Bible Commentaries

Matthew 12:20 — 20. κάλαμ . συντ . κ . τ . λ .] A proverbial expression for, ‘He will not crush the contrite heart, nor extinguish the slightest spark of repentant feeling in the sinner.’ The form κατεάξω for the future seems to have crept in from the

Matthew 12:6 — 6. ] μεῖζον seems the better supported reading, and sustains the parallel better: a greater thing than the temple is here. See John 2:19 . The inference is, ‘If the priests in the temple and for the temple’s sake, for its service and ritual, profane the Sabbath, as ye account profanation, and are blameless, how much more these disciples who have grown hungry in their appointed

Matthew 6:29 — 29. ] We here have the declaration of the Creator Himself concerning the relative glory and beauty of all human pomp, compared with the meanest of His own works. See 2 Chronicles 9:15-28 . And the meaning hidden beneath the text should not escape the

Matthew 7:22 — 22. ] ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ perhaps refers to Matthew 7:19 : or it may be the expression so common in the Prophets of the great day of the Lord: e.g. Isaiah 2:20 ; Isaiah 25:9 , a [91] . fr. So the Jews called the great day of judgment “that day,”

Romans 11:15 — explain it of a joy like that of the resurrection. But against this interpretation lies the objection, that this is already involved in καταλλαγὴ κόσμ ., and thus no new idea would be brought out by the words, which stand in the most emphatic position. (2) it may mean that ‘life from the dead’ literally should follow on the restoration of the Jewish people; i.e. that the Resurrection, the great consummation, is bound up with it. So Chrys., Orig [105] (“tunc enim erit assumptio Israel,

2 Corinthians 11:5 — commonly been taken to mean bona fide ‘ the greatest Apostles ,’ i.e. Peter, James, and John, or perhaps the Twelve : but (1) this hardly seems to suit the expression ὑπερλίαν , in which I cannot help seeing, with De W., some bitterness: (2) it would be alien from the spirit of the passage, in which he institutes no comparison whatever between himself and the other Apostles , but only between himself and the false teachers . (3) had any such comparison been here intended, the ‘punctum

Galatians 2:12 — 12 .] These τινες ἀπὸ Ἰακώβον have been softened by some Commentators into persons who merely gave themselves out as from James (Winer, &c. and even Ellicott, edn. 2), or who merely came from Jerusalem where James presided (Beza, Grot., Olsh., &c.). But

Ephesians 1:1 — rather unusually, separated from τ . ἁγ . by the designation of abode: a circumstance which might seem to strengthen the suspicion against ἐν Ἐφέσῳ , were not such transpositions by no means unexampled in St. Paul. See the regular order in Colossians 1:2 . The omission of the article before πιστ . shews that the same persons are designated by both adjectives. Its insertion would not, however, prove the contrary. ἐν χρ . Ἰησ . belongs only to πιστοῖς : see Colossians 1:2 : faithful , i.e.

Ephesians 4:32 — 32 .] but be ye (it is very difficult to mark the distinction between γίνεσθε and ἐστέ in a translation. Become ye (Ellic.) is certainly too far off the time present; be ye , too immediately belonging to it. The difficulty is best seen in such a command

Philippians 2:12 — 12 . ὥστε ] wherefore i.e. as a consequence on this pattern set you by Christ. The ὑπηκούσατε answers to γενόμενος ὑπήκοος Philippians 2:8 , and σωτηρία to the exaltation of Christ. It is therefore better, with Meyer, to refer ὥστε to that which has

Philippians 2:8 — on Him: ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἡ γὰρ ἀναληφθεῖσα φύσις τοῦτο ἦν · αὐτὸς δὲ τοῦτο οὐκ ἦν , τοῦτο δὲ περιέκειτο , Thdrt.) He humbled himself (in His humanity: a further act of self-denial. This time, ἑαυτόν does not precede, because, as Meyer well says, in Php 2:7 the pragmatic weight rested on the reflexive reference of the act, but here on the reflexive act itself) by becoming (see on the aorist participle above. It specifies, wherein the ταπείνωσις consisted ) obedient (to God; as before in the δούλου

Philippians 3:5 — 5 .] “predicates of the ἐγώ , justifying the ἐγὼ μᾶλλον ,” Meyer. He compares himself with them in three particulars: 1. pure Jewish extraction: 2. legal exactitude and position: 3. legal zeal. In circumcision (i.e. ‘as regards circumcision:’ reff. Many (Erasm., Beng., all.) have taken περιτ . as nominative, and understood it concrete, ‘ circumcisus ,’ but wrongly, for

Colossians 3:12 — 12 .] Put on therefore (as a consequence of having put on the new man, to whom these belong) as the elect of God (see reff. and 1Th 1:4 ), holy and beloved (it seems best to take, as Mey., ἐκλεκτοί for the subject, and ἅγ . and ἠγ . for predicates,

1 Timothy 5:17 — μηδενὸς φείδεσθαι τῆς ἐκείνων κηδεμονίας ἕνεκα ), be held worthy of double (not, as compared with the widows , as Chr., (alt. 1: διπλῆς τῆς πρὸς τὰς χήρας , ἢ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς διακόνους , ἢ ἁπλῶς διπλῆς τιμῆς , πολλῆς λέγει ), Thl. (1), Constt.-ap. (ii. 28, p. 674, Migne), Erasm., Calv., al., the deacons , as Chr. (2, see above), Thl. (2), the poor , as Flatt, &c. but as compared with those who have not distinguished themselves by καλῶς προεστάναι ; and evidently, as Chrys. 3, it is not to be taken

1 Timothy 5:8 — heathen. Cf. Matthew 5:46-47 . Also, as Calv. suggests in addition, the Christian who lives in the light of the Gospel, has less excuse for breaking those laws of nature which even without the Gospel are recognized by men. According to hypothesis (1) or (2) above, this general statement applies to the widows or to their children and grandchildren: not, as Matthies, to their mutual relations, about which the context contains no hmt. But surely it would be very harsh to understand it of the widows: and

1 Timothy 6:15-16 — everlasting, Amen (see ch. 1 Timothy 1:17 , where a similar ascription occurs). Some of the Commentators (Mack, Schleierm.) think that 1Ti 6:15-16 are taken from an ecclesiastical hymn: and Mack has even arranged it metrically. See ch. 1 Timothy 3:16 , 2 Timothy 2:11 ff., notes.

2 Timothy 1:15-18 — adherence of certain brethren . These notices are intimately connected with what has preceded. He has held up to Timotheus, as an example, his own boldness and constancy: and has given him a sample of the faithful sayings which ruled his own conduct, in 2 Timothy 1:12 . He proceeds to speak of a few of the discouragements under which in this confidence he was bearing up: and, affectionate gratitude prompting him, and at the same time by way of an example of fidelity to Timotheus, he dilates on the exception

Hebrews 10:17 — Writer as his own. But still more cogent reasons for making the apodosis begin at Heb 10:17 are, 1. that there the εἰρημένον ends, not at λέγει κύριος : there a hiatus in the citation occurs, and the Writer first passes on to that which is said after: 2. that Heb 10:17 itself carries the whole burden of the citation with it. This is the object of the citation, to prove that there needs no more sacrifice for sins. And the previous portion of it is adduced to shew that this, τῶν ἁμαρτ . αὐτ . κ . τῶν

2 Peter 1:10 — 10 .] Wherefore the rather (“quæ cum ita sint, impensius.” διό referring to the two considerations urged in 2 Peter 1:8-9 , and μᾶλλον making them reasons for increased zeal in complying with the exhortation), brethren (making the appeal more close and affectionate), give diligence (so the E. V. admirably. ‘Be earnest’ would express rather σπουδάζετε

Jude 1:19 — ill-looking in our language, “psychic” would be a great gain), not having the spirit ( πνεῦμα , see above, not directly the Holy Spirit of God (the absence of the art. would be no objection to this: see reff. and Romans 8:14 , 1 Corinthians 2:4 , al. fr.), but the higher spiritual life of man’s spirit in communion with the Holy Spirit. These men have not indeed ceased to have πνεῦμα , as a part of their own tripartite nature: but they have ceased to possess it in any worthy sense: