behests, commands. The things done were those which the flesh and the mind willed to be done. They were the governing principles to whose will obedience was rendered. Avavoia, mind, is used here for the whole thinking and sentient principle, so far as distinguished from the animal principle. Frequently it means the intellect, here it refers more to the affections. Comp. Col. 1, 21, “Enemies in your mind.” Lev. 19, 7%, ‘Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy mind.” Num- bers 15, 39, “ Follow not after your own minds.” Jews and Gentiles, all men, therefore, are represented in their natural state as under the control of evil. They fulfil the commands of the flesh and of the mind.
And were by nature the children of wrath even as others, καὶ ἦμεν τέκνα φύσει ὀργῆς. The expression “children of wrath,” agreeably to a Hebrew idiom above referred to, means ‘the objects of wrath,’ ob- noxious to punishment. Compare Deut. 25, 2, ‘son of stripes,’ one to be beaten. 1 Sam. 20, 31. 2 Sam. 12, 5, ‘son of death,’ one certainly to die. The idea of worthiness is not included in the expression, though often implied in the context. The phrase ‘son of death,’ means one who is to die, whether justly or unjustly. So ‘children of wrath,’ means simply ‘the objects of wrath.’ But as the wrath spoken of is the displeasure of God, of course the idea of ill-desert is necessarily implied.
The word φύσις in signification and usage corre- sponds very nearly to our word nature. When used, as in this case, to indicate the source or origin of any