Bible Commentaries

Acts 13:17 — matured already: by the τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου he alludes to the time when God was the God of the Jews only: by this ἡμῶν he unites all present in the now extended inheritance of the promises made to the fathers. ὕψωσεν ] Evidently an allusion to Isaiah 1:2 , where the word is also used in the sense of ‘bringing up,’ nourishing to manhood. This was done by increasing them in Egypt so that they became a great nation: see ref. Gen. There is no reference to any exaltation of the people during

Acts 13:34 — die, and in consequence to’ before the words, understanding them as the result of death, if it had dominion over him : thus the clause answers even more remarkably to Romans 6:9 . τὰ ὅσια is the LXX rendering of חַסְדֵי , ref. Isa., which in 2 Chronicles 6:42 , they have translated τὰ ἐλέη . The word ‘holy’ should have been preserved in the E. V., as answering to τὸν ὅσιόν σου below; the mercies of David, holy and sure : or my holy promises which I made sore unto David.

Acts 21:16 — given to the latter clause of this verse: (1) making Μνάσωνι , &c. depend on ἄγοντες , and agreeing by attr. with ᾧ , as E. V., ‘ and brought with them one Mnason, … with whom we should lodge ’ (so Beza, Calvin, Wolf, Schött., &c.): and (2) resolving the attraction into ἄγοντες παρὰ Μνάσωνα , παρ ʼ ᾧ ξ . ‘ bringing us to Mnason,’ &c. (So Grot., Valcknaer, Bengel, De Wette, Meyer, al.) Both are legitimate: and it is difficult to choose between them. The probability of Mnason

Acts 24:24 — 24. παραγεν . ] Into the hall or chamber where Paul was to speak. Δρουσίλλῃ ] She was daughter of Herod Agrippa I. (see ch. 12) and of Cypros, and sister of Agrippa II. She was betrothed at six years old (Jos. Antt. xix. 9. 1) to Epiphanes, son of

Acts 25:9 — contained in it, than at first meets the eye. It seems to propose only a change of place ; but doubtless in the ἐκεῖ κριθῆναι was contained by implication a sentence pronounced by the Sanhedrim. ἐπ ʼ ἐμοῦ may mean no more than ἐπὶ σοῦ , ch. Acts 26:2 , viz., that the procurator would be present and sanction the trial: so Grot., “visne a synedrio judicari me præsente?” Otherwise, a journey to Jerusalem would be superfluous. Festus may very probably have anticipated the rejection of

Romans 13:1-7 — ed. p. 460 ff.) that some special reason must have given occasion to these exhortations. We can hardly attribute it to the seditious spirit of the Jews at Rome , as their influence in the Christian Church there would not be great; indeed, from Acts 28:0 the two seem to have been remarkably distinct. But disobedience to the civil authorities may have arisen from mistaken views among the Christians themselves as to the nature of Christ’s kingdom and its relation to existing powers of this world.

Romans 2:6-7 — flesh can be justified before God. The neglect to observe this has occasioned two mistakes: (1) an idea that by this passage it is proved that not faith only, but works also in some measure, justify before God (so Toletus in Pool’s Syn.), and (2) an idea (Tholuck 1st edn. and Köllner) that by ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ here is meant faith in Christ. However true it be, so much is certainly not meant here, but merely the fact, that every where, and in all, God punishes evil, and rewards good .

1 Corinthians 14:32 — 32. ] and (not, for : but a parallel assertion to the last, ‘ye have power, &c. and ’) spirits of prophets (i.e. their own spirits , filled with the Holy Spirit: so Meyer, and rightly: not, as De Wette, the Spirit of God within each: and

1 Corinthians 16:2 — 2. ] μίαν σαββ .] For this Hebraism, and σαβ . in the singular, signifying week , see reff. On the observance of the first day of the week, see notes, Acts 20:7 , and Romans 14:5 . Here there is no mention of their assembling , which we have in Acts

1 Corinthians 9:4 — to him in 1 Corinthians 9:11 . It may perhaps be used as pointing out a matter of right , which any would have had on the same conditions (see 1Co 9:11 ), and as thus not belonging personally to Paul, as do the things predicated in 1 Corinthians 9:1-2 ; 1 Corinthians 9:15 . This however will not apply to 1 Corinthians 9:12 , where the emphatic ἡμεῖς is personal. φαγεῖν κ . πεῖν ] To eat and to drink , sc. at the cost of the churches : not with any reference to the eating of things offered

2 Corinthians 10:2 — 2. ] but (however this may be, assuming this character of me to be true or not, as you please; or, notwithstanding that I may have been hitherto ταπεινός among you) I pray (you) (not, God , as Bengel (1), al.) that I may not ( τὸ μή sets the object

2 Corinthians 10:5 — 5. ] The nom. καθαιροῦντες refers to ἡμεῖς , the implied subject of 2 Corinthians 10:4 ; this verse carrying on the figure in ὀχυρωμάτων . By λογισμούς he means, as Chrys., p. 585, τὸν τῦφον τὸν Ἑλληνικόν , καὶ τῶν σοφισμάτων κ . τῶν συλλογισμῶν τὴν ἰσχύν : but not only these: every towering conceit κατὰ σάρκα is also

2 Corinthians 12:11 — “ I , not mine adversaries,” who are an element foreign to the present sentence) ought to have been recommended by you (emphatic, by you, not by himself ): for I was nothing behind (when I was with you) these overmuch Apostles (see on ch. 2 Corinthians 11:5 ; but here even more plainly than there, the expression cannot be applied to the other Apostles, seeing that the aor. would in that case be inconsistent with the fact the Corinthians never having had an opportunity of comparing him

2 Corinthians 6:2 — 2. ] Ground of the exhortation : viz. the importance of the present time as the day of acceptance, shewn by a Scripture citation. For he (God, with whom we συνεργοῦμεν and whose grace we recommend) saith, ‘In an accepted time (Heb. בְּעֵת רָצוֹן

2 Corinthians 9:13 — 13. ] they (the recipients) glorifying God (the participle as in 2 Corinthians 9:11 , an anacoluthon) by means of (the proof, &c., is the occasion, by means of which ) the proof (i.e. the tried reality the substantial help yielded by) of this (your) ministration, for the subjection of your confession as regards

Galatians 6:8 — example of the universal rule. ὁ σπείρων , he that (now) soweth, is now sowing . εἰς , unto, with a view to not local, ‘ drops his seed into ,’ ‘tanquam in agrum,’ Bengel: this in the N. T. is given by ἐν (Matthew 13:24 ; Matthew 13:27 . Mar 4:15 ), or ἐπί (Matthew 13:20 ; Matthew 13:23 .Mark 4:16; Mark 4:16 ; Mark 4:20 ; Mar 4:31 ): εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας (Matthew 13:22 . Mar 4:18 ) rather being ‘ among the thorns ’ (see Ellic.). ἑαυτοῦ , not apparently with

Philippians 1:17 — 17 .] but the former out of self-seeking (or ‘intrigue’ (Conyb.): not ‘ contention ,’ as E. V., which has arisen from a mistake as to the derivation of the word, see note, Rom 2:8 ) proclaim Christ insincerely (so Cic. pro leg. Manil. 1, ‘in privatorum periculis caste integreque versatus,’ μεγάλων ἀέθλων ἁγνὰν κρίσιν , Pind. Ol. iii. 37), thinking (explains οὐχ ἁγνῶς ; ‘in that they think.’ In the

Philippians 3:16 — respecting which some of you yet await deeper revelations from God’s Spirit, produce any dissension in your Christian unity. Nevertheless (notwithstanding that some of you, &c. as above. On πλήν , see Devarius, and Klotz’s note, i. 188; ii. 725) as far as we have attained (towards Christian perfection: ὃ κατωρθώσαμεν , Thl.: including both knowledge and practice, of both which he spoke above in his own case. On the construction, see reff.), walk by the same (path) (reff.: Polyb. xxviii.

1 Thessalonians 2:2 — 2 .] προπαθόντες , having previously suffered : reff. On the fact, see Acts 16:0 . ἐπαῤῥησιασ . ] Lünemann seems to be right (against De W.) in rendering it we were confident , not ‘ we were free of speech .’ See however, on the other

2 Timothy 4:5 — Beza’s rendering, ‘ministerii tui plenam fidem facito, i.e. veris argumentis comproba te germanum esse Dei ministrum,’ so Calv. ‘ministerium tuum probatum redde,’ is justified by usage (reff.), but hardly in accordance with 2 Timothy 4:17 ; see there) thy ministry .