Philippians 4

Philippians 4:1-99

4:1. Concluding exhortation, referring to what has passed since ch. 3:17,— not farther back, for there first he turns directly to them in the second person, with ἀδελφοί , as here,— there also οὕτως occurs, answering to the οὕτως here,— and there, in the Christian’ s hopes, vv. 20, 21, lies the ground of the ὥστε here.

ὥστε ] ‘ quæ cum ita sint’ — since we have such a home, and look for such a Saviour, and expect such a change:— ὥστεκἂνὁρᾶτετούτουςχαίροντας , κἂνὁρᾶτεδεδοξασμένους , στήκετε , Chrys. Cf. 1 Corinthians 15:58.

ἐπιπόθ .] longed for. The word occurs in Appian, vi. 43, ὅρκουςτεὤμοσεναὐτοῖςκ . ἔλαβεν , ἐπιποθήτουςἐντοῖςὕστερονπολέμοιςπολλάκιςγενομένους . For the verb, see ch. 1:8 reff.: for the substantive, -ησις , 2 Corinthians 7:7, 2 Corinthians 7:11.

στέφανος ] from ref. 1 Thess., both χαρά and στέφανος apply to the future great day in the Apostle’ s mind. And indeed even without such reference to his usus loquendi, it would be difficult to dissociate the “ crown” from such thoughts as that in 2 Timothy 4:8.

οὕτως ] see above: ‘ as I have been describing:’ not ὡςἑστήκατεἀκλινῶς , as Chrys., Thl., Œ c., Calv., Beng., ‘ ita, ut statis, state,’ which would be inconsistent with ch. 3:17.

ἐνκυρίῳ ] as the element wherein your stedfastness consists.

ἀγαπητοί ] an affectionate repetition: μετ ʼ εὐφημίαςπολλῆςἡπαραίνεσις , Thdrt. “ Doctrinam suo more vehementioribus exhortationibus claudit, quo eam hominum animis tenacius infigat. Et blandis appellationibus in eorum affectus se insinuat: quæ tamen non sunt adulationis, sed sinceri amoris.” Calv.

2-9. Concluding exhortations to individuals (2, 3), and to all (4-9).

2. Euodia and Syntyche (both women, cf. αὐταῖς and αἵτινες below) appear to have needed this exhortation on account of some disagreement, both however being faithful, and fellow-workers (perhaps deaconesses, Romans 16:1) with himself in the Gospel. θαυμάζειμὲντὰςγυναῖκας · αἰνίττεταιδὲὡςἔριντινὰπρὸςἀλλήλαςἐχούσας , Thdrt. The repetition of the verb παρακαλῶ not merely signifies ‘ vehementiam affectus’ (Erasm.), but hints at the present separation between them.

τὸαὐτὸφρονεῖν ] see ch. 2:2, note. He adds ἐνκυρίῳ , both to shew them wherein their unanimity must consist, and perhaps to point out to them that their present alienation was not ἐνκυρίῳ .

3. ναί assumes the granting of the request just made, and carries on farther the same matter, see Philemon 1:20 and note; but does not conjure, as Grot., al.

γνήσιεσύνζυγε ] true ) yoke-fellow. Who is intended, it is quite impossible to say. Various opinions have been, (1) that St. Paul addresses his own wife. So Clem. Alex. Strom. iii. 6 (53), p. 535 P, καὶὅγεΠαῦλοςοὐκὀκνεῖἔντινιἐπιστολῇτὴναὐτοῦπροσαγορεύεινσύνζυγον , ἣνοὐπεριεκόμιζεδιὰτὸτῆςὑπηρεσίαςεὐσταλές ,— Eus. H.

E. iii. 30, al. But this is evidently an error, and Thdrt. says rightly,— τὸνδὲσύνζ . τινεςἀνοήτωςὑπέλαβονγυναῖκαεἶναιτοῦἀποστόλου , οὐπροσεσχηκότεςτοῖςἐντῇπρὸςΚορινθίουςγεγραμμένοις (1 Corinthians 7:8), ὅτιτοῖςἀγάμοιςσυνέταξενἑαυτόν . Besides which, the adjective in this case would be feminine,— cf. Eur. Alcest. 326, ποίαςτυχοῦσασυνζύγου ;— and 354, τοιᾶσδ ʼ ἁμαρτάνοντισυνζύγου : perhaps even if it were of two terminations (as adjectives in -ιος frequently in the N. T., e.g. οὐράνιος , Luke 2:13; Acts 24:19: ὁσίουςχεῖρας , 1 Timothy 2:8, &c.

See Winer, § 11. 1), in which case Ellic. remarks, it would revert to three terminations; but authority for this statement seems wanting. (2) that he was the husband, or brother, of Euodia or Syntyche; so Chrys. doubtfully, and Thl., al. But then the epithet would hardly be wanted— nor would the expression be at all natural. (3) that he was some fellow-labourer of the Apostle.

So Thdrt.,— σύνζυγονκαλεῖ , ὡςτὸναὐτὸνἕλκοντατῆςεὐσεβείαςζυγόν , Pelag., all., and De W.,— and of these some (Grot., Calov., al.) have understood Epaphroditus,— Estius, Timotheus,— Bengel (but afterwards he preferred Epaphroditus), Silas,— Luther, the chief bishop at Philippi. (4) Others have regarded Σύνζυγε as a proper name: so τινές in Chrys. and Œ c., and so Meyer. In this case the γνήσιε would mean, ‘ who art veritably, as thy name is,’ a yoke-fellow. And this might be said by the Apostle, who elsewhere compares the Christian minister to the βοῦςἀλοῶν . It seems to me that we must choose between the two last hypotheses. The objections to each are about of equal weight: the Apostle no where else calls his fellow-labourers σύνζυγοι ,— and the proper name Σύνζυγος is no where else found. But these are no reasons, respectively, against either hypothesis. We may safely say with Chrys., εἴτετοῦτο , εἴτεἐκεῖνο , οὐσφόδραἀκριβολογεῖσθαιδεῖ .

συνλαμβάνουαὐταῖς ] help them (Euodia and Syntyche): but not, as Grot., ‘ ut habeant, unde se suosque honeste sustentent:’ it is the work of their reconciliation which he clearly has in view, and in which they would need help.

αἵτινες ] ‘ utpote quæ ’ — seeing that they.… The E. V. here is in error, ‘ help those women which … ’ The Gospel at Philippi was first received by women, Acts 16:13 ff., and these two must have been among those who, having believed, laboured among their own sex for its spread.

ἐντῷεὐαγ .] see reff.

μετὰκαὶΚλήμεντος ] These words belong to συνήθλησαν , not to συνλαμβάνου , and are rather an additional reminiscence, than a part of the exhortation ‘ as did Clemens also &c.’ q. d. ‘ not that I mean, by naming those women with distinction, to imply forgetfulness of those others &c., and especially of Clemens.’ The insertion of καί between the preposition and substantive is said to be a habit principally of Pindar,— e.g. ἐνκαὶθαλάσσᾳ , Ol. ii. 28; ἐνκαὶτελευτᾷ , Ol. vii. 26; ἐπὶκαὶθανάτῳ , Pyth. iv. 330. See Hartung, i. 143.

It is not necessary to regard the καὶ — καί as bound together: so that these examples are in point (against Ellic.).

Clemens must have been a fellow-worker with the Apostle at Philippi, from the context here; and, from the non-occurrence of any such name among Paul’ s fellow-travellers, and the fact that οἱλοιποὶσυνεργοί must have been Philippians,— himself a native of Philippi. It is perhaps arbitrary, seeing that the name is so common, to assume his identity with Clemens afterwards Bishop of Rome, and author of the Epistles to the Corinthians. So Eus. H. E. iii. 4, ὁΚλήμης , τῆςῬωμαίωνκ . αὐτὸςἐκκλησίαςτρίτοςἐπίσκοποςκαταστάς , Παύλουσυνεργὸςκ . συναθλητὴςγεγονέναιπρὸςαὐτοῦμαρτυρεῖται : see also H. E. v. 6: so Origen, Com. in Joan. t. vi. 36, vol. iv. p. 153: and Jer.

Script. Eccl., 15, vol. ii. p. 854. Chrys. does not notice any such idea. See on the whole, Ellicott’ s note.

ὧντὰὀν . ἐνβίβλῳζωῆς ] belongs to the λοιποί , whom he does not name: whose names are (not a wish, εἴη , as Bengel, nor are they to be regarded as dead when this was written) in the book of life (reff., and Luke 10:20).

4-9. Exhortation to all.

4. πάλινἐρῶ ] again I Will say it: referring to ch. 3:1, where see note. It is the ground-tone of the Epistle.

5. τὸἐπιεικές , your forbearance, from ἐπί , implying direction, and εἰκός , ἔοικα , reasonableness of dealing, wherein not strictness of legal right, but consideration for one another, is the rule of practice. Aristot., Eth. Nic. v. 10. 6, defines it to be that which fills up the necessary deficiencies of law, which is general, by dealing with particular cases as the law-giver would have dealt with them if he had been by. διό , he adds, δίκαιονμένἐστι , καὶβέλτιόντινοςδικαίου · … καὶἔστιναὕτηἡφύσιςἡτοῦἐπιεικοῦς , ἐπανόρθωμανόμου , ᾗἐλλείπειδιὰτὸκαθόλου . And he describes the ἐπιεικής as ὁμὴἀκριβοδίκαιοςἐπὶτὸχεῖρον . See Trench, New Test. Syn., as above.

By the γνωσθήτωπᾶσινἀνθρ ., the Apostle rather intends, ‘ let no man know of you any inconsistency with ἐπιείκεια .’ The universality of it justifies its application even to those described above, ch. 3:18 f.,— that though warned against them, they were to shew all moderation and clemency towards them: so Chrys. Meyer observes well, that the succession of these precepts seems to explain itself psychologically by the disposition of spiritual joy in the Lord exalting us both above rigorism, and above anxiety of mind (ver. 6).

ὁκύριοςἐγγύς ] These words may apply either to the foregoing— ‘ the Lord will soon come, He is the avenger; it is yours to be moderate and clement’ (so De Wette, al.): or to the following— ‘ the Lord is near, be not anxious:’ so Chrys., Thdrt., all. Perhaps we may best regard it as the transition from the one to the other: Christ’ s coming is at hand— this is the best enforcer of clemency and forbearance: it also leads on to the duty of banishing anxiety.

ὁκύριος is Christ, and the ἐγγύς refers to the παρουσία ; see on ch. 3:20.

6. μηδέν has the emphasis. It is the accusative of the object, as τὸπολλὰμεριμνᾷν , Xen. Cyr. viii. 7. 12.

ἐνπαντί ] in every thing: see ref. 1 Thess. and note. Meyer remarks that the literally correct rendering of the Vulg. ‘ in omni (neut.) oratione’ led Ambrose wrong, who gives it ‘ per omnem orationem.’

τῇπροσευχῇκαὶτῇδεήσει ] by your prayer and your supplication: or better, by the prayer and the supplication appropriate to each thing. On the difference between προσευχή and δέησις , see on Ephesians 6:18, 1 Timothy 2:1.

Not μετὰτῆςεὐχαριστίας , because the matters themselves may not be recognized as grounds of εὐχαριστία , but it should accompany every request. Ellic., who doubts this explanation, thinks it “ more simple to say that εὐχαριστία , ‘ thanksgiving for past blessings,’ is in its nature more general and comprehensive, προς . and δεησ . almost necessarily more limited and specific. Hence, though εὐχαρ . occurs 12 times in St. Paul’ s Epistles, it is only twice used with the article, 1 Corinthians 14:26, 2 Corinthians 4:15.” But I much prefer the other view.

τὰαἰτήματα ] = ὃἂναἰτώμεθα , 1 John 5:15. Plato, Rep. viii. p. 566, speaks of τὸτυραννικὸναἴτημα … αἰτεῖντὸνδῆμονφύλακάςτιναςτοῦσώματος .

πρὸςτὸνθεόν ] unto, ‘ before,’ ‘ coram:’ see Acts 8:24.

7. Consequence of this laying every thing before God in prayer with thanksgiving— peace unspeakable.

καί , and then.

ἡεἰρ . τοῦθεοῦ , that peace which rests in God and is wrought by Him in the soul, the counterpoise of all troubles and anxieties— see John 16:33— … ἵναἐνἐμοὶεἰρήνηνἔχητε · ἐντῷκόσμῳθλίψινἔχετε . Meyer denies that εἰρήνη ever has this meaning: but he is certainly wrong. The above verse, and John 16:27, Colossians 3:15, cannot be fully interpreted on his meaning, mere mutual concord. It is of course true, that mutual concord, and τὸἐπιεικές , are necessary elements of this peace: but it goes far beyond them. See the alternatives thoroughly discussed, as usual, in Ellic.’ s note.

ἡὑπερέχουσαπάντανοῦν ] not as Chrys., ὅτανλέγῃπρὸςτοὺςἐχθροὺςεἰρηνεύειν … πῶςοὐχὑπὲρνοῦνἐστινἀνθρώπινοντοῦτο ; nor as Estius, “ quia omnem expectationem humanam excedit, quod Deus pro inimicis sibi reconciliandis filium suum dederit in mortem:” nor as Calvin, “ quia nihil humano ingenio magis adversum, quam in summa desperatione nihilominus sperare:” but as Erasm., all., “ res felicior quam ut humana mens queat percipere.” νοῦς is the intelligent faculty, the perceptive and appreciative power: reff. On the sentiment itself, cf. Ephesians 3:19.

φρουρήσει must not with Chrys., Thdrt., Thl., Luth., all. and Vulg., be made optative in sense: it is not a wish, but a declaration— following upon the performance of the injunction above.

τὰςκαρδίαςὑμῶνκ . τὰνοήματαὑμῶν ] The heart is the fountain of the thoughts, i.e. designs, plans (not minds, as E. V.): so that this expression is equivalent to ‘ your hearts themselves, and their fruits.’

ἐνχριστῷἸησοῦ is not the predicate after φρουρήσει — shall keep &c. in Christ, i.e. keep them from falling from Christ (ὥστεμένεινκ . μὴἐκπεσεῖναὐτοῦτῆςπίστεως , Chrys.): but, as usual, denotes the sphere or element of the φρουρά thus bestowed— that it shall be a Christian security:— the verb φρουρήσει being absolute.

8, 9. Summary exhortation to Christian virtues not yet specified.

8. τὸλοιπόν resumes again his intention of closing the Epistle with which he had begun ch. 3., but from which he had been diverted by incidental subjects. It is unnatural to attribute to the Apostle so formal a design as De W. does, of now speaking of man’ s part, as he had hitherto of God’ s part:— Chrys. has it rightly,— τίἐστιτὸλοιπόν : ἀντὶτοῦ , πάνταἡμῖνεἴρηται . ἐπειγομένουτὸῥῆμάἐστι , καὶοὐδὲνκοινὸνἔχοντοςπρὸςτὰπαρόντα .

This beautiful sentence, full of the Apostle’ s fervour and eloquence, derives much force from the frequent repetition of ὅσα , and then of εἴτις .

ἀληθῆ ] subjective, truthful: not, true in matter of fact. The whole regards ethical qualities. ταῦταγὰρὄντωςἀληθῆ , ἡἀρετή , ψεῦδοςδὲἡκακία . κ . γὰρἡἡδονὴαὐτῆςψεῦδος . κ . ἡδόξααὐτῆςψεῦδος , κ . πάντατὰτοῦκόσμουψεῦδος . Chrys.

σεμνά ] τὸσεμνὸνὄνομα , τὸκαλόντεκἀγαθόν , Xen. Œ c. vi. 14. It is difficult to give it in any one English word: ‘ honest’ and ‘ honourable’ are too weak: ‘ reverend’ and ‘ venerable,’ ‘ grave’ are seldom applied to things: Nor do I know any other more eligible.

δίκαια ] not ‘ just,’ in respect of others, merely— but right, in that wider sense in which δικαιοσύνη is used— before God and man: see this sense Acts 10:22; Romans 5:7.

ἁγνά ] not merely ‘ chaste’ in the ordinary confined acceptation: but pure generally: “ castimoniam denotat in omnibus vitæ partibus.” Calv.

προσφιλῆ ] lovely, in the most general sense: no subjects need be supplied, as τοῖςπιστοῖς , or τῷθεῷ (Chrys.): for the exhortation is markedly and designedly as general as possible.

εὔφημα ] again, general, and with reference to general fame— of good report, as E. V. The meaning ‘ sermones qui bene aliis precantur,’ adopted by Storr and Flatt, though philologically justified, is evidently not general enough for our context.

εἴτιςἀρετὴ … ] sums up all which have gone before and generalizes still further. The E. V. ‘ if there be any virtue,’ &c. is objectionable, not for the reason alleged by Scholefield, Hints, &c. p. 85, as ‘ expressing a doubt of the existence of the thing in the abstract,’ which it does not,— but as carrying the appearance of an adjuration, ‘ by the existence of,’ &c. which conveys a wrong impression of the sense— whatever virtue there is (not ‘ there be,’ as Scholef.) &c.

ἀρετή ] virtue, in the most general ethical sense: ἔπαινος , praise, not ‘ pro eo quod est laudabile,’ as Calv., al., but as Erasm., ‘ laus, virtutis comes.’ The disciplinœ , which follows ‘ laus’ in the Vulg. &c., is a pure interpolation, and beside the meaning: see various readings.

ταῦτα — viz., all the foregoing— the ἀληθῆ &c.,— the ἀρετή , and the ἔπαινος — these things meditate: let them be your νοήματα .

9. These general abstract things he now particularizes in the concrete us having been exemplified and taught by himself when among them. The first καί is not ‘ both,’ as E. V., but also,— moreover: which, besides what I have said recommending them above, were also recommended to you by my own example.

ἐμάθετε ] again, not as E. V. ‘ have learned,’ &c.— but all aorists,— referring to the time when he was among them. Those things which (not ‘ whatsoever things:’ we are on generals no longer: nor would he recommend to them all his own sayings and doings; but the καί expressly provides for their being of the kinds specified above) ye moreover learned, and received (reff.: here of receiving not by word of mouth, but by knowledge of his character: the whole is not doctrinal, but ethical) and heard (again not of preaching, but of his tried and acknowledged Christian character, which was in men’ s mouths and thus heard) and saw (each for himself) in me (ἐνἐμοί will not properly belong to the two first verbs, ἐμάθ . and παρελ ., but must be associated by zeugma with them— he himself being clearly the example throughout), these things practise (correlative with, not opposed to, λογίζεσθε above:— that λογισμός being eminently practical, and issuing, in the concrete, in the ταῦταπράσσειν , after Paul’ s example).

καί ] and then: see ver. 7. On εἰρήνη , see there.

10-20. He thanks them for the supply received from Philippi.

10. δέ is transitional; the contrast being between the personal matters which are now introduced, and those more solemn ones which he has just been treating.

ἐνκυρίῳ ] see above, ch. 3:1, ver. 4. “ Every occurrence, in his view, has reference to Christ,— takes from Him its character and form.” Wiesinger.

ἤδηποτέ ] now at length, as E. V.: ‘ tandem aliquando:’ χρόνονδηλοῦντόςἐστιμακρόν , Chrys. The ποτέ takes up and makes indefinite the ἤδη : as in δήποτε , δήπου , &c. See Klotz ad Devar. p. 607, 8. But no reproof is conveyed by the expression, as Chrys. thinks: see below.

ἀνεθάλετε ] lit. ye came into leaf; “ metaphora sumta ab arboribus, quarum vis hyeme contracta latet, vere florere incipit,” Calv. But it is fanciful to conclude with Bengel, that it was Spring, when the gift came: see on a similar fancy in 1 Corinthians 5:7. The word is taken transitively (see reff.) by Grot., all.,— ‘ ye caused to spring again your care for me’ (see below): but the intransitive only will suit the sense here— ye budded forth again in caring for my interest (see below). Your care for me was, so to speak, the life of the tree; it existed just as much in winter when there was no vegetation, when ye ἠκαιρεῖσθε , as when the buds were put forth in spring. This is evident by what follows. We must thank Meyer, to whom we owe so much in accuracy of grammatical interpretation, for having followed out the right track here, first indicated by Bengel, and rendered τὸὑπὲρἐμοῦ as the accusative governed by φρονεῖν .

The ordinary way (so Wiesinger and Ellicott recently) has been to regard the words as = τὸφρονεῖνὑπὲρἐμοῦ , thus depriving the relative ἐφ ʼ ᾧ of any thing to refer to, and producing the logical absurdity (Mey.), ἐφρονεῖτεἐπὶτῷὑπὲρἐμοῦφρονεῖν , or forcing ἐφ ʼ ᾧ to some unjustified meaning (‘ although,’ as Luth., al.,— ‘ sicut,’ as vulg.,— &c.), or understanding it ‘ for whom,’ as Calv., al.,— contrary to the Apostle’ s usage, in which (reff.) ἐφ ʼ ᾧ is always neuter. But if we take τὸὑπὲρἐμοῦ together,— ‘ my interest,’ — and govern it by φρονεῖν , all will be simple and clear: I rejoiced, &c. that at last ye flourished in anxiety for my interest: for which purpose (cf.

Plato, Gorg. p. 502 b, ἐφ ʼ ᾧἐσπούδακε :— the purpose, namely, of flourishing, putting forth the supply which you have now sent. Wiesinger prefers the other, and vindicates it from Meyer’ s imputation: but to me not convincingly: as neither Ellicott) ye also were anxious (all that long time, imperfect), but had no opportunity (ἀκαιρέω is a word of later Greek: εὐκαιρέω , its opposite, is used by Lucian, Plutarch, Polyb., &c., as also its compounds ἐνευκαιρέω , προσευκαιρέω , &c. See Phryn. ed. Lobeck, p. 125. Wiesinger well remarks that we must not press this ἠκαιρεῖσθε into a definite hypothesis, such as that their financial state was not adequate— that they had no means of conveyance, &c.— it is perfectly general, and all such fillings up are mere conjecture).

11. inserted to prevent misunderstanding of the last verse.

οὐχὅτι ] See ch. 3:12: my meaning is not, that … καθ ʼ , according to, i.e. in consequence of— see reff., and Od. γ . 106, πλαζόμενοικατὰληΐδ ʼ : Herod. ii. 152, κατὰληΐηνἐκπλώσαντας : Thuc. vi. 31, κατὰθέανἥκειν : not, as Van Hengel, ‘ ut more receptum est penuriæ ,’ which would be κατὰτοὺςὑστεροῦντας (see Romans 3:5 al.).

For I (emphatic: for my part, whatever others may feel) learned (in my experience, my training for this apostolic work: not ‘ have learned:’ the aorist is much simpler and more humble— ‘ I was taught:’ the present result of this teaching comes below, οἶδα , but not in this word), in the state in which I am (not ‘ in whatsoever state I am’ (E. V.: which would be ἐνοἷςἂνεἰμί ,— cf. ὅπουἂνεἰσεπορεύετο , Mark 6:56, ὅσοιἂνἥπτοντοαὐτοῦ , ib. Winer, § 42. 3. a), nor as Luther, bei welchen ich bin (οἷς masculine), which is against the context. But ἐνοἷςεἰμί does not apply only to the Apostle’ s present circumstances, but to any possible present ones: ‘ in which I am at any time:’ see next verse) to find competence (we have no word for αὐτάρκης . ‘ Self-sufficing’ will express its meaning of independence of external help (τελειότηςκτήσεωςἀγαθῶν , Plato, Def. p. 412), but is liable to be misunderstood: ‘ competent’ is not in use in this sense, though the abstract noun competence is: the German genü gsam gives it well).

12. See above. I know (by this teaching) also (the first καί expresses that, besides the general finding of competence in all circumstances, he specially has been taught to suffer humiliation and to bear abundance. See Ellic.’ s note) how to be brought low (generally: but here especially by need, in humiliation of circumstances.

Meyer remarks that 2 Corinthians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 6:9, 2 Corinthians 6:10, are a commentary on this), I know also how to abound (ὑψοῦσθαι , as Wies. remarks, would be the proper general opposite: but he chooses the special one, which fits the matter of which he is treating): in every thing (not as vulg., E. V., all., ‘ every where,’ nor ‘ at every time,’ as Chrys., Grot.,— nor both, as Thl., &c.:— but as usually in St. Paul: see ref. and note) and in all things (not, as Luth., Beng., ‘ respectu omnium hominum:’ ἐνπαντὶπράγματί , φησι , κ . ἐνπᾶσιτοῖςπαρεμπίπτουσι , Œ c.: the expression conveys universality, as ‘ in each and all,’ with us) I have been taught the lesson (‘ initiated:’ but no stress to be laid, as by Beng., ‘ disciplina arcana imbutus sum, ignota mundo:’ see the last example below. Beware (against Wiesinger) of joining μεμύημαι with ἐνπαντὶκ . ἐνπᾶσιν , initiated in, &c.; the verb is (against Ellicott) not constructed with ἐν , but with an accusative of the person and the thing , which last accusative remains with the passive: so μ ʼ ἀνὴρἐμύησ ʼ Ἑλικωνίδα , Anthol. ix. 162,— οἱτὰςτελετὰςμεμυημένοι , Plato, Symp. p. 209. The present construction, with an infinitive, occurs, Alciphr. ii. 4, κυβερνᾷνμυηθήσομαι ) both to be satiated and to hunger (the forms πεινᾷν , διψᾷν , for -ῇν , seem to have come in with Macedonian influence: being found first in Aristotle; see Lobeck in Phryn. p. 61), both to abound and to be in need.

13. ‘ After these special notices, he declares his universal power,— how triumphantly, yet how humbly!’ Meyer. I can do (reff.: so μηδὲνἰσχύειν , Plato Crit. p. 50 b) all things (not ‘ all these things,’ τὰπάντα , as Van Hengel: ‘ the Apostle rises above mere relations of prosperous and adverse circumstance, to the general,’ De W.) in (in union with,— by means of my spiritual life, which is not mine, but Christ living in me, Galatians 2:20: the E. V. ‘ through’ does not give this union sufficiently) him who strengthens me (i.e. Christ, as the gloss rightly supplies: cf. 1 Timothy 1:12).

14. ‘ Cavet, ne fortiter loquendo contempsisse ipsorum beneficium videatur.’ Calv. μὴγὰρἐπειδή , φησιν , ἐνχρείᾳοὐκαθέστηκα , νομίσητεμὴδεῖσθαίμετοῦπράγματος · δέομαιδι ʼ ὑμᾶς . Chrys.

συγκοινωνήσαντέςμουτῇθλίψει ] ὅρασοφίαν , πῶςἐπαίρειτὸπρᾶγμα , Thl.: in that ye made yourselves partakers with my present tribulation (not poverty: by their sympathy for him they suffered with him; and their gift was a proof of this sympathy).

15-17. Honourable recollection of their former kindness to him.

15. δέ contrasts this former service with their present one.

καὶὑμεῖς ] ‘ as well as I myself.’ He addresses them by name (as 2 Corinthians 6:11) to mark them particularly as those who did what follows: but not to the absolute exclusion of others, as Bengel : others may have done it too, for aught that this appellative implies: that they did not, is by and by expressly asserted: ἐνἀρχῇτοῦεὐαγγελίου , penes vos, Beng.: he places himself in their situation; dates from (so to speak) their Christian era. This he specifies by ὅτεἐξῆλθονἀπὸΜακεδονίας . See Acts 17:14. By this is not meant, as commonly understood, the supply which he received at Corinth (2 Corinthians 11:9), in order to which De W., Wies., al., understand ἐξῆλθον as a pluperfect,— but that mentioned below: see there: ἐξῆλθον being the aorist marking the simple date: when I left Macedonia.

οὐδεμίαμοιἐκκλησία ] no church communicated with me as to (in) an account of giving and receiving (i.e. every receipt being part of the department of giving and receiving, being one side of such a reckoning, ye alone opened such an account with me. It is true the Philippians had all the giving, the Apostle all the receiving: the debtor side was vacant in their account, the creditor side in his: but this did not make it any the less an account of “ giving-and-receiving,” categorically so called. This explanation, which is Meyer’ s, is in my view far the most simple (against Ellic., who apparently has misunderstood it), and preferable to the almost universal one, that his creditor and their debtor side was that which he spiritually imparted to them: for the introduction of spiritual gifts does not belong to the context, and therefore disturbs it. Similar usages of λῆψιςκ . δόσις occur: e.g. Artemid. i. 44, οἱδιὰδόσεωςκ . λήψεωςποριζόμενοι : Arrian, Epict. ii. 9, τὸνφιλάργυροναἱἀκατάλληλοιλήψειςκ . δόσεις : Cicero, Læ lio 16, ‘ ratio acceptorum et datorum.’ See Wetst.) but you only:

16. for even in Thessalonica (which was an early stage of my ἐξελθεῖνἀπὸΜακ ., before the departure was consummated. The ὅτι gives a reason for and proof of the former assertion— ye were the only ones, &c.,— and ye began as early as ἐνΘεσσ ., i.e. when I was at Thessalonica. In such brachylogical constructions the preposition of rest, as belonging to the act accomplished, overbears the preposition of motion, as belonging to it only in its imperfect state; so οἱἐντῷἩραίῳκαταπεφευγότες , Xen. Hell. iv. 5. 5,— ταῖςλοιπαῖςἐντῇγῇκαταπεφευγυίαιςἐνέβαλλον , Thuc. iv. 14,— ἀποστελοῦντες … ἐντῇΣικελίᾳ , ib. vii. 17, where ἐςτὴνΣ . in Bekker’ s text is a correction) ye sent both once and twice (the account of the expression being, that when the first arrived, they had sent once: when the second, not only once, but twice. So in ref.: and Herod. ii. 121, αὐτῷκ . δὶςκ . τρὶςἀνοίξαντι : iii. 148, τοῦτοκ . δὶςκ . τρὶςεἴπαντοςΜαιανδρίου . The opposite expression, οὐχἅπαξοὐδὲδίς , is found in Plato, Clitoph. § 7) ye sent (absolute as in ref.) to (for the supply of, ref.) my necessity.

17. Again he removes any chance of misunderstanding, as above in ver. 11. It was not for his own sake but for theirs that he rejoiced at their liberality, because it multiplied the fruits of their faith. Not that (see above, ver. 11) I seek (present, ‘ it is my character to seek.’ The preposition in composition denotes, as so often, the direction; not studiose, nor insuper) the gift (τό — in the case in question), but I do seek (the repetition of the verb is solemn and emphatic) the fruit which (thereby, in the case before us) abounds to your account (this εἰςλόγον refers to the same expression, ver. 15— fruit, μισθόν in the day of the Lord, the result of your labour for me in the Lord. De W., after Van Hengel, doubts whether πλεονάζοντα can be constructed with εἰς , and would therefore separate them by a comma. But surely little would be thus gained, for the εἰς would belong to the whole clause, the connecting link being καρπὸνπλεονάζοντα , so that even thus the idea of πλεονάζοντα must be carried on to εἰς : and perhaps in 2 Thessalonians 1:3 it is so: see note there).

18. But (notwithstanding that the gift is not that which I desire, I have received it, and been sufficiently supplied by it) I have all (I want), and abound (over and above): I am filled , having received at the hands of Epaphroditus the remittance from you, a savour of fragrance (a clause in apposition, expressing a judgment,— so frequently in poetry, especially in tragedians,— Il. ω . 735, ἤτιςἈχαιῶνῥίψει , χειρὸςἑλών , ἀπὸπύργου , λυγρὸνὄλεθρον : Eur. Orest. 950, τιθεῖσαλευκὸνὄνυχαδιὰπαρηΐδων , αἱματηρὸνἄταν . See Kü hner, ii. 146. On ὀσμὴεὐωδίας see Ephesians 5:2, note), a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God (see Hebrews 13:16; 1 Peter 2:5).

19. an assurance taken up from τῷθεῷ above, μου because he (Paul) was the receiver: this was his return to them: ‘ qui quod servo ejus datur remunerabitur.’ Beng.

πληρώσει … all refers to vv. 16, 18;— as ye πεπληρώκατέμουτὴνχρείαν . It is an assurance, not a wish . πᾶσαν ,— not only in the department alluded to, but in all. Meyer refers to the beatitudes in Mat_5 and especially St. Luke’ s χορτασθήσεσθε and γελάσετε , Luke 6:21, as illustrative.

ἐνδόξῃ ] to be connected with πληρώσει , not with τὸπλοῦτοςαὐτοῦ : not, gloriously, as many Commentators, which is weak and flat in the extreme: but δόξα is the instrument and element by and in which ‘ all your need’ will be supplied: in glory, cf. Ps. 16:15 LXX: but not only at the coming of Christ (as Meyer, according to his wont), but in the whole glorious imparting to you of the unsearchable riches of Christ, begun and carried on here, and completed at that day.

ἐνχριστῷἸησοῦ ] and this filling (or, ‘ this glory,’ but then perhaps τῇ would have been expressed) is, consists, and finds its sphere and element, in Christ Jesus.

20. The contemplation both of the Christian reward, of which he has been speaking, and of the glorious completion of all God’ s dealings at the great day,— and the close of his Epistle,— suggests this ascription of praise.

δέ ] But— however rich you may be in good works, however strong I may be by Christ to bear all things,— not to us, but to our God and Father be the glory. On εἰςτοὺςαἰῶναςτῶναἰώνων , see note, Ephesians 3:21.

21-23. Greeting and final benediction.

21. πάνταἅγιον , every individual saint. The singular has love and affection, and should not be lost as in Conyb., ‘ Salute all God’ s people.’

ἐνχριστῷἸησοῦ ] belongs more probably to ἀσπάσασθε ,— see Romans 16:22; 1 Corinthians 16:19,— than to ἅγιον , as in ch. 1:1, where, as Meyer observes, the expression has a diplomatic formality, whereas here there is no reason for so formal an adjunct.

οἱσὺνἐμοὶἀδελφοί ] These must, on account of the next verse, have been his closer friends, perhaps his colleagues in the ministry, such as Aristarchus, Epaphras, Demas, Timotheus. But there has arisen a question, how to reconcile this with ch. 2:20? And it may be answered, that the lack of ἰσοψυχία there predicated of his companions, did not exclude them from the title ἀδελφοί , nor from sending greeting to the Philippians: see also ch. 1:14.

22. πάντεςοἱἅγιοι , all the Christians here.

οἱἐκτῆςΚαίσαροςοἰκίας ] These perhaps were slaves belonging to the familia of Nero, who had been converted by intercourse with St. Paul, probably at this time a prisoner in the præ torian barracks (see ch. 1:13 note) attached to the palace. This is much more likely, than that any of the actual family of Nero should have embraced Christianity. The hint which Chrys., al., find here, εἰγὰροἱἐντοῖςβασιλείοιςπάντωνκατεφρόνησανδιὰτὸνβασιλέατῶνοὐρανῶν , πολλῷμᾶλλοναὐτοὺςχρὴτοῦτοποιεῖν , is alien from the simplicity of the close of an Epistle. The reason of these being specified is not plain: the connexion perhaps between a colonia, and some of the imperial household, might account for it.

23. See Galatians 6:18.