Bible Commentaries

Matthew 11:2 — 2. ἀκούσας ] From his own disciples , Luke 7:18 . The place of his imprisonment was Machærus. ὁ μὲν ὑποψίᾳ τοῦ Ἡρώδου δέσμιος εἰς τὸν Μαχαιροῦντα πεμφθείς , … ( μεθόριον δέ ἐστι τῆς τε Ἀρέτα καὶ Ἡρώδου ἀρχῆς ).… ταύτῃ κτίννυται . Jos. Antt. xviii. 5. 2.

Mark 14:1-2 — 1, 2. ] CONSPIRACY OF THE JEWISH AUTHORITIES AGAINST JESUS. Matthew 26:1-5 .Luke 22:1-2; Luke 22:1-2 . The account of the events preceding the passion in our Gospel takes a middle rank between those of Matt. and Luke. It contains very few words which are

Luke 17:12 — 12. πόῤῥωθεν ] See Leviticus 13:46 ; Numbers 5:2 . The Rabbinical prescriptions as to the distance are given in Wetstein. Their misery had broken down the national distinction, and united them in one company. On the nature of leprosy and its significance, see on Matthew 8:2 .

Luke 2:42 — 42. ] At the age of twelve, a boy was called by the Jews בֵּן הַתּוֹרָה , ‘ son of the law ,’ and first incurred legal obligation. At that time, then, commences the second step (see note on Luk 2:52 ) of the life of the Lord, the time when

Luke 23:30 — ἔδαφος ἀναῤῥηγνύντες ὅσοις μὲν ἐνετύγχανον ἀνεῖλον . εὑρέθησαν δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖ νεκροὶ πλείους δισχιλίων , Jos. B. J. vi. 9. 4. But the words are too solemn, and too often used in a more awful connexion, for a further meaning to escape our notice: see Isaiah 2:10 ; Isaiah 2:19 ; Isaiah 2:21 , and Revelation 6:16 , where is the striking expression ἀπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ ἀρνίου of Him who now was the victim about to be offered. And the whole warning as every other respecting the destruction of Jerusalem looks through

John 13:10 — with one exception, had; and this foot-washing represented to them, besides its lesson of humility and brotherly love, their daily need of cleansing from daily pollution, even after spiritual regeneration , at the hands of their Divine Master. See 2 Corinthians 7:1 ; James 1:21 ; Act 15:8-9 ; 2 Peter 2:22 . On καθ . ἐστε , see note, ch. John 15:3 .

Acts 10:48 — 48. προσέταξεν ] As the Lord Himself when on earth did not baptize ( Joh 4:2 ), so did not ordinarily the Apostles (see 1 Corinthians 1:13-17 , and note). Perhaps the same reason may have operated in both cases, lest those baptized by our Lord, or by the chief Apostles, should arrogate to themselves pre-eminence on that account.

Acts 2:1 — maintains that the meaning is, ‘ As the day of P . drew on,’ ‘was approaching its fulfilment :’ but this view is refuted by Neander, “Pflanzung u. Leitung, u.s.w.,” p. 10, note. Hitzig supports his view by Acts 2:5 , taking κατοικοῦντες to imply constant residence , not merely sojourning on account of the feast , which latter he says would have been specified if it were so. Neander replies, 1. that ἐν τ . συνπλ . τ . ἡ . τ . π . must necessarily mean that

Acts 2:14 — 14. σὺν τοῖς ἕνδεκα ] Peter and the eleven come forward from the great body of believers. And he distinguishes (by the οὗτοι in Act 2:15 ) not himself from the eleven , but himself and the eleven from the rest. De Wette concludes from this, that the Apostles had not themselves spoken with tongues , as being an inferior gift (1 Corinthians 14:18 ff.); perhaps too rashly, for this

Acts 23:11 — 11. ] By these few words, the Lord assured him (1) of a safe issue from his present troubles ; (2) of an accomplishment of his intention of visiting Rome ; (3) of the certainty that however he might be sent thither, he should preach the gospel, and bear testimony there . So that they upheld and comforted him (1) in the uncertainty of his life

2 Corinthians 2:16 — begins to press into its service the introductory and apologetic matter, and to take every opportunity of manifesting itself. In order then to exalt the dignity and shew the divine authorization of his office, he asks this question: And (see remarks at 2Co 2:2 ) for (to accomplish) these things (this so manifold working in the believers and unbelievers, this emission of the εὐωδία χριστοῦ every where), who is sufficient? He does not express the answer, but it is too evident to escape any reader, indeed

Galatians 1:21 — 21 .] The beginning only of this journey is related in Acts 9:30 , where see note. Dean Howson suggests (edn. 2, i. p. 129, f.) that he may have gone at once from Cæsarea to Tarsus by sea, and Syria and Cilicia may afterwards have been the field of his

Philippians 3:2 — 2 .] βλέπετε , not, ‘ beware of ,’ as E. V. ( βλ . ἀπό , Mar 8:15 reff.), but as in reff., observe , with a view to avoid: cf. σκοπεῖν , Romans 16:17 . τοὺς κύνας ] profane, impure persons. The appellation occurs in various references;

1 Thessalonians 2:6 — the power . ἐν βάρει εἶναι ] Thdrt., Est., Grot., Calov., all., refer this to πλεονεξ . mentioned above, and understand it of using the power of living by the gospel, which St. Paul, &c. might have done, but did not: so ἐπιβαρεῖν , 1 Thessalonians 2:9 ; 2 Thessalonians 3:8 ; καταβαρεῖν , 2 Corinthians 12:16 ; ἀβαρῆ ἐμαυτὸν ἐτήρησα , ib. 2 Corinthians 11:9 . But the words are separated from the πλεονεξία by the new idea beginning at ζητοῦντες , to which, and not to the former clause, this is subordinated.

Philemon overview — TO PHILEMON SECTION I ITS AUTHORSHIP 1. THE testimonies to the Pauline authorship of this Epistle are abundant. ( α ) Tertullian, in enumerating the Epistles of St. Paul with which Marcion had tampered, concludes his list thus (adv. Marc. prov. 92:21, vol. ii. p. 524): “Soli huic epistolæ brevitas sua profuit ut falsarias manus Marcionis evaderet. Miror tamen, cum ad unum hominem litteras factas receperit, quod &c.” (see the whole passage cited above, ch. vii. § i. 1. ε .) ( β )

2 Peter 1:17 — admitted witnesses of His majesty) having received (the construction is an interrupted one, and seems rightly explained by Winer, as in reff.: “the construction is broken off by the parenthetical clause φωνῆς .… εὐδόκησα , and the Apostle continues, 2 Peter 1:18 , καὶ ταύτην τὴν φωνὴν ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν , instead, as he would have said, ἡμᾶς εἶχε ταύτην τὴν φωνὴν ἀκούσαντας (- οντας ?), or the like.” So that the participle does not want supplying by ἦν or ἐτύγχανε , nor is it put for the finite

2 John 1:8 — we, Apostles and Teachers, wrought in you. This not being understood, the verbs have been altered in the various texts to the first or to the second person to conform to one another. The Apostles were God’s ἐργάται , Matthew 9:37-38 ; Luke 10:2 ; Luk 10:7 ; 2 Timothy 2:15 ; the ψευδαπόστολοι were ἐργάται δόλιοι , 2 Corinthians 11:13 , κακοὶ ἐργάται , Philippians 3:2 ; the true ἔργον was to cause men to believe on Christ, John 6:29 ; and this ἔργον the false teachers put in peril of loss),

Jude 1:10 — 10 .] Contrast of the behaviour of these persons to that just related . 2 Peter 2:12 . These on the other hand, whatever things they know not, speak evil of (the reference in ὅσα μὲν οὐκ οἴδασιν is to the spiritual world. Those who understand κυριότητα and δόξας above of human authorities, are at a loss for an explanation

Jude 1:6 — 6 .] Second example : the rebel angels. See 2 Peter 2:4 . And ( τε shews that the connexion with the foregoing is very close) angels, those which kept not ( ἀγγέλους is probably indefinite, and then the art. τούς designates those angels who are meant. μή stands with the part., not οὐ , because

Revelation 2:15 — 15 .] Thus thou also hast (as well as those of old: not, as the Church at Ephesus, Revelation 2:6 (De W.). “Sicut Balac tenuit doctrinam pestiferam Balaam, sic apud te sunt aliqui tenentes doctrinam Nicolai erroneam.” Lyra) men holding (see above) the teaching of the Nicolaitans (the art. though not expressed, is in fact, in this