Bible Commentaries

Matthew 21:8-9 — 8, 9. ] Which was a royal honour: see 2 Kings 9:13 . ὁ πλεῖστος ὄχλος , the greater part of the multitude. Meyer refers to Plato, Rep. iii. p. 397 D; Thuc. vii. 78, in both which the same expression occurs; and Xen. Anab. iii. 2. 36, ὁ πολὺς ὄχλος . κλ . ἀπ . τ . δένδ . = τὰ

Mark 1:23 — 23. ἄνθ . ἐν πν . ] The use of the prep. in this connexion is unusual: see reff. I think the best account of it is, that it falls under a large class of usages of ἐν , expressing the element in which the man lived and moved, as possessed and interpenetrated by the evil spirit, as in the common expressions ἐν κυρίῳ , ἐν χριστῷ , cf. 2 Corinthians 12:2 , and Acts 17:28 .

Luke 12:14 — 14. ] ἄνθρ ., a word of solemn reproof: see Romans 2:1 ; Romans 9:20 . The ἄνθρ . also forms a definite subject for ὑμᾶς to refer to, … ‘ men ,’ i.e. mankind in general. This question is expressed in almost the very words of the Egyptian rejecting the arbitration of Moses, Exodus 2:14 ; and may shew us the essential difference of the two offices of Moses and Christ.

Luke 15:2 — 2. ] προσδέχ ., into His circle of adherents συνεσθ ., allows them to sit at meat with Him; on the journey, or at entertainments, as in Matthew 9:10 . Stier remarks (iii. 214, edn. 2) that this ἁμαρτ . προσδέχ . is an important and affecting testimony, from the mouth of the enemies of our Lord, to His willingness to receive sinners. The διεγόγγ . implies either throughout the journey; or rather, one to another, responsively.

John 10:3 — 3. ] Perhaps the θυρωρός should not be too much pressed as significant; but certainly the Holy Spirit is especially He who opens the door to the shepherds: see frequent uses of this symbolism by the Apostles, Acts 14:27 ; 1Co 16:9 ; 2 Corinthians 2:12 ; Colossians 4:3 ; and instances of the θυρωρός shutting the door, Acts 16:6-7 . (So Theodorus Heracleota, and Stier, iv. 482, edn. 2.) τὰ πρόβ . τ . φων . αὐτ . ἀκ . ] The voice of every such true shepherd

John 21:22 — 22. ] The words τί πρὸς σέ ; imply a rebuke; not perhaps however so sharp a one as has been sometimes seen in them. They remind Peter of the distinctness of each man’s position and duty before the Lord; and the σύ μοι ἀκ ., which follows, directs

John 6:34 — 34. ] Ch. Joh 4:15 is exactly parallel. The Jews understand this bread, as the Samaritan woman understood the water, to be some miraculous kind of sustenance which would bestow life everlasting: perhaps they thought of the heavenly manna, which the Rabbis speak of as prepared for the just in the future world: see quotations in Lücke, 2:132, also Revelation 2:17 . πάντοτε , emphatic: not now only, but always.

Acts 16:8 — 8. ] παρελθόντες must from the context mean ‘ having passed by ,’ i.e. as regarded their work of preaching (cf. ch. Act 20:16 ), and not ‘having passed by’ as avoiding it; for they could not get to the coast without entering Mysia . I adhere to this interpretation, notwithstanding what has been said against it by Dr. Bloomfield (Gr. Test. edn. 9). For this

Acts 2:44 — three thousand were persons who had come up to Jerusalem for the feast, and would by this time have returned to their homes. εἶχον ἅπαντα κοινά ] they had all things (in) common , i.e. no individual property, but one common stock : see ch. Acts 4:32 . That this was literally the case with the infant church at Jerusalem, is too plainly asserted in these passages to admit of a doubt. Some have supposed the expressions to indicate merely a partial community of goods: ‘non omnia vendiderunt,

Acts 7:46 — 46. ᾐτήσατο ] asked permission , see 2 Samuel 7:2 ff., in which this request is made through Nathan the prophet, and at first conceded by Nathan, though afterwards, on a revelation made from God, denied: not ‘ wished ’(Grot., Kuin.: ‘ desired ,’ E. V.). The vow (a species of prayer) here referred to, is defined by the words εὑρεῖν σκήνωμα , to be that mentioned Psalms 131:1-3 (LXX).

Romans 8:30 — those he also called (in making the decree, He left it not barren, but provided for those circumstances, all at His disposal, by which such decree should be made effectual in them. ἐκάλεσεν , supply, εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ βασιλείαν καὶ δόξαν 1 Thessalonians 2:12 ; other expressions are found in 1Co 1:9 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:14 ; 1 Timothy 6:12 ; 1Pe 5:10 ): and whom He called, these He also justified (the Apostle, remember, is speaking entirely of God’s acts on behalf of the believer: he says nothing

1 Corinthians 16:19 — 19. ἐν κυρίῳ ] see note, Romans 16:2 . On Aquila and Priscilla, see Romans 16:3-4 ; Acts 18:2 . They had removed from Corinth ( Act 18:1 ) to Ephesus ( Act 18:26 ), and had there, as subsequently at Rome (Romans 16:3 ; Rom 16:5 ), an assembly of the faithful meeting in their dwelling. οἱ ἀδ . πάντες the whole Ephesian church. ἐν φιλ . ἁγ .] see Romans 16:16 , note.

1 Corinthians 5:10 — the impossibility of complying with it in so dissolute a place as Corinth, and excepts the fornicators of this world , i.e. who are not professing Christians : not under all circumstances with the fornicators of this world: so Theophr. C. P. vi. 25, cited by Wetst. on Romans 3:9 , ποιεῖ γὰρ οὐ πάντως , ἀλλ ʼ ἐὰν οὐλή τις ᾖ ὑπόκαυστος . οὐ , not μή , because not the whole context of the prohibition is negatived, but only one portion of it, and thus οὐ πάντως τ . π . τ . κός . τ . stands together

2 Corinthians 10:1 — setting his Apostolic dignity in contrast with the depreciation which follows. Sometimes however we have αὐτός used, where the only object seems to be to bring out the personality more strongly : so 1 Thessalonians 3:11 ; 1Th 4:16 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:23 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:16 ; 2 Thessalonians 3:16 . See also Romans 7:25 ; and ch. 2 Corinthians 12:13 : and such may be the case here: but the ὅς rather favours the former interpretation. διὰ τ . πρ . κ . ἐπ .] as in Romans 12:1 , using the

2 Corinthians 5:2 — 2. ] For also (our knowledge, that we possess such a building of God, even in case of our body being dissolved, is testified by the earnest desire which we have, to put on that new body without such dissolution taking place . See the similar argument

2 Corinthians 7:3 — 3. ] I do not say it ( 2Co 7:2 ) for condemnation (with a condemnatory view, in a spirit of blame: there is no ὑμῶν expressed, nor should it be supplied. He means, ‘I do not say 2Co 7:2 in any but a loving spirit’): for (and this shews it) I have said before

Ephesians 2:14 — 14 .] For He (there certainly is an emphasis on αὐτός , as Rück., Harl., Mey., Ellic., Eadie, ‘He and none other.’ This can hardly be denied by any one who will read through the whole from Ephesians 2:11 , and mark the repetitions, χριστοῦ χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ χριστοῦ , which this αὐτός takes up) is our peace (not by metonymy for εἰρηνοποιός , but in the widest and most literal sense, our peace. He did not make our peace and then retire, leaving us

2 Timothy 1:2 — 2 . ἀγαπητῷ τέκνῳ ] “Can it be accidental,” says Mack, “that instead of γνησίῳ τέκν ., as Timotheus is called in the first Epistle, 2 Timothy 1:2 , and Titus 1:4 , here we have ἀγαπητῷ ? Or may a reason for the change be found in this,

Hebrews 4:16 — sympathy of our great High Priest . Let us therefore approach ( προσέρχεσθαι , only once used by St. Paul, 1 Timothy 6:3 , and that in a totally different sense, προσέρχεσθαι ὑγιαίνουσιν λόγοις , is a favourite word in this Epistle, cf. ch. Hebrews 7:25 ; Hebrews 10:1 ; Hebrews 10:22 ; Hebrews 11:6 ; Hebrews 12:18 ; Hebrews 12:22 , and generally in the same sense as here, that of approach to God, either, as under the O. T., by sacrifices, or, as under the N. T., by the one sacrifice of Christ. The

1 John 2:28 — 28 .] Conclusion of this part of the Epistle : forming also a transition to the next part: see below. And now (by καὶ νῦν , the preceding considerations are linked on to the exhortation regarding present practice which follows: see reff. On ἀλλὰ νῦν