Bible Commentaries

Matthew 7:6 — Pearls bear a resemblance to peas or acorns, the food of swine, but earrings none whatever to the food of dogs. The similitude is derived from τὸ ἅγιον , or τὰ ἅγια , the meat offered in sacrifice , of which no unclean person was to eat (Leviticus 22:6-7 ; Leviticus 22:10 ; Leviticus 22:14 (where τὸ ἅγ . is used), 15, 16). Similarly in the ancient Christian Liturgies and Fathers, τὰ ἅγια are the consecrated elements in the Holy Communion. The fourteenth canon of the Council of Laodicæa orders μὴ

John 14:27 — 27. ] This is introduced by John 14:25 , which suggests the speedy close of the discourse. It was customary to take leave with wishes of peace: so 1 Samuel 1:17 ; Luke 7:50 ; Act 16:36 ; 1 Peter 5:14 ; 1 Peter 3:0 John 15. Also, to reassure by such words,

Acts 16:10 — 10. ἐζητήσαμεν ] by immediate enquiry for a ship. This word is remarkable as the introduction of the first person in the narrative: which however is dropped at Acts 16:40 , on Paul’s leaving Philippi, and resumed again, ch. Acts 20:5 , on occasion of sailing from Philippi. Thence it continues (in all places where we have reason to expect it: see below) to the end of the book. On the question, what is implied by this, we may remark, (1) That while we safely conclude from it that

Acts 27:40 — it, or to the going round and cutting all four), and left them in the sea ( εἰς τ . θάλ . ‘in the sea, into which they had been cast’). This they did to save time, and not to encumber the waterlogged ship with their additional weight. (2) They let loose the ropes which tied up the rudders. “Ancient ships were steered by two large paddles, one on each quarter. When anchored by the stern in a gale, it would be necessary to lift them out of the water, and secure them by lashings

Acts 9:7 — 7 .] In ch. Acts 22:9 , οἱ δὲ σὺν ἐμοὶ ὄντες τὸ μὲν φῶς ἐθεάσαντο [ κ . ἔμφοβοι ἐγένοντο ], τὴν δὲ φωνὴν οὐκ ἤκουσαν τοῦ λαλοῦντός μοι . Two accounts seemingly (and certainly, in the letter ) discrepant; but exceedingly instructive when their spirit is compared, the

Romans 10:19 — understand ὁ θεός as its subject : ‘Did not God know, acknowledge, regard with love, Israel?’ But surely the context will not allow this)? First (in the order of the prophetic roll; q. d. their very earliest prophet: compare Matthew 10:2 , πρῶτος Σίμων κ . τ . λ . Thol., after Rückert, observes, “The Apostle has in his mind a whole series of prophetic sayings which he might adduce, but gives only a few instead of all, and would shew by the πρῶτος , that even in the earliest period

Romans 12:6 — 6 .] The δέ = ‘and not only so, but’.… χάρις , see above, Romans 12:3 , on μέτρ . πίστ . These χαρίσματα are called, 1 Corinthians 12:7 , ἡ φανέρωσις τοῦ πνεύματος . “These χαρίσματα δάφορα are next specified. The two first accusatives are grammatically dependent on ἔχοντες : by degrees the Apostle loses sight

Romans 4:25 — 25 .] Here we have another example of the alliterative use of the same preposition where the meanings are clearly different (see above, Rom 4:23-24 ). Our Lord was delivered up (to death) for or on account of our sins (i.e. because we had sinned ): He

2 Corinthians 12:3-4 — 3, 4. ] A solemn repetition of the foregoing, with the additional particular of his having had unspeakable revelations made to him . Some, as Clem [20] Strom. 2 Corinthians 12:12 (80), p. 693 P., Iren [21] ii. 30.7, p. 162, Athan. Revelation 20:0 , vol. i. p. 263, Orig [22] (or his interpreter) on Rom. xvi. lib. x. 43, vol. iv. p. 688, Œcum., al., think that this was a fresh assumption , ἕως τρίτου

Colossians 2:5 — does in καὶ εἰ , but only belongs to the word immediately following it, which it couples, as a notable fact, to the circumstance brought out in the apodosis: so πόλιν μέν , εἰ καὶ μὴ βλέπεις , φρονεῖς δ ʼ ὅμως , οἵᾳ νόσῳ ξύνεστι , Soph. Œd. Tyr. 302. See Hartung, i. 139) absent (there is no ground whatever from this expression for inferring that he had been at Colossæ, as Wiggers supposed, Stud. u. Krit. 1838, p. 181: nor would the mere expression in 1Co 5:3 authorize any such inference were it

Hebrews 6:6 — Hell. i. 6. 4, διαθροούντων … ὅτι Λακεδαιμόνιοι μέγιστα παραπίπτοιεν ἐν τῷ διαλλάττειν τοὺς ναυαρχοὺς κ . τ . λ . Polyb. uses it frequently in this sense, but commonly with a gen. of that from which: so iii. 54. 5, πᾶν τὸ παραπεσὸν τῆς ὁδοῦ : xii. 7. 2, παραπίπτειν τῆς ἀληθείας : viii. 13. 8, τοῦ καθήκοντος : and xviii. 19. 6 absolutely, τοῖς ὅλοις πράγμασιν ἀγνοεῖν ἔφη καὶ παραπίπτειν αὐτόν . In the LXX it occurs often (reff.) in the ethical sense, and the cognate noun παράπτωμα often in the N. T.

Hebrews 7:26 — 26 .] For such (i. e. such as is above described: retrospective, not prospective, as some have taken it. Then the following adjectives serve as appositional predicates, carrying forward τοιοῦτος , and enlarging on the attributes of our High Priest,

Hebrews 8:13 — made old ( παλαιόω , a word peculiar to biblical usage, and in the N. T. to Heb. and St. Luke. The LXX have it a few times, in this same meaning: e. g. Lamentations 3:4 , ἐπαλαίωσεν σάρκα μου καὶ δέρμα μου : Job 9:5 , ὁ παλαιῶν ὅρη . Cf. also Job 32:15 ; Isaiah 65:22 ; Dan 7:25 Theod. Made old , viz. by speaking of, and where God is the speaker, actually in decree establishing, seeing that all God’s sayings are realities, a new one. Some have taken the word as signifying “ hath set

James 1:1 — ‘ of the God and Lord, J. C. ,’ but as Œc., θεοῦ μέν , τοῦ πατρός · κυρίου δέ , τοῦ υἱοῦ . Huther remarks, that in all the addresses of Epistles, the whole name Ἰησοῦς χριστός is given. St. James mentions our Lord only here and ch. Jam 2:1 in this Epistle, and not at all in his speeches in Acts 15:21 Bengel says, “Videri potuisset, si Jesum sæpe appellaret, id ex ambitione facere, cum esset frater Domini. Atque eo minus novit Christum secundum carnem”), to the twelve tribes

James 2:19 — with the reading εἷς θεός , ‘that there is one God.’ The Apostle selects, from all points of dogmatic belief, that one which stands at the head of the creed of Jews and Christians alike. Cf. especially Deuteronomy 6:4 ; Nehemiah 9:6 ; Mark 12:29 ; Mark 12:32 ; Romans 3:30 ; 1 Corinthians 8:4 ; 1 Corinthians 8:6 ; ch. James 4:12 ; and the Shepherd of Hermas, ii. 1, p. 914, πρῶτον πάντων πίστευσον ὅτι εἷς ἐστιν ὁ θεός . De Wette and Wiesinger have noticed that the construction with ὅτι after

James 4:13 — to-morrow (the ἤ of the rec. would suppose an alternative, “to-day, it may be, or to-morrow:” with καί , the two days are assigned for the journey, without any alternative. Bengel and Wiesinger take καί , as in δύο μαρτύρων καὶ τριῶν , 2 Corinthians 13:1 , as combining two possible cases: “Nunc dicit hodie , idem aliusve cras , ut commodum est,” Beng. This is possible: but I prefer the other) we will go (the indic, fut. (see var. readd.) gives the fixed certainty of the

James 5:4-6 — reaping or mowing corn for harvest. So I1. σ . 551, ἔνθα δ ʼ ἔριθοι ἤμων , ὀξείας δρεπάνας ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντες . See Soph. Antig. 598, and Hermann’s note) your fields (reff.), which has been held back (for the sense cf. Leviticus 19:13 ; Jeremiah 22:13 , and esp. ref. Mal. In Sirach 31 (34):22, we have ἐκχεῶν αἷμα ὁ ἀποστερῶν μισθὸν μισθίου ), crieth out (“Vindictam quasi alto clamore exposcit,” Caly. Cf. Gen 4:10 ) from you (this, which was suggested by Huther, is better than to

1 Peter 1:17 — hypothesis with an understood background of fact: If, (as is the case) &c.) ye call upon as father ( πατέρα , not, as E. V. “ the Father ,” but used predicatively and prefixed for emphasis) Him who judgeth impartially (see Acts 10:34 ; Jam 2:1 reff. The pres. part. gives the attribute or office: “Him, who is the Judge,” see ref. So that there is not even an apparent inconsistency with the declaration that the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son,

2 Peter 3:6 — 6 .] by means of which (two) (viz. the waters under the firmament and the waters above the firmament: for in the flood (1) the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and (2) the windows of heaven were opened, Genesis 7:11 . The interpretations of δι ʼ ὧν have been very various. Œc. understands ὧν to refer to the heavens and the earth, τῆς μὲν τὸ ὕδωρ ἐπικλυσάσης , τῶν οὐρανῶν δὲ τοὺς καταῤῥακτὰς αὐτῶν ἐπαφέντων : and

Revelation 1:17-18 — 17, 18 .] And when I saw Him, I fell at his feet as dead (the effect of the divine appearance: see Exodus 33:20 ; Job 42:6 ; Isaiah 6:5 ; Ezekiel 1:28 ; Daniel 8:17 ff; Daniel 10:7 ff. There is no discrepancy in this bodily action with the spiritual nature of the vision, as De W. thinks, either here or in the places where similar physical effects are described,