Bible Commentaries

Matthew 12:35-37 — 35 37. ] The treasure spoken of is that inner storehouse of good and evil only seen by God and (partially) by ourselves. And on that account because words, so lightly thought of by the world and the careless, spring from the inner fountains of good and ill, therefore they will form subjects of the judgment of the great day, when the whole life shall be unfolded and pronounced upon. See James 3:2-12 .

Matthew 6:19-34 — 19 34. ] From cautions against the hypocrisy of formalists, the discourse naturally passes to the entire dedication of the heart to God , from which all duties of the Christian should be performed. In this section this is enjoined, 1. ( Mat 6:19-24 ) with regard to earthly treasures , from the impossibility of serving God and Mammon: 2. ( Mat 6:25-34 ) with regard to earthly cares , from the assurance that our Father careth for us.

Mark 6:13 — 13. ἤλειφον ἐλαίῳ ] This oil was not used medicinally , but as a vehicle of healing power committed to them ; a symbol of a deeper thing than the oil itself could accomplish. That such anointing has nothing in common with the extreme unction of Romanists, see proved in note on James 5:14 . See for instances of such symbolic use of external applications, 2 Kings 5:14 ; Mark 8:23 ; John 9:6 , &c.

Mark 6:56 — 56. ] In ὅπου ἂν εἰσεπορεύετο … ὅσοι ἂν ἥπτοντο , the ἅν belongs not so much to the verbs, which are certain and definite, as to the indefinites ὅπου and ὅσοι , rendering them more indefinite, and spreading the assertion over every several occasion of the occurrence. See remarks on this in Klotz, Devar. ii. p. 145 f.: and cf. reff. and Lucian, Dial. mort. ix. 2, μακάριος ἦν αὐτῶν ὅντινα ἂν καὶ μόνον προσέβλεψα .

John 13:34 — therefore not in degree that the new commandment differs (Cyr [178] , Euthym [179] , Theod. Mops [180] ) from the old, nor in extent , but in being the commandment of the new covenant, the first-fruit of the Spirit in the new dispensation ( Gal 5:22 ): see 1 John 2:7-8 (and note), where καινή is commented on by the Apostle himself. [178] Cyril, Bp. of Alexandria, 412 444 [179] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116 [180] Mops. Theodore, Bp. of Mopsuestia, 399 428 I cannot agree with Stier (ver. 148,

John 2:2 — 2. ] ἐκλήθη , not for a pluperfect: was invited: the historical past. κ . οἱ μαθ . αὐτ . ] It does not appear who these were , unless we assume that they were those called in ch. 1., which seems most probable. John himself was most likely

2 Corinthians 1:8 — Ephesus, related in Acts 19:0 . This opinion has been recently defended by Neander, Wieseler, and Dr. Davidson, but impugned by De Wette, on the grounds, (1) that ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ can hardly refer to Ephesus, which Paul generally names , 1 Corinthians 15:32 ; 1 Corinthians 16:8 ; (2) that he was not in danger of his life in this tumult. The first ground is hardly tenable: there would be an appropriateness in ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ here, as he has in his mind an apologetic account of the reasons which hindered him

2 Corinthians 11:8 — 8. ] The ‘ other churches ’ were the Macedonian, cf. 2 Corinthians 11:9 . Among them the Philippians were probably conspicuous, retaining as doubtless they did, their former affection to him; see Philippians 4:15-16 . ἐσύλησα is hyperbolic, to bring out the contrast, and shame them. ὀψ ., See reff.,

2 Corinthians 9:5 — 5. ] I therefore (because of 2Co 9:4 ) thought it necessary to exhort the brethren (Titus and the two others) that they would go before (my coming) to you, and previously prepare your long announced beneficence (i.e. long announced by me to the Macedonians, 2 Corinthians 9:2 .

Ephesians 4:10 — .] He that descended, He (and no other: οὐ γὰρ ἄλλος κατελήλυθεν κ . ἄλλος ἀνελήλυθεν , Thdrt. αὐτός is the subject, and not the predicate ( ὁ αὐτός )) is also he that ascended (see again Joh 3:13 ) up above (reff.) all the heavens (cf. Hebrews 7:26 , ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν γενόμενος : and Hebrews 4:14 , διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανούς . It is natural that one who, like St. Paul, had been brought up in the Jewish habits of thought, should still use their methods of speaking, according to which the heaven

Colossians 2:1 — 1 .] For (follows on, and justifies, while it exemplifies, ἀγων ιζόμενος , ch. Col 1:29 ) I would have you know how great (emphatic; not only that I have an ἀγών , but how great it is. The word is unusual, see reff.) a conflict (of anxiety and prayer, cf. ch. Colossians 4:12 ; his present imprisoned state necessitates this reference

1 Thessalonians 1:9 — 9 .] αὐτοί , the people ἐν τῇ Μακ . κ . Ἀχ ., κ . ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ : see reff., and Bernhardy, p. 288. περὶ ἡμῶν ] concerning US, Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus; not as Lün., ‘ us both ,’ including the Thessalonians. This he does, to square the following clauses, which otherwise are not correspondent: but there are two objections

2 Thessalonians 3:6 — 6 .] παραγγέλλομεν δέ takes up the assurance of 2 Thessalonians 3:4 , and tests its general form by a special command. ἐν ὀνόμ . κ . τ . λ . strengthens the παραγγ ., and does not belong to the following. στέλλεσθαι ] lit. ‘to take in, or shorten sail:’ ἱστία μὲν στείλαντο , θέσαν δ

1 Timothy 1:13 — thankful, seeing that he was once a direct opponent of the Gospel) being before (the participle is slightly concessive: as Ellic. from Justiniani, ‘cum tamen essem;’ almost equivalent to ‘though I was’) a blasphemer (see Acts 26:9 ; Act 26:11 ) and persecutor and insulter (one who added insult to persecution. See on ὑβριστής , Trench, N. T. Synonyms, p. 112 f. The facts which justified the use of such a term were known to St. Paul’s conscience: we might well infer

1 Timothy 3:1 — seem that he uses ὀρέγεται with any reference to an ambitious seeking, as De W. thinks: in Heb 11:16 the word is a ‘vox media,’ and even in ch. 1 Timothy 6:10 , the blame rests, not on ὀρεγόμενοι , but on the thing sought; and in Polyb. ix. 20. 5, the word is used as one merely of passage, in giving directions respecting the office sought: κελεύοντες ἀστρολογεῖν κ . γεωμετρεῖν τοὺς ὀρεγομένους αὐτῆς ( τῆς στρατηγίας ). So that De W.’s inference respecting ambition for the episcopate

Hebrews 10:36 — For (justification of the foregoing μὴ ἀποβάλητε κ . τ . λ .) of endurance ( ὑπομονῆς is placed first, carrying the main emphasis. “Paulatim,” says Bengel, “Apostolus ab hoc versu ad 38 prophetam inducit.” For in Habakkuk 2:2-3 , the whole passage runs thus: ἐὰν ὑστερήσῃ , ὑπόμεινον αὐτόν · ὅτι ἐρχόμενος ἥξει καὶ οὐ μὴ χρονίσῃ . ἐὰν ὑποστείληται , οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ · ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ( μου ἐκ πίστεως Α ) ζήσεται ) ye have need, that ye may do the

Hebrews 11:6 — has originated his coming, of which that coming is the fruit, which is insisted on) that He is (exists: his faith being to him thus a πράγματος ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένου ), and becomes (is eventually: ‘evadit’) a renderer of reward (ch. Heb 2:2 ) to them that seek Him out ( ἐκζητέω , more than ζητέω , as ‘exoro’ than ‘oro.’ Thus his faith is also to him an ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις : God’s existence is realized to him by it, and by it his future reward assured).

Hebrews 2:18 — μανθάνοι , ὁ δὲ χαλεπῶς ). And in places where there is no need even to strain the expression so far as this, it is far better to retain its literal rendering, ‘ in the thing in which ,’ ‘ wherein .’ See Bernhardy, Syntax, p. 211: Fritzsche on Romans 8:3 , who though he protests against quoniam in this place, seems too lenient to it in other passages. But the difficulty by no means ends with taking ‘ wherein ’ for ἐν ᾧ . The first clause or protasis is open

Hebrews 9:11-12 — 11, 12 .] The fulfilment of these types by Christ . But (the contrast is to the μὴ δυνάμ . and the μέχρι καιρ . above to the ineffectiveness and the merely provisional nature of the Levitical offerings) Christ (not ‘Jesus’ here: because the

1 Peter 2:21 — 21 .] For (proof that undeserved suffering is χάρις παρὰ θεῷ , by the instance of Christ’s sufferings, which were our example) to this (state, viz. the endurance of wrongful sufferings) ye were called: because (ground of the assertion εἰς τοῦτο