use here the verb ἐκβάλλειν, which really means overthrow (see John 12:31), but the verb πίπτειν - to fall. Therefore, one can think that here we are talking about the rapid descent of Satan to earth, about his haste with which he rushed to defend his power over people, which was threatened by the apostles who went to the cities with the news of Christ (πεσόντα - rushed). Thus, the Lord, in response to the too joyful statement of His disciples, says that they still have a very difficult struggle ahead of them with Satan, who has rushed to defend his Kingdom, but that in this struggle they still won thanks to the power that He gives them.”
Therefore, much more can be learned from the text of the Bible than it seemed. And some phrases should first be translated correctly, and only then interpreted.
Lopukhin’s works are published on paper and in audio, and there are also other outstanding interpreters
Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible is very popular, although it is not the only such informative and interesting work.
Audiobook by A. P. Lopukhin “Biblical history of the Old Testament” and “Guide to the biblical history of the New Testament”
The thoughtful reader may find the following commentators useful:
- William MacDonald - theologian, theologian, writer, teacher. Wrote a commentary on the Old and New Testaments;
- Doctor of Theology Vernon McGee is a preacher, the author of the program “Through the Pages of the Bible,” in which he carefully analyzed and commented on every verse of the Holy Scriptures. His works have been translated and broadcast on Russian radio.
Studying the works of various commentators will provide a comprehensive look at the text of Holy Scripture.
Books by A. P. Lopukhin in the online store Psalom.ru
As for the works of Lopukhin himself, they can be found on any domestic website with commentaries on the Bible. His books can also be purchased in the online store Psalom.ru or any other. In addition, there is an audiobook.
You can listen to the fragment on video:
By leaving a comment, you accept the user agreement
Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible. In 2 volumes
Explanatory Bible A.P. Lopukhin is the only interpretation of the entire Bible published in Russia. The New Testament presented in 2006 was recognized as the best Orthodox book in Russia.
“Explanatory Bible” (interpretation of the Bible), published under the editorship of prof. Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin (1852–1904). The start of publication of the Explanatory Bible was announced in the October 1903 issue of the Wanderer. In the annotation of the upcoming edition, in particular, it was said that when starting this edition, the editors believe that they are meeting the most persistent and urgent needs of our clergy and the entire society.
By starting to reissue this classic work, Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible, the publishing house sought to offer it to the reader in a new, more convenient and corrected form. For this purpose, commentaries on this or that passage of Holy Scripture follow directly after the biblical text (in the original they are located at the bottom of the page in small, hard-to-read font). In an effort to preserve the original text in all its originality, the editors eliminated only obvious flaws and typos, which were found in large numbers in the original edition and reproduced in the Stockholm edition of 1988. A complete edit was made of Greek and Latin words and expressions, which were found in large numbers in the text of the comments, since, unfortunately, the number of errors in them initially exceeded any acceptable measure. At the same time, in the new edition it was decided to abandon the presentation of Hebrew words in their original spelling and to use Cyrillic transcription, which, as accurately as possible, conveys the sound of the words of the Hebrew language.
The publication uses famous engravings by Gustave Doré.
Recommended for publication by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Content:
BOOK 1. OLD TESTAMENT.
Preface to the first edition of A. P. Lopukhin’s book “GUIDE TO THE BIBLE HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT”
PERIOD ONE From the Creation of the World to the Flood
I. Creation of the world II. The creation of the first people and their blissful life in paradise III. The Fall and its consequences, the location of paradise IV. Sons and closest descendants of Adam. Cain and Abel. Two directions in the life of antediluvian humanity. The longevity of the patriarchs. Chronology
PERIOD TWO
From the flood to Abraham
V. Flood VI. Descendants of Noah. Genealogy of peoples. Pandemonium of Babylon and the scattering of nations. The Beginning of Idolatry
PERIOD THIRD
From the election of Abraham to the death of Joseph and the conclusion of the patriarchal era
VII. Election of Abraham. His resettlement to the land of Canaan and his life in this country. God's Covenant with Abraham and the Son's Promise VIII. Epiphany at the Oak of Mamri. The death of cities in the Siddim Valley. The Supreme Test of Abraham's Faith and the Last Days of His Life IX. Isaac and his sons X. Jacob XI. Joseph XII. The internal and external state of the chosen clan during the patriarchal era. Worship and rituals. Morals and way of life. Government, industry and education XIII. True religion is not of the chosen kind. Job. Religious state of pagan peoples. Chronology
PERIOD FOUR From the death of Joseph to the death of Moses
XIV. Israelites in Egypt XV. Moses, his upbringing in Egypt and his stay in the land of Midian. His calling at Mount Horeb XVI. Intercession with Pharaoh and Egyptian executions. Preparing for the outcome. Easter XVII. Exodus from Egypt. Crossing the Red Sea XVIII. The wanderings of the Israelites through the desert to Sinai XIX. History of the granting of the Sinai legislation. Golden Taurus. Tabernacle. Priesthood. Number of people XX. Events of a 38-year wandering in the desert. Conquest of the East Jordanian country. The last orders and admonitions of Moses; his prophetic blessing of the people and death XXI. Law of Moses. Theocracy. Tabernacle and related institutions XXII. Decrees of the Mosaic legislation regarding civil life. Education. Divinely inspired books. Chronology
PERIOD FIFTH From the conquest of the Promised Land to the establishment of royal power
XXIII. Promised land. Its external position and nature. Population, its language, religion and civil status XXIV. Joshua, the conquest of the Promised Land and its division. Religious inspiration of the Israeli people
Times of the Judges XXV. The deviations of the Israelites into idolatry and their turning to God during the disasters that befell them. Deborah and Barak XXVI. Gideon and Jephthah XXVII. Samson XXVIII. The religious and moral state of the Israelis during the time of the judges. . The Story of Ruth XXIX. Eli - high priest and judge XXX. Samuel is a prophet and judge. Schools of the Prophets. Education. Chronology
PERIOD SIX From the anointing of the king to the division of the kingdom of the Jews
XXXI. Saul's anointing as king. The first years of his reign. The Rejection of Saul and the Anointing of David XXXII. Saul and David. The defeat of Goliath and the rise of David at court. Persecution against him. Death of Saul XXXIII. Reign of David. Conquest of Jerusalem. The transfer of the Ark of the Covenant, victorious wars and the thought of building the temple XXXIV. Continuation of David's reign. His power and fall. Absalom and his rebellion XXXV. The last years of David's reign. Numbering of the people and punishment. The last orders and death of David XXXVI. Reign of Solomon. The wisdom of the young king, his greatness and power. Construction and consecration of the temple XXXVII. Solomon at the height of his glory. Queen of Sheba. The Fall of Solomon and His Death XXXVIII. The internal state of the Israeli people during the time of the kings. Religion and worship. Enlightenment and divinely inspired books. Chronology
PERIOD SEVEN From the division of the kingdom to the destruction of Solomon's temple by the Babylonians
XXXIX. Division of the kingdom: its causes and meaning. Jeroboam and the religious schism he caused XL. The weakness and wickedness of Rehoboamai Abijah, kings of Judah, and the pious reign of Asa and Jehoshaphat XLI. The kings of Israel Ahab and Ahaziah, the complete establishment of idolatry in the kingdom of Israel. Prophet Elijah. The Harmful Consequences of Jehoshaphat's Alliance with the Kings of Israel XLII. Successors of Ahab. Prophet Elisha. Naaman the Syrian. The Death of the House of Ahab XLIII. King Jehu of Israel and his successors. Prophet Jonah. The fall of the kingdom of Israel and the dispersion of the ten tribes. Righteous Tobit XLIV. Kings of Judah Joash, Ahaz, Hezekiah and Manasseh. Prophet Isaiah. Transformative activity of King Josiah XLV. The fall of the kingdom of Judah. Prophet Jeremiah. Death of Jerusalem. Captivity of Babylon XLVI. The internal state of the chosen people in the VII period. The state of the surrounding peoples. Chronology
PERIOD EIGHT The times of the Babylonian captivity
XLVII. External and religious state of the Jews. Prophetic activity of Ezekiel. Prophet Daniel XLVIII. Fall of Babylon. The situation of the Jews under Cyrus. Manifesto for the release of prisoners. Chronology
PERIOD NINE The state of the Old Testament church from Ezra to the Nativity of Christ
XLIX. Return of the Jews from captivity. Creation of the second temple. The activities of Ezra and Nehemiah. The last prophets. The fate of the Jews who remained within the borders of the Persian kingdom: the story of Esther and Mordecai L. The condition of the Jews under Greek rule. The time of the Maccabees and their exploits for the church and state. Jews under Roman rule. Reign of Herod LI. The religious and moral state of the Jews upon their return from captivity. Sects. Worship. Governing body. Chronology LII. Jews of the Dispersion. The state of the pagan world. General expectation of the Savior
APPLICATIONS
I. Days of Creation II. Biblical Chronology III. Legends about the flood IV. The death of Sodom and Gomorrah V. The famine years in Egypt VI. Camps in the Desert VII. Manna VIII. Balaam IX. Solstice under Joshua X. Biblical time calculation XI. Biblical scales and money XII. Measures of length XIII. Measures of granular and liquid bodies XIV. Synchronistic table of the most important events from the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt
BOOK 2. NEW TESTAMENT
SECTION ONE The Incarnation of God the Word. Nativity, infancy and adolescence of Jesus Christ
I. The Eternal Word. Righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth. Annunciation to St. Virgin Mary. Birth of John the Baptist II. Nativity. Circumcision of the Lord. Meeting of the Lord Jesus in the Temple. Adoration of the Magi. Flight of St. Families to Egypt and return to Nazareth III. Life of St. Families in Nazareth. Twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem. The Rise of Jesus
SECTION TWO Entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into the work of open ministry for the salvation of the human race
IV. Preaching of John the Baptist in the desert. Baptism of Jesus Christ. His removal into the wilderness and temptation from the devil V. The testimony of John the Baptist about himself and about Jesus Christ. The first followers of Jesus Christ. The first miracle of Christ at a wedding in the city of Cana
SECTION THREE The works and teachings of Jesus Christ from the first to the second Easter
VI. In Judea. Expulsion of traders from the temple. Conversation of Jesus Christ with Nicodemus. The last testimony of John the Baptist about Jesus Christ VII. Stay of Jesus Christ in Samaria. His conversation with the Samaritan woman VIII. In Galilee. Christ's healing of a courtier's son. Sermon in the Nazareth Synagogue IX. Wonderful fishing on Lake Galilee. Healing of the demoniac and the paralytic and many others in Capernaum. Call to the Apostleship of the Publican Matthew
SECTION FOUR The works and teachings of Jesus Christ from the second to third Easter
X. In Jerusalem. Healing the paralytic at the sheep bath. Clashes with the Pharisees over the disciples' plucking of ears of corn on the Sabbath. Healing the Withered Arm XI. Ministry in Galilee and around Lake Galilee. Election of the twelve apostles. The Sermon on the Mount and the essence of New Testament legislation XII. Healing of the leper and the centurion's servant. The resurrection of the son of the Nain widow. Embassy of John the Baptist. Forgiveness of a sinner in the house of Simon the Pharisee XIII. A new way of teaching is in parables. The parables of the sower, the mustard seed, the wheat and the tares. Taming the storm on the lake. Healing of the Gadarene demoniac XIV. Healing of a woman suffering from hemorrhage and resurrection of Jairus' daughter. Sending the twelve apostles to preach. Martyrdom of John the Baptist XV. Return of the disciples from the sermon. The miraculous feeding of five thousand people with five loaves. Christ's walk on the waters and his conversation in the Capernaum synagogue about the sacrament of communion
SECTION FIFTH The works and teachings of Jesus Christ from the third Passover until his triumphal entry into Jerusalem
XVI. Conversation of Jesus Christ about the meaning of fatherly traditions. Healing the possessed daughter of a Canaanite woman. Miracles in the Transjordan region XVII. Confession of the Ap. Peter and the prediction of the Lord Jesus about the suffering and death awaiting him in Jerusalem. Transfiguration of the Lord XVIII. Healing of a demon-possessed, deaf-mute youth. Miraculous receipt of coins to pay taxes on the temple. The teaching of Jesus Christ about church judgment and the forgiveness of offenses. Parable about the merciful king and the ruthless lender XIX. On the way from Galilee to Jerusalem. Inhospitality of the Samaritans. Embassy of the Seventy. Parable of the Good Samaritan. Visit to Martha and Mary. Lord's Prayer XX. In Jerusalem. Preaching of Jesus Christ at midnight and the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Healing of the Man Born Blind XXI. In Galilee and on the way to Jerusalem through the Trans-Jordan country. Parables and miracles XXII. In Jerusalem. Testimony of Jesus Christ on the feast of the renewal of the temple about his consubstantiality with God the Father XXIII. In the Transjordanian country. Blessing of children. Rich young man. A parable about equal pay for workers in a vineyard. News of the illness of Lazarus and the departure of Christ to Judea XXIV. In Judea. The Raising of Lazarus. Definition of the Sanhedrin against Jesus Christ. A foreshadowing of death on the cross. Salome's request. Healing of the blind in Jericho and the conversion of Zacchaeus. Anointing the feet of Jesus Christ with myrrh at the supper in Bethany
SECTION SIX The last days of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ
XXV. The entry of the Lord into Jerusalem and the actions that followed it, parables and conversations. Answers to the crafty co-questioning of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes XXVI. Jesus Christ's final denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. Praise to the widow's diligence. Conversation with students about the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, the end of the world and the second coming. Parables about the ten virgins and talents. Image of the Last Judgment XXVII. Definition of the Sanhedrin about the capture of Christ by cunning; betrayal of Judas. Washing the feet, the last supper and farewell conversation with the disciples. The prayer of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane and its capture by soldiers XXVIII. The trial of Christ by the high priests Annas and Caiaphas. Peter's renunciation and repentance. Jesus Christ at the trial of Pilate and Herod; his scourging and condemnation by Pilate to death. The death of Judas, as well as other perpetrators of the crime XXIX. Crucifixion, suffering on the cross, death and burial of Jesus Christ XXX. Resurrection of Christ. The appearance of the risen Christ. Ascension to Heaven
SECTION SEVEN Church in Palestine before the dispersion of Christians from Jerusalem
XXXI. Election of Matthias to the number of apostles. Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The First Converts and the Condition of the Primitive Church XXXII. Healing the lame man in the temple. Warning from the Sanhedrin. Communication of estates. Ananias and Sapphira. Persecution. The Seven Deacons and Their Zeal to Spread the Gospel XXXIII. Archdeacon Stephen, his sermon and martyrdom. Persecution of the disciples and their scattering from Jerusalem. Spreading the Gospel. Philip's sermon in Samaria. Simon the Magus. Conversion of an Ethiopian eunuch. The state of the church at the end of the reign of Tiberius
SECTION EIGHT The Church among the Gentiles from the conversion of Saul to his martyrdom in Rome
XXXIV. Conversion of Saul. His initiation into the ranks of the apostles and his special purpose XXXV. Conversion of Cornelius the Ap. Peter. Preaching to the pagans in Antioch and the first pagan church. Persecution in Jerusalem and martyrdom of St. James XXXVI. Arrival of Saul in Antioch. A benefit for Jerusalem Christians. Sending Barnabas and Saul to preach to the pagans. First missionary journey. Pavel. Council of Jerusalem XXXVII. Second missionary journey. Pavel. The beginning of the preaching of the Gospel in Europe XXXVIII. Ap. Paul in Athens. His speech in the Areopagus. Life and preaching in Corinth. First messages XXXIX. Third missionary journey Pavel. Stay in Ephesus. Epistles to the Galatians and Corinthians. Mutiny in Ephesus XL. On the way to Macedonia. Second Epistle to the Corinthians. In Corinth. Epistle to the Romans. State of the Roman Church XLI. On the way to Jerusalem. Sunday worship in Troas. Conversation in Miletus with the Ephesian elders. In Tire and Caesarea XLII. Ap. Paul in Jerusalem. Riot in the temple. The arrest of the apostle and his sending to Caesarea. Felix and his trial XLIII. Proceedings of the case Paul before Festus. Ap. Paul and Agrippa II. Appeal to Caesar. Voyage to Rome and shipwreck XLIV. Ap. Paul in Rome. Two-year bond. Epistles written from Rome to the Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon. The Deliverance of the Apostle and the Epistle to the Hebrews XLV. Activities of the ap. Paul upon his release from his first bonds. Visiting the East. Pastoral Epistles to Timothy and Titus. Travel to Spain. New arrest in Ephesus, second bonds in Rome and martyrdom
SECTION NINE Completion of the Apostolic Age
XLVI. Apostolic activity and martyrdom of St. Petra. Conciliar Epistles of St. Petra. Activities of the Other Apostles XLVII. The revolt of the Jews and the destruction of Jerusalem. The significance of this event in the history of the church XLVIII. Removal of Christians from Jerusalem before its siege. Ap. John, his life and work XLIX. Sacred books of the New Testament. Books historical, educational and apocalypse L. The primal church and its institutions. Divine service of the first Christians LI. The life of leading Christians. Purity and sanctity of family life. The situation of women and children. Slaves and masters. Love for neighbors LII. The struggle of paganism with Christianity and the triumph of the church
APPENDICES Additional notes on selected issues in the biblical history of the New Testament
I. Civil history of the Jews from the birth of Christ to the destruction of Jerusalem II. Year of the Nativity of Christ III. Prefect Quirinius and the census of the Jewish people IV. Publicans V. The Death of Judas the Traitor VI. New Testament measures of length VII. New Testament money VIII. Table of sequential New Testament history according to the Four Gospels IX. Chronology of the most important events in New Testament history
