Bible Commentaries

Matthew 4:7 — 7. πάλιν ] not ‘contra,’ which it never simply means, not even in Galatians 5:3 ; 1 John 2:8 ; but ‘rursus’ or ‘iterum,’ as the versions rightly render it. The addition of a second Scripture qualifies and interprets the first; but does not refute it.

Matthew 5:14 — 14. τὸ φῶς τοῦ κός . ] And yet only in a lower and derivative sense; Christ Himself being τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν , ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον , ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον , John 1:9 ; τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμον , Matthew 8:12 . His ministers are λύχνοι , John 5:35 , and φωστῆρες , Philippians 2:15 , receiving their light, and only burning for a time . ‘Johannes lumen illuminatum: Christus lumen illuminans.’ Aug [42] Serm. ccclxxx.7 (vol. v. pt. ii.). And here

Matthew 6:1-18 — 1 18. ] The THIRD DIVISION OF THE SERMON, in which the disciples of Christ are warned against hypocritical display of their good deeds, by the examples of abuses of the duties of almsgiving ( Mat 6:2 ), praying ( Mat 6:5 ), and fasting ( Mat 6:16 ).

Acts 1:14 — 14. ] σὺν γυναιξίν has been rendered ‘ with their wives ,’ to which sense Bp. Middleton inclines, justifying it by σὺν γυναιξὶν καὶ τέκνοις , ch. Acts 21:5 . But the omission of the articles there may be accounted for on the same principle as in Matthew 19:29 , viz. that which Bp. M [8] calls enumeration , ch. 6 § 2. Here I think we must take σὺν γυν . not as meaning ‘ with women ,’ as

Acts 10:38 — preached … viz. Jesus of Nazareth.’ ὡς ἔχρ . αὐτ . ] how that God anointed him …, not as Kuin. and Kypke, ‘how that God anointed Jesus of N.,’ taking αὐτόν as redundant by a Hebraism. See a construction very similar in Luke 24:19-20 . The fact of the anointing with the Holy Spirit, in His baptism by John, was the historical opening of the ministry of Jesus: this anointing however was not His first unction with the Spirit, but only symbolic of that which He had in His incarnation:

Acts 17:10 — some cases been really present all the time. I believe Timotheus to have been with them at Thessalonica the first time, because it does not seem probable that Paul would have sent to them one to confirm and exhort them concerning their faith ( 1Th 3:2 ) who had not known them before, especially as he then had Silas with him. And this is confirmed by both the Epistles to the Thessalonians, which are from Paul, Silvanus, and Timotheus. From these Epistles we learn that, during his residence among them,

Acts 7:42 — 42. ἔστρεψεν ] neuter, changed, turned , as ἀναστρέψω , ch. Acts 15:16 . No word, as ἑαυτόν , or τὴν γνώμην , or τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ , need be supplied: nor must ἔστρ . κ . παρ . be rendered ‘ again delivered them ’ (Vitring., De Dieu, al.),

1 Corinthians 3:1 — as well as the ψυχικός , was compelled to stand on this lower ground, he, because he cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God: I, because you could not receive them . Or perhaps better, with Stanley, ‘ καὶ ἐγώ , as in 1 Corinthians 2:1 , “What I have just been saying, was exemplified in our practice.” ’ σαρκίνοις is certainly the true reading, being, besides its manuscript authority, required by the sense. He was compelled to speak to them (this affirmative clause

2 Corinthians 10:7-11 — an Apostle I will bear out the severity of my letters: I will demonstrate myself to be as much Christ’s, as those who vaunt themselves to be especially His.’ This rendering suits the context best, and keeps the sense of κατὰ πρόσωπον in 2 Corinthians 10:1 . The imperative rendering of Vulg., Ambrose, Theophyl., Billr., Rück., Olsh., De Wette, al., ‘ look at the things before your eyes ,’ is objectionable (Meyer), (1) from altering the meaning of κατὰ πρόσωπον : (2) because

Galatians 4:27 — 27 .] Proof of this relation from Prophecy . The portion of Isaiah from which this is taken, is directly Messianic: indicating in its foreground the reviviscence of Israel after calamity, but in language far surpassing that event. See Stier, Jesaias

Ephesians 2:7 — 7 .] that He might shew forth (see Romans 9:23 : and for ἐνδείξηται , reff. The middle voice gives the reference which the English sentence itself implies, that the exhibition is for His own purpose, for His own glory (see ch. Ephesians 1:6 ; Ephesians 1:12 ; Eph 1:14 ) see note on Colossians

Philippians 2:9-11 — in summam altitudinem. Quicunque ergo se humiliat, similiter exaltabitur. Quis nunc submissionem recuset, qua in gloriam regni cœlestis conscenditur?” Calvin. Wherefore (i.e. on account of this His self-humiliation and obedience: see Hebrews 2:9 , note: not as Calv., ‘ quo facto ,’ trying to evade the meritorious obedience of Christ thus, ‘quod dictio illativa hic magis consequentiam sonet quam causam, hinc patet, quod alioqui sequetur, hominem divinos honores posse mereri

1 Thessalonians 2:17 — 17 .] ἡμεῖς δέ resumes the subject broken off at 1 Thessalonians 2:13 ; the δέ introducing a contrast to the description of the Jews in 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 . ἀπορφανισθέντες ] ὀρφανός is properly used, as with us, of children who have lost their parents. But it is found in a wider sense, e.g. John 14:8 , Pind.,

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 — and is the medium through, or element in which, the gift is made. Better thus than to refer it to both the participles ἀγαπ . κ . δούς ; for ὁ ἀγαπήσας as applied to God (or the Lord Jesus) usually stands absolute, cf. Romans 8:37 ; Galatians 2:20 ; Ephesians 5:2 . παρακαλέσαι ] as in 1 Thessalonians 3:11 ; 1Th 3:3 pers. sing. opt. aor. comfort , with reference to your disquiet respecting the παρουσία . After στηρ . understand ὑμᾶς , which has been supplied see var. readd., better than

Titus 1:2 — 2 .] in hope (on condition of, in a state of, see note on ἐφ ʼ ᾧ , Rom 5:12 ) of life eternal (to what are the words ἐπ ʼ ἐλπίδι ζ . αἰ . to be referred? Not back to ἀπόστολος , regarding them as a co-ordinate clause with κατὰ πίστιν κ . τ . λ . (not

Hebrews 11:23 — 23 .] Now the writer passes on to Exodus, and its chief example, Moses, who even in his preservation by his parents was the child of faith. By faith Moses when born was hidden three months ( τρίμηνον is probably feminine, see ref. Herod., and cf. τὴν

1 Peter 2:24 — 24 .] who Himself (now the ἀγαθοποιῶν reaches its height. He was not only negatively innocent, 1 Peter 2:22 , but suffered in the pursuance of the noblest purpose of love, and that love towards us : by which fact His example is further brought home

1 Peter 5:1 — anarthrous: the omission of τούς after πρεσβ . is not surprising in St. Peter’s style, but has apparently led to the insertion of the art. by those who did not advert to this peculiarity. The designation here is evidently an official one ( 1Pe 5:2 ), but at the same time reference to age is included: cf. νεώτεροι , 1 Peter 5:5 . The οὖν takes up the above exhortation, ch. 1Pe 4:19 ) who am a fellow-elder (with you: “Hortatio mutua inter æquales et collegas inprimis valet,” Beng.),

2 Peter 2:7 — 7 .] and rescued (the contrast, the deliverance of the righteous, is here brought out at more length. This contrast is wanting in Jude, where only the punitive dealings of God are treated) righteous Lot ( δίκαιον , as repeating the δικαιοσύνη of 2 Peter 2:5 ; see also again, 2Pe 2:8 ) distressed ( καταπονέω , properly to wear down or tire out by toil, as τῇ ἐνδείᾳ τῆς τροφῆς τὴν ἀλκὴν τοῦ θηρίου καταπονεῖν , Diod. iii. 37: Ἡρακλῆς ὁ καταπονούμενος τῷ τῆς Δηϊανείρας χιτῶνι , Pol. xl. 7. 3:

Revelation 21:15-17 — reed to the length of stadii of the amount of twelve thousands (such appears to be the construction. On the ἐπί , ‘ over ,’ of extent, see Winer, edn. 6, § 49, l. 3, a. We have it in the adverbial phrase ἐφ ʼ ὅσον , Romans 11:13 . The 12,000 stadii are in all probability the whole circumference, 1000 to each space between the gates); the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal (the supposition of many expositors, that the city thus formed a monstrous cube, 3000 stadii