Bible Commentaries

Matthew 13:51-52 — 51, 52. ] SOLEMN CONCLUSION OF THE PARABLES. When our Lord asks, ‘Have ye understood all these things?’ and they answer, ‘Yea, Lord,’ the reply must be taken as spoken from their then standing-point , from which but little could be

John 19:11 — ortus sum!” so that it answers remarkably to the πόθεν above. We must not dream of any allusion to Rome , or the Sanhedrim , in this ἄνωθεν , as the sources of Pilate’s power: the word was not so meant, nor so understood: see John 19:12 . δεδομέν ον , not δεδομέν η : the neuter is more general, requiring the supply, as Meyer, of τὸ ἐξουσιάζειν κατ ʼ ἐμοῦ , and embraces in itself the whole delegation from above, power included q. d. except by appointment from above . Lampe (in loc.)

Acts 13:9 — signifies that Paulus was a second name borne by Saul, in conformity with a Jewish practice as old as the captivity (or even as Joseph, see Gen 41:45 ), of adopting a Gentile name. Mr. Howson traces it through the Persian period (see Daniel 1:7 ; Est 2:7 ), the Greek ( 1Ma 12:16 ; 1Ma 16:11 ; 2Ma 4:29 ), and the Roman (Acts 13:1 ; ch. Acts 1:23 ; Acts 18:8 , &c.), and the middle ages, down to modern times. Jerome has conjectured that the name was adopted by Saul in memory of this event : ‘Diligenter

Romans 13:11 — 7).” De Wette. ὕπνος here = the state of worldly carelessness and indifference to sin, which allows and practises the ἔργα τοῦ σκότους . The imagery seems to be taken originally from our Lord’s discourse concerning His coming: see Matthew 24:42 ; Mark 13:33 , and Luke 21:28-36 , where several points of similarity to our Rom 13:11-14 occur. ἐγγύτ . ἡμ . ἡ σωτ . ἢ ὅτε ἐπιστ .] σωτηρία , as ἀπολύτρωσις Luke 21:28 , and ch. Romans 8:23 , of the accomplishment of salvation . ἡμῶν

Romans 4:11 — see reff. The reading περιτομήν appears to have been an alteration on account of σφραγῖδα following), a seal (the Targum on Song of Solomon 3:8 , cited by Tholuck, has the expression, ‘the seal of circumcision,’ and in Sohar, Leviticus 6:21 , it is called ‘a holy sign.’ So also Baptism is called in the Acta Thomæ, § 26, ἡ σφραγὶς τοῦ λουτροῦ , and elsewhere in the Fathers simply ἡ σφραγίς . Grabe, Spicil. Patr. i. 333) of the righteousness (to stamp, and certify the righteousness)

Romans 9:29 — 29 .] Another proof of a remnant to be saved, from a preceding part of the same prophecy. (Such seems to be the sense of προείρ . here, and so Beza, Calv., Grot., al.; De W., Thol., al., prefer ‘prophesied;’ but surely there is no necessity

1 Corinthians 3:12 — 12. ] The δέ implies that though there can be but one foundation, there are many ways of building upon it . To the right understanding of this verse it may be necessary to remark, (1) that the similitude is, not of many buildings , as Wetst. and Billroth,

1 Corinthians 9:5 — is here the matter in question) as a wife, a (believing) sister (or, ‘ to bring with us a believing wife :’ these are the only renderings of which the words are legitimately capable. Augustine, De Opere Monachorum, 4 (5), vol. vi. p. 552, explains it thus: “Ostendit sibi licere quod ceteris Apostolis, id est ut non operetur manibus suis, sed ex Evangelio vivat:.… ad hoc enim et fideles mulieres habentes terrenam substantiam ibant cum eis, et ministrabant eis de substantia sua,”

2 Corinthians 13:1 — about to pay you .’ Had not chronological theories intervened, no one would ever have thought of any other rendering. The usual one, ‘This is the third time that I have been intending to come to you,’ introduces here, as also in ch. 2 Corinthians 12:14 , an element not only foreign to, but detrimental to, the purpose. The Apostle wishes to impress on them the certainty of this coming, and to prepare them for it by solemn self-examination; and in order to this, he ( on this interpretation

Galatians 4:12 — 12 .] This has been variously understood. But the only rendering which seems to answer the requirements of the construction and the context, is that which understands εἰμι or γέγονα after ἐγώ , and refers it to the Apostle having in his own practice cast

Galatians 6:17 — 17 .] τοῦ λοιποῦ , as E. V., henceforth : scil., χρόνου . So Herod. iii. 15, ἔνθα τοῦ λοιποῦ διαιτᾶτο : see numerous other examples in Wetstein. “ τὸ λοιπόν continuum et perpetuum tempus significat, ut apud Xen. Cyr. viii. 5. 24; τοῦ λοιποῦ autem repetitionem ejusdem facti reliquo tempore indicat, ut apud Aristoph. in Pace, v. 1684 (1050 Bekk.).” Hermann ad Viger., p. 706. But the above example from Herod. hardly seems to bear this out. Rather is a thing happening in

Philippians 3:17-21 — 17 4:1 .] Exhortation to follow his example (17): warning against the enemies of the cross of Christ (18, 19): declaration of the high privileges and hopes of Christians (20, 21), and affectionate entreaty to stedfastness ( Php 4:1 ). Be imitators together (i.e. with one another: so, and not imitators together with those mentioned below (Mey., Wies.), must the word here be rendered. The latter would be allowable as far

Philippians 4:1 — 17 4:1 .] Exhortation to follow his example (17): warning against the enemies of the cross of Christ (18, 19): declaration of the high privileges and hopes of Christians (20, 21), and affectionate entreaty to stedfastness ( Php 4:1 ). Be imitators together (i.e. with one another: so, and not imitators together with those mentioned below (Mey., Wies.), must the word here be rendered. The latter would be allowable as far

1 Timothy 4:12-16 — 12 16 .] General exhortations to Timotheus . Let no one despise thy youth (as to the construction, Chrys. ( μηδεὶς διὰ τὴν νεότητα καταφρονήσῃ σον ), Leo, Mack, Matthies, take σοῦ as immediately governed by καταφρονήσῃ , and τῆς νεότητος as a second

Hebrews 11:26 — 26 .] esteeming (the second aor. part. is contemporary, not antecedent, to the first: it comes in with a slightly ratiocinative force “esteeming, as he did”) the reproach of Christ (what is the ὀνειδισμὸς τοῦ χριστοῦ ? Certainly not, with

Hebrews 12:14 — naturally be εἰρήνην μετὰ πάντων διώκετε . The sentiment thus is the same as in Romans 14:19 , ἄρα οὖν τὰ τῆς εἰρήνης διώκωμεν , καὶ τὰ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τῆς εἰς ἀλλήλους ), and sanctification (“The connexion of καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμόν is much as in Hebrews 12:1 ; ch. Hebrews 11:38 ; the Writer uses the art., when he appends the particular to the general.” Delitzsch. ἁγιασμός is not = ἁγιότης , but is the putting on of it and becoming ἅγιοι . Many Commentators, misled by the peculiar contextual reference

James 1:27 — 27 .] Religious service pure and unpolluted (the two adjectives seem merely to bring out the positive and negative sides of purity, as in the two members of the apodosis below) in the estimation of (reff. and Romans 2:13 ; Gal 3:11 ) Him who is our

1 John 5:10-12 — 10 12 .] The perfect μεμαρτύρηκεν , 1 John 5:9 , shewed that the testimony spoken of is not merely an historical one, such for instance as Matthew 3:17 , which God ἐμαρτύρησεν , but one abiding and present. And these verses explain to us what that testimony

Jude 1:3 — 3 .] Beloved (only found in the beginning of an Epistle here and 3Jn 1:2 ), giving all diligence (the phrase σπουδὴν ποιεῖσθαι is only found here: see reff. and especially 2 Pet. It implies more than mere earnest desire: a man’s σπουδή is necessarily action as well as wish: “giving diligence” seems the

Revelation 1:1-3 — Revelation ( ἀποκάλυψίς ἐστιν ἡ τῶν ἱερῶν μυστηρίων δήλωσις , καταυγαζομένου τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς , εἴτε διὰ θείων ὀνειράτων , εἴτε καθ ʼ ὕπαρ ἐκ θείας ἐλλάμψεως . Arethas. Here, the word need not be taken in any but this its general sense, as in 2 Corinthians 12:1 , where it is plural; the particular purpose of this revelation follows, with the inf. δεῖξαι below, ἀποκάλυψις is one of those words which have passed, in their later usage, from indicating the act , to signify that with which the