Bible Commentaries

Matthew 13:22 — 22. ] In this third sort, all as regards the soil is well; the seed goes deep, the plant springs up; all is as in the next case, with but one exception, and that, the bearing of fruit ἄκαρπος γίνεται = οὐ τελεσφοροῦσι Luke. And this because the seeds

Matthew 13:45-46 — instances (Parables, p. 100) Nathanael and the Samaritan woman as examples of the finders without seeking; Augustine, as related in his Confessions (we might add St. Paul, see Php 3:7 ), of the diligent seeker and finder. Compare with this parable Proverbs 2:3-9 , and to see what kind of buying is not meant, Isaiah 55:1 ; ch. Matthew 25:9-10 . Also see Revelation 3:18 .

Matthew 3:11 — ὕδ . ] ἐν is not redundant, but signifies the vehicle of baptism, as in ἐν πν . ἁγ . κ . πυρί afterwards. ἐρχόμενος ] The present participle is used of a certain and predetermined future event; “he that is to come.” See on ch. Matthew 2:4 . τὰ ὑποδ . βαστάσαι ] Lightfoot (from Maimonides) shews that it was the token of a slave having become his master’s property, to loose his shoe, to tie the same, or to carry the necessary articles for him to the bath. The expressions

Matthew 4:3 — of πειράζειν , to solicit to sin , which does not occur in the LXX, nor in the classics. The use of the pres. part. with the art., as denoting employ, or office, is very common. See, among other places, John 4:36-37 , and ch. Matthew 13:3 ; Matthew 26:46 ; Matthew 26:48 . Cf. Winer, § 18. 3. εἰ ] νομίζων ὑποκλέπτειν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἐγκωμίοις , Chrys. Or, as Euthymius, ᾤετο ὅτι παρακνισθήσεται τῷ λόγῳ , καθάπερ ὀνειδισθεὶς ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ εἶναι υἱὸς θεοῦ . At all events, there is no doubt expressed, as Wolf

Matthew 8:28 — 28. ] Among the difficulties attendant on this narrative, the situation and name of the place where the event happened are not the least. Origen’s remarks are: ἡ περὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν δαιμονίων κατακρημνιζομένους καὶ ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ συμπνιγομένους χοίρους

Luke 3:1 — himself, ch. Luke 1:3 . In Mat 3:1 we have the same events indicated as to time by only ἐν ταῖς ἡμ . ἐκείναις . The fifteenth year of the sole principate of Tiberius began Aug. 19, U.C. 781, and reckoning backwards thirty years from that time (see Luk 3:23 ), we should have the birth of our Lord in U.C. 751 or about then; for ὡσεὶ τριάκ . will admit of some latitude. But Herod the Great died in the beginning of the year 750, and our Lord’s birth must be fixed some months at least before the death

Acts 8:26 — 26. ] An angel, visibly appearing : not in a dream, which is not, as some suppose, implied by ἀνάστηθι , see reff. The ministration of angels introduces and brings about several occurrences in the beginning of the church, see ch. Acts 5:19 ; Acts 10:3

Ephesians 1:17 — ποι . ἐπὶ τ . προσευχῶν , implying that a prayer for them took place) the God of our Lord Jesus Christ (see on Ephesians 1:3 . The appellation is here solemnly and most appropriately given, as leading on to what is about to be said in Ephesians 1:20 ff. of God’s exaltation of Christ to be Head over all things to His Church. To His God, Christ also in the days of His Flesh prayed, πάτερ , δόξασόν σου τὸν υἱόν : and even more markedly in that last cry, θεέ μου , θεέ μου ), the Father of

Hebrews 1:6 — consequently in both, πάλιν has the meaning of e contra , and necessarily stands after the subject of the sentence, as δέ would: and as we find it repeatedly in Plato, e. g. Gorg. § 83, νῦν δὲ πάλιν αὖθις (or αὐτὸς ) ταὐτὸν τοῦτο ἔπαθε : Laches, § 22, νῦν δ ʼ αὖ πάλιν φαμὲν κ . τ . λ .: Rep. x. § 11, ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν κεκριμέναι εἰσίν , ἐγὼ πάλιν ἀπαιτῶ κ . τ . λ . Now manifestly no such meaning can here have place (notwithstanding that Storr and Wahl so give it): nor can I find any analogous instance

Hebrews 12:6 — it.” Bleek: who thinks, as does Del., that the LXX have expressed better the sense of the Writer than the Masoretic punctuators. “For the translation of כֵּאֵב by μαστιγοῦν , to scourge, to whip , instead of generally to punish , cf. Psalms 32:10 ( Psa 31:10 ), μάστιγες for מַכְאוֹבִים : and for the use of the Greek verb for divine chastisement (reff.), Tob 11:14 [ [70] [71] (not [72] )], ἐμαστίγωσας κ . ἠλέησάς με : Hebrews 13:2 ( Heb 13:25; Heb 13:9 ), αὐτὸς μαστιγοῖ κ . ἐλεεῖ : Jdt 8:27

Hebrews 4:3 — 3 .] For (taking up again τῇ πίστει in Hebrews 4:2 ; not the καταλειπομένης ἐπαγγελίας of Hebrews 4:1 , as rendering a new reason for it, as Bengel: nor the καὶ γάρ ἐσμεν &c. of Hebrews 4:2 , as De W. and Delitzsch. It may certainly be said, that the emphatic position of εἰσερχόμεθα includes also Heb

Hebrews 6:18 — 18 .] that by means of two ( δύο is here undeclinable, but not, as Delitzsch states, always in N. T. We have δύσιν in ch. Hebrews 10:28 ; Matthew 6:24 ; Matthew 22:40 ; Act 12:6 al.) unchangeable things ( ποίου καὶ ποίου ; τοῦ τε εἰπεῖν καὶ ὑποσχέσθαι , τοῦ τε ὅρκον προσθεῖναι τῇ ὑποσχέσει . Chrys., Thl.: δύο πράγματα τὸν λόγον καὶ τὸν ὅρκον εἴρηκε . καὶ μόνῳ γὰρ λόγῳ χρώμενος ὁ θεὸς

Hebrews 6:5 — distinction itself is untenable, witness ὡς δὲ ἐγεύσατο τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνον γεγενημένον , ref. John: this being merely as it would appear a Hellenistic impropriety, not found in good Greek. (Another distinction is made by Delitzsch, h. l., from Kühner, § 526, Anm. 3, al.; that words of bodily partaking take a gen. in a partitive sense, but an acc. where the object partaken is either considered as a whole, or is designated materially, or as an accustomed means of nourishment. But this also fails in the

Hebrews 6:7-8 — 7, 8 .] Illustration of the last position , by a contrast between profitable and unprofitable land. For land which has drunk in (“ γῆ , indefinite: ἡ πιοῦσα , defined as to the kind of γῆ meant. So Galatians 2:20 ; Galatians 3:21 ; Galatians 4:27 ; Xen. Hell. i. 10. 1, ἀποτέμνεται χεὶρ ἡ δεξιά , ‘a hand, namely, the right.’ ” Delitzsch) the rain frequently coming on it (so far, is the subject of both sides of the hypothesis: and not the

James 4:1 — Schneckenb., al., or sects , as Semler, al., but concerning ‘meum’ and ‘tuum.’ Grot. refers them to the tumults which preceded the destruction of Jerusalem. πόλ . and μάχ . are strong expressions, as in Arrian, Epict. iii. 21 in Raphel, and Wetst. πρὸς τὸ παιδάριον πόλεμος , πρὸς τοὺς γείτονας κ . τ . λ .” De Wette. The above assertion, that these are strifes about mine and thine, confines them perhaps to too narrow a space; they seem rather, as Huther, to represent

Revelation 11:3-13 — of these days being days or years , and of the individuality or the symbolical character of the witnesses, are mutually connected together. He will also bear in mind that it is a pure assumption that the two periods, the forty-two months and the 1260 days, coincide over the same space of time. The duration of time is that during which the power of Elijah’s prophecy shut up the heaven: viz. three years and six months: see Luke 4:25 , and more on Rev 11:6 below) clothed in sackcloth (in token

Revelation 17:15-18 — Assyria and his invading people are compared to the waters of the river, strong and many. There is also doubtless an impious parody intended in the position of the harlot to that of Him who sitteth above the water-flood and remaineth King for ever, Psa 29:10 ). And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast (viz. in that compact and alliance just now mentioned), these shall hate the harlot (we now enter upon prophetic particulars other than those revealed in the vision, where the harlot was sitting

Revelation 18:1-24 — from heaven, ch. Rev 10:1 ) coming down out of heaven (the Seer is still on the earth) having great power (possibly, as Elliott suggests, as the executor of the judgment that he announced. If so, the announcement is still anticipatory, see Rev 18:21 ), and the earth was lighted up by his glory ( ἐκ , as the source of the brightness): and he cried with (or, in ) a mighty voice saying, Babylon the great is fallen [ is fallen ], and is become an habitation of dæmons (see especially LXX, Isaiah

Revelation 19:1-10 — from heaven, ch. Rev 10:1 ) coming down out of heaven (the Seer is still on the earth) having great power (possibly, as Elliott suggests, as the executor of the judgment that he announced. If so, the announcement is still anticipatory, see Rev 18:21 ), and the earth was lighted up by his glory ( ἐκ , as the source of the brightness): and he cried with (or, in ) a mighty voice saying, Babylon the great is fallen [ is fallen ], and is become an habitation of dæmons (see especially LXX, Isaiah

Revelation 3:7-13 — ordinary usage, can be held firmly, on thorough examination of the places where the word occurs in the N. T. It is not easy for instance to justify the meaning “ genuine ,” “ answering fully to its name ,” in passages like John 7:28 ; and more experience in the habit of later Greek to break down the distinctions of derivative nouns has shaken me in the assertion of this meaning wherever the word occurs. Here, it would certainly appear as if it were chosen to declare an attribute