Bible Commentaries

Matthew 11:3 — Doubt in John’s own mind, or doubt, bred of envy or jealousy, in the minds of his disciples, or not doubt on Baptist’s part, but rather incipient faith? Alternative (2), universal with the fathers (except Tertullian, vide de prœscrip. , 8, de baptis. , 10); (1) common among modern commentators; (3) favoured by Keim, Weizsäcker, and Holtz., H.C.: “beginnende Disposition zum Glauben an Jesu Messianität”. The view of the fathers is based on a sense of decorum and implicit reliance

Matthew 4:6 — one as Jesus, or indeed to any man in his senses. The transit through the air from the desert to the winglet, like that of Ezekiel, carried by a lock of his hair from Babylon to Jerusalem, must have been “in the visions of God” (Ezekiel 8:3 ), and the suggestion to cast Himself down a parabolic hint at a class of temptations, as the excuses in the parable of the Supper (Luke 14:16 ) simply represent the category of preoccupation . What is the class represented? Not temptations through

Matthew 6:22-24 — find expressed by these words. They seem to be chosen because of their applicability to the moral sphere, in which they might suitably to the connection mean “liberal” and “niggardly”. ἁπλότης occurs in this sense in Romans 12:8 , and Hatch (Essays in [41] . G., p. 80) has shown that πονηρός occurs several times in Sept [42] (Sirach) in the sense of niggardly, grudging. He accordingly renders: “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be liberal thy whole

John 14:15 — Himself was a Paraclete. See 1 John 2:1 . παράκλητος is literally advocatus , called to one’s aid, especially in a court of justice. [ Cf. παραστάτης in Arist., Thesm. , 369; Ecclesiastes , 9 .] See especially Hatch, Essays in Bibl. Greek , p. 82, and Westcott’s “Additional Note”. “Comforter” in A.V [88] is used in its original sense of “strengthener” (con, fortis); as in Wiclift’s version of Philippians 4:13 , “I may all thingis in him

Acts 3:24 — Acts 3:24 . Σαμουὴλ : On Samuel as the founder of the prophetic schools and the pattern of all later prophets, see Hamburger, Real-Encyclopädie des Judentums , i., 6, p. 854; “Prophet,” cf. Midrash Shemuel , c. 24, where Samuel is called the Rabban, the chief and teacher of the prophets (Wetstein, in loco , and Lumby), cf. also Hebrews 11:32 , Δαυείδ τε καὶ Σ . καὶ τῶν προφητῶν . καὶ τῶν καθεξῆς : an unmistakable

Acts 4:11 — in the LXX and in the Gospels the word used is ἀπεδοκίμασαν . St. Peter, quoting apparently from memory, used a word expressing still greater contempt. It is used, e.g. , very significantly by St. Luke in his Gospel, Acts 23:11 , and again in Acts 18:9 . The word is found in none of the other Gospels, and is characteristic of St. Luke and of St. Paul ( cf. Romans 14:3 ; Rom 14:10 , 1 Corinthians 1:28 , 1 Corinthians 6:4 , etc.). It occurs several times in the LXX; cf. Wis 3:11 ; Wis 4:18 , Sir

Acts 7:42 — and εἴασε in Acts 14:16 ; Ephesians 4:19 , “gave themselves up”. ἑαυτοὺς παρέδωκαν , from the side of man. λατρεύειν τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρ ., cf. Deuteronomy 17:3 , 2 Kings 17:16 ; 2Ki 21:3 , 2 Chronicles 33:3 ; 2 Chronicles 33:5 , Jeremiah 8:2 ; Jeremiah 19:13 , a still grosser idolatry: “antiquissima idolatria, ceteris speciosior” Bengel. The created host was worshipped in place of Jehovah Sabaoth, “the Lord of Hosts”. The word, though used always in the N.T. of

Romans 12 overview — the graces of humility and love (Romans 12:3-21 ). In the following chapter he discusses the duties of the individual to his legal superiors (Romans 13:1-7 ); his duties to his neighbour, as comprehended in the love which fulfils the law (Romans 13:8-10 ); and the urgent duty of sanctification in view of the Parousia. With chap. 14 he comes to a different subject, and one apparently of peculiar interest in Rome at the time. It is one of those questions in which the claim of Christian liberty has

1 Corinthians 10:33 — there is nothing in his power that P. will not do for any man, to help his salvation ( cf. 1 Corinthians 9:22 b ). Between the ἀρέσκω and its purpose lies the μὴ ζητῶν clause, in which the Ap. professes for himself the rule commended to the Cor [1589] in 1 Corinthians 10:27 . The “self-advantage” which P. sets aside, touches his highest welfare ( cf. Romans 9:3 ); P. sacrificed what seemed to be his spiritual as well as material gain spending, e.g ., weary hours in tent-making that

1 Corinthians 11:1 — there is nothing in his power that P. will not do for any man, to help his salvation ( cf. 1 Corinthians 9:22 b ). Between the ἀρέσκω and its purpose lies the μὴ ζητῶν clause, in which the Ap. professes for himself the rule commended to the Cor [1589] in 1 Corinthians 10:27 . The “self-advantage” which P. sets aside, touches his highest welfare ( cf. Romans 9:3 ); P. sacrificed what seemed to be his spiritual as well as material gain spending, e.g ., weary hours in tent-making that

1 Timothy 5:19 — dismissal. They were to have a fair trial in accordance with the provisions of the Old Law, Deuteronomy 19:15 (see also Deuteronomy 17:6 , Numbers 35:30 . This requirement of two or three witnesses is used allegorically in 2 Corinthians 13:1 . Cf. John 8:17 , Hebrews 10:28 .) It has been asked, Why should this, the ordinary rule, be mentioned at all? The solution is to be found in a consideration of the private, unofficial, character of the Christian Church when this epistle was written. The Church

1 Timothy 5:24 — προάγουσαι and ἐπακολουθοῦσιν depends on the view we take of κρίσις ; vis. , whether it refers to a judgment passed by man in this world, or to the final doom pronounced by God in the next. κρίσις is used of such a judgment as man may pass, in John 8:16 , 2 Peter 2:11 , Jude 1:9 ; though the word is more frequently used of the Great final Judgment. If, as is generally allowed, these verses, 24 and 25, are resumptive of 1 Timothy 5:22 , the κρίσις here indicated is that of the Church ruler, Timothy

1 Timothy 6:10 — evils . The R.V., a root of all kinds of evil is not satisfactory. The position of ῥίζα in the sentence shows that it is emphatic. Field ( in loc .) cites similar examples of the absence of the article collected by Wetstein from Athenæus, vii. p. 280 A ( ἀρχὴ καὶ ῥίζα παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ ἡ τῆς γαστρὸς ἡδονή ), and Diog. Lært. vi. 50; and adds five others from his own observation. It is, besides, unreasonable in the highest degree to expect that on the ground of his inspiration, St. Paul’s ethical

Philemon 1:9 — ὡς Παῦλος … Ἰησοῦ must be regarded as though in brackets; τοιοῦτος ὢν would then mean “one who beseeches”. πρεσβύτης : this can scarcely be in reference to age, for which γέρων would be more likely to have been used; besides, in Acts 7:58 , at the martyrdom of St. Stephen, the term νεανίας is applied to St. Paul. Lightfoot in his interesting note on this verse, says: “There is reason for thinking that in the common dialect πρεσβύτης may have been written indifferently for πρεσβευτής

Hebrews 5:10 — pointing out the danger of backwardness. He justifies, however, his delivery of difficult doctrine notwithstanding their sluggishness, and this on two grounds: (1) because to lay again the foundations after men have once known them is useless (Hebrews 6:1-8 ); and (2) because he cannot but believe that his readers are after all in scarcely so desperate a condition. They need to have their hope renewed. This hope they have every reason to cherish, seeing that their fathers have already entered into the

Hebrews 9:26 — the ages He has been manifested for sin’s abolition by His sacrifice”, νυνὶ , “as things are,” in contrast to the case supposed in Hebrews 9:25 , the possibility of His repeated entrance and sacrifice. For the word, see Hebrews 8:6 . ἅπαξ not πολλάκις , Hebrews 9:25-26 ; and this, ἐπὶ συντελίᾳ τῶν αἰώνεν [for ἐπὶ in this use see Winer, p. 489] at that period of history in which all that has happened since the foundation of the world ( ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου ) finds its interpretation

1 Peter 1:10-12 — 13:17 , Jesus said, πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι ἐπεθύμησαν … according to Luke 10:24 , προφῆται καὶ βασιλεῖς ἠθέλησαν … according to St. Peter προφῆται (10) καὶ ἄγγελοι . The mention of the righteous derives support from Hebrews 11:13-16 , and John 8:56 , and an original ישרים “the righteous” would easily be altered in the course of transmission into שרים = princes earthly or heavenly ( cf. Daniel 10:21 ; LXX, Μιχαὴλ ὁ ἄγγελος ). The motive which prompted the interpretation ἄγγελοι

Jude 1:18 — Jude 1:18 . ἐπʼ ἐσχάτου χρόνου ἔσονται ἐμπαῖκται . The parallel in 2 Peter 3:3 is ἐλεύσονται ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐν ἐμπαιγμονῇ ἐμπαῖκται , where see note on the use of the article with ἔσχατος , etc. For ἐπί , cf. Arist. Pol. iv. 3, ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρχαίων χρόνων

Revelation 10:4 — which he could not remember, “for all the words were awful, such as man cannot bear. The last words, however, I did remember; they were fit for us and mild”. Possibly the seven-thunders source was of a severely punitive character (Revelation 8:5 ), traversing ground which had been alre ady (6-9) and was to be again ( 15 16.) covered.

Revelation 3:19 — censure does not mean hostility. φιλῶ , the substitution of this synonym (contrast Hebrews 12:6 ) for the LXX ἀγαπᾷ is remarkable in view of the latter term’s usage in the Apocalypse; the other variation ἐλέγχω καὶ παιδεύω ( ἐλ . [907] , παιδ . [908] [909] , LXX) is probably ornate rather than a duplicate. The love of Christ for his people is mentioned in the Apocalypse only here (with a reminiscence if not a quotation of O.T.), in Revelation 1:5 , and in Revelation 3:9 (incidentally). In the latter