Greek and Roman literature. Thus Aeschylus on the name of Helen of Troy, the play or pun turning on the root éd, hel, de- stroy: Helene, helenaus, helandras, heleptolis: Helen, ship-de- stroyer, man-destroyer, city-destroyer (“ Agamemnon,” 671). Or, as Robert Browning: “Helen, ship’s-hell, man’s-hell, city’s- hell.” So on Prometheus ( forethought): “Falsely do the gods call thee Prometheus, for thou thyself hast need of prometheus, i.e., of forethought” (“ Prometheus Bound,” 85, 86). Or Sopho- cles on Ajax. Atas (Ajax) cries ai, ai / and says, “Who would have thought that my name would thus be the appropriate ex- pression for my woes?” (“ Ajax,” 430). In the New Testament, a familiar example is Matt. xvi. 18; “thou art Petros, and on this petra will I build my church.” See on Epaenetus, 2 Cor. vidio Soe
Now profitable. “Christianity knows nothing of hopeless cases. It professes its ability to take the most crooked stick and bring it straight, to flash a new power into the blackest carbon, which will turn it into a diamond” (Maclaren, “ Phile- mon,” in “ Expositor’s Bible”).
And to me. The words are ingeniously thrown in as an afterthought. Compare Philip. ii. 27; Rom. xvi. 13-715 Cor: xvi. 18. A strong appeal to Philemon lies in the fact that Paul is to reap benefit from Onesimus in his new attitude as a christian brother.
12. | have sent again (dvémeua). Rev., sent back. The epistolary aorist, see on 1 Pet. v.12. Our idiom would be J
send back. That Onesimus accompanied the letter appears from Col. iv. 7-9.
Thou therefore receive. Omit, and render adtév him as Rev., in his own person ; his very self.
13. | would (éBounounv). Rev., I would Jain. See on Matt. i.19. The imperfect tense denotes the desire awakened but arrested. See on J would, ver. 14.
* The student should read Archdeacon Farrar’s chapter on the use of proper names by Jews, Greeks, and Romans, “‘ Language and Languages,” ch. xxii.