Bible Commentaries

Matthew 17:5-8 — Matthew 17:5-8 . νεφέλη φωτεινὴ , a luminous cloud, still a cloud capable of casting a shadow, though a faint one (“non admodum atram,” Fritzsche). Some, thinking a shadow incompatible with the light, render ἐπεσκίασεν tegebat, circumdabat . Loesner cites

Matthew 20:25 — Matthew 20:25 . προσκαλεσάμενος : Jesus had to call them to Him, therefore they had had the decency not to quarrel in His presence. Magistro non praesente , Beng. κατακυριεύουσιν : in the Sept [113] used in the sense of rule, Genesis 1:28 , Psalms 72:8 ; here the connection requires the idea of “lording it over,” the κατὰ having intensive force; so also in the ἅπ . λεγ . κατεξουσιάζουσιν , following = play the tyrant. τῶν ἐθνῶν : from these occasional references to the outside

Matthew 9:18 — Matthew 9:18 . ἰδοὺ … λέγων : exactly the same formula as in Matthew 8:2 . ἄρχων , an important person, a ruler of synagogue, according to Mark. εἷς : peculiar here, but taken from Mark where it is intelligible, the suppliant being there described as one of the

Mark 7:33 — hearing faculty, that He might touch it ( διὰ τὸ στενὸν καὶ βαθὺ τῆς ἀκοῆς ἵνα θίξῃ ταύτης , Euthy. Zig.). Deafness is first dealt with; it was the primary evil. πτύσας , spitting; on what, the tongue of the dumb man as on the eyes of the blind (Mark 8:23 )? So Meyer. Or on His own finger, with which He then touched the tongue? So Weiss, Schanz, Kloster., Holtz. (H. C.), Keil. Mk. leaves us here to our own conjectures, as also in reference to the import of these singular acts of Jesus. Probably they

Luke 1:5-7 — Judaea. Herod died 750 A.C., and the Christian era begins with 753 A.C. This date is too late by three or four years. ἐξ ἐφημερίας Ἀβιά : ἐφημερία (a noun formed from ἐφημέριος - ον , daily, lasting for a day), not in profane authors, here and in Luke 1:8 in N. T., in Sept [3] , in Chron. and Nehemiah, = (1) a service lasting for a day, or for days a week; (2) a class of priests performing that service. The priests were divided into twenty-four classes, the organisation dating according to the tradition

Luke 10:25-37 — Luke 10:25-37 . The lawyer’s question, and the parable of the good Samaritan . Many critics (even Weiss, Mk.-Evang., p. 400) think that Lk. or his source has got the theme of this section from Matthew 22:35 ff., Mark 12:28 ff., and simply enriched it with the parable of the good Samaritan, peculiar to him. Leaving this critical question on one side, it may be remarked that this story seems to be introduced on the principle of contrast, the νομικός representing the σοφοὶ

Luke 14:31-33 — parable to be laid to heart by men aspiring to, or capable of, a grand career. συμβαλεῖν εἰς πόλεμον , to encounter in war (R.V [121] ). or perhaps better “to fight a battle ” (Field, Ot. Nor.). πόλεμον is so rendered in 1 Corinthians 14:8 , Revelation 9:9 , in A.V [122] (altered in R.V [123] into “war”). In Homer the idea of battle prevails, but in later writers that of war. ἐν δέκα , in, with, in the position of one who has only 10,000 soldiers at comma d. μετὰ εἴκοσι :

Luke 23:43 — of “paradise” in this sense is analogous to the various representations in Hebrews of the perfect future drawn from the primeval condition of man: lordship in the world to come, deliverance from the fear of death, a Sabbatism (Hebrews 2:8 ; Hebrews 2:14 ; Hebrews 4:9 ). The use of the term παράδεισος by St. Paul makes its use by our Lord credible.

John 1:47 — John 1:47 . Philip’s announcement is received with incredulity. ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι ; “Can anything good be from Nazareth.” Cf. John 8:52 , “out of Galilee ariseth no prophet”. Westcott, representing several modern interpreters, explains: “Can any blessing, much less such a blessing as the promised Messiah, arise out of a poor village like Nazareth, of which not even

John 15:2 — John 15:2 . The function of the vinedresser is at once described: πᾶν κλῆμα … φέρῃ . κλῆμα , or more fully as in Xen., Oecon. , xix. 8, κλῆμα ἀμπέλου , is the shoot of the vine which is annually put forth. It is from κλάω , “I break,” as also is κλάδος , but Wetstein quotes Pollux to show that κλάδος was appropriated to the shoots of the olive, while κλῆμα signified a vine-shoot.

John 4:31 — the woman His fatigue and hunger had disappeared, and He replies (John 4:32 ) ἐγὼ βρῶσιν … οὐκ οἴδατε . John does not distinguish between βρῶσις and βρῶμα , eating and the thing eaten, cf. John 4:34 ; Paul uses both words in their proper sense, 1Co 8:4 ; 1 Corinthians 6:13 . Weiss and others, strangely enough, maintain that βρῶσις has here its proper meaning “an eating”. The pronouns are emphatic: I am refreshed by nourishment hidden from you . The proof of which they at once gave

John 6:19 — that Jesus was walking “by” the sea, ἐπί being used in this sense in John 21:1 . But that ἐπί can mean “on” the sea is of course not questioned (see Lucian’s Vera Historia , where this incident is burlesqued; also Job 9:8 , where, to signalise the power of God, He is spoken of as ὁ περιπατῶν ὡς ἐπʼ ἐδάφους ἐπὶ θαλάσσης ). Besides, why should the disciples have been afraid had they merely seen Jesus walking on the shore? They manifested their fear in some way, and He

Philippians 3:7 — μὲν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ πλέον τοῦ κακοῦ δὲ ἔλαττον κέρδος , τὸ δὲ ἐναντίον ζημία . ἥγημαι … ζημ . “I have considered and still consider.” Tersely, Thdrt [40] . , περιττὸς … ὁ λύχνος , τοῦ ἡλίου φανέντος . [40] drt. Theodoret. On Philippians 3:8-11 see Rainy’s admirable exposition in Expos. Bible , pp. 200 256.

Titus 3:1 — abstract, Luke 20:20 . The two words are coupled together as names for ranks of angels in Ephesians 3:10 ; Ephesians 6:12 , Colossians 1:16 ; Colossians 2:10 ; Colossians 2:15 ; with δύναμις , 1 Corinthians 15:24 , Ephesians 1:21 ; ἀρχαί , alone, Romans 8:38 . πειθαρχεῖν : ( dicto obedire ) is best taken absolutely, and with a wider reference than the preceding clause: i.e. , as R.V., to be obedient , rather than merely to obey magistrates (A.V.). πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθόν . See reff.

James 3:7-8 — James 3:7-8 . These verses, are, of course, not to be taken literally; their exaggerative character rather reminds one of the orator carried away by his subject. But it must be remembered that to the Oriental the language of exaggeration is quite normal. Moreover,

2 Peter 3:1 — with numeral, cf. John 21:14 . δευτέραν ἐπιστολήν . Does this refer to 1 Peter? See Introduction, p. 113. ἐν αἷς : “in both of which,” constructio ad sensum . διεγείρς … ὑπομνήσει : cf. 2 Peter 1:13 . εἰλικρινῆ : cf. 1 Corinthians 5:8 , 2Co 1:12 ; 2 Corinthians 2:17 , Philippians 1:10 . εἰλικρινῆ διάνοιαν is a technical philosophic term used by Plato. Phaed. 66 A = “pure reason,” such as the geometer employs. In Phaed. 81 C, εἰλικρινὴς ψυχή is opposed to ψ . μεμιασμένη

1 John 1:3 — Apostles had known as eye-witnesses, but personal and direct communion with the living Lord. This St. John proceeds to make plain. The phrase καὶ … δὲ , et … vero, atque etiam , introduces an important addition or explanation ( cf. John 6:51 ; John 8:16-17 ; John 15:27 ; Acts 22:29 ; Hebrews 9:21 ; 2 Peter 1:5 ). “Christ walks no longer in the flesh among us, but He appears still continually to the world of men and reveals Himself to those who love Him. Through faith a real personal contact

1 John 2:28 — 1 John 2:28 . καὶ νῦν , continuing and reinforcing the exhortation, ἐὰν φανερωθῇ : the uncertainty is not in the manifestation but in the time of it, and this is the reason for steadfast abiding in Him. Cf. unwritten saying of Jesus: ἐφʼ οἷς γὰρ ἂν εὕρω ὑμᾶς ,

Revelation 17:6 — Revelation 17:6 . Cf. Nahum’s “bloody city” (of Assyrian cruelty to prisoners, Revelation 3:1 ), and for the metaphor Cic. Phil. ii. 24, 29, or Suet. Tiberius , 59, or Pliny, H. N. xiv. 28, “quo facile intelligatur ebrius jam sanguine ciuium, et tanto magis eum sitiens,” also Jos. Bell . Revelation 17:8 ; Revelation 17:2 . When a Jewish source is postulated, καὶ … Ἰησοῦ is bracketed ( e.g. , by Vischer, Spitta, S. Davidson,

Revelation 22:1 — is suggested partly by Ezekiel’s representation of the healing stream which was to issue from the new temple and flow through the dreary Ghor of the Jordan valley (Ezekiel 47:1-12 ), partly by the reference (in a later apocalypse, Zechariah 14:8 ) to perennial waters issuing from Jerusalem as the dwelling-place of God in the new age. John has no use for Ezekiel’s idea that the stream would assist in the messianic transformation of nature. He changes the numerous trees on either side of