The Listener’s Bible Commentary
by John Whittaker
Latest episode
Numbers 10:11-12:16
Numbers 10:11-12:16
About this podcast
The Listener’s Commentary provides clear, down-to-earth teaching through the books of the Old and New Testament to help you learn and live the Bible. For notes, pictures, maps, and other details, visit listenerscommentary.com.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 657 episodes
- Numbers 10:11-12:16 · 33 min · Episode 656Numbers 10:11-12:16 This passage begins the second major section of the book of Numbers. This long section of the book records a number of snapshots about what happened after…
- Numbers 9:1-10:10 · 21 min · Episode 655Numbers 9:1-10:10 These chapters wrap up the first major section of the book of Numbers, which has been focused on Israel's final weeks at Mount Sinai as they prepare to break…
- Numbers 7-8 · 28 min · Episode 654Numbers 7-8 Numbers 7-8 continues the theme of preparing Israel for marching from Mount Sinai by recounting each tribe’s tribute and offerings brought to the tabernacle as part…
- Numbers 5-6 · 30 min · Episode 653Numbers 5-6 These two chapters continue the theme of preparing the Israelite camp for marching out. The concern in these chapters is for the purity of the camp. First, they…
- Numbers 3-4 · 24 min · Episode 652Numbers 3-4 It has been 13 months since the Exodus and Israel has been camped at the base of Mt Sinai for most of that time. There they have entered into a covenant with Yahweh…
- Numbers 1-2 · 23 min · Episode 651Numbers 1-2 Numbers picks up 13 months after the exodus recorded in Exodus ch. 12. Israel left Egypt as a loosely connected band of family clans and tribes. They were redeemed…
- Backstory and Overview of Numbers · 22 min · Episode 650Backstory and Overview of Numbers Numbers continues the story of Israel after the exodus out of Egypt. Israel has camped at Mt Sinai for about a year. God has made a covenant…
- Leviticus, Holiness, and Using the Commentary for Discipleship | Fall 2026 Update · 18 min · Episode 649Leviticus, Holiness, and Using the Commentary for Discipleship | Fall 2026 Update In this Listener's Commentary update, John talks about: Leviticus and holiness - a status to be…
- Leviticus 25-27, pt. 2 · 29 min · Episode 648Leviticus 25-27, pt. 2 The topic of chs. 25-27 can be thought of as “holiness in the land.” Israel has been camped at Mt. Sinai for about a year and it is almost time to march…
- Leviticus 25-27, pt. 1 · 33 min · Episode 647Leviticus 25-27, pt. 1 The topic of chs. 25-27 can be thought of as “holiness in the land.” Israel has been camped at Mt. Sinai for about a year and it's almost time to march…
- Leviticus 23-24 · 30 min · Episode 646Leviticus 23-24 Leviticus 23-24 continues the theme of ritual holiness. We have to be careful not to think of this as “mere rituals that don’t really matter.” Our modern…
- Leviticus 21-22 · 28 min · Episode 645Leviticus 21-22 Leviticus 21-22 provided special instructions for the priests. Leviticus 18-20 were addressed to the entire congregation of Israel and dealt mostly with holiness…
- Special Study: How Do the Laws of Leviticus Apply Today? · 36 min · Episode 644Special Study: How Do the Laws of Leviticus (and the rest of the Torah) Apply Today? Some of the Laws of the Torah seem easy to apply. For example, love your neighbor as yourself…
- Leviticus 18-20 · 32 min · Episode 643Leviticus 18-20 Leviticus 18-20 is usually called "The Holiness Code." It details God's instructions to Israel for holy living in routine matters of everyday life. Holiness mean…
- Leviticus 17 · 21 min · Episode 642Why does the Bible say not to eat meat with blood in it? Leviticus 17 answers that question by focusing on the sacredness of blood. God gave animal blood for the purpose of…
- Leviticus 16 · 29 min · Episode 641Leviticus 16 Leviticus 16 records the instructions for the Day of Atonement celebration. This annual day of fasting and worship provided atonement for the Tabernacle and for all…
- Leviticus 11-15, pt. 3 · 29 min · Episode 640Leviticus 11-15, pt. 3 Leviticus 11-15 gives Israel instructions for ritual purity, so that they can honor God by drawing near to his sacred tent in a ritually pure state. These…
- Leviticus 11-15, pt. 2 · 26 min · Episode 639Leviticus 11-15, pt. 2 Leviticus 11-15 gives Israel instructions for ritual purity, so that they can honor God by drawing near to his sacred tent in a ritually pure state. These…
- Leviticus 11-15, pt. 1 · 29 min · Episode 638Leviticus 11-15, pt. 1 Why does the Bible say not to eat pork? What about all the food laws of the Bible? Leviticus 11-15 gives Israel instructions for ritual purity, so that…
- Leviticus 8-10 · 32 min · Episode 637Leviticus 8-10 Leviticus 8-10 recounts the opening ceremonies for the Tabernacle, and it's important to remember where we’re at in the story of the Pentateuch (Torah). The…
- Leviticus 4-7 · 33 min · Episode 636Leviticus 4-7 In Leviticus 1-7, God is giving Moses instructions for the 5 main sacrifices for Israel's worship at the Tabernacle. Chapters 1-3 details the first three. Leviticus…
- Leviticus 1-3 · 29 min · Episode 635Leviticus 1-3 Leviticus opens like this: “Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying…” This makes it clear that it is continuing the story…
- Ritual Purity and Atonement in Leviticus · 35 min · Episode 634Ritual Purity and Atonement in Leviticus Reading Leviticus can feel very foreign... we might even say it's weird. And a huge part of that is because all the rules about clean and…
- Introduction to Leviticus · 18 min · Episode 633Introduction to Leviticus For most of us, Leviticus is a challenging read! If Exodus was more challenging than Genesis, Leviticus ramps it up even further. The first seven…
- The Majesty of God, Leviticus, and Other News | Spring 2026 Update · 17 min · Episode 632The Majesty of God, Leviticus, and Other News | Spring 2026 Update When spending lots of time in Exodus and Leviticus you can't miss the majesty and holiness of God. But at the…
- Special Study: Slavery in the Torah · 28 min · Episode 631Special Study: Slavery in the Torah Laws concerning slavery appear in several places in the Torah (the Pentateuch). This can be troubling, since slavery is a persistent human…
- Exodus 35-40 · 23 min · Episode 630This session provides a overview of Exodus 35-40 and what happens when God in all his glory moves from Mount Sinai into the Tabernacle.
- Exodus 32-34, pt. 2 · 33 min · Episode 629Exodus 32-34, pt. 2 These chapters recount the famous "golden calf" incident, where Israel convince Aaron to set an idol in the form of gold bull and they worship it as their god…
- Exodus 32-34, pt. 1 · 27 min · Episode 628Exodus 32-34, pt. 1 These chapters recount the famous "golden calf" incident, where Israel convince Aaron to set an idol in the form of gold bull and they worship it as their god…
- Exodus 28-31 · 34 min · Episode 627Exodus 28-31 In Exodus 28-31 God give Moses the instructions for the priests clothing and for their ordination service. Then he gives the plans for the final few items needed for…
- Exodus 25-27 · 28 min · Episode 626Exodus 25-27 The main theme of the whole last section of Exodus - chapters 25-40 - is God presence in the midst of the Israelites. And the center of that is a specially designed…
- Exodus 24 · 20 min · Episode 625Exodus 24 Exodus 24 recounts the covenant ratification ceremony between God and Israel. Moses reads the "Book of the Covenant" and the people agree to obey all that God has said…
- Exodus 21-23 · 35 min · Episode 624Exodus 21-23 This is sometimes referred to as "The Book of the Covenant" because that is what it is called in Exodus 24:7-8, although that probably also includes Exodus 20. We…
- Special Study: Covenant · 19 min · Episode 623Special Study: Covenant In Exodus 19-24, God makes a covenant with Israel. The idea of "covenant" is central to not only the book of Exodus but also the entire Bible. So in this…
- Exodus 19-20 · 35 min · Episode 622Exodus 19-20 These chapters are pivotal in book of Exodus. Israel arrives at Mount Sinai, where God meets with them and enters into a covenant with them. Because of that, these…
- Exodus 15:22-18:27 · 31 min · Episode 621Exodus 15:22-18:27 These chapters of Exodus recount Israel's journey from the Red Sea to Mount Sinai. It includes five snapshots from that journey which show Israel's continual…
- Exodus 13:1-15:21 · 29 min · Episode 620Exodus 13:1-15:21 In this section of the book of Exodus, Moses recounts: -the ceremony for offering and redeeming the first born in Israel -the parting of the Red Sea and…
- Exodus 12 · 35 min · Episode 619Exodus 12 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year for you. 3…
- Exodus 5-11, pt. 2 · 29 min · Episode 618Exodus 5-11 In this session of The Listener's Commentary, we look at the famous 10 plagues story. Israel is suffering under the heavy hand of Egyptian oppression. God has heard…
- Exodus 5-11, pt. 1 · 25 min · Episode 617Exodus 5-11 In this session of The Listener's Commentary, we begin looking at the famous 10 plagues story. Israel is suffering under the heavy hand of Egyptian oppression. God…
- Exodus 1-4 · 40 min · Episode 616Exodus 1-4 This is part 1 of the book of Exodus, the part we called the birth and early years of Moses in the backstory to Exodus. -Exodus opens in a way that links it to Genesis…
- Backstory to Exodus · 22 min · Episode 615Backstory to Exodus In order to help you read Exodus well, this session of The Listener's Commentary explores the backstory and overview of the book of Exodus. When was it…
- Spanish Version Now Available, and More! | Update January 2026 · 12 min · Episode 614Spanish Version Now Available, and More! | Update January 2026 BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the…
- Genesis 48-50 · 22 min · Episode 613Genesis 48-50 These chapters conclude the book of Genesis. Key points included are: The blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh by Jacob The patriarchal blessing by Jacob for all his…
- Genesis 37-47 · 32 min · Episode 612Genesis 37-47 These chapters recount the well-known story of Joseph being sold into slavery and his eventual reconciliation with his brothers. BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK…
- Genesis 34-36 · 20 min · Episode 611Genesis 34-36 This section transitions from Isaac to Jacob. It narrates: -the tragic treatment of Jacob's daughter Dinah and the horrendous revenge by her brothers. -God's…
- Genesis 32-33 · 18 min · Episode 610Genesis 32-33 These chapters record the climactic scene in Jacob's story. Jacob leaves Haran to return to the land of promise Jacob wrestles with God Jacob reunites with Esau…
- Genesis 29-31 · 33 min · Episode 609Genesis 29-31 These chapters including the stories of: Jacob's marriage to Leah and Rachel after being tricked by his uncle Laban Rivalry between Leah and Rachel and the birth…
- Genesis 27-28 · 22 min · Episode 608Genesis 27-28 This section of Genesis includes the famous story of Jacob deceiving Isaac and stealing Esau's blessing. It also recounts Isaac's struggles in the land of Canaan…
- Genesis 25-26 · 32 min · Episode 607Genesis 25-26 25:1 Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore to him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan…
