Bible Commentaries

Matthew 1:3 — 3. ] These children of Judah were not born in marriage: see Genesis 28:16-22 . Both the sons are named, probably as recalling the incident connected with their birth. The reason for the women (Thamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba) being mentioned, has been variously assigned: by Wets [2] ., ut tacitæ Judæorum objectioni

Matthew 10:10 — 10. ἄξιος γάρ ] This is a common truth of life men give one who works for them his food and more; here uttered however by our Lord in its highest sense, as applied to the workmen in His vineyard. See 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 ; 2 Corinthians 11:8 ; 3 John 1:8 . It is (as Stier remarks, vol. i. p. 352, Exodus 2:0 ) a gross perversion and foolish bondage to the letter, to imagine that ministers of congregations, or even missionaries among the heathen, at this day are bound by

Matthew 21:2-3 — 2, 3. ] τὴν κ . τ . ἀπ ., i.e. Bethphage. Mark and Luke mention the πῶλος only, adding “ whereon never yet man sat ” (see note on Mark): John ὀνάριον . Justin Martyr (Apolog. i. 32, p. 63) connects this verse with the prophecy in

Luke 15:22 — 22. ] All these gifts belong to his reception, not as a servant, but as a son: the first (best) robe , for him who came in rags, Isaiah 61:10 ; Revelation 3:18 : not the robe which he used to wear his former robe this would not be consistent with

John 16:15 — 15. ] Here we have given us a glimpse into the essential relations of the Blessed Trinity. The Father hath given the Son to have life and all things in Himself (Colossians 1:19 ; Col 2:2-3 ), the relation being, that the Son glorifies not Himself but the Father, by revealing the Father, whom He alone knows ( Mat 11:27 ). And this Revelation, the Revelation of the Father by Christ is carried on by the blessed Spirit in the hearts of

Acts 2:22 — 22. ] ἄνδρ . Ἰσρ . binds all the hearers in one term , and that one reminds them of their covenant relation with God: compare πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραήλ , Acts 2:36 . τὸν Ναζωραῖον ] Not emphatically used by way of contrast to what follows, as Beza, Wetst.,

Acts 20:29 — 29. ] ἄφιξις is here used in an unusual sense. An instance is found, Jos. Antt. iv. 8. 47, where Moses says, ἐπεὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἡμετέρους ἄπειμι προγόνους , καὶ θεὸς τήνδε μοι τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς πρὸς ἐκείνους ἀφίξεως ὥρισε … which is somewhat analogous, but

Acts 5:40 — 40. δείραντες ] See Deuteronomy 25:2 , for disobedience to their command.

Acts 9:27 — 27 .] It is very probable that Barnabas and Saul may have been personally known to each other in youth. ‘Cyprus is only a few hours’ sail from Cilicia. The schools of Tarsus may naturally have attracted one who, though a Levite, was a Hellenist:

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 — Meyer gives the following arrangement: grounding it mainly on what he believes to be the intentional use of ἑτέρῳ δέ as distinguished from ἄλλῳ δέ , and pointing out a new category: I. gifts having reference to intellectual power: (1) λόγος σοφίας . (2) λόγος γνώσεως . II. ( ἑτέρῳ δέ ) gifts, whose condition is an exalted faith ( glaubens-heroismus ): (1) faith itself. (2) practical workings of the same, viz. (a) ἰάματα . (b) δυνάμεις . (3) oral working of the same, viz. προφητεία . (4) critical

1 Corinthians 7:26 — 26 .] The question of the marriage of virgins is one involving the expediency of contracting marriage in general : this he deals with now, on grounds connected with the then pressing necessity. οὖν , then , follows on γνώμ . δίδωμι , and introduces

2 Corinthians 1:1-2 — ΠΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ ΒΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β 1, 2. ] ADDRESS AND GREETING.

Galatians 1:19 — 19 .] This verse admits of two interpretations, between which other considerations must decide. (1) That James, the Lord’s brother, was one of the Twelve, and the only one besides Peter whom Paul saw at this visit: (2) that he was one τῶν ὰποστόλων , but not necessarily of the Twelve. Of these, (1) apparently cannot be: for after the choosing of the Twelve ( Joh 6:70 ), the ἀδελφοί of our Lord did not believe on Him ( Joh 7:5 ): an expression (see note there) which

Galatians 5:4 — 4 .] Explains and establishes still further the assertion of Galatians 5:2 . Ye were annihilated from Christ (literally: the construction is a pregnant one, ‘ye were cut off from Christ, and thus made void:’ see ref. 2 Cor. ‘ were ,’ viz. at the time when you began your course of ἐν νόμῳ δικ .),

Ephesians 2:10 — 10 .] For (substantiates Ephesians 2:8-9 . The English reader is likely to imagine a contrast between ‘not of works ’ and ‘for we are His work manship,’ which can hardly have been in the mind of the Apostle) his handywork are we ( ποίημα , not, as Tert. and

Ephesians 4:20 — 20 .] But YOU (emphatic) did not thus ( οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτοις , Chr. not on these conditions, nor with such prospects. Beza suggests that a stop might be put at οὕτως ‘ye are not thus: ye learned,’ &c.: but the sense is altogether marred by it)

Philippians 4:18 — frequently in poetry, especially in tragedians, Il. ω . 735, ἤ τις Ἀχαιῶν ῥίψει , χειρὸς ἑλών , ἀπὸ πύργου , λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον : Eur. Orest. 950, τιθεῖσα λευκὸν ὄνυχα διὰ παρηΐδων , αἱματηρὸν ἄταν . See Kühner, ii. 146. On ὀσμὴ εὐωδίας see Ephesians 5:2 , note), a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God (see Heb 13:16 ; 1Pe 2:5 ).

1 Thessalonians 3:10 — 10 .] νυκτ . κ . ἡμ . see on ch. 1 Thessalonians 2:9 . ὑπερεκπ . : see reff., and cf. Mark 6:51 . δεόμενοι belongs to the question of 1Th 3:9 q. d., ‘what thanks can we render, &c., proportioned to the earnestness of our prayers, &c.?’ So that δεόμενοι would best be rendered praying

Titus 1:1 — further defines a servant of God, this is general: but a more particular designation also belongs to the present matter. κατὰ πίστιν has been variously rendered: (1) ‘ according to the faith of ,’ &c., so E. V., Luth., Matthies, al.: (2) similarly Calv., Beza, Aret., ‘mutuus est inter meum apostolatum et fidem electorum Dei consensus:’ (3) ‘ so as to bring about faith in ,’ &c., as De W., justifying it by κατὰ τὴν ληΐην ἐκπλώσαντες , Herod. ii. 152, κατὰ θέαν

Jude 1:24-25 — 24, 25 .] CONCLUDING DOXOLOGY, conceived in terms referring to their state of danger and necessity of divine upholding. But (the δέ , as in Romans 16:25 , closes off all other considerations and sums up all in this one. It is not at all given by the