Bible Commentaries

John 1:9 — here spoken of; but John was only a derived light, not lumen illuminans , but lumen illuminatum . The construction of this verse has been much disputed. Is ἐρχόμενον εἰς τ . κ . to be taken with ἄνθρωπον (as lat [13] syrr cop [14] Orig Exodus 2:0; Exodus 2:0 Epiph Chr Cyr Thl Euthym and most of the ancient Commentators and E. V.), or does it belong to τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀλ . ? [13] The Latin versions: an abbreviated way of writing ‘vulg lat- a b c ’ &c. [14] The Coptic or Memphitic

John 2:4 — 4. ] The answer of our Lord is beyond question one of reproof , and disclaimer of participation in the grounds on which the request was made . See instances, besides reff., in Joshua 22:24 ; Mark 1:24 . And so all the early expositors understood it. Irenæus (iii. 16. 6, p. 206) says, “Dominus repellens ejus intempestivam festinationem, dixit,” &c.; and Chrysostom, ἐβούλετο .… ἑαυτὴν λαμπροτέραν ποιῆσαι διὰ τοῦ παιδός ,

John 20:24 — 24. ] οὐκ ἦν for what reason does not appear. Euthym [257] says, εἰκὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν μετὰ τὸ διασκορπισθῆναι τοὺς μαθητάς , … μήπω συνελθεῖν αὐτοῖς . I incline, with Stier (vii. 117, edn. 2), to think that it could not have been accidentally (Lücke), nor

Acts 13:1 — incident about to be related, that it might be known who they were , to whom the Holy Spirit entrusted so weighty a commission. That those enumerated were all then present, is implied by the τε … καί : see ch. Acts 1:13 . προφῆται ] See on ch. Acts 11:27 . διδάσκ . ] Those who had the χάρισμα διδασκαλίας , see 1 Corinthians 12:28 ; Ephesians 4:11 . They were probably less immediately the organs of the Holy Spirit than the προφῆται , but under His continual guidance in the gradual and progressive

Acts 15:14 — 14. Συμεών ] James characteristically uses this Jewish form of the name: so also Peter himself, 2 Peter 1:1 . The name occurs Genesis 29:33 , LXX; Luke 2:25 ; Luke 3:30 ; ch Acts 13:1 ; Revelation 7:7 ; the name Simon, elsewhere used in the N. T. for Peter, is found in 1 Chronicles 4:20 (Heb. Σεμών , LXX-ed.-vat., but Σεμιών [77] (Mai), Σεμειών

Acts 23:31 — 31 .] ANTIPATRIS, forty-two Roman miles from Jerusalem, and twenty-six from Cæsarea, was built by Herod the Great, and called in honour of his father. It was before called Kapharsaba (Jos. Antt. xiii. 15. 1; xvi. 5. 2). In Jerome’s time (Epitaph. Paulæ, 8, vol. i. p. 696) it was a ‘semirutum oppidum’ (Winer, Realw.). They might have well made so much way during the night and the next day, for the text will admit of that interpretation, τῇ ἐπαύρ

Acts 25:2 — 2. οἱ ἀρχ .] It has been imagined, that ὁ ἀρχ . of the rec. has been a correction to suit the former part of the narrative. But it may be that οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς has been substituted for it, to suit the assertion of Festus, Acts 25:15 . So Meyer and De Wette.

Acts 7:26 — 26. ] αὐτοῖς , to them, two of them , taken as representing his brethren the children of Israel. συνήλασεν , not imperf., ‘ he endeavoured to unite :’ the aorist will not bear this sense: nor is it needed: the act, on Moses’ part

Acts 9:24 — 24 .] In 2 Corinthians 11:32 , Paul writes, ἐν Δαμασκῷ ὁ ἐθνάρχης Ἀρέτα τοῦ βασιλέως ἐφρούρει τὴν πόλιν Δαμασκηνῶν , πιάσαι με [ θέλων ]. A somewhat difficult chronological question arises respecting the subordination of Damascus to this Aretas. The city,

Romans 1:8 — 8. ] This placing himself in intimate connexion with his readers by mention of and thankfulness for their faith or Christian graces, is the constant habit of Paul. The three Epistles, Gal., 1 Tim., and Titus, are the only exceptions: Olsh. adds 2 Cor., but in ch. Rom 1:3-22 we have an equivalent: see especially Romans 1:6-7 ; Romans 1:11 ; Romans 1:14 . μέν ] The corresponding δέ follows, Romans 1:13 . ‘Ye indeed are prospering in the faith: but I still am anxious further to advance

1 Corinthians 13:2 — 2. ] τὰ μυστήρ . πάντα are all the secrets of the divine counsel , see Romans 11:25 (note); Romans 16:25 , and reff. The knowledge of these would be the perfection of the gift of prophecy. The verb belongs to both μυστ . and γνῶσιν . The full construction

2 Corinthians 11:9 — Corinthians. Possibly, Timotheus and Silas, Act 18:5 ) when they came from Macedonia (not as E. V., ‘ which came ,’ οἱ ἐλθόντες ) brought a fresh supply of my want (or perhaps προσαν . is used without the idea of additional supply, as in ch. 2 Corinthians 9:12 , the πρός merely denoting direction ): and in every thing I kept myself (‘ during my residence :’ not, ‘ have kept myself ,’ as E. V.) unburdensome to you, and will keep myself.

Philippians 4:13 — τὰ πάντα , as Van Hengel: ‘the Apostle rises above mere relations of prosperous and adverse circumstance, to the general ,’ De W.) in (in union with, by means of my spiritual life, which is not mine, but Christ living in me, Galatians 2:20 ; the E. V. ‘ through ’ does not give this union sufficiently) him who strengthens me (i.e. Christ , as the gloss rightly supplies: cf. 1Ti 1:12 ).

1 Thessalonians 4:7 — above) is in my view decisive for the above rendering of 1 Thessalonians 4:6 . There is no mention here of avarice : nor is it possible to understand ἀκαθαρσία , when 1Th 4:3 has gone before, of any thing but carnal impurity. Chap. 1 Thessalonians 2:3 , which is adduced to shew that it may here represent covetousness, is a very doubtful example: see there. ἐπί , for the purpose of, on condition of : ἐν , in , ‘in the element of,’ not = εἰς , the aim : but ἁγιασμός is the whole

2 Thessalonians 3:1 — Thessalonians 4:1 . ἵνα ] On the use of telic conjunctions with verbs like προσεύχομαι , see note on 1 Corinthians 14:13 . ὁ λ . τ . κυρ . ] the Lord’s word i.e. the Gospel: see reff. τρέχῃ ] Contrast to ‘ being bound :’ see 2Ti 2:9 may spread rapidly . δοξ . ] See reff. The word of the Lord is then glorified, when it becomes the power of God to salvation to the believer see Romans 1:16 . καθὼς καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ] for they had thus received it: 1 Thessalonians 1:6 . πρὸς

Philemon 1:22 — 22 . ἅμα δὲ κιά ] But at the same time (as thou fulfillest my request), also .… We may, perhaps, take this direction as serving to secure the favourable reception of Onesimus: for the Apostle would himself come and see how his request had fared: πολλὴ

Hebrews 1:5 — 5 .] For (substantiation of διαφορώτερον κεκλ . ὄνομα ) to whom of (among) the angels did He (God, the subject of Hebrews 1:1-2 ; as the subsequent citation shews) ever say (this citation from Psalms 2:0 , has brought up in recent German Commentators the whole question of the original reference of that Psalm, and (as in Bleek) of O. T. citations in the N. T. altogether. These

1 Peter 3:19 — 19 .] in which (viz. πνεύματι , in the spirit, according to which His new life was. ἐν ᾧ , not simply ᾧ this time: see below) He also went and preached ( πορευθείς of a local transference here, just as below in 1 Peter 3:22 , πορευθεὶς εἰς οὐρανόν : and ἐκήρυξεν of a preaching good news, nearly = εὐηγγελίσατο , as in all other places of the N. T.) to the spirits in prison (the disembodied spirits, which were kept shut up (Jude 1:6 ; 2Pe 2:4 ) in the place of the departed

1 Peter 3:2 — 2 .] when they behold (lit. “having beheld:” the time of the ἐποπτεῦσαι is slightly antecedent to that of κερδηθήσονται , but not enough to justify the use of the past. part. in English. On the verb, see ref.) your chaste behaviour ( ἁγνήν

Revelation 5:1 — changed that, all that remaining as described, a particular incident is now seen for the first time, and is introduced by καὶ εἶδον ) (lying) on the right hand (i. e. the right hand was open, and the book lay on the open hand. So in ch. Revelation 20:1 , where see note. The common rendering, in the right hand, misses the ἐπί with the accus. Beza’s and Ebrard’s rendering, “on the right side of Him on the throne,” is shewn to be wrong by what follows Revelation 5:7 , where