Bible Commentaries

Luke 10:30 — robberies committed there. “Arabas … quæ gens, latrociniis dedita, usque hodie incursat terminos Palestinæ, et descendentibus de Hierusalem in Hiericho obsidet vias, cujus rei et Dominus in Evangelio recordatur.” Jerome, Comment. on Jeremiah 3:2 , vol. iv, p. 857. The same Father mentions that a part of the road was so infamous for murders, as to be called the red or bloody way, and that in his time there was a fort there garrisoned by Roman soldiers, to protect travellers (De locis Hebræis,

Luke 15:7 — 7. λέγω ὑμῖν ] In these words the Lord often introduces His revelations of the unseen world of glory: see Matthew 18:10 . On these δίκαιοι , see note at Matthew 9:12-13 . They are the subjectively righteous, and this saying respects their own view of themselves. (Or if it be required that the words should be literally explained, seeing that these ninety-nine did not err , then I see no other way but to suppose

Luke 22:32 — 32. ] ἐγὼ δὲ ἐδ . π . σοῦ ] As Peter was the foremost (the rest are here addressed through him), so he was in the greatest danger. It must not be supposed that our Lord’s prayer was not heard, because Peter’s faith did fail , in his

John 1:4 — 4. ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν ] Compare 1 John 5:11 ; 1 John 1:1-2 , and ch. John 6:33 . ζωή is not merely ‘ spiritual life ,’ nor ‘ the recovery of blessedness ,’ as Tholuck, Kuinoel, &c. explain it: the λόγος is the source of all life to the creature, not indeed ultimately, but mediately

John 1:43 — prevalent one in the apostolic Church very soon: Paul uses both names indiscriminately. I own I cannot but think with Bengel, Paulus, and Strauss, that the knowledge of Simon shewn by the Lord is intended to be miraculous . So also Stier, i. 31 f. edn. 2, “I know who and what thou art from thy birth till thy present coming to me.… I name thee, I give thee a new name, I know what I will make of thee in thy following of Me and for my Kingdom.” The emphatic use of ἐμβλέψας here (it is not so

John 12:23 — 23. ] Did the Greeks see (i.e. speak with) Jesus, or not? Certainly not , if I understand His discourse rightly. But they may have been present at, and have understood it. The substance of His answer ( αὐτοῖς , to Philip and Andrew, not to the Greeks)

John 14:26 — 26. ] q. d. ‘I know that ye do not understand them yet: but’ &c. τὸ πν . τὸ ἅγ . ] The Paraclete is now more closely defined by this well-known Name, and, by ὃ πέμψει ὁ πατήρ , and ἐκεῖνος …, designated personally , as One sent, and

John 15:1 — 1. ] The Vine and branches stand in a much nearer connexion than the Shepherd and the sheep, or the lord of the vineyard and the vines; and answer to the Head and members in Ephesians 5:23 ; Ephesians 5:30 ; Colossians 2:19 , linked together by a common organization, and informed by one and the same life. ἡ ἀληθινή , not only, ‘by which prophecy is fulfilled:’ not only, “in which the organism and qualities of the

John 20:14 — lxxxvi. 1. We need not surely enquire too minutely, why she did not know Him. The fact may be psychologically accounted for she did not expect Him to be there , and was wholly preoccupied with other thoughts: or, as Dräseke (cited by Stier, vii. 12, edn. 2) says, “Her tears wove a veil, which concealed Him who stood before her. The seeking after the Dead prevents us from seeing the Living.”

John 8:21-59 — 21 59. ] Further discourses of Jesus. The Jews attempt to stone Him . This forms the great conclusion of the series of discourses to the Jews. In it our Lord testifies more plainly still to His divine origin and sinlessness, and to the cause of their

John 9:39 — Lord always treats of the spiritual as paramount, including the bodily, so here He proceeds to speak of spiritual sight. κρῖμα , the effect of κρίσις , not merely distinction , but judgment; the following out of the divine εὐδοκία , Matthew 11:25-26 . “We are all, according to the spirit of nature, no better than persons born blind; and to know and confess this our blindness, is our first and only true sight , out of which the grace of the Lord can afterwards bring about a complete

Acts 1:5 — subsequent continued work of regeneration on individuals: ‘Quasi totius Ecclesiæ communis baptismus.’ I may add, also because it was the beginning of a new period of spiritual influence, totally unlike any which had preceded. See ch. Acts 2:17 . ὕδατι and ἐν πν . ἁγ . are slightly distinguished. The insertion of the preposition bef. πν . ἁγ . seems to give a dignity which the mere instrumental dative, ὕδατι , wants. ταύτας serves to bind on the οὐ πολλ . ἡμ . to the day then current;

Acts 13:14 — 14. διελθόντες ] It is not improbable that during this journey Paul may have encountered some of the ‘perils by robbers’ of which he speaks, 2 Corinthians 11:26 . The tribes inhabiting the mountains which separate the table-land of Asia Minor from the coast, were notorious for their lawless and marauding habits. Strabo says of Isauria, λῃστῶν ἅπασαι κατοικίαι (xii. 6), and of the Pisidians,

Acts 13:32 — 32. ἡμεῖς ὑμᾶς ] He and Barnabas were not of the number of the συναναβάντες , Acts 13:31 , nor was their mission to the Jewish people. ‘ They are at this moment witnessing to the people, we , preaching to you.’ Stier observes (Red. d. Apost.

Acts 15:1 — 1. τινες ] Called in Galatians 2:4 , παρείσακτοι ψευδάδελφοι , οἵτινες παρεισῆλθον κατασκοπῆσαι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἡμῶν ἣν ἔχομεν ἐν χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ . See the addition in var. readd. probably from Acts 15:5 . Doubtless it represents the fact. In spite of the special revelations which had

Acts 18:5 — than usually absorbed in the work of testifying to the Jews (see reff.): a crisis in the work being imminent, which resulted in their rejection of the word of life. (On the whole character of his early preaching at Corinth, see notes, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 .) Thus only, the δέ in Act 18:5 and that in Act 18:6 will both be satisfied: he discoursed in the synagogue, &c.… but when Silas and Timotheus arrived, he was earnestly occupied in discoursing, &c. But, as they opposed themselves and blasphemed,

Acts 27:10 — 10. ] From the use of θεωρῶ here, and from the saying itself, it seems clear to me that Paul was not uttering at present any prophetic intimation, but simply his own sound judgment on the difficult question at issue. It is otherwise at Acts 27:22-24 . As Smith remarks, “The event justified St. Paul’s advice. At the same time it may be observed, that a bay, open to nearly one half the compass, could not have been a good winter harbour.” (p. 47.) μετὰ ὕβρεως is interpreted

Acts 28:11 — 11. ] They probably set sail (see on ch. Act 27:9 ) not earlier than the sixth of the ides of March (i.e. Mark 10:0 ). παρασήμῳ Διοσκούροις ] with the sign (of) the Dioscuri , as ὀνόματι Ποπλίῳ , Acts 28:7 ; not, ‘ with the Dioscuri as a sign .’ So in the inscription found by the

Acts 8:40 — 40. εὑρ . εἰς Ἄζ . ] A constr. prægnans, was borne to, and found at . The word εὑρέθη again appears to refer to 4 Kings Acts 2:17 . AZOTUS or ASHDOD (Joshua 13:3 ; 1Sa 5:5 al.) was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines, never, though nominally in Judah, thoroughly subjugated by the Jews: it was taken by Tartan the Assyrian general ( Isa 20:1 ), again by Psammetichus,

Romans 5:18 — ‘one trespass’ and ‘one righteous act’) it came upon ( ἐγένετο , indefinite, being supplied) all men unto condemnation, so also by means of one righteous act (the Death of Christ viewed as the acme of His Obedience, see Philippians 2:8 = ἡ ὑπακοὴ τοῦ ἑνός below; not as in Romans 5:16 , nor Righteousness , as Thol., which would not contrast with παραπτ ., a single act ) it came upon all men (in extent of grace, in posse , not in esse as the other) unto justification of (conferring,