Bible Commentaries

Matthew 17:24 — 24. οἱ τὰ δίδρ . λαμβ . ] This tribute , hardly properly so called, was a sum paid annually by the Jews of twenty years old and upwards, towards the temple in Jerusalem. Exodus 30:13 ; 2Ki 12:4 ; 2 Chronicles 24:6 ; 2 Chronicles 24:9 . The LXX

Luke 16:25 — 25. ] The answer is solemn, calm, and fatherly; there is no mocking, as is found in the Koran under the same circumstances; no grief, as is sometimes represented affecting the blessed spirits for the lot of the lost. (Klopstock, cited by Stier, iii. 319,

John 17:12 — 12. ἐφύλαξα ] See ch. John 10:28-30 . The aor. should be adhered to again: I kept them. The Lord here, as Cyril remarks, compares His keeping of His own, to that by the Father , in a way only accountable by both Persons being of equal Power and Dignity.

John 17:2 — 2. ] “The causal connexion expressed by καθώς is this, that the glorification, the end , must correspond to the beginning , to the sending, the preparation, and office of the Son.” (Lücke.) We must also bear in mind that the ‘giving

John 18:13 — 13. ] On Annas, see note Luke 3:2 . The influence of Annas appears to have been very great, and Acts 4:6 , he is called the High Priest , in the year following this. The whole matter is discussed in Friedlieb, Arch. der Leid. § 22. He ends by saying that the narrative evidently rests

Acts 10:30 — 30. ἀπὸ τετ . ἡμ . ] The rendering of Meyer and others, ‘From the fourth day (reckoned back) down to this hour have I been fasting,’ is ungrammatical; for (1) this would require τῆσδε τῆς ὥρας , and (2) ἤμην cannot possibly reach to the present time , but is the historical past: I was fasting . This being so, ἀπὸ τετάρτης ἡμέρας must indicate the time denoted by ἤμην ‘quarto abhinc die’ four days ago ; see reff. (2), which fully justify

Acts 20:17 — 17. ] The distance from Miletus to Ephesus is about thirty miles. He probably, therefore, stayed three or four days altogether at Miletus. τοὺς πρεσβ .] called, Acts 20:28 , ἐπισκόπους . This circumstance began very early to contradict the growing views of the apostolic institution and necessity of prelatical episcopacy. Thus Irenæus, iii. 14. 2, p. 201: ‘In Mileto convocatis episcopis et presbyteris , qui

Romans 1:21 — 21. διότι ] expands ἀναπολογήτους ‘ without excuse , because …’ γνόντες ] ‘ with the knowledge above stated .’ This participle testifies plainly that matter of fact , and not of possibility , has been the subject of the

Romans 3:30 — 30. εἴπερ ] if at least (if we are to hold to what is manifest as a result of our former argument) God is One, who shall justify the circumcision (= the Jews, after the analogy of ch. Rom 2:26 ) by ( ἐκ , as the preliminary condition, the state out of which the justification arises) faith, and the uncircumcision (the Gentiles) through (by means of) their faith . Too much stress must not be laid on the difference of the two prepositions

1 Corinthians 6:14 — the view, of Meyer. He holds, that all reference to the resurrection , as a thing future , is out of place: that the Apostle refers to the virtual and proleptic resurrection which has already taken place in the case of the believer, as Ephesians 2:6 ; Colossians 2:12 , and thinks that the reading ἐξεγερεῖ has arisen from not seeing this. But how unnatural will the construction thus be ὁ δὲ θεὸς καὶ τὸν κύριον ἤγειρεν , καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξήγειρεν , διὰ τ . δυν . αὐτοῦ ! I can conceive no account of such

1 Corinthians 7:6 — 6. ] But this I say by way of allowance (for you), not by way of command . τοῦτο refers, not to 1 Corinthians 7:2 , as Beza, Grot., and De Wette, because the precept there given depends on a reason also given, διὰ τὰς πορνείας , from the nature of which reason it must be κατ ʼ ἐπιταγήν : nor to the whole since 1 Corinthians 7:2 , as Billroth, Rückert, al., because

1 Corinthians 9:1 — 1 .] He sets forth, (1) his independence of men (contrast 1Co 9:19 ); (2) his apostolic office (for the order, see var. readd.): (3) his dignity as an Apostle, in having been vouchsafed a sight of Christ Jesus our Lord; (4) his efficiency in the office, as having converted them to God. ἐλεύθ . ] So that the resolution

Galatians 3:28 — 28 .] The absolute equality of all in this sonship, to the obliteration of all differences of earthly extraction or position. See Colossians 3:11 ; Romans 10:12 ; 1 Corinthians 12:13 . οὐκ ἔνι = οὐκ ἔνεστιν ‘il n’y a pas:’ De Wette quotes

Colossians 2:6 — received (from Epaphras and your first teachers) Jesus the Christ the Lord (it is necessary, in order to express the full sense of τὸν χρ . Ἰησ . τὸν κύρ ., to give something of a predicative force both to τὸν χρ . and to τὸν κύρ .: see 1 Corinthians 12:3 (but hardly so strong as “for your Lord,” as rendered in my earlier editions: see Ellicott here). The expression ὁ χρ . Ἰησ . ὁ κύρ . occurs only here: the nearest approach to it is in 2 Corinthians 4:5 , … κηρύσσομεν … χριστὸν Ἰησ .

Colossians 3:24 — 24 .] = Ephesians 6:8 , but more specific as to the Christian reward. εἰδότες , knowing as ye do … The ἀπὸ κυρίου is emphatically prefixed ‘that it is from the Lord that you shall …’ ἀπό , as Winer, § 47. b, is distinguished from παρά

1 Timothy 4:14 — 14 .] Do not neglect (= ἀναζωπυρεῖν , 2 Timothy 1:6 , do not suffer to decay and smoulder by carelessness: ‘negligunt qui non exercent, nec putant se posse excidere,’ Bengel) the spiritual gift which is in thee (see more at length in 2 Timothy 1:6 . The spiritual gift is that

Hebrews 12:28 — 28 .] Wherefore ( διό gathers its inference, not from the whole preceding paragraph, but from the yet once more shaking and consequent removing of earthly things before those things which shall remain) receiving as we do a kingdom which cannot be shaken

James 2:22 — 22 .] Thou seest (better not a question: in which case the καί of Jam 2:23 does not follow so naturally as when we couple the direct verb βλέπεις with the direct verb ἐπληρώθη ) that (not, “ how ,” as E.V.: it is not the manner in which,

1 Peter 4:11 — 11 .] And this both in speaking and acting. If any one speaketh (as a προφήτης or διδάσκαλος , see 1 Corinthians 12:8 ; 1 Corinthians 12:10 , where the several branches of this gift are laid out), speaking (understand λαλοῦντες , from the former construction, not λαλείτω ) as oracles (not, “the oracles;” the meaning is not, speaking in accord with Scripture,

Revelation 6:3-4 — 3, 4 .] And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living-being saying, Come (see above on Rev 6:1 ). And there came forth another horse, red (the colour of blood: Song of Song of Solomon 4:0 Kings Revelation 3:22 , ὕδατα πυῤῥὰ ὡς αἷμα . The colour of the horse in each case has reference to the employment of the rider. Tertullian, de Spectaculis, 9, vol. i. p. 641, says: “russeum … Marti … consecraverunt”), and to him that sat upon him it was given