Bible Commentaries

Matthew 3:4 — Chrysostom, says: “Do not ask who wove his garment, or whence he got his girdle; for more wonderful is it that he should live from childhood to manhood in so inhospitable a climate”. John took his fashion in dress from Elijah, described (2 Kings 1:8 ) as “an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins”. It need not be doubted that the investment is historical, not a legendary creation, due to the opinion that John was Elijah redivivus. The imitation in dress does not

Mark 2:23 — that case will mean that they began to do that when they saw the path was not clear, and wished to make it more comfortable for their Master to walk on. But it is doubtful whether in Hellenistic Greek the classic distinction was observed, and Judges 17:8 (Sept [15] ) supplies an instance of ὁδὸν ποιεῖν = making way, “as he journeyed”. It would be natural to Mk. to use the phrase in the sense of iter facere . If we take the phrase in this sense, then we must, with Beza, find in the passage

John 1:38 — John 1:38 . στραφεὶς δὲ … τί ζητεῖτε ; Jesus, hearing their steps behind Him, turns. To all who follow He gives their opportunity. Having turned and perceived that they were following Him, He asks τί ζητεῖτε ; the obvious first inquiry, but perhaps with a breath

Acts 13:9 — etc., cf. amongst moderns Bengel, Olshausen, Ewald, Meyer) it has been thought that there is some connection here emphasised by the writer between the name Sergius Paulus and the assumption of the name Paul by the Apostle at this juncture. (Wendt (1899) inclines to the view that the name Paul was first used in Acts 13:1 . See in loco and critical notes.) So too Baur, Zeller, Hausrath, Overbeck, Hilgenfeld are of opinion that Luke intended some reference to the name of the proconsul, although they

Acts 2:5 — used of temporary sojourn, and on the frequent use of the word in St. Luke, Friedrich, ubi supra , p. 39. But here it is followed most probably by εἰς not ἐν , constructio prægnans, cf. Wendt and Weiss as against W.H [117] (T.R. ἐν and so Blass in [118] ). Weiss, Apostelgeschichte , p. 36, regards this frequent use of εἰς as characteristic of the style of Acts, cf. Acts 9:21 , Acts 14:25 , and considers it quite inconceivable that ἐν would be changed into εἰς , although the reverse is likely enough

Acts 6:12 — them, cf. Acts 4:26 . ἐπιστάντες , see on Acts 4:1 . συνήρπασαν , “seized him,” R.V.; “caught,” A.V., signifies rather capture after pursuit than a sudden seizure (Humphry); only in St. Luke in the N.T., once in his Gospel, Acts 8:29 , and Acts 19:29 ; Acts 27:15 . In the first passage it is used of the demoniac of the country of the Gerasenes; many times the evil spirit συνηρπάκει αὐτόν ; see 2Ma 7:27 , Proverbs 6:25 , 2Ma 4:41 , 4Ma 5:4 . The word is also quite classical, see

Romans 1:18 — Romans 1:18 f. The revelation of the righteousness of God (Romans 1:17 ) is needed in view of the revelation of His wrath, from which only δικ . θεοῦ (whether it be His justifying sentence or the righteousness which He bestows on man) can deliver. ὀργὴ in the N.T.

1 Corinthians 11:14-15 — conspicuous antithesis preceding the conj.: what is discreditable in the one is delightful in the other. Homer’s warriors, it is true, wore long hair ( καρηκομοῶντες Ἀχαιοί ), a fashion retained at Sparta; but the Athenian youth cropped his head at 18, and it was a mark of foppery or effeminacy (a legal ἀτιμία ), except for the aristocratic Knights, to let the hair afterwards grow long. This feeling prevailed in ancient as it does in modern manners ( cf. the case of Absalom). In the rule of the

1 Corinthians 15:37-38 — 1 Corinthians 15:37-38 make answer to the second branch of the question of 1 Corinthians 15:35 , by the aid of the same profound analogy. καὶ ὃ σπείρεις , οὐ τὸ σῶμα τὸ γενησόμενον σπείρεις , “And what thou sowest not the body that will come to be dost thou sow”.

1 Corinthians 7:15 — separation, it is not to be refused: “But if the unbeliever separates, he may separate” let the separation take its course ( χωριζὲσθω , pr [1049] impv [1050] ): for this impv [1051] of consent, cf. 1 Corinthians 7:36 , 1 Corinthians 14:38 . οὐ δεδούλωται (pf. of fixed condition ) “the brother or the sister in such circumstances is not kept in bondage”; cf. 1 Corinthians 7:39 the stronger vb [1052] of this passage implies that for the repudiated party to continue bound to

2 Corinthians 5:15 — But ( b ) the purposes of the Atonement are not completely fulfilled without the response of man’s faith and obedience; He died for all , ἵνα οἱ ζῶντες κ . τ . λ . This is the frequent exhortation of St. Paul (Romans 6:11 and see 1 Peter 3:18 ); the purpose of Christ’s Death is to lead us to Life, a life “unto God” ( cf. Romans 6:11 ; Romans 14:7-8 ) the “life indeed” (1 Timothy 6:19 ) which must be begun here if it is to be perfected hereafter. The preposition

Ephesians 2:17 — Ephesians 2:17 . καὶ ἐλθὼν εὐηγγελίσατο εἰρήνην ὑμῖν τοῖς μακρὰν καὶ εἰρήνην τοῖς ἐγγύς : and He came and preached peace to you that were far off, and peace to them that were nigh . The TR reads simply καὶ τοῖς ἐγγύς (with [168] [169] , the mass of cursives, the Syr., etc.). The primary uncials and other important authorities ( [170] [171] [172] [173] 17, Vulg., etc.) insert εἰρήνην (so LTTrWHRV). The repetition has rhetorical force. The καί , again, does not merely connect

Ephesians 3:14 — γόνατά μου : I bow my knees . A simple, natural figure for prayer; earnest prayer (Calv.) not as if Paul actually knelt as he wrote (Calov.). The standing posture in prayer and the kneeling are both mentioned in the NT ( e.g. , Mark 11:25 ; Luke 18:11 ; Luke 18:13 , for the former, and Luke 22:41 ; Acts 7:60 ; Acts 20:36 ; Acts 21:5 , for the latter). For kneeling in the OT see 1 Kings 8:54 ; Daniel 6:10 ; cf. also 1 Kings 19:18 . πρὸς τὸν πατέρα : to the Father . The πρὸς takes the place of

Philippians 3:1 — Philippians 3:1 . τὸ λοιπόν . Probably A.V. rightly translates “finally” (summing up all his exhortations to them). It must, however, be remembered that in late Greek λοιπόν had come to mean scarcely more than οὖν . Even in Plato, Gorg. , 458 [17] D , there is something very closely approaching this usage. Cf. Matthew 26:45 (and on it Aars in Zw. Th [18] . , xxxviii., 3, pp. 378 383), Acts 27:20 (where Blass translates by jam ), 2 Timothy 4:8 . For instances in Epictetus see Class. Review

Philippians 3:2 — understand how anyone could find three different classes in these words ( e.g. , Ws [22] . , who divides them into ( a ) unconverted heathens, ( b ) self-seeking Christian teachers, ( c ) unbelieving Jews. See also his remarks in A. J. Th. , i., 2, pp. 389 391). The words are a precise parallel to Paul’s denunciations of Judaising teachers in Galatians and 2 Corinthians. Cf. Galatians 1:7 ; Galatians 1:9 ; Galatians 5:12 , 2 Corinthians 11:13 ; 2 Corinthians 2:17 . The persistent and malicious

Colossians 1:12 — κλήρου (Alf., Lightf.), or κλήρου (De W., Ell., Sod., Haupt). The difference is slight, and it seems simplest to connect with κλ ., “the lot of the saints [situated] in the light”; ἐν being probably local, and not expressing, as in Acts 8:21 , the idea of a share in the light. The precise sense of φῶς is disputed. Oltramare takes it of the state of holiness in which Christians live, so that the distinction between saints on earth and in heaven does not arise. But the immediate impression

Hebrews 7:11 — used in classics sometimes with dative of person, as in LXX, Exodus 24:12 , τὰς ἐντολὰς ἅς ἒγραψα νομοθετῆσαι αὐτοῖς . Sometimes it is followed by accusative of that which is ordained by law. The use of the passive here is peculiar, cf. also Hebrews 8:6 . The νόμος contained in the word, and expressed separately in Hebrews 7:12 , is not the bare law contained in commandments, but the whole Mosaic dispensation. τίς ἔτι χρεία , this use of ἔτι is justified by an instance from Sextus Empiricus quoted

2 Peter 1:8 — 2 Peter 1:8 . πλεονάζοντα : “abound”. In classical use = “exaggerate”. The word here again emphasises the display of a regal, uncalculating and unwearied spirit in the practice of the Christian graces. ἀργοὺς . Perhaps “ineffective”

Revelation 20:4 — creation ( cf. Drummond’s Jewish Messiah , 316 f.; Bacher’s Agada d. Tann. 2 i. 133 f.; E. Bi. iii. 3095 3097; Encycl. of Religion and Ethics , i. 204 f., 209). John postpones the παλιγγενεσία till this period is over (contrast Matthew 19:28 ). He says nothing about those who were living when the millenium began, and only precarious inferences can be drawn. Does Revelation 20:6 contain the modest hope that he and other loyal Christians might participate in it? or does the second ( καὶ οἵτινες

Revelation 22:2 — untouched till the day of Judgment ( καὶ οὐδεμία σὰρξ ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ἅψασθαι αὐτοῦ ). “Then the righteous and the holy shall have it given them; it shall be as food for the elect unto life.” So in contemporary Judaism; e.g. , 4 Esd. 7:53 and 8:52 (“For unto you is paradise set open, the tree of life is planted, the time to come is prepared, a city is builded and rest is established,”) as already in Test. Leviticus 18:0; Leviticus 18:0 , where the messianic high-priest is to “open