how much more strict will he be in enforcing the application of the same principle of justice to his rational creatures.
10. Or saith he (it) altogether for our sakes ? Tor
our sakes, no doubt, (this) is wiitten : that he that
plougheth should plough in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
" He sayeth it altogether:' This is not the meaning here ; for this would make the apostle assert that the command in question had exclusive reference to men. The word {-rravrm) should be rendered assuredly^ as in Luke 4, 43. Acts 18, 21. 21,22, and frequently elsewhere. 'This command was as- suredly given, says the apostle, for our sakes,' i, e. for the sake of man — not, for us ministers, or us apostles. It was intended to enforce the principle that labour should have its reward, so that men may labour cheerfully. That (on) ; because. ^ ' It is written on our account, because he that ploughs should (6(/)ctX€t, 2 Cor. 12, 11,) plough in hope,' i. e. of being rewarded. " And he that threshes should thresh in hope of partaking of his hope," i. e. of what he hoped for. The text is here doubtful. The reading preferred by most editors gives a simpler form to the passage * — ' He that thresheth (should thresh) in hope of partaking,' {Itt kXirih tov /xcrexciv). The sense is the same. Some of the ancient, and not a few of the most distinguished modern commentators assume that Paul gives an allegorical interpretation to the passage in Deuteronomy. They under- stand him to say that the passage is not to be understood of oxen, but of us, ministers. ' This command was given on ac- count of us ministers, that we ploughers might plough in hope, and we threshers might thresh in hope.' But this is entirely foreign from the manner of the New Testament writers, f They never argue except from the true historical sgnse of Scripture. Gal. 4, 21-31, is no exception to this remark ; for that passage is an illustration and not an argument.
* The common text is t^s ^\iri5os uvtov ixerex^iv eV ihirlSi. Griesbach, Lachmann, Scholz and Tischendorf all read iir' fXiwiSi rod jx^rex^iv^ on the au- thority of the MSS. A. B. C.
t In reference to this mode of expounding the passage, Calvin sajs : Neque etiam quasi velit allegorice exponere praeceptum illud : quemadmodam non- nuUi vertiginosi spiritus occasionem hinc arripiimt omnia ad allegorias trans- ferendi : ita ex canibus faciunt homines, ex arboribus angelos, et totam Scrip- turam ludendo pervertunt.