Bible Commentaries

Matthew 10:3 — Βαρθ . ] Philip was called by our Lord the second day after the visit of Andrew and John, and the day after the naming of Peter. He was also of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter, James and John. Ἀνδρέας and Φίλιππος are Greek names. See John 12:20-22 . Βαρθολομαῖος בַּר תַּלְמַי , son of Talmai or Tolomæus, has been generally supposed to be the same with Nathanael of Cana in Galilee; and with reason: for (1) the name Bartholomew is not his own name, but a patronymic: (2) He follows next in

Matthew 20:1-16 — LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD. Peculiar to Matthew . In interpreting this difficult parable, we must first carefully observe its occasion and connexion. It is bound by the γάρ to the conclusion of chap. 19, and arose out of the question of Peter in Matthew 20:27 , τί ἄρα ἔσται ἡμῖν ; (1) Its ‘punctum saliens’ is, that the Kingdom of God is of grace , not of debt; that they who were called first, and have laboured longest, have no more claim upon God than those who were called last: but that

John 5:3 — In very early times, this deficiency was supplied by the insertion of the spurious passage. I say, in very early times: for Tertullian refers to it in a way which leaves no doubt that he read it entire. “Piscinam Bethsaidam (cf. digest on Joh 5:2 ) angelus interveniens commovebat: observabant qui valetudinem querebantur. Nam si quis prævenerat descendere illuc, queri post lavacrum desinebat.” De Bapt. c. 5, vol. i. p. 1205. So that the fact of so many different kinds of sick persons being

John 6:1 — sake of Gentile readers, to whom it was best known by that name: thus Pausan. ver. 7. 3, αὐτὸς οἶδα Ἰόρδανον λίμνην Τιβερίδα ὀνομαζομένην διοδεύοντα : but it was more usually called, as by Josephus, Γεννησάρ or Γεννησαρῖτις , 1Ma 11:67 ; Strabo xvi. 2 (Ptolem. John 6:15 , Lücke). τῆς Τιβ . cannot mean that He came from Tiberias , however true that may have been. That would have been ἀπὸ or ἐκ Τιβεριάδος . It is possible, though not likely, that τῆς Τιβ . may have been a gloss, and have found

Acts 7:16 — related in the O. T., were these: Jacob, dying in Egypt, was ( Gen 50:13 ) taken into the land of Canaan, and buried in the cave of Machpelah, before Mamre (on the rest of the verse see below): Joseph, dying also in Egypt, was taken in a coffin ( Gen 50:26 ) at the Exodus ( Exo 13:19 ), and finally buried ( Jos 24:32 ) at Shechem. Of the burial of the other patriarchs the sacred text says nothing, but rather by the specification in Exodus 13:19 , leaves it to be inferred that they were buried in Egypt.

Romans 10:6-8 — great central aim and object, quotes these words not merely as suiting his purpose, but as bearing, where originally used, an à fortiori application to faith in Him who is the end of the law, and to the commandment to believe in Him, which ( 1Jn 3:23 ) is now ‘ God’s commandment .’ If spoken of the law as a manifestation of God in man’s heart and mouth, much more were they spoken of Him, who is God manifest in the flesh , the end of the law and the prophets . This view

Romans 14:11 — 11. ] The citation is according to the present Alexandrine text, except that our ζῶ ἐγώ = κατ ʼ ἐμαυτοῦ ὀμνύω . ἐξομ .] shall praise , see reff. LXX- [117] [118] 1.3a following the Heb. has ὀμεῖται ( ὀμνῖται [119] ) πᾶσα γλῶσσα τὸν θεόν ( κύριον [120] ). [117] The CODEX VATICANUS, No. 1209 in the Vatican Library at Rome; and proved, by the old catalogues, to have been there from the foundation of the library in the 16th century. It was apparently, from internal evidence, copied in Egypt. It is

Romans 7:18 — its retention) ( present with me ). [46] The MS. referred to by this symbol is that commonly called the Alexandrine, or CODEX ALEXANDRINUS. It once belonged to Cyrillus Lucaris, patriarch of Alexandria and then of Constantinople, who in the year 1628 presented it to our King Charles I. It is now in the British Museum. It is on parchment in four volumes, of which three contain the Old, and one the New Testament, with the Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. This fourth volume is exhibited open

1 Corinthians 1:2 — 2 .] The remarks of Calvin on τῇ ἐκκλ . τ . θεοῦ , κ . τ . λ . are admirable: “Mirum forsan videri queat, cur eam hominum multitudinem vocet Ecclesiam Dei, in qua tot morbi invaluerant, ut Satan illic potius regnum occuparet quam Deus. Certum

1 Corinthians 15:24 — 24. εἶτα ] then, next in succession, introducing the third τάγμα , see above. τὸ τέλος ] the end κατ ʼ ἐξοχήν : not the end of the resurrection , as Meyer, after Theodoret, Œcum., Bengel, al.: nor, of this present world , as Chrys., al., which properly

Ephesians 6:14 — πέδιλα . The Roman caliga may be in the Apostle’s mind: see on Eph 6:11 ) with (local again, not instrumental: see on Eph 6:14 ) the (article omitted after ἐν ) readiness (the uses of ἑτοιμασία (‘in classical Greek, ἑτοιμότης , Dem. 1268. 7.’ Mey.) in Hellenistic Greek are somewhat curious, and may have a bearing on this passage. In Psalms 9:17 , it has the sense of inward ‘preparedness ,’ τὴν ἑτοιμασίαν τῆς καρδίας ( τῶν πενήτων ) of outward , in Jos. Antt. x.

Ephesians 6:5-9 — 5 9 .] See on ch. Ephesians 5:22 . Duties of masters and slaves . Slaves (or as Conyb., ‘ Bondsmen .’ There is no reason to render οἱ δοῦλοι , servants , as in E. V., for by this much of the Apostle’s exhortation is deprived of point), obey your lords according

Colossians 1:11 — with error, which is more in question in this Epistle. Chrys.’s distinction, μακροθυμεῖ τις πρὸς ἐκείνους οὓς δυνατὸν καὶ ἀμύνασθαι · ὑπομένει δὲ οὓς οὐ δύναται ἀμύνασθαι , though in the main correct, must not be closely pressed: see (Mey.) Heb 12:2-3 ) with joy (Mey. argues that these words must be joined, as Chr., (Œc., Thl., Est., al., with εὐχαριστ ., because in the other clauses the participles were preceded by these prepositional qualifications. But this can hardly be pressed, in the frequent

Hebrews 1:11 — concerns their present state, cf. ἀλλαγήσονται below. ἐδήλωσε καὶ τῆς κτίσεως τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον μεταβολὴν ἀπ ʼ αὐτοῦ γεννησομένην , αὐτοῦ δὲ τὸ ἄναρχον καὶ ἀνώλεθρον . Thdrt. On this change, see the opinions of the Fathers in Suicer, vol. ii. pp. 151 2, 365, and 520 B), but thou remainest (Bleek prefers the fut. διαμενεῖς , see var. readd., on the ground of the verbs being all future in the Heb. text. But perhaps the consideration alleged by Lünemann, that the Writer, using only the LXX, seems to

Hebrews 2:17 — 17 .] Because then He had this work to do for the seed of Abraham (sons of men, in the wider reference), viz. to deliver them from fear of death, He must be made like them in all things, that He may be a merciful and faithful High Priest. Then Heb 2:18 gives the reason of this necessity. Whence ( ὅθεν is a favourite inferential particle with our Writer. It never occurs in the Epistles of Paul. On ref. Acts, see Prolegg. to Acts, § ii. 17 δ . It is = δι ʼ ἣν αἰτίαν , Heb 2:11 ) it behoved Him

Hebrews 4:2 — 2 .] The former half of this verse substantiates the καταλειπομένης of the last verse. The stress is not, ‘ we , as well as they ,’ which would require ἡμεῖς to be expressed: but lies on εὐηγγε λισμένοι , which includes both us and them.

Hebrews 7:11 — obtaining perfection . Three meanings are legitimate for ἐπ ʼ αὐτῆς . 1. Concerning it , it being the objective basis or substratum of the νομοθέτησις : as in οὐλέγει .… ὡς ἐπὶ πολλῶν , Galatians 3:16 ; σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσθενούντων , John 6:2 . This is taken by Schlichting, Grot., Bleek. So ‘disserere’ or ‘scribere super se.’ 2. In its time , as ἐπ ʼ Ὀλυμπιάδος , ἐπ ʼ ἄρχοντος . 3. On its ground , it being the subjective basis or substratum of the νομοθέτησις :

Hebrews 9:16 — appeal to common usage) where a testament is (it is quite in vain to attempt to deny the testamentary sense of διαθήκη in this verse. Many have made the attempt: e. g. Codurcus, in a long excursus, which may be seen in Critici Sacri, vol. vii. part 2, fol. 1067 ff.: Whitby in loc., Seb. Schmidt, Michaelis, al., and recently Ebrard and Hofmann. As these recent expositors have written with the others before them, it may be well to give an account of their views of the passage. Ebrard understands it

1 John 2:1 — 1 .] My little children (see reff.: the diminutive expresses tender affection: perhaps also is used in reference to his age and long standing as a father in Christ. Compare the beautiful legend in Eus. H. E. iii. 23, where St. John calls back the young man to him with the words τί με φεύγεις , τέκνον , τὸν σαυτοῦ πατέρα ;) these things I write unto you, that ye may sin not ( at all ) (this exclusive meaning is given by the aor. implying the absence not only

1 John 5:21 — 21 .] Parting warning against idols . Little children (see reff. He parts from them with his warmest and most affectionate word of address), keep yourselves from idols (the εἴδωλον is properly a figure of an imaginary deity, while an ὁμοίωμα is that