Bible Commentaries

Matthew 13:3-9 — 3 9. ] THE SOWER. Mark 4:2-9 . Luke 8:4-8 . See note on the locality in Matthew 13:51-52 .

John 16:8-11 — See the whole question amply discussed in Archdeacon Hare’s Mission of the Comforter, vol. ii. note K. Lücke’s comment is valuable: “The testimony of the Holy Ghost in behalf of Christ as opposed to the unbelieving world (ch. Joh 15:26 ) is essentially a refutation , ἔλεγχος , a demonstration of its wrong and error.” All the apostolic preaching, as addressed to the world, takes necessarily this polemical form (1 Timothy 5:20 ; 2 Timothy 4:2 ; 2 Timothy 3:16 ; Titus 1:9 ; Titus

John 2:3 — occasioned a failure in the previously sufficient supply: a gloss in the old latin cod. Rhedigerianus has, “ et factum est per multam turbam vocatorum vinum consummari .” The mother of Jesus evidently is in a position of authority (see Joh 2:5 ) in the house, which was probably that of a near relative. The conjectures and traditions on the subject are many, but wholly unsatisfactory. A graver question arises as to the intent with which this οἶνον οὐκ ἔχ . was said. She cannot have had

Acts 11:28 — 28. Ἄγαβος ] The same who prophesied Paul’s imprisonment in Jerusalem, ch. Acts 21:10 , ff. From the form of his announcement there , we may infer the manner in which he ἐσήμανεν διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος here . It was τάδε λὲγει τὸ πν . τὸ ἅγιον

Acts 3:13 — . τ . λ . ] ‘Appellatio frequens in Actis, præ cæteris libris N. T., et illi periodo temporum conveniens.’ Bengel. ὅρα πῶς αὐτὸν ( τὸν θεὸν ) εἰσωθεῖ συνεχῶς εἰς τοὺς προγόνους · ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ καινόν τι εἰσάγειν δόγμα · καὶ ἐκεῖ (ch. 2) τοῦ πατριάρχου Δαβὶδ ἐμνημόνευσε , καὶ ἐνταῦθα τῶν περὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ … (Chrys.). ἐδόξασεν ] not, as E. V., ‘ hath glorified ,’ implying, by thus honouring His Name : it is the historic aor., glorified , viz. by His exaltation through

Acts 5:34 — 34. ] Γαμαλιήλ = גַּמְלִיאֵל , (see Numbers 1:10 ; Numbers 2:20 ,) is generally, and not without probability, assumed to be identical with the celebrated Rabban Gamaliel, הַזָּקֵן (the old man), one of the seven, to whom, among their Rabbis, the Jews give this title Rabban (= ῥαββουνί , Joh 20:16 ), a wise and

Romans 16:17 — 17. ] σκοπεῖν = βλέπειν , Philippians 3:2 . The διδαχή here spoken of is probably rather ethical than doctrinal; compare Ephesians 4:20-24 .

Romans 16:3-4 — 3, 4. ] The form Prisca is also found 2 Timothy 4:19 . On Prisca and Aquila see note, Acts 18:2 . They must have returned to Rome from Ephesus since the sending of 1 Cor.: see 1 Corinthians 16:19 ; and we find them again at Ephesus (?), 2 Timothy 4:19 . Their endangering of their lives for

Romans 5:10 — in another form: ‘we were enemies (see below) when He died and reconciled us: much more now that we have been reconciled, and He lives, shall we by His life be saved.’ For if, being enemies ( ἐχθροί may either be active, as Colossians 1:21 , ‘ haters of God ;’ so ἐχθρά , ch. Romans 8:7 ; Ephesians 2:15 ; or passive, as ch. Romans 11:28 , ‘ hated by God .’ But here the latter meaning alone can apply, for the Apostle is speaking of the Death of Christ and its

1 Corinthians 12:8 — 8. ] γάρ appeals to matter of fact , as the ground of the assertion in 1 Corinthians 12:7 , both as to the δίδοται and as to the πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον . ᾧ μὲν … ἄλλῳ δέ , a loose construction, as in 1 Corinthians 12:28 . λόγος σοφίας … λόγος γνώσεως ] What is the distinction ? According to Neander, σοφία is the skill , which is

2 Corinthians 3:13 — ὄχλος ἤρξατο αἰτεῖσθαι ( ποιεῖν ) καθὼς ἀεὶ ἐποίει αὐτοῖς . See Winer, edn. 6, § 64, i. 1 b.) as Moses placed a vail on his face, in order that (see below) the sons of Israel might not look on the termination of the transitory (viz. his διακονία , see 2 Corinthians 3:11 , but spoken of as δεδοξασμένη : ‘the glory of his ministration’). A mistake has been made with regard to the history in Exodus 34:33-35 , which has considerably obscured the understanding of this verse. It is commonly assumed,

2 Corinthians 4:4 — 4. ] in whose case (it is true, that) the god of this world (the Devil, the ruling principle in the men of this world, see reff. It is historically curious, that Irenæus (Hær. iv. 39. 2, p. 266), Origen, Tertull. (contra Marc [5] 2 Corinthians 4:11 , vol. ii. p. 499), Chrys., Augustine (c. advers. leg. ii. 7 (29), vol. viii. p. 655), Œcum., Theodoret, Theophylact, all repudiate, in their zeal against the Marcionites and Manichæans,

2 Corinthians 6:5 — 5. ] On πληγ ., see reff. φυλακ .] At Philippi only as yet , as far as we know from the narrative of the Acts; but there must have been many other occasions, see ch. 2 Corinthians 11:23 . He may have been imprisoned at Antioch in Pisidia, Acts 13:50 , and at Lystra, Act 14:19 and at Corinth, Acts 18:12 ; Acts 18:14 ; and we cannot tell what may have befallen him during his journeys, Acts 15:41 ; Acts 16:6 ; Acts

2 Corinthians 7:12 — 12. ] He shews them that to bring out this zeal in them was the real motive of his writing to them, and no private considerations. ἄρα , accordingly , ‘in accordance with the result just mentioned.’ εἰ καὶ ἔγραψα ὑμ . is parallel with

Galatians 1:6 — explanation from them. Still, like many other such mild words, it carries to the guilty conscience even sharper rebuke than a harsher one would. οὕτως ταχέως ] either (1) ‘ so soon after your conversion ’ (Calv., Olsh., Meyer, &c.), or (2) ‘ so quickly ,’ ‘ after so little persuasion ,’ when the false teachers once came among you (Chr., De W., &c.), or (3) ‘ so soon after my recent visit among you ’ (Bengel, &c.). Of these I prefer (1), as more

Philippians 3:10 — :’ but additional: His Person, and … and …) the power of His resurrection (i.e. not ‘ the power by which He was raised ,’ but the power which His resurrection exercises on believers in assuring them of their justification, Romans 4:25 ; 1 Corinthians 15:17 ; mostly however here, from the context which goes on to speak of conformity with His sufferings and death, in raising them with Him , cf. Romans 6:4 ; Col 2:12 ), and the participation of His sufferings (which is the necessitating

1 Timothy 4:9 — follows. Otherwise 1Ti 4:10 comes in disjointedly and unaccountably): for ( γάρ is introduced from a mixture of two constructions, rendering a reason for καὶ τῆς μελλούσης , as if πιστὸς ὁ λόγος had not been inserted. We have the same construction in 2 Timothy 2:11 , where Huther, though he regards the γάρ as decisive against it here, refers the πιστὸς ὁ λόγος to what follows) to this end (viz. the σωτηρία implied in that which follows, introduced by ὅτι , as in reff.: thus alone can the saying as

2 Timothy 3:1 — in the dark prophetic announcement, so different in character from the hope just expressed) this know, that in the last days (see 1 Timothy 4:1 , where the expression is somewhat different. The period referred to here is, from all N. T. analogy (cf. 2 Peter 3:3 ; Jud 1:18 ), that immediately preceding the coming of the Lord. That day and hour being hidden from all men, and even from the Son Himself, Mark 13:32 , the Spirit of prophecy, which is the Spirit of the Son, did not reveal to the Apostles

James 2:4 — 4 .] (Now comes the apodosis in the form of a question) did ye not (in the case supposed) doubt (such is the constant sense of διακρίνομαι in the N. T. throughout (reff.), except in two passages, Acts 11:2 ; Jude 1:9 , where it means “disputing,” a sense which cannot enter here (on Jude 1:22 , see there). And here, the sense seems very good: ‘Did ye not, in making such distinction between rich and poor, become of the number of those

1 Peter 2:11 — 11 .] Beloved (as this word is only found once again in this Epistle, ch. 1 Peter 4:12 , we may apply to it Wiesinger’s remark, “The seldomer our Apostle uses this endearing term, the weightier it is where it does occur as the opening of a hortatory discourse”), I exhort you as sojourners (see ref. Eph. and note) and