Bible Commentaries

Matthew 25:1 — wedding was to be held in the bride’s house, on account of the thing signified the coming of the Lord to his Church; but it is better to take the ordinary custom, and interpret accordingly, where we can. In both the wedding parables (see ch. 22.) the bride does not appear for she, being the Church, is in fact the aggregate of the guests in the one case, and of the companions in the other. We may perhaps say that she is here, in the strict interpretation, the Jewish Church, and these ten

Matthew 3:16 — Acts 9:7 , of such an appearance being confined to one person, while the others present were unconscious of it. We can hardly however, with some of the Fathers, say, that it was πνευματικὴ θεωρία , or ὀπτασία , οὐ φύσις τὸ φαινόμενον , Theod. Mopsuest [25] , or ‘Aperiuntur cœli non reseratione elementorum, sed spiritualibus oculis, quibus et Ezechiel in principio voluminis sui apertos eos esse commemorat.’ Jerome in loc. (2) The Holy Spirit descended not only in the manner of a dove, but

John 21:15 — his apostolic name of honour, Cephas, or Peter, see ch. John 1:43 . Thus we have Σ . βαριωνᾶ , Matthew 16:17 , connected with the mention of his natural state of flesh and blood, which had not revealed to him the great truth just confessed and Luke 22:31 , “Simon, Simon,” when he is reminded of his natural weakness. See also Mark 14:37 , and Matthew 17:25 , where the significance is not so plain. πλέον τούτων ] more than these thy fellow-disciples: compare Matthew 26:33 ; Mark 14:29

John 7:52-53 — HISTORY OF THE WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY [ Joh 7:53 to John 8:11 .] THE HISTORY OF THE WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY. See var. readd.; and a very complete discussion of the authorities for and against the passage in Lücke (edn. 3), ii. 243 256. The critical examination of the genuineness of this passage is attended with many and complicated difficulties. Setting aside here purely diplomatic evidence (for which see var. readd.), we may observe (1) that at first sight , the reasons given

John 8:1-11 — HISTORY OF THE WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY [ Joh 7:53 to John 8:11 .] THE HISTORY OF THE WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY. See var. readd.; and a very complete discussion of the authorities for and against the passage in Lücke (edn. 3), ii. 243 256. The critical examination of the genuineness of this passage is attended with many and complicated difficulties. Setting aside here purely diplomatic evidence (for which see var. readd.), we may observe (1) that at first sight , the reasons given

1 Corinthians 15:29 — 29. ] ἐπεί resumes the main argument, which has been interrupted by the explanation since 1Co 15:23 of ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ τάγματι . After it is an ellipsis of ‘if it be as the adversaries suppose.’ τί ποιήσουσιν ] There is in these words

Ephesians 4:8 — not preceding, but parallel to, that expressed in the finite verb which it accompanies: see Bernhardy, Synt. p. 383. The ascending in the Psalm is that of God, whose presence was symbolized by the ark, to Zion. The Apostle changes the words from the 2nd person to the 3rd; the address asserting a fact , which fact he cites), he led captive a captivity (i.e. ‘those who suffer captivity:’ a troop of captives: such is the constant usage of the abstract αἰχμαλωσία for the concrete in LXX:

Colossians 3:8 — reference ‘the whole, both those things which I have enumerated, and those which are to follow.’ The mistake of rendering ἀπόθεσθε , ‘ have put off ,’ which one would hardly look for in a Commentator, occurs in Eadie here cf. Eph 4:22 ), anger, wrath (see on Eph 4:31 ), malice (ib.), evil speaking (ib.), abusive conversation (the context makes this more probable here, than ‘ filthy conversation ’ (so E. V.; Clem. Alex., περὶ αἰσχρολογίας , Pæd. ii. 6, p. 198 P.;

1 Timothy 6:3-5 — man is a teacher of other ways (see on ch. 1 Timothy 1:3 ; sets up as an adviser of different conduct from that which I have above recommended), and does not accede to (so a convert to the true faith was called προσήλυτος : and we have in Origen, ii. 255 (Wolf), προσιόντας τῷ λόγῳ in the sense of just converted, and in ib. 395, προσερχομένους τῷ θείῳ λόγῳ . So also Irenæus, in two places cited by Wolf: see also Philo in reff. There was therefore no need for Bentley’s conjecture, προσέχεται (see

Hebrews 10:5 — difficulty in the direct application of its words to Him, of whose sufferings and of whose obedience all human experiences in suffering and obeying are but a faint resemblance. I have entered on this subject in speaking of the Messianic citation in ch. 2, and need not lay down again the principles there contended for, further than to say, that the more any son of man approaches, in position, or office, or individual spiritual experience, the incarnate Son of God, the more directly may his holy breathings

Hebrews 11:4 — (viz. which faith , not, which sacrifice , as Cramer: δι ʼ ἧς must apply to the same as δι ʼ αὐτῆς below, and that surely can refer to nothing but the πίστις which is the great leading idea of the chapter) he was testified (see above, Heb 11:2 ) to be righteous (when? by whom? not, by our Saviour, nor by St. John (reff.), though in both places such testimony is borne to him: but as explained in the next clause, at the time of his sacrifice, and by God Himself), God bearing testimony upon

Hebrews 13:10 — ἐργαζόμενοι ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ἐσθίουσιν · οἱ τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ προσεδρεύοντες τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ συμμερίζονται ) they have not licence who serve the tabernacle (who are these? Some, as Schlichting, Morus, and strange to say more recently Hofmann, Schriftb. ii. 1. 322 ff., understand by them the same, viz. Christians, as the subject of ἔχομεν . We Christians have an altar whereof (even) they who serve the (Christian) tabernacle have no right to eat: i. e. as explained by Hofmann, as the high priest himself did not

Hebrews 3:3 — includes, with the idea of ‘ accounting worthy ,’ that also of the actual bestowal of the dignity. So Philo, of Moses when a child, De Vit. Mos. i. 5, vol. ii. p. 83, τροφῆς οὖν ἤδη βασιλικῆς κ . θεραπείας ἀξιούμενος . And De Decal. § 21, p. 198, τὴν μέντοι προνομίαν ἧς ἐν τοῖς οὖσιν ἑβδομὰς ἠξίωται : Diod. Sic. xix. 11, τὴν δ ʼ Εὐρυδίκην .… ἔκρινε μείζονος ἀξιῶσαι τιμωρίας : Arrian, Var. Hist. xii. 10, τῶν ἀριστείων ἠξιώθησαν . See more examples in Bleek. The word refers to the honour

Hebrews 4:9 — Christians, associated with the keeping of the Lord’s day: otherwise, being already present, it could not be said that it ἀπολείπεται ) for the people of God (the well-known designation of Israel the covenant people. It occurs again, ch. Hebrews 11:25 . Here it is used of that veritable Israel, who inherit God’s promises by faith in Christ: cf. Galatians 6:16 . So Photius: καὶ αὕτη οὐ τοῖς τυχοῦσι , ἀλλὰ τῷ λαῷ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀφιερωμένη , λαὸς δὲ ἀληθῶς τοῦ θεοῦ οἱ πιστεύσαντες εἰς αὐτὸν κ . φυλάσσοντες

Hebrews 9:23 — 23 .] There ( was ) (more probably than ‘ is ,’ seeing that he was before speaking, not of the renewed cleansing year by year, but of the solemn inauguration: and much more, now that he is coming to speak of the heavenly sanctuary, must

Hebrews 9:28 — 28 .] so also the Christ (not χριστός , anarthrous, which would seem to point to some one contrasted with, or at all events merely compared with, οἱ ἄνθρωποι : but ὁ χριστός , that man who was God’s Christ the Christ , it being plain and palpable

1 Peter 3:21 — 21 .] Which (viz. ὕδωρ : not βάπτισμα , which does not come in till the end of the clause: nor, the whole fact announced in 1 Peter 3:20 . The construction is somewhat involved by the close connexion of the thing signifying and the thing signified. The

1 John 5:16-17 — g. Lyra, that though “non est orandum pro damnatis,” yet we may pray for such a sinner, “ut minus peccaret et per consequens minus damnaretur in inferno:” or as Bengel, “Deus non vult ut pii frustra orent, Deuteronomy 3:26 . Si ergo qui peccatum ad mortem commisit ad vitam reducitur, id ex mero provenit reservato divino.” Calvin indeed holds fast the prohibition in all its strictness, but only in extreme cases: adding, “Sed quia rarissime hoc accidit, et

Revelation 12:7 — 7 ff.] And there was war in heaven (we now enter upon a mysterious series of events in the world of spirits, with regard to which merely fragmentary hints are given us in the Scriptures. In the O. T. we find the adversary Satan in heaven. In Job 1:2 , he appears before God as the Tempter of His saints: in Zechariah 3:0 we have him accusing Joshua the High-priest in God’s presence. Again our Lord in Luk 10:18 exclaims, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven,” where see note.

Revelation 9:13-21 — 13 21 .] The sixth Trumpet . And the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a (it is doubtful, in the uncertain authenticity of τεσσάρων , whether any stress is to be laid on this μίαν or not. Vitringa gives it the emphasis, “quatuor hæc cornua