Withereth (€&ypav9n). Literally, the writer puts it as in a narrative of some quick and startling event, by the use of the aorist tense: withered was the grass. Similarly, the flower fell (eEérecev). Lit., fell off, the force of éx.
Cu. IT.] THE FIRST GENERAL EPISTLE OF PETER. 641
25. Word of the Lord (pjua xvpiov). Compare ver. 23, and note that pjua is used for word, instead of déyos; and Kupios, Lord, instead of @eds, God, which is the reading of the Hebrew, and of most copies of the Septuagint. The substitu- tion indicates that Peter identifies Jesus with God. No very satisfactory reason can be given for the change from Adyos to pyua. It may be due to the Greek translation, which Peter follows.
CHAPTER LT. 1, All (waécav—rrdvta). Lit., every, or all manner of.
Evil-speaking (xatadanids). Lit., speakings against. A rare word. Only here and 2 Cor. xii. 20.
2. New-born (dpruyévynta). Peculiar to Peter, and only in this passage. Lit., born but gust now (dpre).
Babes (8pén). The word signifying peculiarly a child at berth, or of tender years. See Luke xviii.15; Acts vii. 19. Of the infant Jesns, Luke ii. 12,16. Here marking the recency of Christian life in the converts addressed.
Desire (€zi7odncate). The compound is intensive ; earnestly desire. So Rey., dong for. Compare Philip. ii. 26.
The sincere milk of the word (76 AoysKov ddorov vara). The A. V. has rendered AoysKov, of the word ; but wrongly. It describes the quality of the mik as spiritual or rational, as op- posed to literal and ceremonial. In the only other place where it occurs (Rom. xii. 1) it is rendered reasonable ; which Rey. gives here in margin.
Sincere (adonov) is another epithet of the mk. Lit., with- out guile, unadulterated. Compare guile in ver. 1. Laying aside guile, desire the guéleless milk, etc. Hence Rev. renders the whole passage, Long for the spiritual milk which is with- out guile.
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642 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. II.
That ye may grow thereby. The best texts add, wnto sal- vation.
3. Ve have tasted (éyevcao%e). Aorist tense. More liter- ally, ye tasted. “A taste excites the appetite ” (Bengel). Com- pare dong for, ver. 2, and Ps. xxxiv. 8.
Gracious (ypyords). Actively benignant, “as distinguished from other adjectives which describe goodness on the side of its sterling worth and its gentleness” (Salmond). See on Matt. x1.030.
4. Coming (mpocepyduevos). Indicating a close (mpos) and an habitual (present participle) approach and an intimate asso- ciation.
A living stone (Ad9ov Savra). Omitas unto. So Rev. The words are in apposition with whom (Christ). Compare Peter’s use of the same word, stone, in Acts iv. 11, and Matt. xxi. 42. It is not the word which Christ uses as a personal name for Peter (Ilérpos) ; so that it is not necessary to infer that Peter was thinking of his own new name.
Disallowed (amodeSoximacpévov). Rev., rejected. See on the simple verb, ch. i. 7. The word indicates rejection after trea.
Of God (mapa Oe). Of in the A. V. is equivalent to by ; but mapa has a stronger sense, implying the absolute power of decisive choice which is with God. Render, as Rev., with God ; i.e., God being judge ; and compare Matt. xix. 26; Rom. LiL.
Precious (évruwov). At ch. i. 19 (precious blood) another word is used (réutos), denoting essential precionsness. The word here indicates the preciousness as recognized or held in honor.
5. Living stones—built up—a spiritual house. It seems as though Peter must have had in mind the conception em-
Cu. IL] THE FIRST GENERAL EPISTLE OF PETER. 643
bodied in Christ’s commission to him, of a building erected upon a rock. The metaphor of a house built of living stones is violent, and sufficiently characteristic of Peter; yet it pict- ures, in a very striking way, the union of stability, growth, and activity in the ideal church. Note the transition from babes growing (ver. 2) to stones built up. But, as Salmond remarks, “In Paul we have even bolder instances of apparent confusion of metaphors, as when, in one breath, he represents believers as at once walking, rooted, and built up in Christ (Col. ii. 6, 7).