1. | Paul myself. “This emphatic stress on his own person is the fit introduction to the portion of the epistle which, be- yond any other part of his writings, is to lay open his individual life and character” (Stanley). “Paul boldly casts into the scales of his readers the weight of his own personality over against his calumniators ” (Meyer).
Meekness—gentleness. See on Matt. v. 5; 1 Pet. ii. 18.
Base (ramewds). Detter, as Rev., lowly. The sneer of his opponents that he was unassuming in their presence, but bold when absent. “It was easy to satirize and misrepresent a de- pression of spirits, a humility of demeanor, which were either the direct results of some bodily affliction, or which the con- sciousness of this affliction had rendered habitual. We feel at once that this would be natural to the bowed and weak figure which Albrecht Diirer has represented; but that it would be impossible to the imposing orator whom Raphael has placed on the steps of the Areopagus” (Farrar).
Vou. ILI.—22
338 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. xX.
This is the only passage in the New Testament in which rarewés lowly, bears the contemptuous sense which attaches to it in classical usage, an illustration of which may be found in Xenophon’s story of Socrates’ interview with the painter Par- rhasius. “Surely meanness and servility (76 tamewov Té Kab avenevSepov) show themselves in the looks (8a mpocwmov, the same word as Paul’s) and gestures of men” (“‘ Memorabilia,” iii, 10, 5). So Aristotle says that frequently to submit to re- ceive service from another, and to disparage whatever he him- self has done well, are signs of littleness of soul (usxpoyvyias) and meanness (ramewdrntos). In the Septuagint the words révns poor, mpais meek, mrwyos destitute, and rarrewos lowly, are used interchangeably to translate the same Hebrew words ; the reference ordinarily being to the oppressed, in contrast with their rich and powerful oppressors, or to the quiet, in contrast with lawless wrong-doers. Compare Deut. xv. 11; 2 Sam. xxii. 28; Ps. xviii. (Sept. xvii.) 27; Isa. xxvi.6; Ps. x. 17 (Sept. ix. 88); Prov. xiv. 21; iii. 34; Num. xii.3; Exod. xxiii. 6,11 ; Isa. xxxii. 7; Exod. xxiii. 8; Ruth iii. 10; Isa. xi. 4; 2 Sam. xii. 1, 8, 4; Prov. xiii. 8; 1 Sam. xviii. 23. The Septuagint usage therefore goes to show that these four words are all names for one class—the poor peasantry of an oppressed coun- try, the victims of ill-treatment and plunder at the hands of tyrants and rich neighbors.*
2. But | beseech you (déouae 52). In ver. 1, wapaxar® is used for beseech. It is doubtful whether the two words can be strictly distinguished as indicating different degrees of feeling. It may be said that déouae and its kindred noun dénovs are fre- quently used of prayer to God, while wapaxad@ occurs only twice in this sense, Matt. xxvi.53; 2 Cor. xii. 8. On the other hand, wapaxanr® is used of God’s pleading with men, while in the same passage déouae is used of men’s entreating men; ch. v.20. Rev., in ver. 1, renders entreat, which, according to older English usage, is the stronger word, meaning to prevadl by en-
* Mr. Hatch (“‘ Essays in Biblical Greek ”’) thinks that this special meaning underlies the use of the words in the Sermon on the Mount.
Cu. X.] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 3839
treaty, just as perswade, which originally meant ¢o use persuas- ton, now signifies to prevail by persuasion.
The construction of the passage is difficult. Literally it is: L pray the not showing courage when present, with the con- . idence, etc. The sense is: I pray you that you may not make it necessary for me to show, when I am present, that official peremptoriness which I am minded to show against those who charge me with unworthy motives.