1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 Antique Commentary Quotes

A.T. Robertson
1Th 4:1
Finally (loipon). Accusative of general reference of loipos, as for the rest. It does not mean actual conclusion, but merely a colloquial expression pointing towards the end (Milligan) as in 2Co_13:11; 2Ti_4:8. So to loipon in 2Th_3:1; Phi_3:1; Phi_4:8.

We beseech (erōtōmen). Not “question” as in ancient Greek, but as often in N.T. (1Th_5:12; 2Th_2:1; Phi_4:3) and also in papyri to make urgent request of one.

How ye ought (to pōs dei humās). Literally, explanatory articular indirect question (to pōs) after parelabēte according to common classic idiom in Luke (Luk_1:62; Luk_22:2, Luk_22:4, Luk_22:23, Luk_22:24) and Paul (Rom_8:26).

That ye abound (hina perisseuēte). Loose construction of the hina clause with present subjunctive after two subordinate clauses with kathōs (as, even as) to be connected with “beseech and exhort.”

More and more (mallon). Simply more, but added to same idea in perisseuēte. See also 1Th_4:11.

John Calvin
1Th 4:1
1Furthermore. This chapter contains various injunctions, by which he trains up the Thessalonians to a holy life, or confirms them in the exercise of it. They had previously learned what was the rule and method of a pious life: he calls this to their remembrance. As, says he, ye have been taught. Lest, however, he should seem to take away from them what he had previously assigned them, he does not simply exhort them to walkin such a manner, but to abound more and more. When, therefore, he urges them to make progress, he intimates that they are already in the way. The sum is this, that they should be more especially careful to make progress in the doctrine which they had received, and this Paul places in contrast with frivolous and vain pursuits, in which we see that a good part of the world very generally busy themselves, so that profitable and holy meditation as to the due regulation of life scarcely obtains a place, even the most inferior. Paul, accordingly, reminds them in what manner they had been instructed, and bids them aim at this with their whole might. Now, there is a law that is here enjoined upon us — that, forgetting the things that are behind, we always aim at farther progress, (Phi_3:13 ) and pastors ought also to make this their endeavor. Now, as to his beseeching, when he might rightfully enjoin — it is a token of humanity and modesty which pastors ought to imitate, that they may, if possible, allure people to kindness, rather than violently compel them. (566)

Adam Clarke
1Th 4:1
We beseech you, brethren, and exhort – We give you proper instructions in heavenly things, and request you to attend to our advice. The apostle used the most pressing entreaties; for he had a strong and affectionate desire that this Church should excel in all righteousness and true holiness.

Please God more and more – God sets no bounds to the communications of his grace and Spirit to them that are faithful. And as there are no bounds to the graces, so there should be none to the exercise of those graces. No man can ever feel that he loves God too much, or that he loves man too much for God’s sake.

John Gill
1Th 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren,…. Or request of you in the most kind and tender manner, from real and hearty love and affection for you, and with a view to your good, and the glory of God:

and exhort you: or beseech and entreat you. The apostle does not lay his commands upon them as he might have done, and sometimes does, but endeavours to work upon them by way of entreaty, and which he doubtless thought the most effectual method to win upon them, and gain them; for some minds are more easily wrought upon by entreaty than by authority: and this he does in the most moving and powerful manner, even

by the Lord Jesus; or “in the Lord Jesus”; in his name and stead, as personating him, and as though he did beseech and entreat them by him, and his fellow ministers; or for his sake, intimating, that if they had any regard to him, any value for his name, if that had any weight with them, or they had any concern for his honour and interest, then he begs their attention to the following exhortation; or by the Lord Jesus, by all that is in him, or done for them by him; in whom they were chosen, by whom they were redeemed, in whom they were made new creatures, to whose image they were to be conformed, whose followers they professed to be, whose Gospel they embraced, and by whose name they were called.

That as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk, and to please God. The walk of believers is twofold, either internal or external. Their internal walk is by faith, which is the going out of the soul by faith to Christ for every supply of grace. Their external walk is not as it was before conversion, according to the course of this world, or as other Gentiles walk, but in a holy religious life and conversation; and this requires spiritual life, strength and direction from Christ; for neither dead men, nor, if alive, yet weak, can walk; nor is it in a spiritual man, that walketh to direct his steps; and such a walk also denotes continuance, in well doing, and a progression or going on in it, and supposes ways to walk in. Christ, he is the chief and principal way, and there are other paths which regard him, or relate and lead unto him; as the way of truth, the path of ordinances, and of religious worship, both public and private, and the ways of righteousness, holiness, and good works: the manner in which saints are to walk is as Christ himself walked, after the Spirit, and not after the flesh, according to the rule of the word, which is the standard of faith and practice, with prudence, wisdom, circumspection, and worthy of God, and of that calling wherein they are called: and of such a walk there is a necessity; it “ought”, it must be both on the account of God, it being his will, and for his glory, and the contrary would show great ingratitude to him; and on the account of the saints themselves, to adorn them, and their profession, and preserve them from shame and disgrace, to show their faith, and demonstrate their calling and election to others; and likewise on account of others, partly for the winning of some, by recommending in this way the Gospel to them, and partly for the bringing of others to shame and silence, who falsely accuse their good conversation. Now when the apostle, and those that were with him, were at Thessalonica, they gave these saints directions and instructions about their walk and conversation, to order it in such a manner as might “please God”; which is not to be understood of rendering their persons acceptable to God hereby, for the saints’ acceptance with God is only in Christ the beloved; nor of their gaining the love and favour of God by such means, for the love of God is from everlasting, and is free, and sovereign, and does not arise from, or depend upon the holiness and obedience of men; or of making peace with God by such a walk, for peace is only made by the blood of Christ; but of doing those things, and in such a way God approves of: unregenerate men cannot please God, nor anything they do, because they are destitute of the Spirit of God, and are without Christ, and his grace and have not faith in him, without which it is impossible to please God; but what a believer does in faith, from a principle of love, in the name and strength of Christ, and to the glory of God, is approved of by God, and is acceptable to him through Christ, and for his sake; and there are many things of this kind, as prayer, praise, acts of beneficence to the poor, and indeed every good work and holy action: and inasmuch as they had been thus taught and instructed how to behave and conduct in their outward walk and conversation, they are entreated and exhorted to go on and abound in the work of the Lord:

so ye would abound more and more: that is, be more and more in the exercise of every grace, and in the discharge of every duty, making advances in holiness of life, and perfecting it in the fear of God. Beza’s ancient copy, and another manuscript, as also the Alexandrian copy, and some others, add between the preceding, and this last clause, “as ye also walk”; and so the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions seem to have read; commending them for their present and past walk and conversation, in order to persuade and encourage them to go forward.

A.T. Robertson
1Th 4:2 What charge (tinas paraggelias). Plural, charges or precepts, command (Act_16:24), prohibition (Act_5:28), right living (1Ti_1:5). Military term in Xenophon and Polybius.

John Gill
1Th 4:2 For ye know what commandments we gave you,…. When among them; such as those of faith and love, the ordinances of the Gospel, baptism, and the Lord’s supper, and all such as relate to the worship and service of God, to the discipline of Christ’s house, to their behaviour one towards another, and their conduct in the world: and which were delivered to them, not as from themselves, and by their own authority, but

by the Lord Jesus; in his name, and by his authority, and as ordered by him; for their commission ran to teach men all things, whatsoever Christ commanded: now since they knew what these commandments were, and whose they were, and the obligation they lay under to regard them, the apostle makes use of it as a reason or argument to engage them to obedience to them; for he that knows his Lord’s will, and does it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, Luk_12:47.

A.T. Robertson
1Th 4:3
Your sanctification (ho hagiasmos humōn). Found only in the Greek Bible and ecclesiastical writers from hagiazō and both to take the place of the old words hagizō, hagismos with their technical ideas of consecration to a god or goddess that did not include holiness in life. So Paul makes a sharp and pointed stand here for the Christian idea of sanctification as being “the will of God” (apposition) and as further explained by the epexegetic infinitive that ye abstain from fornication (apechesthai humas apo tēs porneias). Pagan religion did not demand sexual purity of its devotees, the gods and goddesses being grossly immoral. Priestesses were in the temples for the service of the men who came.

John Calvin
1Th 4:3
3For this is the will of God. This is doctrine of a general nature, from which, as from a fountain, he immediately deduces special admonitions. When he says that this is the will of God, he means that we have been called by God with this design. “For this end ye are Christians — this the gospel aims at — that ye may sanctify yourselves to God.” The meaning of the term sanctification we have already explained elsewhere in repeated instances — that renouncing the world, and clearing ourselves from the pollutions of the flesh, we offer ourselves to God as if in sacrifice, for nothing can with propriety be offered to Him, but what is pure and holy.

That ye abstain. This is one injunction, which he derives from the fountain of which he had immediately before made mention; for nothing is more opposed to holiness than the defilement of fornication, which pollutes the whole man. On this account he assigns the lust of concupiscence to the Gentiles, who know not God. “Where the knowledge of God reigns, lusts must be subdued.”

By the lust of concupiscence, he means all base lusts of the flesh, but, at the same time, by this manner of expression, he brands with dishonor all desires that allure us to pleasure and carnal delights, as in Rom_13:14, he bids us have no care for the flesh in respect of the lust thereof. For when men give indulgence to their appetites, there are no bounds to lasciviousness. Hence the only means of maintaining temperance is to bridle all lusts.

John Gill
1Th 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification,…. Which is another reason to enforce the above exhortation. “Sanctification” is internal or external. Internal sanctification is the work of the Spirit of God, and is a principle of spiritual life in the soul, a divine and spiritual light in the understanding, a flexion of the will to the will of God, and a settlement of the affections on divine things, and is an implantation of every grace in the heart. External sanctification arises from this, and lies in holiness of life and conversation; and is what is chiefly designed, as appears both by what goes before, and follows after: and this is “the will of God”; the will of his purpose and decree; for in the same decree that he wills the salvation of any by Jesus Christ, he also wills their sanctification in heart and life, and here and hereafter: and this is his approving will, or what is well pleasing in his sight, being agreeable to his nature, and divine perfections, particularly his holiness, in which he is glorious; and it is his will of command, and what he requires in his law, which is holy, just, and good, and perfectly agrees with the sound doctrine of the Gospel, and the revelation of his will in both.

That ye should abstain from fornication: which is particularly mentioned, abstinence from it being a branch of external holiness; and because that this sin was common among the Gentiles, and not esteemed a sin by them; as also to observe to these Christians, that as simple fornication was not to be allowed of, much less other acts of uncleanness, as adultery, incest, sodomy, and the like, which were iniquities that greatly prevailed among the Heathens. The Syriac version renders it, “from all fornication”; on this subject the apostle enlarges in some following verses.

A.T. Robertson
1Th 4:4
That each one of you know how (eidenai hekaston humōn). Further epexegetic infinitive (second perfect active), learn how and so know how (learn the habit of purity).

To possess himself of his own vessel (to heautou skeuos ktasthai). Present middle infinitive of ktaomai, to acquire, not kektēsthai, to possess. But what does Paul mean by “his own vessel”? It can only mean his own body or his own wife. Objections are raised against either view, but perhaps he means that the man shall acquire his own wife “in sanctification and honour,” words that elevate the wife and make it plain that Paul demands sexual purity on the part of men (married as well as unmarried). There is no double standard here. When the husband comes to the marriage bed, he should come as a chaste man to a chaste wife.

John Calvin 1Th 4:4
As for the expression, that every one of you may know to possess his vessel, some explain it as referring to a wife, as though it had been said, “Let husbands dwell with their wives in all chastity.” As, however, he addresses husbands and wives indiscriminately, there can be no doubt that he employs the term vesselto mean body. For every one has his body as a house, as it were, in which he dwells. He would, therefore, have us keep our body pure from all uncleanness.

And honor, that is, honorably, for the man that prostitutes his body to fornication, covers it with infamy and disgrace.

Adam Clarke
1Th 4:4
How to possess his vessel – Let every man use his wife for the purpose alone for which God created her, and instituted marriage. The word σκευος answers to the Hebrew כלי keli, which, though it signifies vessel in general, has several other meanings. That the rabbins frequently express wife by it, Schoettgen largely proves; and to me it appears very probable that the apostle uses it in that sense here. St. Peter calls the wife the weaker Vessel, 1Pe_3:7. Others think that the body is meant, which is the vessel in which the soul dwells. In this sense St. Paul uses it, 2Co_4:7 : We have this treasure in earthen Vessels; and in this sense it is used by both Greek and Roman authors. There is a third sense which interpreters have put on the word, which I forbear to name. The general sense is plain; purity and continency are most obviously intended, whether the word be understood as referring to the wife or the husband, as the following verse sufficiently proves.

John Gill
1Th 4:4 That everyone of you should know how to possess his vessel,…. By which may be meant, either a man’s wife, or his body, and it is not very easy to determine which, for the Jews call both by this name. Sometimes they call (p) a woman גולם, which the gloss says is a “vessel” unfinished. It is reported (q), that when R. Eleazar died, Rabbenu Hakkadosh would have married his widow, and she would not, because she was כלי של קדושה, “a vessel of holiness”, greater than he. Moreover, it is said (r), that

“he that forces (a young woman) must drink בעציצו, “in his own vessel” how drink in his own vessel? though she be lame, though she be blind, and though she is stricken with ulcers.”

The commentators (s) on the passage add,

“in the vessel which he has chosen; that is to say, whether he will or not, he must marry her;”

see Pro_5:15. And again, they sometimes call a man’s wife his tent: hence that saving (t),

“wtva ala wlha Nya “there is no tent but his wife”, as it is said, Deu_5:30, go, say to them, get you into your tents again.”

And certain it is, that the woman is called the “weaker vessel” in 1Pe_3:7, between which passage and this there seems to be some agreement. The same metaphor of a “vessel” is made use of in both; and as there, honour to be given to the weaker vessel, so here, a man’s vessel is to be possessed in honour; and as there, husbands are to dwell with their wives according to knowledge so here, knowledge is required to a man’s possessing his vessel aright. Now for a man to possess his vessel in this sense, is to enjoy his wife, and to use that power he has over her in a becoming manner; see 1Co_7:4, and which is here directed to “in sanctification and honour”; that is, in a chaste and honourable way; for marriage is honourable when the bed is kept undefiled; and which may be defiled, not only by taking another into it, and which is not possessing the wife in sanctification and honour, it is the reverse, for it is a breaking through the rules of chastity and honour; but it may even be defiled with a man’s own wife, by using her in an unnatural way, or by any unlawful copulation with her; for so to do is to use her in an unholy, unchaste, wicked, and dishonourable manner; whereas possessing of her according to the order and course of nature, is by the Jews, in agreement with the apostle, called (u), מקדש עצמו, “a man’s sanctifying himself”, and is chaste, and honourable. And it may be observed, that the Jews use the same phrase concerning conjugal embraces as the apostle does here. One of their canons runs thus (w):

“though a man’s wife is free for him at all times, it is fit and proper for a disciple of a wise man to use himself בקדושה, “in”, or “to sanctification”.”

When these thing’s are observed, this sense of the words will not appear so despicable as it is thought by some. The body is indeed called a “vessel”; see 2Co_4:7, because in it the soul is contained, and the soul makes use of it, and its members, as instruments, for the performance of various actions; and, with Jewish writers, we read of כלי גופו, “the vessel of his body” (x); so then, for a man to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, is to keep under his body and bring it into subjection, and preserve it in purity and chastity; as the eyes from unchaste looks, the tongue from unchaste words, and the other members from unchaste actions; and to use it in an honourable way, not in fornication, adultery, and sodomy; for, by fornication, a man sins against his own body; and by adultery he gets a wound, and a dishonour, and a reproach that will not be wiped away; and by sodomy, and such like unnatural lusts, men dishonour their own bodies between themselves: particularly by “his vessel”, as Gataker thinks, may be meant the “membrum virile”, or the genital parts, which, by an euphemism, may he so called; see 1Sa_21:5

(p) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol 22. 2. (q) Juchasin, fol. 48. 2. Shalsheleth Hakkabala, fol. 23. 1. (r) Misna Cetubot, c. 3. sect. 4, 5. (s) Jarchi & Bartenora in ib. (t) T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 7. 2. & 15. 2. (u) Maimon. in Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 7. sect. 4. (w) Maimon. Hilch Deyot, c. 5. sect. 4. (x) Caphtor, fol. 57. 2.

A.T. Robertson
1Th 4:5
Not in the passion of lust (mē en pathei epithumias). Plain picture of the wrong way for the husband to come to marriage.

That know not God (ta mē eidota ton theon). Second perfect participle of oida. The heathen knew gods as licentious as they are themselves, but not God. One of the reasons for the revival of paganism in modern life is professedly this very thing that men wish to get rid of the inhibitions against licentiousness by God.

John Gill
1Th 4:5 Not in the lust of concupiscence,…. Or “passion of lust”; for the mere gratifying and indulging of that; for a man so to possess his vessel, is to cherish the sin of concupiscence, the first motions of sin in the heart, by which a man is drawn away, and enticed; to blow up the flame of lust, and to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof:

even as the Gentiles which know not God; for, though they knew him, or might know him with a natural knowledge, by the light and works of nature, yet they knew him not savingly and spiritually, as he is revealed in the word, of which they were destitute; or as the God of all grace, and the God and Father of Christ, or as he is in Christ: and though by the light of nature they might know there was a God, yet they knew not who that God was; nor did they act up to that light and knowledge they had; they did not glorify him as God, by ascribing to him what was his due; nor were they thankful for the mercies they received from him; nor did they fear, love, worship, and serve him; nor did they like to retain him in their knowledge, and therefore were given up to judicial blindness and hardness, to a reprobate mind, and to vile affections, and so did things very inconvenient, unnatural, and dishonourable. Wherefore, for a man to use either his wife or his body in any unchaste and dishonourable manner, for the gratifying of his lusts, is to act an Heathenish part; a like argument, dissuading from things unlawful, is used in Mat_6:32.

A.T. Robertson
1Th 4:6
That no man transgress (to mē huperbainein). Old verb to go beyond. Final use of to (accusative of general reference) and the infinitive (negative mē), parallel to apechesthai and eidenai ktasthai above.

And wrong his brother (kai pleonektein ton adelphon autou). To take more, to overreach, to take advantage of, to defraud.

In the matter (en tōi pragmati). The delicacy of Paul makes him refrain from plainer terms and the context makes it clear enough as in 2Co_7:11 (tōi pragmati).

An avenger (ekdikos). Regular term in the papyri for legal avenger. Modern men and women need to remember that God is the avenger for sexual wrongs both in this life and the next.

John Calvin
1Th 4:6
6Let no man oppress.Here we have another exhortation, which flows, like a stream, from the doctrine of sanctification. “God,” says he, “has it in view to sanctify us, that no man may do injury to his brother.” For as to Chrysostom’s connecting this statement with the preceding one, and explaining ὑπερβαίνειν καὶ πλεονεκτεῖνto mean — neighing after the wives of others, (Jer_5:8 ) and eagerly desiring them, is too forced an exposition. Paul, accordingly, having adduced one instance of unchastity in respect of lasciviousness and lust, teaches that this also is a department of holiness — that we conduct ourselves righteously and harmlessly towards our neighbors. The formerverb refers to violent oppressions — where the man that has more power emboldens himself to inflict injury. The latterincludes in it all immoderate and unrighteous desires. As, however, mankind, for the most part, indulge themselves in lust and avarice, he reminds them of what he had formerly taught — that God would be the avenger of all such things. We must observe, however, what he says — we have solemnly testified;(569) for such is the sluggishness of mankind, that, unless they are wounded to the quick, they are touched with no apprehension of God’s judgment.

John Gill
1Th 4:6 That no man go beyond, and defraud his brother in any matter,…. Or “in this matter”, as the Syriac version. This is commonly understood of transgressing the bounds of justice and equity between men and men; and of cheating and defrauding in trade and business, by increasing or lessening the value and prices of goods by the buyer and seller, by not keeping to the bargain, contract, covenant, or sample, by false weights and measures, and by taking the advantage of the weakness and ignorance of men; all which is aggravated by dealing thus with a brother; see 1Co_6:8 and this hint is thought the rather necessary, since Thessalonica was a place of great trade and business. But the matter, or business referred to, is not trade, but the subject of chastity or uncleanness the apostle is speaking of, both before and after; and the phrases used either design the act of adultery, coveting a brother’s wife, and lying with her, and so a defrauding and wronging of him by defiling his bed; or rather sodomitical practices, an unnatural lust and desire in men after men, and copulation with them; for υπερβαινειν, rendered, “go beyond”, answers to בא על, “to go upon”, or “lie with”, so often used in Jewish writings for lying with women, men, and beasts, in an unlawful way. Thus, for instance (y),

“these are to be burned, הבא על אשה, “he that lies with a woman”, and her daughter, &c.”

And again (z),

“these are to be beaten, הבא על, “he that lies with” his sister, or his father’s sister, &c.”

And the word πλεονεκτειν, translated “defraud”, signifies a greedy, insatiable, and unnatural lust and desire after a man, a brother, or the committing of sodomitical practices with greediness: see Eph_4:19 which abominable iniquities are dissuaded from by the following reasons,

because that the Lord is the avenger of all such; or “with respect to all these things”, as the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions render it; or “for all these things”, as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions; as fornication, adultery, lasciviousness, and all sorts of abominable uncleanness. The person that commits these things the Lord avenges, either in this life, by the hand of the civil magistrate, who is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath on him that does evil; or by a violent death, as in the case of Zimri and Cozbi, and twenty four thousand more at the same time; or by some awful judgment from heaven, as in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah; or in the world to come; for the law of God is made and lies against such persons; these living and dying in such sins God will judge, to whom vengeance belongs; these shall not inherit the kingdom of God, but have their part and portion in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.

As we have also forewarned you and testified; not by a former epistle, as if this was the second to them, and what follows the first, as Grotius thought; but they did this when they were in person with them, knowing that these abominable vices greatly prevailed in their city; therefore they bore their testimony against them, and exposed the evil of them, and warned them of the danger by them, so that they could not now plead ignorance. The Ethiopic version reads in the first person singular, “as I have before said unto you, and testified to you”.

(y) Misna Sanhedrim, c. 9. sect. 1. (z) Misna Maccot, c. 3. sect. 1.

A.T. Robertson
1Th 4:7
Not for uncleanness, but in sanctification (epi akatharsiāi all’ en hagiasmōi). Sharp contrast made still sharper by the two prepositions epi (on the basis of) and en (in the sphere of). God has “called” us all for a decent sex life consonant with his aims and purposes. It was necessary for Paul to place this lofty ideal before the Thessalonian Christians living in a pagan world. It is equally important now.

John Gill
1Th 4:7 For God hath not called us,…. The Syriac version reads “you”. This is another reason to enforce the above exhortations, and to caution them against the above unclean practices, taken from the end of the effectual calling by the efficacious grace of God, which is not

unto uncleanness of any sort, as before specified. This they had lived in before their calling, and were now called from it into communion with Christ, who loves righteousness, and hates iniquity; and by the Gospel, which teaches to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to forsake all impurity, both of flesh and spirit:

but this call is unto holiness of life and conversation in general, and to chastity in thought, look, word, and actions in particular; for God that calls is holy, and therefore those who are called ought to be so; the calling with which they are called is an holy calling, principles of grace and holiness are wrought in their souls, when they are called; and the end of their calling is to live soberly, righteously, and godly; and then, and then only, do they walk worthy of that calling wherewith they are called, and of God who has, by his grace, called them to his kingdom and glory.

John Gill
1Th 4:8 He therefore that despiseth,…. The Vulgate Latin adds, “these things”; these exhortations now delivered, the commandments given by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the will of God above declared; he that rejects these things with contempt, takes no notice of them, and acts not according to them,

despiseth not man; not men only, the apostles of Christ, and ministers of the Gospel; for, by despising these exhortations, they themselves were despised, though not alone: but God; Father, Son, and Spirit; God the Father, whose will was their sanctification, even to abstain from fornication, and every act of uncleanness, which, if not attended to, was a despising of him; and the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom, and for whose sake they were entreated and exhorted, and in whose name, and by whose authority the apostle gave them these commandments; wherefore to slight them, was to slight Jesus Christ himself; and, by the way, this is a proof of the true and proper deity of Christ. Moreover, such despisers also, in some sense, do despite unto the spirit of grace, by whom the apostles spake, or who spoke in them these things, as follows,

who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit; as he did to the prophets of the Old Testament, and therefore what they said was equally by divine inspiration of God; and hence despising them, was despising the Spirit of God that spake by them. The Syriac and Arabic versions read, “who hath given unto you his Holy Spirit”; and so all Stephens’s copies; which furnishes out a fresh reason or argument, dissuading from uncleanness, since God had given them his “Spirit” to convince them of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, so that they were not ignorant of the things warned against; and he had given them his Spirit as an “holy” Spirit, as a Spirit of sanctification, to begin and carry on that work in them, to which uncleanness was very opposite; and he had given his Spirit unto, or “into” them, to dwell in them, as in his temple, and therefore should be careful not to defile it; and to cause them to walk in his statutes, and to assist them to keep his judgments, and do them, and as an earnest of their inheritance, and a sealer of them up unto the day of redemption; wherefore it became them not to grieve him by an impure life; and they were laid under obligations to live in the Spirit, and to walk after him, and not after the flesh.

Adam Clarke
1Th 4:8
He therefore that despiseth – He who will not receive these teachings, and is led either to undervalue or despise them, despises not us but God, from whom we have received our commission, and by whose Spirit we give these directions. See Clarke’s note on 1Th_4:15.

Hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit – Instead of εις ἡμας, unto Us, εις ὑμας, unto You, is the reading of BDEFG, a great many others, the Syriac, all the Arabic, Armenian, later Syriac in the margin, some of the Itala, Clement, Didymus, and Ambrosiaster; this seems to be the better reading. God has taught us that we may teach you; and he has also given you his Holy Spirit that ye might understand and be enabled to practice these things. It is one thing to receive a revelation from the Spirit of God; it is another thing to receive that Spirit to enable a man to live according to that revelation. In the first sense the apostles alone received this Holy Spirit; in the latter sense all true Christians, as well as the Thessalonians, receive it. I think ὑμας, you, is the true reading, and that it is confirmed by the following verse: For ye yourselves are Taught of God to love one another. Griesbach has inserted it in the margin, but has not admitted it into the text, because it has not what he deemed full support from those MSS. which are of the Alexandrian recension; but he thought its genuineness very probable.

John Gill
1Th 4:9 But as touching brotherly love,…. Another branch of sanctification; which is distinct from love to God and Christ, though it always accompanies it, and from love to all mankind; and is what is peculiar to brethren in a spiritual relation, and ought to be universal, fervent, and sincere, and as Christ has loved them: concerning which the following things are said,

ye need not that I write unto you. The Vulgate Latin version reads, “we have no need to write unto you”; and so some copies. It seems that it was needful to write unto them about other things, as to refresh their memories with the instructions they had given them, when with them, how they should walk and please God; and to put them in mind of the commandments given them by Christ, and that their sanctification was the will of God; and particularly it was necessary to write unto them about chastity, and purity of life, whether in or out of the conjugal state; but as for brotherly love, there was no immediate absolute necessity to write about that, either about the nature of it, or to describe the objects of it, or point out instances of it, or to exhort to it in a pressing manner: the reason is,

for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; not merely by the light of nature, which teaches men to be kind, courteous, affable, and beneficent; nor by the law of Moses, which obliges men to love their neighbours as themselves; nor only doctrinally by the ministry of the Gospel, which frequently inculcates the exercise of this grace as a matter of great importance and consequence; nor only by the new commandment, and example of Christ; but by the Spirit of God internally in regeneration, who, according to the tenor of the new covenant, writes this law of love, and of Christ, upon the heart; and this being written upon the hearts of the Thessalonians, by the finger of the Spirit of God, whereby they were dearly directed, and powerfully taught to exercise this grace, and discharge this duty, and under the influence of the same spirit did exercise it, it was unnecessary for the apostle to write about it, and press them to it.

John Gill
1Th 4:10 And indeed ye do it towards all the brethren,…. Whether high or low, rich or poor, bond or free, greater or lesser believers, and whether related in the bonds of nature or not; they exercised this grace of love without respect of persons, to all, and not only to all the brethren in the particular community at Thessalonica, but

which are in all Macedonia; throughout the whole country, particularly at Philippi and Berea, and other places:

but we beseech you, brethren. The Alexandrian copy reads, “beloved brethren”; and the Syriac version, “I beseech you, my brethren: that ye increase more and more”; in showing love to the brethren; which may be done both by administering to them in things temporal, by assisting them in distress, by sympathizing with them, and by giving them counsel and advice; and in things spiritual, by bearing their burdens, forbearing with them, and forgiving them; by admonishing them in love, by stirring them up to love and good works, by praying with them and for them, and by instructing and building them up in their most holy faith; and this increase, and abounding in the exercise of this grace, may respect not only the more frequent and fervent use of it, but also the larger extent of it to other objects; as not only to all the brethren in their own church, and to all that were in Macedonia, to which it did extend, but likewise to all the brethren in other parts of the world, and which are more distant and remote; and even to the poor saints at Jerusalem in particular; and accordingly we find that their love did abound unto them; see Rom_15:25, this shows, that though brotherly love was much practised by these saints, yet it was not perfect; nor is any grace perfect as to degrees; nor is any saint perfect in the discharge of duty in this life.

A.T. Robertson
1Th 4:11
That ye study to be quiet (philotimeisthai hēsuchazein). First infinitive dependent on parakaloumen (1Th_4:10, we exhort you), the second on philotimeisthai (old verb from philotimos, fond of honour, philos, timē). The notion of ambition appears in each of the three N.T. examples (1Th_4:11; 2Co_5:9; Rom_5:20), but it is ambition to do good, not evil. The word ambition is Latin (ambitio from ambo, ire), to go on both sides to accomplish one’s aims and often evil). A preacher devoid of ambition lacks power. There was a restless spirit in Thessalonica because of the misapprehension of the second coming. So Paul urges an ambition to be quiet or calm, to lead a quiet life, including silence (Act_11:18).

To do your own business (prassein ta idia). Present infinitive like the others, to have the habit of attending to their own affairs (ta idia). This restless meddlesomeness here condemned Paul alludes to again in 2Th_3:11 in plainer terms. It is amazing how much wisdom people have about other people’s affairs and so little interest in their own.

To work with your own hands (ergazesthai tais chersin humōn). Instrumental case (chersin). Paul gave a new dignity to manual labour by precept and example. There were “pious” idlers in the church in Thessalonica who were promoting trouble. He had commanded them when with them.

John Gill
1Th 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet,…. To live peaceably in their own families, and to give no disturbance to other families, by talebearing, whispering, and backbiting; to behave with quietness in the neighbourhood, town, or city, they dwell in, and to seek the peace thereof; and to lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty, in the commonwealth, and under the government to which they belong; and not to create and encourage factions, divisions, animosities, and contentions, in their own church, or in any of the churches of Christ; and it becomes saints to make this their study, to be very solicitous for it, to strive for it, and pursue after it: the word used signifies to be ambitious of it, as what is a man’s glory and honour, to emulate and strive to outdo each other, as who shall have the honour of being the quietest person, and the most peaceable member in the community:

and to do your own business: or private business, or what is proper and peculiar to a man’s self; to abide every man in his own calling wherein he is called, and attend the business of it, and not thrust himself into other families, and officiously take upon him, under a pretence of zeal, affection, and friendship, to inspect, direct, or manage the business of others: in short, he should not meddle with other people’s business, but mind his own: and this is what the Jews call דרך ארץ, “the way of the earth”, or the business of life:

“there are four things, (they say (a)) in which a man should employ himself continually, with all his might, and these are they, the law, and good works, and prayer, and the business of life;”

upon which the gloss has this note by way of explanation,

“if a man is an artificer (let him attend) to his art; if a merchant to his merchandise, and if he is a soldier to war;”

and which may serve to illustrate the apostle’s sense:

and to work with your own hands; the reason of this is, because there were some among them, who would not work at all; see 2Th_3:11 and by this instruction it appears, that the members of this church, in common, were such as were brought up to handicraft trades and businesses, and were poor and mean; and this was the general case of the primitive churches: it pleased God to choose and call the poor of this world, to whom the Gospel was preached, and they received it; few of the rulers among the Jews believed in Christ, and not many mighty, rich, or noble among the Gentiles were called; some there were, and in this church there were some of the chief women of the city, Act_17:4, and though these and others of the better sort, as well as ministers of the Gospel among them, who laboured in the word and doctrine, were not obliged by this to perform manual work and labour, yet were not exempted from all concern in the exhortation; it being proper and necessary, that all sorts of persons be employed in one sort of business or another, and to use diligence and application in it: the apostle’s view being chiefly to inveigh against sloth and idleness, and to exhort to labour and industry as the most effectual method to preserve peace and quietness, and to keep persons from being troublesome and hurtful, in families, churches, and commonwealths: the reasons enforcing this follow in this and the next verse,

as we commanded you; and the command of an apostle carries weight and authority with it, and ought to be obeyed; yea, they not only strictly enjoined a diligent application to business, but set them an example themselves, see 1Th_2:9.

(a) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 32. 2.

John Gill
1Th 4:12 That ye may walk honestly,…. Decently, in good credit and reputation, providing things honest in the sight of all men, for themselves and families, and honestly paying every man his own; on which account it became them to mind their own business, and work at their trades; otherwise their walk and conversation would be scandalous, and not honest and honourable:

toward them that are without: the men of the world, who were without the church; see 1Co_5:12 profane sinners, unconverted Gentiles, that were without Christ and hope, and God in the world, and were aliens and strangers; and yet care should be taken that no occasion be given to such to reproach the name of God, the ways of Christ, and the doctrines of the Gospel:

and that ye may have lack of nothing; but have wherewith to supply the necessaries of life, and give to them also that stand in need, which is more blessed and honourable than to receive; or might not need any such instruction and exhortation, or any reproof for sloth and idleness; or not stand in need of “any man”, as the Syriac version renders it; of the help and assistance of any, of any of those that are without, which would be dishonourable; or of them that are within, of the church, which might be burdensome. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, “that ye may not desire anything of anyone”; as the slothful man covets greedily all the day long what is another’s, and this desire kills him, Pro_21:25 he covets an evil covetousness, and craves in a scandalous way the bread of others; when it would be more honourable for him to work with quietness, and eat his own bread got by honest labour, and not be beholden to another.

Merry Christmas 2008

Luk 2:7 NET. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

THEOPHYL; He condescended to become incarnate at that time, that after His birth He might be enrolled in Caesar’s taxing, and in order to bring liberty to us might Himself become subject to slavery. It was well also that our Lord was born at Bethlehem, not only as a mark of the royal crown, but on account of the sacrament of the name.

GREG. Bethlehem is by interpretation the house of bread. For it is the Lord Himself who says, I am the bread of life which came down from heaven. The place therefore where the Lord was born was before called the house of bread, because it was there that He was to appear in His fleshly nature who should refresh the souls of the elect with spiritual fullness.

THEOPHYL; He who clothes the whole world with its varied beauty, is wrapped up in common linen, that we might be able to receive the best robe; He by Whom all things are made, is folded both hands and feet, that our hands might be raised up for every good work, and our feet directed in the way of peace.

CHRYS. Surely if He had so willed it, He might have come moving the heavens, making the earth to shake, and shooting forth His thunderbolts; but such was not the way of His going forth; His desire was not to destroy, but to save; and to trample upon human pride from its very birth, therefore He is not only man, but a poor man, and has chosen a poor mother, who had not even a cradle where she might lay her new born Child; as it follows, and she laid him in the manger.

Php 2:6-11 NET. who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, (7) but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. (8) He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death — even death on a cross! (9) As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, (10) so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — in heaven and on earth and under the earth — (11) and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Mike Svigel on St. Nick

You can file this one under “Why post when someone else can do it for you”.

Read and be enlightened here.

I’m off to deal with all the mad last minute shoppers.

1 Thessalonians 2:17- 3:13 Antique Commentary Quotes

A.T. Robertson
1Th 2:17
Being bereaved of you (aporphanisthentes aph’ humōn). First aorist passive participle of the rare compound verb (aporphanizō, in Aeschylus, but nowhere else in N.T.). Literally, being orphaned from you (aph’ humōn, ablative case). Paul changes the figure again (trophos or mother nurse in 1Th_2:7, nēpios or babe in 1Th_2:7, patēr or father in 1Th_2:11) to orphan (orphanos). He refers to the period of separation from them, for a short season (pros kairon hōras) for a season of an hour. This idiom only here in N.T., but pros kairon in Luk_8:13 and pros hōran in 2Co_7:8. But it has seemed long to Paul. Precisely how long he had been gone we do not know, some months at any rate.

In presence, not in heart (prosōpōi ou kardiāi). Locative case. Prosōpon, old word (pros, ops, in front of the eye, face) for face, look, person. Literally, in face or person. His heart was with them, though they no longer saw his face. Heart, originally kardia, is the inner man, the seat of the affections and purposes, not always in contrast with intellect (nous). “Out of sight, not out of mind” (Rutherford).

Endeavoured the more exceedingly (perissoterōs espoudasamen). Ingressive aorist active indicative of spoudazō, old word to hasten (from spoudē, speudō).

We became zealous. Comparative adverb perissoterōs from perisson, more abundantly than before being orphaned from you.

Your face (to prosōpon humōn). Cf. his face above.

With great desire (en pollēi epithumiāi).

In much longing (epithumia from epi and thumos, epithumeō, to run after, to yearn after, whether good or bad).

John Gill
1Th 2:17 But we, brethren, being taken from you,…. Here more properly should begin the third chapter, in which the apostle having before observed the manner of his entrance among these people, the nature of his ministry, the reception the word of God met with among them, and the powerful effect it had upon them, insomuch that they patiently and cheerfully bore persecution for the sake of it; he excuses his not having been with them again as yet, which he knew was proper and necessary, as he was their apostle and spiritual father; and expresses an affectionate concern at his parting with them in the manner he did, which was not his own choice and voluntary act, but was obliged to it, being hurried away at once, at an unawares in the night, by reason of the uproar made in the city by the baser sort of people, instigated by the unbelieving Jews; so that he and his fellow ministers had not the opportunity of taking their leave of them, as they would have done: hence he says,

we being taken from you; they were, as it were, passive in it; they were forced away on a sudden, they did not go of themselves; the word used is very uncommon and emphatical, and may be literally rendered, “we being orphanized from you”; which represents this parting to be like the separation made by death, between parents and children; when either parents are deprived of their children, or children of their parents, and are left orphans or fatherless; and just in such a destitute and desolate condition were the apostle and his companions in, in their account; nor need it to be wondered at, when they are before compared to a nursing mother and a tender father, as they were to these their spiritual children: and he further observes, that this removal from them, was

for a short time, or “for the time of an hour”; which may either denote the suddenness of it, being as it were at an hour’s warning, having no more notice of it than for the space of an hour; or it may express the great affection he and his fellow ministers had for them, insomuch that they could not bear an absence from them, though but for an hour; or it may be said by way of comfort, that this parting was but for a short time, and that in a little while they might hope to see them again; and if not in this life, yet in the future state, when they should meet and never part more, and which would be but in a short time at longest: moreover, this separation was only

in presence; in person, in face, in sight, in body, it was but a corporeal one: not in heart; the apostle’s heart was with them, as much as if present; they were always in his mind, and remembered by him, at the throne; he had as it were the images of them continually before him, as parents have of their children when at a distance from them; his heart was after them, and his affections moved strongly towards them: and the effect this distance had on him, and those that were with him, was this, that they

endeavoured the more abundantly, he observes,

to see your face with great desire; it made them but the more desirous of seeing them face to face again, and put them upon attempting with more abundant earnestness and diligence to come and see them.

A.T. Robertson
1Th 2:18
Because (dioti). As in 1Th_2:8.

We would fain have come to you (ēthelēsamen elthein pros humas). First aorist active indicative of thelō. Literally, we desired to come to you. I Paul (egō men Paulos). Clear example of literary plural ēthelesamen with singular pronoun egō. Paul uses his own name elsewhere also as in 2Co_10:1; Gal_5:2; Col_1:23; Eph_3:1; Phm_1:19.

Once and again (kai hapax kai dis). Both once and twice as in Phi_4:16. Old idiom in Plato.

And Satan hindered us (kai enekopsen hēmas ho Satanas). Adversative use of kaî but or and yet. First aorist active indicative of enkoptō, late word to cut in, to hinder. Milligan quotes papyrus example of third century, b.c. Verb used to cut in a road, to make a road impassable. So Paul charges Satan with cutting in on his path. Used by Paul in Act_24:4; Gal_5:7 and passive enekoptomēn in Rom_15:22; 1Pe_3:7. This hindrance may have been illness, opposition of the Jews in Corinth, what not.

John Gill
1Th 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you,…. They not only had a will, and purposed in themselves, and entered into some resolutions to come unto them, but endeavoured to put them into execution:

even I Paul: as well as Silas and Timothy; the latter of which had been with them, and the others had as good a will, and especially Paul: and that

once and again: or “once and twice” so the Jews used (h) to speak פעם ראשונה ושנייח, “one time and a second”; that is, several times:

but Satan hindered us. The Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, “hindered me”; by moving the mob which rose at Thessalonica, to go to Berea, and disturb the apostle there; which obliged him, contrary to his will, to go to Athens instead of returning to Thessalonica, as he intended; and when at Athens, from whence also he might purpose to return thither, he was hindered by the disputes the Jews and the Stoics, and Epicurean philosophers, had with him; and after that, might be prevented by the lying in wait of the Jews for him, of which he might be informed; or by disturbances raised in the church, or churches where he was, by the false teachers; which required his stay with them, to oppose and refute error and heresy and to make up differences that arose among true Christians, fomented by Satan and his emissaries; see Rom_1:13. Satan does all he can to hinder the preaching of the Gospel, the hearing of the word, the profession of religion, and the saints coming together, and having spiritual conversation with each other; being, as his name “Satan” signifies, an enemy to Christ and his interest, and to the souls of men: indeed he can do nothing but by divine permission, nor can he hinder the will of God, and the execution of that, though he often hinders the will of man, or man from doing his will; he hindered the apostle from doing what he willed and purposed, but he did not hinder the will of God, which was that Paul should be employed in other work elsewhere.

(h) Maimon. in Hilch. Chobel, c. 5. sect. 10.

A.T. Robertson
1Th 2:19
Crown of glorying (stephanos kauchēseōs). When a king or conqueror came on a visit he was given a chaplet of glorying. Paul is answering the insinuation that he did not really wish to come.

At his coming (en tēi autou parousiāi). This word parousia is untechnical (just presence from pareimi) in 2Th_2:9; 1Co_16:17; 2Co_7:6.; 2Co_10:10; Phi_1:26; Phi_2:12. But here (also 1Th_3:13; 1Th_4:15; 1Th_5:23; 2Th_2:1, 2Th_2:8; 1Co_15:23) we have the technical sense of the second coming of Christ. Deissmann (Light from the Ancient East, pp. 372ff.) notes that the word in the papyri is almost technical for the arrival of a king or ruler who expects to receive his “crown of coming.” The Thessalonians, Paul says, will be his crown, glory, joy when Jesus comes.

A.T. Robertson
1Th 3:1
When we could no longer forbear (mēketi stegontes). Stegō is old verb to cover from stegē, roof (Mar_2:4), to cover with silence, to conceal, to keep off, to endure as here and 1Co_9:12; 1Co_13:7. In the papyri in this sense (Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary). Mēketi usual negative with participle in the Koiné[28928]š rather than ouketi.

We thought it good (ēudokēsamen). Either literary plural as in 1Th_2:18 or Paul and Silas as more likely. If so, both Timothy and Silas came to Athens (Act_17:15.), but Timothy was sent (we sent, epempsamen, 1Th_3:2) right back to Thessalonica and later Paul sent Silas on to Beroea or Thessalonica (1Th_2:5, I sent, epempsa). Then both Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia to Corinth (Act_18:5).

Alone (monoi). Including Silas.

Albert Barnes
1Th 3:1
Wherefore – See 1Th_2:18. This particle (διὸ dio) is designed here to refer to another proof of his affection for them. One evidence had been referred to in his strong desire to visit them, which he had been unable to accomplish 1Th_2:18, and he here refers to another – to wit, the fact that he had sent Timothy to them.

We could no longer forbear – That is, when I could not 1Th_3:5, for there is every evidence that Paul refers to himself only though he uses the plural form of the word. There was no one with him at Athens after he had sent Timothy away Act_17:15; Act_18:5, and this shows that when, in 1Th_2:6, he uses the term apostles in the plural number, he refers to himself only, and does not mean to give the name to Timothy and Silas. If this be so, Timothy and Silas are nowhere called “apostles” in the New Testament. The word rendered here “could forbear” (στέγοντες stegontes), means, properly, “to cover, to conceal;” and then to hide or conceal anger, impatience, weariness, etc.; that is, to hold out as to anything, to bear with, to endure. It is rendered suffer in 1Co_9:12; beareth, 1Co_13:7; and forbear, 1Th_3:1, 1Th_3:5. It is not elsewhere used in the New Testament. It means that he could no longer bear up under, hide, or suppress his impatience in regard to them – his painful emotions – his wish to know of their state; and he therefore sent Timothy to them.

We thought it good – I was willing to suffer the inconvenience of parting with him in order to show my concern for you.

To be left at Athens alone – Paul had been conducted to Athens from Berea, where he remained until Silas and Timothy could come to him; Act_17:15. It appears from the statement here that Timothy had joined him there, but such was his solicitude for the church at Thessalonica, that he very soon after sent him there, and chose to remain himself alone at Athens. Why he did not himself return to Thessalonica, is not stated. It is evidently implied here that it was a great personal inconvenience for him thus to part with Timothy, and to remain alone at Athens, and that he evinced the strong love which he had for the church at Thessalonica by being willing to submit to it. What that inconvenience consisted in, he has not stated, but it is not difficult to understand,

(1) He was among total strangers, and, when Timothy was gone, without an acquaintance or friend.
(2) The aid of Timothy was needed in order to prosecute the work which he contemplated. He had requested that Timothy should join him as soon as possible when he left Berea Act_17:15, and he evidently felt it desirable that in preaching the gospel in that city he should have all the assistance he could obtain. Yet he was willing to forego those comforts and advantages in order to promote the edification of the church at Thessalonica.

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
1Th 3:1
1Th_3:1-13. Proof of his desire after them in his having sent Timothy: His joy at the tidings brought back concerning their faith and charity: Prayers for them.

Wherefore — because of our earnest love to you (1Th_2:17-20).

forbear — “endure” the suspense. The Greek is literally applied to a watertight vessel. When we could no longer contain ourselves in our yearning desire for you.

left at Athens alone — See my Introduction. This implies that he sent Timothy from Athens, whither the latter had followed him. However, the “we” favors Alford’s view that the determination to send Timothy was formed during the hasty consultation of Paul, Silas, and Timothy, previous to his departure from Berea, and that then he with them “resolved” to be “left alone” at Athens, when he should arrive there: Timothy and Silas not accompanying him, but remaining at Berea. Thus the “I,” 1Th_3:5, will express that the act of sending Timothy, when he arrived at Athens, was Paul’s, while the determination that Paul should be left alone at Athens, was that of the brethren as well as himself, at Berea, whence he uses, 1Th_3:1, “we.” The non-mention of Silas at Athens implies that he did not follow Paul to Athens as was at first intended; but Timothy did. Thus the history, Act_17:14, Act_17:15, accords with the Epistle. The word “left behind” (Greek) implies that Timothy had been with him at Athens. It was an act of self-denial for their sakes that Paul deprived himself of the presence of Timothy at Athens, which would have been so cheering to him in the midst of philosophic cavilers; but from love to the Thessalonians, he is well content to be left all “alone” in the great city.

John Gill
1Th 3:2 And sent Timotheus our brother,…. In a spiritual relation, having the same heavenly Father, and belonging to the same Jerusalem, which is free, and the mother of us all; of the same household and in the same relation to Christ, the firstborn among many brethren; or their brother in the ministry, who was employed in the same business, and did the same work they did; or he is so called, on account of that strict and intimate friendship which subsisted between them, by virtue of which they stuck as close as brethren, or closer to one another than brethren usually do:

and minister of God; of his making, and not man’s; of his calling and sending, and of his blessing and succeeding; and who was a minister of the things of God, of the mysteries of God, of the truths of his Gospel; and who ministered according to the ability God gave him, and was faithful to him:

and our fellow labourer in the Gospel of Christ; he was a labourer, and not a loiterer in the Lord’s vineyard; one that laboured in the word and doctrine, that studied to show himself a workman, that gave himself wholly to meditation, reading, exhortation, and doctrine, and preached the word in season and out of season and was a fellow labourer with him who laboured more abundantly than any of the apostles; and not in the law, but in the Gospel, even in the Gospel of Christ, of which he is the sum and substance, author and preacher. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions leave out these words, and so do Beza’s ancient copy and the Alexandrian manuscript, “and our fellow labourers”, reading the latter part of the clause in connection with the former thus, “a minister of God in the Gospel of Christ”, as the former of these versions, “in the doctrine of Christ”, as the latter. These characters are given of Timothy, partly to show what honour was done the Thessalonians, in sending such a messenger to them; and partly that they might receive him with the greater respect, and treat him according to his character, office, and dignity; and chiefly to observe to them the apostle’s great affection for them, in parting with so dear and useful a minister for their good and advantage, as follows:

to establish you; which though the work of God, it is usually done by the ministry of the word; and then is the end of the Gospel ministration answered to the churches, when they are established by it; for notwithstanding the saints are in a stable condition, as in the arms of love, and in the hands of Christ, and in the covenant of grace, and upon the rock of ages, and in a state of regeneration, justification, and adoption, from whence they can never fall totally and finally; yet they are often very unstable in their hearts and frames, in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty, and in their adherence to the cause and interest, Gospel and ordinances of Christ, through the prevalence of corruption, the temptations of Satan, and the reproaches and persecutions of men: and these Thessalonians were young converts, and just planted together as a church; and at their first setting out, sustained a considerable shock of afflictions, which made the apostle concerned for their establishment in the faith which they had received:

and to comfort you concerning your faith. This is another end of the Gospel ministry, to comfort afflicted minds, and distressed consciences; it is the will of God that his people should be spoke comfortably to; the doctrines of the Gospel are calculated for that purpose, and the ministers of it should be Barnabases, sons of consolation. These saints might be in some doubt about the grace of faith, whether it was right or not, or about the doctrine of faith they had received; and therefore Timothy is sent to comfort them under their afflictions, which might have created these doubts, and to remove them, by showing them that their faith was like precious faith with the apostles; and that the doctrine of faith they embraced was the faith once delivered to the saints, and was the true faith of Christ: the words will bear to be rendered, “to exhort you concerning your faith”, as the Vulgate Latin version renders them; that is, to exhort you to continue in the faith, to stand fast in it, in the exercise of the grace of faith, and in the doctrine of faith, and in the profession of both. The Syriac version renders it, “to ask”, or inquire of you concerning your faith, being willing to know how it stood, since they left them, as in 1Th_3:5.

Albert Barnes
1Th 3:2
And sent Timotheus – That is, evidently, he sent him from Athens – for this is the fair construction of the passage. But in the history Acts 17 there is no mention that Timothy came to Athens at all, and it may be asked how this statement is reconcilable with the record in the Acts ? It is mentioned there that “the brethren sent away Paul (from Berea) to go, as it were, to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. And they that conducted Paul brought him to Athens;” Act_17:14-15. The history further states, that after Paul had remained some time at Athens, he went to Corinth, where he was joined by Timothy and Silas, who came to him “from Macedonia;” Act_18:5. But in order to reconcile the account in the Acts with the statement before us in the Epistle, it is necessary to suppose that Timothy had come to Athens. In reconciling these accounts, we may observe, that though the history does not expressly mention the arrival of Timothy at Athens, yet there are circumstances mentioned which render this extremely probable.

First, as soon as Paul reached Athens, he sent a message back to Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, and there is every probability that this request would be obeyed; Act_17:15.

Secondly, his stay at Athens was on purpose that they might join him there. “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred within him;” Act_17:16.

Thirdly, his departure from Athens does not appear to have been in any sort hastened or abrupt. He had an opportunity of seeing the city Act_17:23; he disputed in the synagogue and in the market “daily” Act_17:17; he held a controversy with the philosophers Act_17:18-22; he made converts there Act_17:24, and “after these things” he calmly went to Corinth. There was no tumult or excitement, and it is not suggested that he was driven away, as in other places, because his life was in danger. There was, therefore, ample time for Timothy to come to him there – for Paul was at liberty to remain as long as he pleased, and as he stayed there for the express purpose of having Timothy and Silas meet him, it is to be presumed that his wish was in this respect accomplished.

Fourthly, the sending back of Timothy to Macedonia, as mentioned in the Epistle, is a circumstance which will account for the fact mentioned in Act_18:5, that Timothy came to him “at Corinth,” instead of at Athens. He had given directions for him to meet him at Athens Act_17:15, but the history mentions only that he met him, after a long delay, at Corinth. This delay, and this change of place, when they rejoined each other for the purpose of laboring together, can only be accounted for by the supposition that Timothy had come to him at Athens, and had been immediately sent back to Macedonia, with instructions to join him again at Corinth. This is one of the “undesigned coincidences” between the history in the Acts of the Apostles and the epistles of Paul, of which Paley (Hor. Paul.) has made so good use in demonstrating the genuineness of both. “The epistle discloses a fact which is not preserved in the history; but which makes what is said in the history more significant, probable, and consistent. The history bears marks of an omission; the epistle furnishes a circumstance which supplies that omission.”

Our brother – See the notes at Col_1:1. The mention of his being a “brother” is designed to show his interest in the church there. He did not send one whose absence would be no inconvenience to him, or for whom he had no regard. He sent one who was as dear to him as a brother.

And minister of God – Another circumstance showing his affection for them. He did not send a layman, or one who could not be useful with him or to them, but he sent one fully qualified to preach to them, and to break to them the bread of life. One of the richest tokens of affection which can be shown to any people, is to send to them a faithful minister of God.

And our fellow-labourer in the gospel of Christ – A third token of affectionate interest in their welfare. The meaning is, “I did not send one whom I did not want, or who could be of no use here, but one who was a fellow-laborer with me, and whose aid would have been of essential service to me. In parting with him, therefore, for your welfare I showed a strong attachment for you. I was willing to endure personal inconvenience, and additional toil, in order to promote your welfare.”

To establish you – To strengthen you; to make you firm – στηρίξαι stērixai This was to be done by presenting such considerations as would enable them to maintain their faith steadfastly in their trials.

And to comfort you concerning your faith – It is evident that they were suffering persecution on account of their faith in the Lord Jesus; that is, for their belief in him as a Saviour. The object of sending Timothy was to suggest such topics of consolation as would sustain them in their trials – that is, that he was the Son of God; that the people of God had been persecuted in all ages; that God was able to support them, etc.

Albert Barnes
1Th 3:3
That no man should be moved – The word rendered “moved” (σαίνω sainō) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly means to wag, to move to and fro, as of dogs which wag their tails in fondness (Hom. Od. K. 216. AEl. A. N. 10:7. Ovid. 14:258); then to caress, to fawn upon, to flatter; then to move or waver in mind – as from fear; to dread, to tremble. See Passow and Wetstein. Here the sense is, to be so moved or agitated by fear, or by the terror of persecution, as to forsake their religion. The object of sending Timothy was, that they might not be thus moved, but that amidst all opposition they might adhere steadfastly to their religion.

These afflictions – See the notes at 1Th_2:14.

For yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto – It is not quite certain whether by the word “we” here the apostle refers to himself; or to himself and the Thessalonians; or to Christians in general. On either supposition what he says is true, and either would meet the case. It would be most to the purpose, however, to suppose that he means to state the general idea that all Christians are exposed to persecution and could not hope to avoid it. It would then appear that the Thessalonians had partaken only of the common lot. Still there may have been a special reference to the fact that Paul and his fellow-laborers there were subjected to trials; and if this be the reference, then the idea is, that the Thessalonians should not be “moved” by their trials, for even their teachers were not exempt. Even their enemies could not say that the apostle and his co-workers were impostors, for they had persevered in preaching the gospel when they knew that these trials were coming upon them. The phrase, “we are appointed thereunto,” means that such was the divine arrangement. No one who professed Christianity could hope to be exempted from trial, for it was the common lot of all believers; compare 1Co_4:9 note; 2Ti_3:12 note.

Adam Clarke
1Th 3:4
That we should suffer tribulation – I prepared you for it, because I knew that it was according to their nature for wicked men to persecute the followers of God.

Albert Barnes
1Th 3:5
For this cause – Since I knew that you were so liable to be persecuted, and since I feared that some might be turned from the truth by this opposition.

When I could no longer forbear – See the notes at 1Th_3:1.

I sent to know your faith – That is, your fidelity. or your steadfastness in the gospel.

Lest by some means – Either by allurements to apostasy, set before you by your former pagan friends; or by the arts of false teachers; or by the severity of suffering. Satan has many methods of seducing people from the truth, and Paul was fearful that by some of his arts he might be successful there.
The tempter – Satan; for though the Jews were the immediate actors in those transactions, yet the apostle regarded them as being under the direction of Satan, and as accomplishing his purposes. He was, therefore, the real author of the persecutions which had been excited. He is here called the “Tempter,” as he is often (compare Matt. iv.), and the truths taught are:

(1) That Satan is the great author of persecution; and,

(2) That in a time of persecution – or of trial of any kind – he endeavors to tempt people to swerve from the truth, and to abandon their religion. In persecution, people are tempted to apostatize from God, in order to avoid suffering. In afflictions of other kinds, Satan often tempts the sufferer to murmur and complain; to charge God with harshness, partiality, and severity, and to give vent to expressions that will show that religion has none of its boasted power to support the soul in the day of trial; compare Job_1:9-11. In all times of affliction, as well as in prosperity, we may be sure that “the Tempter” is not far off, and should be on our guard against his wiles.

And our labour be in vain – By your being turned from the faith; notes, Gal_4:11.

John Gill
1Th 3:6 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us,…. At Corinth, as appears from Act_18:5 which shows that this epistle was not written from Athens, as the subscription to it asserts, but from Corinth; for as soon as ever Timothy came from Thessalonica, to the apostle at Corinth, and made the report to him, he immediately sent them this epistle which is here suggested: “but, now”, &c. just now; “lately”, as the Syriac version renders it, a very little while ago, Timothy was just come:

and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity; of their faith, the grace of faith, that it was of the right kind; as far as could be judged, it was the faith of God’s elect, like precious faith with theirs; an unfeigned one, strong and lively, operative and growing: or of the doctrine of faith, as received and embraced by them; as that they were greatly led, and had much light into it, and had, for the time, made considerable proficiency in it; that they held it fast, and stood fast in it, and contended for it, notwithstanding all the afflictions, reproaches, and persecutions which they either saw in the apostles, or endured themselves for the sake of it; and likewise of the profession of both the grace and doctrine of faith, which they held fast, and without wavering, and that in a pure conscience, which was good news indeed. Timothy also brought an account of their “charity”, or love, which faith works by; these two graces are always found together; they are wrought in the soul by one, and the same hand, and at the same time; where the one is, the other is; and as the one flourishes and increases, so does the other. And by this grace is meant love to God, to Christ, to his truths, ordinances, ways, and worship, and to one another, and even to all men; and which was without dissimulation, in sincerity, in deed, and in truth, and was constant and fervent: and this was not the whole of the report, for it follows,

and that ye have a remembrance of us always they bore in memory the persons of the apostles; and when they made mention of their names, it was with the greatest respect and reverence; nor were they forgetful hearers of the word, but remembered with great affection and pleasure the truths, the doctrines, and exhortations they delivered to them, so as to put them in practice, and longed for another visit from them, to have their memories refreshed by them:

desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you, they had an equal desire to see their spiritual fathers, as they had to see their spiritual children. Now such a report as this concerning their steady faith in Christ, their fervent love to one another, and their affectionate regard to the ministers of the word, was a sort of a Gospel, as the word used signifies; or it was good news and glad tidings to the apostle, and those that were with him.

John Gill
1Th 3:7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over, you,…. Or “in you”, as the Vulgate Latin version; or “from you”, as the Arabic; or “by you”, as the Syriac; or “for you”, as the Ethiopic; that is, on account of them, either by what they had heard was in them, or had heard from them. This gave abundant consolation

in all our affliction and distress: which they met with at Corinth, where the apostle laboured with his own hands, and ministered to his own, and the necessities of others, and was greatly opposed, reproached, and persecuted; see Act_18:3, but the news of the good estate and condition the Thessalonians were in, was a great relief and comfort to him, particularly their faith:

by your faith: by the report of it, that it grew exceedingly, and that they walked in the truth; see 1Jo_5:4. The Alexandrian copy reads, “in all your distress and affliction, and by your faith.”

Albert Barnes
1Th 3:8
For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord – This is equivalent to saying, “My life and comfort depend on your stability in the faith, and your correct Christian walk;” compare Martial 6:70. Non est vivere, sed valere, vita – “Life consists not merely in living, but in the enjoyment of health.” See also Seneca, Epis. 99, and Manilius, 1Th_4:5, as quoted by Wetstein. The meaning here is, that Paul now enjoyed life; he had that which constituted real life, in the fact that they acted as became Christians, and so as to show that his labor among them had not been in vain. The same thing here affirmed is true of all faithful ministers of the gospel. They feel that they have something that may be called life, and that is worth living for, when those to whom they preach maintain a close walk with God.

John Gill
1Th 3:9 For what thanks can we render to God again or you,…. They had given thanks to God for them before, for their faith, love, and patience; see 1Th_1:2 and now having received a further account of them, they looked upon themselves bound to give fresh thanks to God for them, for the increase of their faith and love, and for their perseverance, as they did; see 2Th_1:3 since these are gifts of God’s grace; but they knew not where to begin, what to render, and when to end: the phrase is much like that in Psa_116:12 “what shall I render unto the Lord”, &c.

for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God: the joy they had was all joy, perfect and complete in its kind; see Jam_1:2 and it was not for themselves, on their own account, because of any worldly interest or advantage they had therein, but for the sake of these Thessalonians, whose spiritual welfare they rejoiced at: nor was their joy of a carnal nature, but spiritual; it was a joy in the Holy Ghost, and which was hearty and sincere: it was “before God our” God, their covenant God and Father; it was in his sight and presence, who sees and knows all things, all actions, and the principles of them. Though this last clause, “before our God”, is in the Syriac version, placed at the beginning of the next verse, according to which, it refers, not to thanks or joy before God, but to prayer before him.

Albert Barnes
1Th 3:10
Night and day – Constantly.

Praying exceedingly – Greek, abundantly; that is, there was much more than ordinary prayer. He made this a special subject of prayer; he urged it with earnestness, and without intermission; compare 1Th_2:17.

And might perfect that which is lacking in your faith – Might render it complete, or fill up anything which is missing. The word used here (καταρτίσαι katartisai), means, properly, to make fully ready, to put full in order, to make complete; see the Rom_9:22 note; 2Co_13:9 note; Gal_6:1 note. It is rendered mending, Mat_4:21; Mar_1:19; perfect and perfected, Mat_21:19; Luk_6:40; 2Co_13:11; 1Th_3:10; Heb_13:21; 1Pe_5:10; fitted, Rom_9:22; perfectly joined together, 1Co_1:10; restore, Gal_6:1; prepared, Heb_10:5; and framed, Heb_11:3. It is not elsewhere used in the New Testament. The meaning here is, that whatever was deficient in their views of religious doctrine the apostle desired to supply. It is to be remembered that he was with them but a comparatively short time before he was compelled to depart to Berea, and it is reasonable to suppose that there were many subjects on which he would be glad to have an opportunity to instruct them more fully.

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
1Th 3:10
Night and day — (See on 1Th_2:9). Night is the season for the saint’s holiest meditations and prayers (2Ti_1:3).

praying — connected with, “we joy”; we joy while we pray; or else as Alford, What thanks can we render to God while we pray? The Greek implies a beseeching request.

exceedingly — literally, “more than exceeding abundantly” (compare Eph_3:20).

that which is lacking — Even the Thessalonians had points in which they needed improvement [Bengel], (Luk_17:5). Their doctrinal views as to the nearness of Christ’s coming, and as to the state of those who had fallen asleep, and their practice in some points, needed correction (1Th_4:1-9). Paul’s method was to begin by commending what was praiseworthy, and then to correct what was amiss; a good pattern to all admonishers of others.

A.T. Robertson
1Th 3:11
Our God and Father himself (autos ho theos kai patēr hēmōn). Note one article with both substantives for one person.

And our Lord Jesus (kai ho Kurios hēmōn Iēsous). Separate article here with Iēsous. In Tit_2:13; 2Pe_1:1 only one article (not two) treating “our God and Saviour Jesus Christ” as one just like “our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” in 2Pe_1:11; 2Pe_2:20; 2Pe_3:18.

Direct our way (kateuthunai tēn hodon hēmōn). First aorist optative (acute accent on penult, not circumflex first aorist active infinitive) of kateuthunō, old verb to make straight path. Singular verb also, though both God and Christ mentioned as subject (unity in the Godhead). Apart from mē genoito (may it not come to pass) the optative in a wish of the third person is found in N.T. only in 1Th_3:11, 1Th_3:12; 1Th_5:23; 2Th_2:17; 2Th_3:5, 2Th_3:16; Rom_15:5, Rom_15:13.

John Gill
1Th 3:11 Now God himself, and our Father,…. The Oriental versions leave out the copulative “and”, and read, “God himself, our Father” the first person in the Trinity, who is God himself, truly and properly so; and who is a God that hears prayer; and who is omnipotent, and able to do more than the saints can ask or think; and omniscient, and knows their persons and cases, and what is proper for them, and how and when to help and supply them; and he is also the God of all grace, the author and giver of it, and who is able to make it abound, and increase it, and so a very proper object of prayer: and who is likewise the Father of Christ, and of all the saints, not only by creation, in which sense he is the Father of all men, but by adopting grace; and which is mentioned to encourage freedom and boldness in prayer, which children may use with a father, and to raise an expectation of succeeding and receiving an answer; for if earthly parents hear their children, and give good things to them, how much more will not our heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit, and all other good gifts, unto his children? And this shows that the apostle prayed to God in the manner Christ directed, Mat_6:9

and our Lord Jesus Christ: who is equally the object of prayer with God his Father and ours; who is sometimes distinctly prayed unto, as in Act_7:59 and often in conjunction with his Father, as in all those places in the epistles, where grace and peace are wished for from them both; see Rom_1:7, and sometimes he is set before the Father, as in 2Th_2:16 to show the entire equality between them, and that he is equally addressed as he, being truly and properly God, who knows all things, and is the Almighty, and whose grace is sufficient for us, and therefore rightly applied unto, as here: the petition put up to them both is, that they would

direct our way unto you: a journey is not to be taken without the will of God, without seeking to know it, without submission to it, and dependence on it; nor is there any prosperous one, but by it; see Jam_4:13. Men may devise their own ways, but God directs their goings; especially a good man’s steps are ordered by the Lord, and particularly ministers; who, as they are often directed to subjects and matter, in a very providential way, so to places, and are ordered both where and when to go; see Act_16:6. The apostle was aware, that there were obstacles in his way of coming to Thessalonica, for he had attempted it once and again, but Satan, and his emissaries, hindered; and therefore he desires that God and Christ would remove them out of the way, and make his way straight and plain, as the word signifies, that he might once more see their faces.

A.T. Robertson 1Th 3:12
The Lord (ho Kurios). The Lord Jesus. Paul prays to Christ.
Make you to increase (humas pleonasai). First aorist active optative (wish for future) of pleonazō, late verb from pleon (more), to superabound.
And abound (perisseusai). First aorist active optative (wish for future) of perisseuō from perissos, old verb, to be over (common in N.T.). It is hard to see much difference between the two verbs.

John Gill
1Th 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase,…. That is, the Lord the Spirit; so that the object of prayer, addressed by the apostle, is Father, Son, and Spirit, as in Rev_1:4. The Alexandrian copy reads “God”. The Spirit is God, equally with the Father and the Son, and so a fit object of prayer with them, which otherwise he would not be. The request is, that he would cause these saints to increase in number, as the first churches greatly did: and in the gifts of the Spirit, which he divides to men severally as he will; and in his graces, as in faith, in hope, in holiness, in humility, in knowledge, in spiritual joy and strength, an increase in all which is from him:

and abound in love one towards another; for though they were taught of God to love one another, and did do so, and the apostle had had good tidings of their love; yet it was not perfect, there was room for a further exercise of it, by serving each other by it, in things spiritual and temporal; and he had his request, for it did abound in everyone of them towards each other, 2Th_1:3

and towards all men; the men of the world, who were without, were not members of the church, nor professors of the Christian religion, but enemies to that, and to Christ, and to them; and yet they were to love them as men, and pray for them, and do them all the good that lay in their power:

even as we do towards you; for the love of the apostle, and those with him, abounded more and more towards these saints, and was so far from being weakened, that it was increased by their absence from them; and they were more abundantly desirous of seeing them, and were even quite impatient until they sent to them, and heard of them.

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
1Th 3:12
The “you” in the Greek is emphatically put first; “But” (so the Greek for “and”) what concerns “YOU,” whether we come or not, “may the Lord make you to increase and abound in love,” etc. The Greek for “increase” has a more positive force; that for “abound” a more comparative force, “make you full (supplying ‘that which is lacking,’ 1Th_3:10) and even abound.” “The Lord” may here be the Holy Spirit; so the Three Persons of the Trinity will be appealed to (compare 1Th_3:13), as in 2Th_3:5. So the Holy Ghost is called “the Lord” (2Co_3:17). “Love” is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal_5:22), and His office is “to stablish in holiness” (1Th_3:13; 1Pe_1:2).

John Gill
1Th 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts,…. Which are very unstable and inconstant in their frames, and in the exercise of grace, and have need to be established in the love of God, against the fears of men, the frowns of the world, the temptations of Satan, and in, and with the doctrines of grace; See Gill on 1Th_3:2,

unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father. There is no holiness in men naturally; what is in them without the grace of God is only a show; true holiness is from the Spirit of God; and this is a stable thing in itself, and can never be removed or taken away; but the acts of it, through the prevalence of corruption, the force of Satan’s temptations, and the snares of the world, are fickle and inconstant; and the saints need to be established in the discharge of duty, as well as in the exercise of grace: and whereas the apostle prays, that they might be “unblamable in holiness”, the Alexandrian copy reads, “in righteousness” so one of Stephens’s; it must be observed, that no man is perfectly holy in this life; no man is without sin in himself, or lives without the commission of it; holiness in the best is imperfect; no man, as yet, is in himself sanctified wholly; there is no unblamable holiness but in Christ; and in him the saints are without spot and blemish, who is their sanctification and their righteousness; but in themselves they are full of spots and stains; yet through the grace of God their hearts may be so established with principles of holiness, and they may be so assisted in the acts of it daily, as to give no just cause of blame to men, and so to behave as to approve themselves “before God”, who sees the heart, and knows from what principles all actions flow: and this the apostle desires may be at the coming of our Lord Jesus; or unto the coming of him, as in 1Th_5:23 Either at death, when he comes into his garden, and gathers his lilies, and takes his to himself to be for ever with him; or at the day of judgment, when he comes to judge the quick and dead; and which coming of his is certain, and will be quickly and suddenly, and with great glory and power: and, as it is here added,

with all his saints; meaning either his holy angels, or rather the souls of his people, whom he will bring with him, and will raise their dead bodies, and reunite them to their souls, when they shall be for ever with him; and then shall they be unblamable in holiness, both in soul and body, and shall be presented by him, first to himself, and then to his Father, faultless, and without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. The Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions add, “Amen”; and so does Beza’s ancient copy, and the Alexandrian manuscript.

There Seems to be An Error Here

I’ve checked all the “Today in History”webpages and while there are all sorts of incidents and any number of birthdays, there is a complete gap for 1962.

Therefore I officially request this entry be added: “December 18, 1962, Chuck Grantham, aka the Goulablogger, born three weeks late. Screams of protest were heard from the future Southern Baptist infant upon immediate recognition he was being birthed in a Roman Catholic hospital. Spending the next several months screaming constantly, the infant then took up extreme monosyllabic speech for the rest of his life. He also continued his natal pattern by being late to almost everything since.”

Luke Chapter 1:26-56 Sunday School Notes

Here are some of my notes for Sunday December 21, 2008 in the Lifeway Explore the Bible series.

Books used to compile these notes include:
1. Craig Keener, IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, (1994)

2. Raymond Brown, Birth of the Messiah, (1993)

3. S.T. Lachs, A Rabbinic Commentary on the New Testament, (1987)

4. Robert Bergen, 1,2 Samuel: New American Commentary, (1996)

Lk 1:26
Nazareth- A small town overwhelmed by the major city Sepphoris four miles away, Nazareth isn’t mentioned in non-biblical Jewish writing. Archaeological evidence shows a city continually occupied since the 600s BC, with a first century population of 1500 to 2000 people. (Brown, BBCNT)

Lk 1:27
betrothed- Mnesteuo means betrothed, engaged.

“The betrothed parties are called Arus and Arusa respectively, the state of being betrothed is called Arusin, and the act of betrothing, Kiddushin. The mode of betrothal is either by money [Kaseph], or by a written document [Shtar].

Between the betrothal and the nuptials an interval elapses, varying from a month for widows to a year for virgins. The nuptials are termed Chuppa [bridal chamber] or Nissuin [taking]. The essence of the nuptial ceremonies consists in conducting the bride from her home to that of the bridegroom, or a place representing his home. After this they are considered in all respects as husband and wife, though no conjugal intercourse has actually taken place.” (Gospel according to St. Matthew, A.J. Maas, S.J., B. Herder, 1898, p.10)

The whole marriage arrangement was a long, involved business. The first part, call it the “engagement”, was arranged when the couple were still very young children, either by their fathers alone, or with the services of a matchmaker. The second part, the betrothal, generally took place when the couple were teens, the ideal being a girl between about 12 or 13, and a boy 18 to 20 (boys were expected to start being adult when they reached puberty, around 13, so Joseph would have known something of how to behave in the wider world by time of marriage). It involved a public exchange of consent by the betrothed before witnesses, which then gave the boy legal rights over the girl, though she remained in her parents house for about a year. Part of the delay was simple economics: then as now the families had to scrap and save in order to throw the wedding banquet, which was part of the nisuin, the installation of the girl into the home of her husband. The technical term used at betrothal stage among Jews was indeed arusah “betrothed”, “fiance”, rather than “isha”, wife.(S.T. Lachs, A Rabbinic Commentary on the New Testament, Ktav, 1987, p.7)

As to how strict the ban was on separation of the engaged couple, later Jewish sources say in Judea a fiance might be alone with his fiancee at least once during the betrothal, but that Galileans allowed no private meetings. It is suspected that the custom mentioned for Judea may have evolved after 70 AD, when masses of Roman soldiers occupied Judea and might molest young girls. Otherwise why would there be such a scandal implied in Mary’ pregnancy? (Raymond Brown, S.S. The Birth of the Messiah, Doubleday, 1993,p.124) It was commonly held in the ancient world that if a man and woman were alone together for more than twenty minutes, sex had occurred.(Brown, Lachs)

House of David- The Greek is unclear exactly who is specified here. Origen took it to refer to Mary, while J. Chrysostom thought it meant Mary and Joseph. Since the phrase is closer to Joseph and Mary is reintroduced in the clause, it presumably refers to Joseph. The only specific evidence of Mary’s lineage is the mention of Elizabeth, a Levite.There is mention in the Old Testament of Judahite/Levite marriages, so perhaps Mary’s parents or grandparents were such a mix. (Brown)

Lk 1:28
The Greek chaire kecharitomene is interesting to Brown, who notes that while chairein is the standard Greek greeting, kecharitomene is practically a translation of the name Hannah, whose story and hymn in 1 Samuel seems a model for Mary and her Magnificat. (Brown)

Lk 1:29
Mary troubled: This reaction has received many explanations:
1. Reaction to an angel
2. Maiden’s reaction to being alone with a strange man
3. Mary’s modesty(Brown)

While there were normal styles of greetings, they were dictated by one’s status. Mary, likely a very young woman, was near status-less. Thus to be called “favored” and “the Lord is with you” was totally out of keeping with her apparent status.(BBCNT)

Lk 1:31
you will conceive- In Hebrew, this phrase might be either a present (you have conceived) or a future (you will conceive).

you will name- This is a command, not a prophecy.

Jesus- Greek form of Yeshua, likely pronounced at the time as Yeshu. The original Hebrew Yehoshua/Joshua means “Yahweh helps”. Another derivation is from Hebrew root ys “to save”, and the noun yesua “salvation”. (Brown)

This verse follows standard OT style for divine birth announcements, in particular the very suggestive Is 7:14 that Matthew explicitly quotes in Matt 1:23. (BBCNT)

Lk 1:32-33
These verses seem to derive from 2 Sam 7:12-16, again highly suggestive as that is classically considered a Messianic prophecy.

2 Sam 7:12-16
The verses have huge implications for both Jews and Christians. On the Christian side, the NT refers back to these verses repeatedly as foundation for seven NT teachings about Jesus:
1. Son of David (Matt 1:1, Acts 13:22-23; Rom 1:3, 2 Tim 2:8, Rev 22:16)
2. Who rises from the dead (Acts 2:30, 13:23)
3. Builder of the House of God (John 2:19-22, Heb 3:3-4)
4. Possessor of a Throne (Heb 1:8, Rev 3:21)
5.Possesor of an eternal kingdom (1 Cor 15:24-25; Eph 5:5; Heb 1:8; 2 Pet 1:11)
6. Son of God (Mark 1:1, John 20 :31; Acts 9:20; Heb 4:14; Rev 2:18)
7. Immaculately conceived as son of God (Luk 1:32-35) (Bergen)

OT links include Is 9:6-7, Is 10:21, Dan 2:44, 4:3, 6:26, 7:14. (BBCNT)

Lk. 1:35
come upon you- Greek operachestai, used in Acts 1:8, Isa 32:15, 1 Sam 16:13

power- another way of saying Holy Spirit

holy – Greek hagion, this might modify the subject “holy child” or predicate “the child will be holy”.(Brown)

Lk 1:39
Hastily- Why the haste? Presumably to see the pregnant Elizabeth. Was she eager to see Elizabeth’s blessing, or was she actually looking for confirmation of the angel’s report to her?

hill country of Judah- It is estimated only twenty percent of priest lived in Jerusalem.
What town?
1.Iouda might be a mistake for Yutah, a priestly city in Josh 21:16
2. City- Greek polis, this might be a mistake for an original medinah, “province”
3. Pliny calls “hill country” a division of Judea near Jerusalem
4. Tradition (esp. The Protoevangelium of James) mistakenly makes Zechariah a high priest, and thus picks Kerim, a sort of Jerusalem suburb, about 5 miles from the big city, for Zechariah and Elizabeth’s town.(Brown)

The journey from Nazareth to Elizabeth’s home would have taken three to five days. Given the prevalence of bandits on roads in those days, one wonders exactly how Mary got there. Did she have a chaperone? Almost certainly she traveled with a caravan of some sort for protection. (BBCNT)

Lk 1:41
The Greek skirtan “jumped” is commonly used for skipping or jumping, like sheep would do. It is previously applied to a baby in Gen 25:22.(Brown)

Not surprisingly, the ancients were well aware that foetuses moved within their mothers, and folklore attributed things like singing, sinning, dancing and speaking within the womb. (BBCNT)

Lk 1:42
proclaimed- This is a form of anaphonein in the Greek, a word regularly used in the Greek OT (LXX Septuagint) for liturgical music (1 Chr 15:28, 16:4,5, 42). Thus you have 2 poetic praises, Elizabeth’s and Mary’s.

Blessed- The Greek is eulogenenos. If simply “happy, fortunate”, the Greek would be makarios, as in the Sermon on the Mount. Mary is blessed, but the term is used of others (Judges 5:24, Judith 13:18)

blessed fruit of womb- Again the Greek is eulogenenos, this phrase a Greek carry-over of a Hebrew original.(Brown)

Lk 1:43
My Lord- This is in fact Luke’s first use of Greek kurios, “lord”, for Jesus.(Brown)

Lk 1:45
Blessed- More likely here “fortunate, happy”, as the Greek this time is a form of makarios.(Brown)

Lk 1:46
The overwhelming plurality of textual evidence says “Mary said” here, but a few Latin texts say Elizabeth. One neutral idea is that the original text said “she” and people added the name that seemed to fit. Still, there are arguments pro and con for thinking “Elizabeth said” original:

Pro Elizabeth:
1. “Low estate” in 48a better fits barren Elizabeth, and matches her “disgrace among men in 1:25
2. “Has done great things for me” in 49a matches “the Lord has shown great mercy” to Elizabeth in 1:58
3. It is awkward to mention Mary in v. 46 then rename her in v. 56.
4. Elizabeth better fits the model for the Magnificat, Hannah in 1 Sam, for both women were barren before God gave them children.
5. Very difficult to imagine scribes substituting Elizabeth for Mary, for high respect for Mary appeared in Christianity quite early on.

Pro Mary:
1. Overwhelming manuscript support for Mary
2. Handmaid, slave, Greek “doule”, fits Mary better than Elizabeth
3. Blessing in 48b matches 45a
4. Literary design is not awkward, but works well if Mary’s Magnificat is seen as response, Spirit-driven, to Spirit-driven Elizabeth’s hymn just before.
5. Why is there no mention of the parallel of Elizabeth’s barrenness here, when it is a strong component of the obvious model, Hannah’s hymn of 1 Sam 2:1-10?
6. A literary argument is that Luke arranged Zechariah’s Benedictus in Lk 1:68-79 and Mary’s Magnificat here as responses to the two Annunciations of John the Baptist and Jesus within this literary unit.(Brown)

Lk 1:47
Savior- In the Greek Bible, “soter” is applied to God thirty-five times, to men a mere five times.(Brown)

Lk 1:48
Henceforth- Greek apo tou nyn occurs seven times in the Greek NT, and six of those times are in Luke/Acts. In most of Luke’s uses, the phrase relates to a salvific moment.(Brown)

Here and back in 1:32 we see the importance ancient culture placed on status and honor, even after death. (BBCNT)

Lk 1:50
Mercy- Greek eleos is the normal Greek OT translation of the Hebrew hesed, God’s covenantal love.(Brown)

Lk 1:54
He has helped- The Greek antilambanein means something like “grabbing hold to support, to hold up, to prevent from falling”. (Brown)

Lk 1:56
It is entirely possible by count (six months, then three months) that Mary saw John born, but strange she is not mentioned as being there if so. I speculate that one reason Mary went to Elizabeth was for pregnancy education and moral support from an elder who also was experiencing miraculous things in her life. Presumably Joseph’s part in the story must then occur after Mary returns, when the pregnancy is more evident.

Home- Mary’s parents, based on Matthew’s account, for Joseph had yet to finish the engagement by taken Mary into his own home (Mat 1:20, 24).

The Magnificat borrows from a number of Psalms to weave together its hymn of praise to God.

Yes, I Do Read the Search Engine Terms

A few of my favorites from the last month:

1. christmas song from chuck: I don’t have a webcam. Otherwise, I’d certainly put my years in school choruses to good use and sing it for you.  Can I get a “Thank you, Jesus”?

2. does the bible ever quote the koran: Historically that would be impossible, since the writing of the Christian bible was completed centuries before Muhammad gave the Koran to the Arabs. Therefore I am very sure there is much Islamic literature and YouTube material PROVING the Bible MUST quote the Koran.

3. Favorite NT version: NET/NA27 diglot. Don’t tell anyone, it’s a secret.

4. lust through looking at a woman’s heel: “In olden days a glimpse of stocking, Was looked on as something shocking, But now, God knows, Anything Goes. “

5. walmart internal christmas music: It’s spelled with an “f”, you know.

6. james white on youtube: Yes, he does impossible basketball dunks while simultaneously expounding how the Granville Sharp Rule confounds Muslim apologists.

7. just stupid people: Okay, which search engine lead you to my site?!

8. avoid the stupid people on black friday: Well, I try to avoid stupid people all year round. But I think it’s awfully big of you to put up with them 364 days of the year.

Books of Brief Bios of Bible Interpreters and Other Christians

Nick Norelli says he’d like to read bios of contemporary bible scholars.  That gave me the obvious impetus to run to my bookshelves and compose a brief list of brief Christian bios for all three of my regular readers. So, to keep the introduction brief, here are a few suggestions:

1. Bible Interpreters of the 2oth Century: A Selection of Evangelical Voices, Walter Elwell and J. Weaver, Baker Books, 1999
2. Theologians of the Baptist Tradition, Timothy George and David Dockery, Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2001
3. 131 Christians Everyone Should Know, Mark Galli and Ted Olsen, Holman Reference, 2000
4. Biographical Dictionary of Christian Theologians, Patrick Carey and Joseph Lienhard, Hendricksen Publishers, 2002: Haven’t actually seen this one, but it’s a good idea.
5. Twentieth Century Catholic Theologians, Fergus Kerr, Wiley-Blackwell, 2007: Somehow this hasn’t come to my attention before, either.

Some of these are doubtless more about the theology than the men, so check those amazon and google previews out before you buy.

UPDATE: Thanks to Esteban Vazquez, one more I couldn’t quite remember:

6. Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters, Donald McKim, Carol Stream: IVP, 2007

Some E-Sword News

First up: Two more languages have been added to the list of GUI localizations: Indonesian and Swedish, bringing the current total of languages you can run the program in to eight, with more to come, I’m sure.

Second: A new eStudy Source commentary module has been released. The Baker New Testament Commentaryby William Hendriksen and Simon Kistemaker, in twelve volumes, is an older (1960s-2001) commentary series aimed more at the interested layman. It is avowedly Reformed/Calvinistic, strongly expositional with technical interludes, useful “practical lessons” at the end of sections, and Greek notes that are too technical for the typical reader.

It’s weaknesses are that it is not technical enough to address all the questions in interpreting the text (but granted I use several technical commentaries together to do that in my own notes), it is irregular in format because it was done over so long by two different men, and Don “I review commentaries so you don’t have to” Carson gives it a lukewarm “Okay with other commentaries” score.

I agree about its lack of depth, but it strikes me a good series for a lay bible study leader, and the price is excellent, even compared to bargain Christian software outlets, especially considering you are buying 9600 pages on the New Testament. Admittedly I am one of those who think you can never have too many commentaries. The series also has the distinction that “four of the volumes compiled by Kistemaker earned Gold Medallion Awards (Hebrews, James and 1-3 John, Acts, and 1 Corinthians)”.

So if you are looking for a good Reformed expositional New Testament commentary for eSword, definitely consider adding this one to your collection. And if you sign up for the eStudy Source newsletter, you can get early news and discounts on premium eSword modules.

Luke Chapter 1:26-56 Antique Commentary Quotes

John Gill
Luk 1:26 And in the sixth month,…. After Elisabeth’s conception; for so long was John the Baptist conceived before Christ, and so long he was born before him; and it seems as if there was the same distance between the public ministry of the one, and the other: John was before Christ, as man, being his forerunner; but Christ was preferred unto him as mediator, and existed before him, as the eternal Son of God:

the angel Gabriel was sent from God; the same angel, that near five hundred years before gave Daniel an exact account of the time of the Messiah’s coming, and six months ago acquainted Zacharias with the conception, birth, character, and office of his forerunner:

unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth; the whole country of Galilee was mean and contemptible with the Jews: they observe, though through mistake, that no prophet arose out of it, Joh_7:52 and Nazareth particularly was exceeding despicable in their eye: hence those words of Nathanael, “can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Joh_1:46 and yet hither an angel was sent by God; and here dwelt the mother of our Lord. See Gill on Mat_1:23

THEOPHYL; Because either the Incarnation of Christ was to be in the sixth age of the world, or because it was to serve to the fulfilling of the law, rightly in the sixth month of John’s conception was an angel sent to Mary, to tell her that a Savior should be born. Hence it is said, And in the sixth month, &c. We must understand the sixth month to be March, on the twenty-fifth day of which our Lord is reported to have been conceived, and to have suffered, as also to have been born on the twenty-fifth day of December. But if either the one day we believe to be the vernal equinox, or the other the winter solstice, it happens that with the increase of light He was conceived or born Who lightens every man that comes into the world. But if any one shall prove, that before the time of our Lord’s nativity or conception, light began either to increase, or supersede the darkness, we then say, that it was because John, before the appearance of His coming, began to preach the kingdom of heaven.

THEOPHYL; It was as a fit beginning for man’s restoration, that an angel should be sent down from God to consecrate a virgin by a divine birth, for the first cause of man’s perdition was the Devil sending a serpent to deceive a woman by the spirit of pride.

CHRYS. The angel announces the birth to the virgin not after the conception, lest she should be thereby too much troubled, but before the conception he addresses her, not in a dream, but standing by her in visible shape. For as great indeed were the tidings she receives, she needed before the issue of the event an extraordinary visible manifestation.

A.T. Robertson
Luk 1:27
Betrothed (emnēsteumenēn). Perfect passive participle. Betrothal usually lasted a year and unfaithfulness on the part of the bride was punished with death (Deu_23:24.).

John Gill
Luk 1:27 To a virgin,…. A pure virgin, that never knew man; see Gill on Luk_1:34 and yet

espoused to a man whose name was Joseph; but they were not come together, nor had he taken her for his wife, and home to his house, nor had they cohabited:

of the house of David; which, according to the grammatical construction of the words, may be connected either with the virgin, or with Joseph, to whom she was espoused; and is true of both; for they both were of the house and lineage of David: and this shows what a low condition David’s family was in, that the persons that were the nearest allied to it were a carpenter, and a poor virgin; and both residing in so despicable a place as Nazareth in Galilee:

and the virgin’s name was Mary; a name frequent among the Jews, and the same with Miriam; of which name was the sister of Moses and Aaron.

A.T. Robertson Luk 1:28
Highly favoured (kecharitōmenē). Perfect passive participle of charitoō and means endowed with grace (charis), enriched with grace as in Eph_1:6, non ut mater gratiae, sed ut filia gratiae (Bengel). The Vulgate gratiae plena “is right, if it means ‘full of grace which thou hast received’; wrong, if it means ‘full of grace which thou hast to bestow’” (Plummer). The oldest MSS. do not have “Blessed art thou among women” here, but in Luk_1:42.

GREEK EX. But as she might be accustomed to these visions, the Evangelist ascribes her agitation not to the vision, but to the things told her, saying, she was troubled at his words. Now observe both the modesty and wisdom of the Virgin; the soul, and at the same time the voice. When she heard the joyful words, she pondered them in her mind, and neither openly resisted through unbelief, nor forthwith lightly complied; avoiding equally the inconstancy of Eve, and the insensibility of Zacharias. Hence it is said, And she cast in her mind what manner of salutation this was, it is not said conception for as yet she knew not the vastness of the mystery. But the salutation, was there aught of passion in it as from a man to a virgin? or was it not of God, seeing that he makes mention of God, saying, The Lord is with you.

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
Luk 1:28
highly favoured — a word only once used elsewhere (Eph_1:6, “made accepted”): compare Luk_1:30, “Thou hast found favor with God.” The mistake of the Vulgate’s rendering, “full of grace,” has been taken abundant advantage of by the Romish Church. As the mother of our Lord, she was the most “blessed among women” in external distinction; but let them listen to the Lord’s own words. “Nay, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.” (See on Luk_11:27).

Albert Barnes
Luk 1:28
Hail – This word of salutation is equivalent to “Peace be with thee,” or “Joy be with thee;” a form of speech implying that she was signally favored, and expressing joy at meeting her.

Highly favoured – By being the mother of the long-expected Messiah – the mother of the Redeemer of mankind. Long had he been predicted; long had the eyes of the nation been turned to him, and long had his coming been an object of intense desire. To be reckoned among his “ancestors” was accounted sufficient honor for even Abraham and David. But now the happy “individual” was designated who was to be his mother; and on Mary, a poor virgin of Nazareth, was to come this honor, which would have rendered infinitely illustrious any of the daughters of Adam the honor of giving birth to the world’s Redeemer and the Son of God.

The Lord is with thee – The word “is” is not in the original, and the passage may be rendered either “the Lord “is” with thee,” or “the Lord be” with thee,” implying the prayer of the angel that all blessings from God might descend and rest upon her.

Blessed art thou among women – This passage is equivalent to saying “thou art the most happy of women.”

John Gill
Luk 1:29 And when she saw him,…. The Persic version renders it, “when Mary saw the angel”; which expresses the true sense of the words, The Vulgate Latin reads, “when she heard”; i.e. the salutation:

she was troubled at his saying; at his speaking to her; she was surprised at the sight of him, and more at what he said to her,

and cast in her mind, or thought and reasoned within herself,

what manner of salutation this should be; for it was not usual with the Jews for a man to use any salutation to a woman; with them it was not lawful to be done in any shape or form; not by a messenger, nor even by her own husband (u); so that Mary might well be thrown into a concern what should be the meaning of this; and especially, that she should be addressed in such language, and saluted as a peculiar favourite of God, and blessed among women,

(u) T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 70. 1, 2. Maimon. Hilch. Issure Biah, c. 21.

A.T. Robertson
Luk 1:30
Favour (charin). Grace. Same root as chairō (rejoice) and charitoō in Luk_1:28. To find favour is a common O.T. phrase. Charis is a very ancient and common word with a variety of applied meanings. They all come from the notion of sweetness, charm, loveliness, joy, delight, like words of grace, Luk_4:22, growing grace, Eph_4:29, with grace, Col_4:6. The notion of kindness is in it also, especially of God towards men as here. It is a favourite word for Christianity, the Gospel of the grace of God (Act_20:24) in contrast with law or works (Joh_1:16). Gratitude is expressed also (Luk_6:32), especially to God (Rom_6:17).

With God (para tōi theōi). Beside God.

John Gill
Luk 1:32 He shall be great,…. In his person, as God-man; this child born, and Son given, being the angel of the great counsel, the mighty God, and everlasting Father; Isa_9:6 which is here referred to; and in his offices, in his prophetic office, being that great and famous prophet Moses spoke of, mighty in word and deed, in his doctrine and miracles; in his priestly office, being a great high priest, both in the oblation of himself, and in his prevalent intercession; and in his kingly office, being the King of kings, and Lord of Lords; and in the whole of his office, as Mediator, being a great Saviour, the author of a great salvation for great sinners; in which is greatly displayed the glory of all the divine perfections: great also in his works, the miracles that he wrought, as proofs of his Deity and Messiahship, the work of redemption, the resurrection of himself from the dead, and of all men at the last day; and in the glory he is now possessed of in human nature, at the Father’s right hand, where he is highly exalted above all principality and power:

and shall be called the Son of the Highest; that is, of God, of whose names is עליון, “the Most High”; see Gen_14:18 not by creation, as angels and men, nor by adoption, as saints, nor by office, as magistrates, are called “the children of the Most High”, Psa_82:6 but by nature, being the eternal Son of God; of the same nature with him, and equal to him: for he was not now to begin to be the Son of God, he was so before, even from all eternity; but the sense is, that he should now be known, owned, and acknowledged to be the Son of God, being as such manifested in human nature, and should be proved to be so by the works he wrought, and declared to be the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead:

and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. Christ, as God, is the Son of God, as man, the son of David; a name often given to the Messiah, and by which he was well known among the Jews; and as Christ descended from him as man, in a literal sense, he had a right to the throne of his father David; and the Jews themselves say, that he was קרוב למלכות, “nearly allied to the kingdom” (w): but here it intends not his throne, in a literal, but in a figurative sense; for as David was a type of the Messiah in his kingly office, hence the Messiah is called “David their king”, Hos_3:5 so his throne was typical of the Messiah’s throne and kingdom; which is not of this world, but is in his church, and is set up in the hearts of his people, where he reigns by his Spirit and grace; and this is a throne and kingdom “given” by the Lord God. The kingdom of nature and providence he has by right of nature, as the Son of the Highest; the kingdom of grace, or the mediatorial kingdom, the kingdom of priests, or royal priesthood, is a delegated one; his Father has set him as king over his holy hill of Zion; and he is accountable for his government to him, and will one day deliver it up complete and perfect,

(w) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 43. 1.

A.T. Robertson
Luk 1:32
The Son of the Most High (huios Hupsistou). There is no article in the Greek, but the use of Most High in Luk_1:35 clearly of God as here. In Luk_6:35 we find “sons of the Most High” (huioi Hupsistou) so that we cannot insist on deity here, though that is possible. The language of 2Sa_7:14; Isa_9:7 is combined here.

Adam Clarke
Luk 1:32
He shall be great – Behold the greatness of the man Christ Jesus:
1st. Because that human nature that should be born of the virgin was to be united with the Divine nature.

2dly. In consequence of this, that human nature should be called in a peculiar sense the Son of the most high God; because God would produce it in her womb without the intervention of man.

3rdly. He shall be the everlasting Head and Sovereign of his Church.

4thly. His government and kingdom shall be eternal.

Revolutions may destroy the kingdoms of the earth, but the powers and gates of hell and death shall never be able to destroy or injure the kingdom of Christ. His is the only dominion that shall never have an end. The angel seems here to refer to Isa_9:7; Isa_16:5; Jer_23:5; Dan_2:44; Dan_7:14. All which prophecies speak of the glory, extent, and perpetuity of the evangelical kingdom. The kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory form the endless government of Christ.

GREEK EX. And to make the Virgin mindful of the prophets, he adds, And the Lord God shall give to him the seat of David, that she might know clearly, that He Who is to be born of her is that very Christ, Whom the prophets promised should be born of the seed of David.

CYRIL; Not however from Joseph proceeded the most pure descent of Christ. For from one and the same line of connection had sprung both Joseph and the Virgin, and from this the only-begotten had taken the form of man. BASIL; Our Lord sat not on the earthly throne of David, the Jewish kingdom having been transferred to Herod. The seat of David is that on which our Lord reestablished His spiritual kingdom which should never be destroyed. Hence it follows, And he shall reign over the house of Jacob.

CHRYS. Now He assigns to the present house of Jacob all those who were of the number of the Jews that believed on Him. For as Paul says, They are not all Israel which are of Israel, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

THEOPHYL; Or by the house of Jacob he means the whole Church which either sprang from a good root, or though formerly a wild olive branch, has yet been for a reward of its faith grafted into the good olive tree.

GREEK EX. But to reign for ever is of none save God alone; and hence though because of the incarnation- t nation Christ is said to receive the seat of David, yet as being Himself God He is acknowledged to be the eternal King. It follows, And his kingdom shall have no end, not in that He is God, but in that He is man also. Now indeed He has the kingdom of many nations, but finally he shall reign over all, when all things shall be put under Him.

THEOPHYL; Let Nestorius then cease to say that the Virgin’s Son is only man, and to deny that He is taken up by the Word of God into the unity of the Person. For the Angel when he says that the very same has David for His father whom he declares is called the Son of the Highest, demonstrates the one Person of Christ in two natures. The Angel uses the future tense not because, as the Heretics say, Christ was not before Mary, but because in the same person, man with God shares the same name of Son.

John Gill
Luk 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob,…. Not over the Jews, the posterity of Jacob, in a literal sense; but over the whole Israel of God, consisting of Jews and Gentiles. For as his father David reigned over the Idumeans, Syrians, and others, as well as over the house of Judah and Israel, so this his son shall reign over both Jews and Gentiles: his kingdom shall be from one end of the earth to the other, even over all the elect of God; who in successive generations call themselves by the name of Jacob, and surname themselves by the name of Israel, of whatsoever nation they be; and this reign of his shall be

for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end; referring to Isa_9:7 see also Dan_2:44 Dan_7:14 he shall reign in the hearts of his people here unto the end of the world; and with his saints a thousand years in the new heavens and new earth; and with them to all eternity, in the ultimate glory.

AMBROSE; It was Mary’s part neither to refuse belief in the Angel, nor too hastily take to herself the divine message. How subdued her answer is, compared with the words of the Priest. Then said Mary to the Angel, How shall this be? She says, How shall this be? He answers, Whereby shall I know this? He refuses to believe that which he says he does not know, and seeks as it were still further authority for belief. She avows herself willing to do that which she doubts not will be done, but how, she is anxious to know. Mary had read, Behold, she shall conceive and bear a son. She believed therefore that it should be but how it was to take place she had never read, for even to so great a prophet this had not been revealed. So great a mystery was not to be divulged by the mouth of man, but of an Angel.

John Calvin
Luk 1:34
34.How shall this be? The holy virgin appears to confine the power of God within as narrow limits as Zacharias had formerly done; for what is beyond the common order of nature, she concludes to be impossible. She reasons in this manner. I know not a man: how then can I believe that what you tell me will happen? We ought not to give ourselves very much trouble, to acquit her of all blame. She ought immediately to have risen by faith to the boundless power of God, which is not at all lettered to natural means, but sways the whole world. Instead of this, she stops at the ordinary way of generation. Still, it must be admitted that she does not hesitate or inquire in such a manner as to lower the power of God to the level of her senses; but is only carried away by a sudden impulse of astonishment to put this question. That she readily embraced the promise may be concluded from this, that, though many things presented themselves on the opposite side, she has no doubt but on one point.

She might instantly have objected, where was that throne of David? for all the rank of kingly power had been long ago set aside, and all the luster of royal descent had been extinguished. Unquestionably, if she had formed her opinion of the matter according to the judgment of the flesh, she would have treated as a fable what the angel had told her. There can be no doubt that she was fully convinced of the restoration of the church, and easily gave way to what the flesh would have pronounced to be incredible. And then it is probable that the attention of the public was everywhere directed at that time to the prediction of Isaiah, in which God promises that he would raise up a rod out of the despised stem of Jesse, (Isa_11:1.) That persuasion of the kindness of God, which had been formed in the mind of the virgin, led her to admit, in the fullest manner, that she had received a message as to raising up anew the throne of David. If it be objected that there was also another prediction, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, (Isa_7:14,) I reply, that this mystery was then very imperfectly understood. True, the Fathers expected the birth of a King, under whose reign the people of God would be happy and prosperous; but the manner of its accomplishment lay concealed, as if it had been hidden by a veil. There is no wonder, therefore, if the holy virgin puts a question on a subject hitherto unknown to her.

The conjecture which some have drawn from these words, that she had formed a vow of perpetual virginity, is unfounded and altogether absurd. She would, in that case, have committed treachery by allowing herself to be united to a husband, and would have poured contempt on the holy covenant of marriage; which could not have been done without mockery of God. Although the Papists have exercised barbarous tyranny on this subject, yet they have never proceeded so far as to allow the wife to form a vow of continence at her own pleasure. Besides, it is an idle and unfounded supposition that a monastic life existed among the Jews.

We must reply, however, to another objection, that the virgin refers to the future, and so declares that she will have no intercourse with a man. The probable and simple explanation is, that the greatness or rather majesty of the subject made so powerful an impression on the virgin, that all her senses were bound and locked up in astonishment. When she is informed that the Son of God will be born, she imagines something unusual, and for that reason leaves conjugal intercourse out of view. Hence she breaks out in amazement, How shall this be? And so God graciously forgives her, and replies kindly and gently by the angel, because, in a devout and serious manner, and with admiration of a divine work, she had inquired how that would be, which, she was convinced, went beyond the common and ordinary course of nature. In a word, this question was not so contrary to faith, because it arose rather from admiration than from distrust.

John Gill
Luk 1:34 Then said Mary to the angel, how shall this be,…. This she said not as doubting the truth of what was said; for she required no sign, as Zacharias did; nor is she charged with, and blamed for unbelief, as he was; yea, it is expressly said, Luk_1:45 that she believed: nor was this a curious question, as whether she should have this son by a man in a married state, or in her present virgin state; for she clearly understood the angel to mean the latter; and therefore her words express her admiration at it, and also her desire to be informed of the manner how it should be: as to the matter of fact, she did not dispute it, but wanted to be resolved by what means it would be brought about: she knew, by prophecy, that the Messiah was to be born of a virgin, and she perceived, by the angel’s declaration, that she was that virgin, but could not imagine in what way this amazing thing should be effected; and therefore proposes this question for the following reason,

seeing I know not a man? “A husband”, as the Arabic version renders it; not Joseph, nor any other man; for though she was espoused to Joseph, yet he had not taken her to wife; nor were they, as yet; come together; and before they did, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost, Mat_1:18 she was a pure virgin, untouched by man. The words are an “euphemism”, or a modest way of expressing carnal copulation; see Gen_4:1.

GREG. NYSS. These words of Mary are a token of what she was pondering in the secrets of her heart; for if for the sake of the marriage union she had wished to be espoused to Joseph, why was she seized with astonishment when the conception was made known to her? seeing in truth she might herself be expecting at the time to become a mother according to the law of nature. But because it was meet that her body being presented to God as an holy offering should be kept inviolate, therefore she says, Seeing that I know not a man. As if she said, Notwithstanding that you who speak are an Angel, yet that I should know a man is plainly an impossible thing. How then can I be a mother, having no husband? For Joseph I have acknowledged as my betrothed.

CHRYS. As if he said, Look not for the order of nature in things which transcend and overpower nature. Do you say, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? Nay rather, shall it happen to you for this very reason, that you have never known a husband. For if you had, you would not have been thought worthy of the mystery, not that marriage is unholy, but virginity more excellent. It became the common Lord of all both to take part with us, and to differ with us in His nativity; for the being born from the womb, He shared in common with us, but in that He was born without cohabitation, He was exalted far above us.

A.T. Robertson
Luk 1:35
Shall overshadow thee (episkiasei). A figure of a cloud coming upon her. Common in ancient Greek in the sense of obscuring and with accusative as of Peter’s shadow in Act_5:15. But we have seen it used of the shining bright cloud at the Transfiguration of Jesus (Mat_17:5; Mar_9:7; Luk_9:34). Here it is like the Shekinah glory which suggests it (Exo_40:38) where the cloud of glory represents the presence and power of God.

Holy, the Son of God (Hagion huios theou). Here again the absence of the article makes it possible for it to mean “Son of God.” See Mat_5:9. But this title, like the Son of Man (Ho huios tou anthrōpou) was a recognized designation of the Messiah. Jesus did not often call himself Son of God (Mat_27:43), but it is assumed in his frequent use of the Father, the Son (Mat_11:27; Luk_10:21; Joh_5:19.). It is the title used by the Father at the baptism (Luk_3:22) and on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luk_9:35). The wonder of Mary would increase at these words. The Miraculous Conception or Virgin Birth of Jesus is thus plainly set forth in Luke as in Matthew. The fact that Luke was a physician gives added interest to his report.

John Calvin
Luk 1:35
35.The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee
The angel does not explain the manner, so as to satisfy curiosity, which there was no necessity for doing. He only leads the virgin to contemplate the power of the Holy Spirit, and to surrender herself silently and calmly to his guidance. The word ἐπελεύσεται, shall come upon, denotes that this would be an extraordinary work, in which natural means have no place. The next clause is added by way of exposition, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: for the Spirit may be regarded as the essential power of God, whose energy is manifested and exerted in the entire government of the world, as well as in miraculous events. There is an elegant metaphor in the word ἐπισκιάσει, overshadow. The power of God, by which he guards and protects his own people, is frequently compared in Scripture to a shadow, (Psa_17:8; Psa_57:1; Psa_91:1.) But it appears to have another and peculiar meaning in this passage. The operation of the Spirit would be secret, as if an intervening cloud did not permit it to be beheld by the eyes of men. Now, as God, in performing miracles, withholds from us the manner of his proceedings, so what he chooses to conceal from us ought to be viewed, on our part, with seriousness and adoration.

Therefore also the holy thing which shall be born This is a confirmation of the preceding clause: for the angel shows that Christ must not be born by ordinary generation, that he may be holy, and that he may be the Son of God; that is, that in holiness and glory he may be high above all creatures, and may not hold an ordinary rank among men. Heretics, who imagine that he became the Son of God after his human generation, seize on the particle therefore as meaning that he would be called the Son of God, because he was conceived in a remarkable manner by the power of the Holy Spirit. But this is a false conclusion: for, though he was manifested to be the Son of God in the flesh, it does not follow that he was not the Word begotten of the Father before the ages. On the contrary, he who had been the Son of God in his eternal Godhead, appeared also as the Son of God in human flesh. This passage not only expresses a unity of person in Christ, but at the same time points out that, in clothing himself with human flesh, Christ is the Son of God. As the name, Son of God, belonged to the divine essence of Christ from the beginning, so now it is applied unitedly to both natures, because the secret and heavenly manner of generation has separated him from the ordinary rank of men. In other passages, indeed, with the view of asserting that he is truly man, he calls himself the Son of man, (Joh_5:27;) but the truth of his human nature is not inconsistent with his deriving peculiar honor above all others from his divine generation, having been conceived out of the ordinary way of nature by the Holy Spirit. This gives us good reason for growing confidence, that we may venture more freely to call God our Father, because his only Son, in order that we might have a Father in common with him, chose to be our brother.

It ought to be observed also that Christ, because he was conceived by a spiritual power, is called the holy seed For, as it was necessary that he should be a real man, in order that he might expiate our sins, and vanquish death and Satan in our flesh; so was it necessary, in order to his cleansing others, that he should be free from every spot and blemish, (1Pe_1:19.) Though Christ was formed of the seed of Abraham, yet he contracted no defilement from a sinful nature; for the Spirit of God kept him pure from the very commencement: and this was done not merely that he might abound in personal holiness, but chiefly that he might sanctify his own people. The manner of conception, therefore, assures us that we have a Mediator separate from sinners, (Heb_7:26.)

John Gill
Luk 1:36 And behold thy cousin Elisabeth,…. For though Elisabeth was of the daughters of Aaron, or of the tribe of Levi by her father’s side, yet might be of the tribe of Judah by her mother’s side, and so akin to Mary. The Persic version calls her “aunt by the mother’s side”: intermarriages between the two tribes of Levi and Judah were frequent; nor were they at all contrary to the intention of that law, that forbid the tribes to intermarry, which was to preserve the inheritance in each tribe, since the tribe of Levi had none at all. Though she might be called her cousin in a more general sense; it being usual with the Jews to call all of their own nation their kinsmen and kinswomen, according to the flesh: but the former sense seems more agreeable; and so Mary is directed to her own family, and to her own relations, and known friends, for a sign, by which her faith might be confirmed, in what the angel had said unto her; for if she found the one to be true, she might conclude the other was also; which is as follows:

she hath also conceived a son in her old age: though Mary asked no sign, yet one is given her, whereby she might know the truth of what was spoken: for if it should appear that Elisabeth had received strength to conceive, as was declared by the angel; and that a son, too, which he could not have known without a divine revelation; and that in her old age, which, was extraordinary and supernatural, she might assure herself, that the message brought to her was from God; and that she likewise, though a virgin, might conceive, and bear a son: the angel adds, as a further testimony of the truth of things,

and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. Elisabeth, was generally known to be barren, and was, by way of reproach, usually called so, but was now six months gone with child; so that it was a plain case, and out of question; the signs of her pregnancy were very apparent.

George Haydock
Luk 1:36 We find that Aaron, who was of the tribe of Levi, took a wife of the tribe of Juda, viz. Elizabeth, the sister of Naasson. In the successors of David we find that Joiada, the chief priest, took a wife of the family of David, viz. the daughter of Joram; from which it appears that both the royal and sacerdotal tribes were united, and that Mary and Elizabeth were relatives. It was certainly proper that Christ should be born of both these tribes, because he was in himself both king and priest. (Ven. Bede)

John Calvin
Luk 1:36
36.And, behold, Elisabeth thy cousin By an instance taken from her own relatives, the angel encourages the faith of Mary to expect a miracle. If neither the barrenness nor the old age of Elisabeth could prevent God from making her a mother, there was no better reason why Mary should confine her view within the ordinary limits of nature, when she beheld such a demonstration of divine power in her cousin He mentions expressly the sixth month; because in the fifth month a woman usually feels the child quicken in the womb, so that the sixth month removes all doubt. True, Mary ought to have placed such a reliance on the bare word of God as to require no support to her faith from any other quarter; but, to prevent farther hesitation, the Lord condescends to strengthen his promise by this new aid. With equal indulgence does he cheer and support us every day; nay, with greater indulgence, because our faith is weaker. That we may not doubt his truth, testimonies to confirm it are brought by him from every direction.

A question arises, how Elisabeth, who was of the daughters of Aaron, (Luk_1:5,) and Mary, who was descended from the stock of David, could be cousins This appears to be at variance with the law, which prohibited women from marrying into a different tribe from their own, (Num_36:6.) With respect to the law, if we look at its object, it forbade those intermarriages only which might “remove inheritances from tribe to tribe,” (Num_36:7.) No such danger existed, if any woman of the tribe of Judah married a priest, to whom an inheritance could not be conveyed. The same argument would hold if a woman of the tribe of Levi passed into another tribe. It is possible that the mother of the holy virgin might be descended from the family of Aaron, and so her daughter might be cousin to Elisabeth.

Adam Clarke
Luk 1:37
For with God nothing shall be impossible – Words of the very same import with those spoken by the Lord to Sarah, when he foretold the birth of Isaac, Gen_18:14, Is any thing too hard for the Lord? As there can be no doubt that Mary perceived this allusion to the promise and birth of Isaac, so she must have had her faith considerably strengthened by reflecting on the intervention of God in that case.

John Calvin
Luk 1:38
38.Behold the handmaid of the Lord The holy virgin does not allow herself to dispute any farther: and yet many things might unquestionably have obtruded themselves, to repress that faith, and even to draw off her attention from what was said to her by the angel. But she stops the entrance of opposing arguments, and compels herself to obey. This is the real proof of faith, when we restrain our minds, and, as it were, hold them captive, so that they dare not reply this or that to God: for boldness in disputing, on the other hand, is the mother of unbelief. These are weighty expressions, Behold the handmaid of the Lord: for she gives and devotes herself unreservedly to God, that he may freely dispose of her according to his pleasure. Unbelievers withdraw from his hand, and, as far as lies in their power, obstruct his work: but faith presents us before God, that we may be ready to yield obedience. But if the holy virgin was the handmaid of the Lord, because she yielded herself submissively to his authority, there cannot be worse obstinacy than to fly from him, and to refuse that obedience which he deserves and requires. In a word, as faith alone makes us obedient servants to God, and gives us up to his power, so unbelief makes us rebels and deserters. Be it unto me This clause may be interpreted in two ways. Either the holy virgin, leaving her former subject, betakes herself suddenly to prayers and supplications; or, she proceeds in the same strain to yield and surrender herself to God. I interpret it simply that she is convinced of the power of God, follows cheerfully where he calls, trusts also to his promise, and not only expects, but eagerly desires, its accomplishment. [We must also observe that she is convinced on the word of the angel, because she knows that it proceeded from God: valuing its credit, not with reference to him who was its messenger, but with reference to him who was its author.]

John Gill
Luk 1:39 And Mary arose in those days,…. The Ethiopic version renders it, “in that day”; directly, immediately, as soon as the angel was gone from her; partly to know the truth of things, and to make use of the sign which had been given her, for the further confirmation of her faith, which was very right and proper for her to do; and partly to converse with Elisabeth about the great things which God had done for each of them, and to praise his name together: “and went into the hill country with haste”; the same which is called the country of the hills, and the hills, and the mountains, in Jos_10:40 where the Septuagint use the same word as here: the land of Judea was divided into three parts, ההר, “the mountain”, or hill country, the champaign country, and the valley (b): from Betboron to Emmaus is הר, “the hill country”; from Emmaus to Lud, or Lydda, is the champaign country; and from Lydda to the sea, the valley (c). This place is frequently called, in the Jewish writings (d), the king’s mountain, or the royal mountain, and is said to be very full of cities: ten thousand cities, they say (e), were in the king’s mountain, and a thousand of them belonged to R. Eleazer ben Harsum: yea, they say (f), that king Jannai had sixty myriads of cities in the mountain of the king. The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions render it, “went to the mountain”, to this mountain, and which is called the mountain, or, as we read it, the hill country of Judah, Jos_21:11 on which Hebron was situated; and seems to be the city next mentioned: into a city of Judah; for that was given to the children of Aaron and so may reasonably be thought to be the city where Zacharias dwelt, and not Jerusalem, which was in the tribe of Benjamin. Hebron was a city peculiar to the priests; whereas Jerusalem was not; and it was in the hill country of Judea; it was remarkable for the goodness of its stones. It is said (g).

“you have no stones in all the land of Israel harder than at Hebron; hence they buried the dead there.

(b) Misn. Sheviith, c. 9. sect. 2. Maimon & Bartenora in ib. (c) T. Hieros. Sheviith, fol. 38. 4. (d) Targum in Jud. iv. 5. T. Hieros. Avoda Zara, fol. 44. 4. (e) T. Hieros. Taanioth, fol. 69. 1. (f) T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 57. 1. (g) T. Bab. Sota, fol. 34. 2. & Cetnbot, fol. 112. 1.

John Calvin
Luk 1:39
39.And Mary arising This departure mentioned by Luke proves that Mary’s faith was not of a transitory nature: for the promise of God does not fade away with the presence of the angel, but is impressed upon her mind. The haste indicates a sincere and strong affection. We may infer from it that the Virgin disregarded every thing else and formed a just estimate of this grace of God. But it may be inquired, what was her object in undertaking this journey? It certainly was not made for the mere purpose of inquiry: for she cherished in her heart by faith the Son of God as already conceived in her womb. Nor do I agree with those who think that she came for the purpose of congratulating Elisabeth. I think it more probable that her object was, partly to increase and strengthen her faith, and partly to celebrate the grace of God which both had received.

There is no absurdity in supposing, that she sought to confirm her faith by a view of the miracle, which had been adduced to her with no small effect by the angel. For, though believers are satisfied with the bare word of God, yet they do not disregard any of his works which they find to be conducive to strengthen their faith. Mary was particularly bound to receive the assistance which had been offered, unless she chose to reject what the Lord had freely given to her. Besides, the mutual interview might arouse both Elisabeth and herself to higher gratitude, as is evident from what follows. The power of God became more remarkable and striking by taking in at one view both favors, the very comparison of which gave no small additional luster. Luke does not name the city in which Zacharias dwelt, but only mentions that it belonged to the tribe of Judah, and that it was situated in a hilly district. Hence we infer that it was farther distant than Jerusalem was from the town of Nazareth.

A.T. Robertson
Luk 1:41
Leaped (eskirtēsen). A common enough incident with unborn children (Gen_25:22), but Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit to understand what had happened to Mary.

John Gill
Luk 1:41 And it came to pass that when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary,…. Which might be before she saw her, and at some little distance from her:

the babe leaped in her womb: which motion was not natural, but supernatural; being made at hearing the voice of Mary, who had now conceived the Messiah, whose forerunner this babe, John the Baptist, was to be; and who, by this motion, gave the first notice of his conception, which his mother Elisabeth took from hence; as he afterwards pointed him out by his finger, and by his baptism made him manifest to Israel:

and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost not with the ordinary graces of the Spirit, for these she had been filled with before, but with extraordinary gifts, with a spirit of prophecy; by which she knew that the Messiah was conceived, and that Mary was the mother of her Lord; that many things had been told her; that she had believed them; and there would be a performance of them; and perhaps it was at this time that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost also; see Luk_1:15.

Luk 1:42 And she spake out with a loud voice,…. So as that all in the house might hear; she spake with great vehemency of soul, and strength of affection, being under a very powerful impression of the Spirit of God: and said,

blessed art thou among women; the same words that the angel had said to her before, Luk_1:28.

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb: this is a reason why she is called blessed, because her child was blessed; being in union with a divine person, who is God over all, blessed for ever; and who has all spiritual blessings in him, and is that seed, in which all nations of the earth were to be blessed; and so is both blessed in himself, and the source of all blessedness to others. The Jews say (h), that the six measures of barley, Boaz gave to Ruth, Rth_3:15 signified, that six righteous men should spring from her, and among, them the Messiah; who should be blessed with six blessings, and they are these; the spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and of might, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord; see Isa_11:2.

(h) Targum & R. Sol. Jarchi in loc.

John Gill
Luk 1:45 And blessed is she that believed….. Meaning Mary, a woman, a very young woman, and who had had things very incredible to nature and reason told her; and yet she believed, without objecting thereto, or requiring a sign; tacitly referring to the unbelief of Zacharias, who was a man, a man in years, a priest by office; and yet had been very incredulous, in a thing that was much more possible; because there had been instances of it before, in Sarah, Hannah, and Manoah’s wife; than what was related to the virgin, of which there had been none; and which to reason, and with men, was impossible: and happy indeed is every one, that has true faith in any degree; for faith is the faith of God’s elect, and is both a fruit and evidence of electing grace, which is the source of all blessings; it is the gift of God, and the operation of his Spirit, and can never be lost: many are the blessings such as believe are in the possession of, and openly entitled to; as the justification of their persons, the remission of their sins, their adoption into the household of God, liberty at the throne of grace, and a right to the eternal inheritance; they enjoy much solid peace, joy, and comfort in their own souls; bring much glory to God, and shall be saved in the Lord, with an everlasting salvation:

for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord: these words may be considered, either as the subject matter of her faith, and be rendered in connection with the former, thus, “blessed is she that believed, that there shall be a performance, &c”, being fully persuaded, that what the angel had told her, concerning the conception and birth of a son, concerning his name, and the greatness of his person, and the nature, extent, and duration of his kingdom, should be certainly and punctually fulfilled; or as a reason of her happiness, because there should be a sure accomplishment of them. Whatever God has spoken to any of his people, whether it be with respect to things temporal, spiritual, or eternal, shall be performed; as may be strongly concluded from the veracity of God, who cannot lie; and from his power, who is able to do all things; and from his faithfulness, which he will never suffer to fail; and from instances, and matters of fact; from the experience of the saints in all ages, who know, and are conscious to themselves, that not one of the good things the Lord God has spoken to them, has ever failed, but that all have come to pass; see Jos_23:14.

Adam Clarke
Luk 1:46
And Mary said – Two copies of the Itala, and some books mentioned by Origen, give this song to Elisabeth. It is a counterpart of the song of Hannah, as related in 1Sa_2:1-10.

This is allowed by many to be the first piece of poetry in the New Testament; but the address of the angel to Zacharias, Luk_1:13-17, is delivered in the same way; so is that to the virgin, Luk_1:30-33, and so also is Elisabeth’s answer to Mary, Luk_1:42-45. All these portions are easily reducible to the hemistich form in which the Hebrew poetry of the Old Testament is found in many MSS., and in which Dr. Kennicott has arranged the Psalms, and other poetical parts of the Sacred Writings. See his Hebrew Bible.

My soul doth magnify the Lord – The verb μεγαλυνειν, Kypke has proved, signifies to celebrate with words, to extol with praises. This is the only way in which God can be magnified, or made great; for, strictly speaking, nothing can be added to God, for he is infinite and eternal; therefore the way to magnify him is to show forth and celebrate those acts in which he has manifested his greatness.

AMBROSE; As evil came into the world by a woman, so also is good introduced by women; and so it seems not without meaning, that both Elisabeth prophesies before John, and Mary before the birth of the Lord. But it follows, that as Mary was the greater person, so she uttered the fuller prophecy.

A.T. Robertson
Luk 1:47
Hath rejoiced (ēgalliasen). This is aorist active indicative. Greek tenses do not correspond to those in English. The verb agalliaō is a Hellenistic word from the old Greek agallō. It means to exult. See the substantive agalliasis in Luk_1:14, Luk_1:44. Mary is not excited like Elisabeth, but breathes a spirit of composed rapture.

My spirit (to pneuma mou). One need not press unduly the difference between “soul” (psuchē) in Luk_1:46 and “spirit” here. Bruce calls them synonyms in parallel clauses. Vincent argues that the soul is the principle of individuality while the spirit is the point of contact between God and man. It is doubtful, however, if the trichotomous theory of man (body, soul, and spirit) is to be insisted on. It is certain that we have an inner spiritual nature for which various words are used in Mar_12:30. Even the distinction between intellect, emotions, and will is challenged by some psychologists.

God my Saviour (tōi theōi tōi sotēri mou). Article with each substantive. God is called Saviour in the O.T. (Deu_32:15, Psa_24:5; Psa_95:1).

Luk 1:47
BASIL; The first-fruit of the Spirit is peace and joy. Because then the holy Virgin had drunk in all the graces of the Spirit, she rightly adds, And my spirit has leaped for joy. She means the same thing, soul and spirit. But the frequent mention of leaping for joy in the Scriptures implies a certain bright and cheerful state of mind in those who are worthy. Hence the Virgin exults in the Lord with an unspeakable springing (and bounding) of the heart for joy, and in the breaking forth into utterance of a noble affection It follows, in God my Savior.

THEOPHYL; Because the spirit of the Virgin rejoices in the eternal Godhead of the same Jesus (i.e. the Savior,) whose flesh is formed in the womb by a temporal conception.

AMBROSE; The soul of Mary therefore magnifies the Lord, and her spirit rejoiced in God, because with soul and spirit devoted to the Father and the Son, she worships with a pious affection the one God from whom are all things. But let every one have the spirit of Mary, so that he may rejoice in the Lord. If according to the flesh there is one mother of Christ, yet, according to faith, Christ is the fruit of all. For every soul receives the word of God if only he be unspotted and free from sin, and preserves it with unsullied purity.

THEOPHYL. But he magnifies God who worthily follows Christ, and now that he is called Christian, lessens not the glory of Christ by acting unworthily, but does great and heavenly things; and then the Spirit (that is, the anointing of the Spirit) shall rejoice, (i.e. make him to prosper,) and shall not be withdrawn, so to say, and put to death.

John Calvin
Luk 1:48
48. Because he hath lookedShe explains the reason why the joy of her heart was founded in God to be, that out of free grace he had looked upon her. By calling herself lowshe disclaims all merit, and ascribes to the undeserved goodness of God every occasion of boasting. For ταπείνωσις, lowness, does not here denote — as ignorant and uneducated men have foolishly imagined — “submission, or modesty, or a quality of the mind,” but signifies “a mean and despicable condition.” The meaning is, “I was unknown and despised, but that did not prevent God from deigning to cast his eyes upon me.”

But if Mary’s lownessis contrasted with excellence — as the matter itself and the Greek word make abundantly plain — we see how Mary makes herself nothing, and praises God alone. And this was not the loud cry of a pretended humility, but the plain and honest statement of that conviction which was engraven on her mind; for she was of no account in the eyes of the world, and her estimation of herself was nothing more.

From this time She announces that this kindness of God will be kept in remembrance throughout all generations But if it is so remarkable, that it ought to be proclaimed every where by the lips of all men, silence regarding it would have been highly improper in Mary, on whom it was bestowed. Now observe, that Mary makes her happiness to consist in nothing else, but in what she acknowledges to have been bestowed upon her by God, and mentions as the gift of his grace. “I shall be reckoned blessed,” she says, “through all ages.” Was it because she sought this praise by her own power or exertion? On the contrary, she makes mention of nothing but of the work of God.

John Gill
Luk 1:48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden,…. Meaning, either her outward temporal estate, which was very low and mean: David’s family was now very much reduced, it had its seat not at Jerusalem, but at Nazareth, in Galilee: Mary, of that house, was a poor virgin, and Joseph, of the same, to whom she was betrothed, was a poor carpenter; and yet God passed by the rich and noble families of Jewish people, and pitched upon this poor virgin to be the mother of the Messiah: or her estate, in a spiritual sense, which, as that of every son and daughter of Adam, was very low by the fall; for sin has run all mankind into debt, and they have nothing to pay: it has stripped them of original righteousness, and clothed them with rags; it has filled them with diseases, from the crown of the head to the sole of the feet; it has exposed them to a prison, into which being cast, they must lie, till they have paid the uttermost farthing; and has left them hopeless and helpless, poor and miserable, and blind and naked: but God has remembered his elect, in this their low estate, and has provided a Saviour for them, and sent him to deliver them out of it; because his mercy endures forever; and this Mary was sensible, and there rejoiced in God her Saviour:

for behold, from henceforth all generations; not Jews only, but Gentiles also,

shall call me blessed; both on account of her son she had now conceived, and was bearing; because she was the mother of our Lord, who had reason so to conclude, from the nature of the thing, and from the words of the angel, and of Elisabeth, Luk_1:28 and much more than Leah had, who said something like this, at the birth of her second son, Gen_30:13 and also on account of her interest in Christ, as God her Saviour: in whom she was blessed, with all spiritual blessings; so that she was truly blessed, and might well be called so.

Albert Barnes
Luk 1:48
He hath regarded the low estate of his handmaid – Literally, he has looked upon the low or humble condition of his handmaid. That is, notwithstanding her humble rank and poverty, he has shown her favor. And this example abundantly teaches what is elsewhere fully taught in the Bible, that God is not a respecter of persons; that he is not influenced, in conferring favors, by wealth, honor, or office, Rom_2:11; Rom_10:11-12. He seeks the humble and the contrite; he imparts his rich blessings to those who feel that they need them, and who will bless him for them, Psa_138:6; Isa_57:15.

From henceforth – Hereafter, or in consequence of this.

All generations – All people. All posterity.

Call me blessed – Pronounce me highly favored or happy in being the mother of the Messiah. It is therefore right to consider her as highly favored or happy; but this certainly does not warrant us to worship her or to pray to her. Abraham was blessed in being the father of the faithful; Paul in being the apostle to the Gentiles; Peter in first preaching the gospel to them; but who would think of worshipping or praying to Abraham, Paul, or Peter?

Luk 1:49
THEOPHYL. The Virgin shows that not for her own virtue is she to be pronounced blessed, but she assigns the cause saying, For he that is mighty has magnified me.

AUG. What great things has He done to you; I believe that a creature you gave birth to the Creator, servant you brought forth the Lord, that through you God redeemed the world, through you He restored it to life.

TITUS BOS. But where are the great things, if they be not that I still a virgin conceive (by the will of God) overcoming nature. I have been accounted worthy, without being joined to a husband, to be made a mother, not a mother of any one, but of the only-begotten Savior.

THEOPHYL; But this has reference to the beginning of the hymn, where it is said, My soul doth magnify the Lord. For that soul can alone magnify the Lord with due praise, for whom he deigns to do mighty things.

Adam Clarke
Luk 1:49
He that is mighty hath done to me great things – Or, miracles, μεγαλεια. As God fills her with his goodness, she empties herself to him in praises; and, sinking into her own nothingness, she ever confesses that God alone is all in all.

Holy is his name – Probably the word which Mary used was חסד chesed, which though we sometimes translate holy, see Psa_86:2; Psa_145:17, yet the proper meaning is abundant goodness, exuberant kindness; and this well agrees with the following clause.

Albert Barnes
Luk 1:50
His mercy – Favor shown to the miserable and the guilty.

Is on them – Is shown or manifested to them.

That fear him – That “reverence” or honor Him. One kind of fear is that which a servant has of a cruel master, or which a man has of a precipice, the plague, or death. This is not the “fear” which we ought to have toward God. It is the fear which a dutiful child has of a kind and virtuous father a fear of injuring his feelings; of dishonoring him by our life; of doing anything which he would disapprove. It is on those who have such fear of God that his mercy descends. This is the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom, Psa_111:10; Job_28:28.From generation to generation – From one age to another – that is, it is unceasing; it continues and abounds. But it means also more than this. It means that God’s mercy will descend on the children and children’s children of those that fear him and keep his commandments, Exo_20:6. In this respect it is an unspeakable privilege to be descended from pious parents; to have been the subject of their prayers, and to have received their blessing. It is also a matter of vast guilt not to copy their example and to walk in their steps. If God is “disposed” to show mercy to thousands of generations, how heavy will be the condemnation if the children of pious parents do not avail themselves of it and early seek his favor!

Luk 1:50
THEOPHYL; Turning from God’s special gifts to His general dealings, she describes the condition of the whole hole human race, And his mercy is from generation to generation on them that fear him. As if she said, Not only for me has He that is mighty done great things, but in every nation he that fears God is accepted by Him.

ORIGEN; For the mercy of God is not upon one generation, but extends to eternity from generation to generation.

GREEK EX. According to the mercy which He has upon generations of generations, I conceive, and He Himself is united to a living body, out of mercy alone undertaking our salvation. Nor is His mercy shown indiscriminately, but upon those who are constrained by the fear of Him in every nation; as it is said, upon those who fear him, that is, upon those who being brought by repentance are turned to faith and renewal for the obstinate unbelievers have by their sin shut against themselves the gate of mercy.

THEOPHYL. Or by this she means that they who fear shall obtain mercy, both in that generation, (that is, the present world,) and the generation which is to come, (i.e. the life everlasting.) For now they receive a hundred-fold, but hereafter far more.

Adam Clarke
Luk 1:51
He hath showed strength – Or, He hath gained the victory, εποιησε κρατος. The word κρατος is used for victory, by Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles, Euripides, and others.

With his arm – Grotius has well observed, that God’s efficacy is represented by his finger, his great power by his hand, and his omnipotence by his arm. The plague of lice was the finger of God, Exo_7:18. The plagues in general were wrought by his hand, Exo_3:20, And the destruction of Pharaoh’s host in the Red Sea, which was effected by the omnipotence of God, is called the act of his arm, Exo_15:16.

He hath scattered – Διεσκορπισεν, hath scattered abroad; as a whirlwind scatters dust and chaff.

The proud – Or haughty, ὑπερηφανους; from ὑπερ above, and φαινω I show – the haughty men, who wish to be noticed in preference to all others, and feel sovereign contempt for all but themselves.

These God scatters abroad – instead of being in his sight, as in their own, the most excellent of the earth, he treats them as straw, stubble, chaff, and dust.

In the imagination of their hearts – While they are forming their insolent, proud, and oppressive projects – laying their plans, and imagining that accomplishment and success are waiting at their right hand, the whirlwind of God’s displeasure blows, and they and their machinations are dissipated together.

Luk 1:51
THEOPHYL; In describing the state of mankind, she shows what the proud deserve, and what the humble; saying, He has shown strength with his arm, &c. i.e. with the very Son of God. For as your arm is that whereby you work, so the arm of God is said to be His word by whom He made the world

ORIGEN; But to those that fear Him, He has done mighty things with His arm; though you come weak to God if you have feared Him you shall obtain the promised strength.

THEOPHYL. For in His arm, that is, His incarnate Son, He has shown strength, seeing that nature was vanquished, a virgin bringing forth, and God becoming man.

John Gill
Luk 1:52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats,…. As mighty kings and emperors from their thrones, as he often does, in the course of his providence; setting up one, and putting down another: or the mighty angels, from their seats of bliss and happiness in heaven; who rebelling against God, opposing the incarnation of Christ, taking it ill, that the human nature should be advanced above theirs, were cast down to hell; and are reserved in chains of darkness, to the judgment of the great day: or this may have respect to the putting down the monarchies and kingdoms of this world, by the kingdom of the Messiah to be set up; which, though at first was mean and despicable, like a stone cut out of a mountain, will increase, spread, and break in pieces, and destroy all other kingdoms:

and exalted them of low degree; as David to the throne of Israel, from the sheepfold, and following the ewes great with young; and now his house and family, which were sunk very low, by raising of his seed, of a poor virgin in his family, unto Israel, a Saviour Jesus; in whose days the poor had the Gospel preached, and received it: these were chosen and called: the great things of the Gospel were revealed to babes, and hid from the wise and prudent; and beggars were raised from the dunghill, to sit among princes, and to inherit the throne of glory: a method, which God in his infinite wisdom and grace has been pleased to take, more or less, in all ages of time; for not many mighty and noble are called by grace; but usually the foolish, the weak, and the base things of the world.

Luk 1:52
THEOPHYL; The words, He has showed strength with his arm, and those which went before, And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation, must be joined to this verse by a comma only. For truly through all generations of the world, by a merciful and just administration of Divine power, the proud do not cease to fall, and the humble to be exalted. As it is said, He has put down the mighty from their seat, he has exalted the humble and meek.

CYRIL; The mighty in knowledge were the evil spirits, the Devil, the wise ones of the Gentiles, the Scribes and Pharisees; yet these He has put down, and raised up those who humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God; giving them the power of treading upon serpents and scorpions and every power of the enemy.

Adam Clarke
Luk 1:53
Filled the hungry – the rich he hath sent empty away – God is here represented under the notion of a person of unbounded benevolence, who is daily feeding multitudes at his gates. The poor and the rich are equally dependent upon him; to the one he gives his affluence for a season, and to the other his daily bread. The poor man comes through a sense of his want to get his daily support, and God feeds him; the rich man comes through the lust of gain, to get more added to his abundance, and, God sends him empty away – not only gives him nothing more, but often deprives him of that which he has, because he has not improved it to the honor of the giver. There is an allusion here, as in several other parts of this song, to the case of Hannah and Peninah, as related 1Sa_1:2, etc.; 1Sa_2:1-10.

John Gill
Luk 1:53 He hath filled the hungry with good things,…. Such as earnestly desired and longed after the coming of the Messiah, as good old Simeon, and Anna the prophetess; and those that looked for redemption in Israel, to whom she spake: and all such persons as heartily desire salvation by Christ, and breathe after the forgiveness of their sins through his blood, and thirst after his righteousness, and long for communion with him, and a greater knowledge of him, and more conformity to him, and pant after his word and ordinances; these are filled, sooner or later, with a sense of their interest in Christ, and his salvation; with a view of the full and free forgiveness of their sins, and with his righteousness they hunger after; and with every good thing they stand in need of, with joy and peace, with food and gladness, even to satisfaction; so that they can say with Jacob, they have enough, yea, all things; seeing Christ is theirs, and all things with him:

and the rich he hath sent empty away: not the rich in this world’s goods, though such who trust in their wealth, and boast of their riches, or do not make a proper use of them, God, in his providence, sometimes strips them of all, and turns them into the world naked and empty; much less the rich in grace, who are often the poor of the world; and who, though they seem to have nothing, yet possess all things, and are full: but such who are rich in their opinion, and in their own works; and trust in their righteousness, and despise others; these, as they come full of themselves to the throne of grace, as the Pharisee, are sent empty away; without any token of the love and favour of God, or any blessing from him: and as they come to ordinances in their own strength, and trust in the performance of them, they go away empty, as they came; these are dry breasts unto them, whilst they are full breasts of consolation to the poor in spirit, and to all meek and humble souls: and what is still worst of all, notwithstanding all their good works they boast of, and trust in, they will be sent away at the last judgment from the presence of Christ, as not known by him, and as workers of iniquity.

John Gill
Luk 1:54 He hath holpen his servant Israel,…. Meaning, not the natural posterity of Jacob, or Israel in general, but the elect of God among them; for all were not Israel, who were of Israel; and not them only, but also the chosen ones among the Gentiles; who, with the former, make up the whole Israel of God, in a spiritual and mystical sense: these are the Israel, God has chosen, redeemed, and calls by his grace, and are here styled his “servant”, as Israel is frequently called, Isa_41:8. The word signifies a “child”, as well as a “servant”: and may design, either the weak and helpless condition God’s elect are in by nature, which calls for, and requires divine help and assistance; or the relation they stand in to him, being his adopted children, and which is the reason of his helping them: and which signifies to take them by the hand, and lift them up, and support and uphold them; and supposes them to have been fallen down, and unable to raise themselves up; but God having laid help for them on one that is mighty, sent him to take upon him their nature; and by obeying, suffering, and dying for them, to help them out of their state of sin and misery; and to uphold them with the right hand of his righteousness, and bring them safe to glory; and all this,

in remembrance of his mercy; which he had in his heart towards them, and had promised in his covenant to them: the mercy of God, is the spring and source of redemption; mercy provided a Redeemer, and a ransom; and it is owing to it, that the Redeemer came; and he, in his love and pity, performed the work: and therefore salvation is to be ascribed, not to works of righteousness done by men, but to the abundant mercy of God our Saviour.

Adam Clarke
Luk 1:54
He hath holpen [supported, αντελαβετο] his servant Israel – Israel is here represented as falling, and the Lord comes speedily in and props him up. The house of David was now ready to fall and rise no more; Jesus, being born of the very last branch of the regal line, revived the family, and restored the dominion.

In remembrance of his mercy – By mercy, the covenant which God made with Abraham, Gen_15:18, is intended; which covenant proceeded from God’s eternal mercy, as in it salvation was promised to all the nations of the earth. See Gen_17:19, and Gen_22:18, and this promise was, in one form or other, given to all the fathers, Luk_1:55.

This song properly consists of three parts.
1. In the first part Mary praises God for what he had done for herself, Luk_1:46-50.
2. In the second, she praises him for what he had done, and would do, against the oppressors of his people, Luk_1:51-53.
3. In the third, she praises him for what he had done, and would do, for his Church, Luk_1:53-56.

Luk 1:54-55
THEOPHYL; That is, obedient and humble; for he who disdains to be made humble, cannot be saved.

BASIL; For by Israel she means not Israel after the flesh, whom their own title made noble, but the spiritual Israel, which retained the name of faith, straining their eyes to see God by faith.

THEOPHYL. It might also be applied to Israel after the flesh, seeing that out of that body multitudes believed. But this he did remembering His mercy, for He has fulfilled what he promised to Abraham, saying, For in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. This promise then the mother of God called to mind, saying, As he spoke to out father Abraham; for it was said to Abraham, I will place my covenant, that I shall be your God, and the God of your seed after you.

THEOPHYL; But by seed he means not so much those who are begotten in the flesh, as those who have followed the steps of Abraham’s faith, to whom the Savior’s coming was promised for evermore.

John Gill
Luk 1:56 And Mary abode with her about three months,…. That is, she continued with Elisabeth, as the Syriac and Persic versions express, about the space of three months; in which time, she had full satisfaction of the truth of the sign the angel had given her; namely, of Elisabeth’s conception and pregnancy, for by this time she was ready to give birth; and she must now be fully assured, that she was with child herself: this space of three months is a term of time fixed by the Jewish doctors, to know whether a woman is with child or not, as in case of divorce or death: the rule runs thus (k),

“every woman that is divorced, or becomes a widow, lo! she may not marry, nor be betrothed, until she waits, תשעים יום, ninety days (i.e. three months), exclusive of the day in which she is divorced, or her husband dies, and of the day in which she is betrothed; that so it may be known whether she is with child or not, in order to distinguish between the seed of the former, and the seed of the second husband.

And so in the case of marrying the wife of a brother, that died without issue (l), and of newly married couples mistaking their spouses (m):

and returned to her own house; at Nazareth, in Galilee; and now it was, that Joseph, to whom she was betrothed, perceived she was with child; and suspecting evil, had a mind to put her away privately; but was informed by an angel of God, in a dream, of the whole matter; and was advised and encouraged to take her to wife, which he accordingly did; see Mat_1:18.

(k) Maimon. Hilch. Gerushin, c. 11. sect. 18. Vid. T. Bab. Becorot, fol. 47. 1. (l) Misn. Yebamot, c. 4. sect. 10. T. Hieros, Yebamot, fol. 6. 1. T. Bab. ib. fol. 34. 2. & 35. 1. Maimon. Hilch. Yebum, c. 1. sect 19. T. Bab. Erubin, fol. 47. 1. (m) Misn. Yebamot, c. 3. sect. 10.

Adam Clarke
Luk 1:56
And Mary abode with her about three months – According to some, the departure of Mary from Hebron must have been but a few days before the birth of John; as nine months had now elapsed since Elisabeth’s conception; see Luk_1:36.

Luk 1:56
THEOPHYL. But when Elisabeth was going to bring forth, the Virgin departed, as it follows, And she returned; or, probably because of the multitude, who were about to assemble at the birth. But it became not a virgin to be present on such an occasion.

GREEK EX. For it is the custom for virgins to go away when the pregnant woman brings forth. But when she reached her own home, she went to no other place, but abode there until she knew the time of her delivery was at hand. And Joseph doubting, is instructed by an Angel.