1. Times — seasons (ypévev — katpav). See on Actsi. 7. With special reference to the Lord’s coming. The plural is used because Paul is thinking of a number of incidents attending the preparation and accomplishment of the second advent, and occurring at different times. The collocation times and seasons only here and Acts i. 7. Kazpos is the suitable time, ypdvos the time measured by duration. Hence Katpos a juncture, an occasion, as Matt. xvi. 8. The distinc- tion is so well marked that we have the phrases ypcvov catpos the right moment of the time, and evxatpos ypdvos the opportune moment. See Soph. Elec. 1292.
2. Perfectly (axpiBas). See on L. i. 38.
The day of the Lord (xépa xvpiov). The day of Christ’s second coming. In Paul’s Epistles this is expressed. by 7 Huepa the day, absolutely, 1 Th. v. 4; 1 Cor. iii. 13; Rom. xiii. 12: 4 judpa exeivn that day, 2 Th. i. 10: hpépa xpicrod the day of Christ, Philip. i. 10; ii. 16: »mépa xupiov or rod xupiov day of the Lord, 1 Cor. v. Bs ETh. ve 2-e2etie i. 2:
to allow the separation of the two words. This is not the case. Liddell and Scott give only one instance, Eurip. Jon, 717. They give one other with yerd, Plato, Critias, 110 A, but here the words are separated. ‘‘ Mythology and antiquarian research come together (dua) into the cities, along with (uerd) leisure.’’
44 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Oz V
juépa rod kuplov Huav "Inood (Xpiorod), 1 Cor. i. 8; 2 Cor. i. 14. These expressions refer to a definite time when the Lord is expected to appear, and Paul expects this appearance soon. Attempts to evade this by referring such expressions to the day of death, or to the advance toward perfection after death until the final judgment, are forced, and are shaped by dogmatic conceptions of the nature of Biblical inspiration.* In the O. T. the. phrase day of the Lord denotes a time in which God will conspicuously manifest his power and goodness or his penal justice. See Isa. ii. 123 Ezek. xiii. 5; Joel i. 15; ii. 11; and comp. Rom. ii. &. The whole class of phrases is rare in N.T. outside of Paul’s Epistles.
As a thief (as xrértys). Comp. Matt. xxiv. 43; L. zit. 39; 2 Pet. iii. 10; Apoc. xvi. 15, and see on Apoc. iii. 3.
In the night (év vuer’). The ancien$ church held that the advent was to be expected at night, on an Easter eve. This gave rise to the custom of vigils. Jerome, on Matt. xxv. 6, says: “It is a tradition of the Jews that Messiah will come at midnight, after the likeness of that season in Egypt when the Passover was celebrated, and the Destroyer came, and the Lord passed over the dwellings. I think that this idea was perpetuated in the apostolic custom, that, on the day of vigils, at the Pascha, it was not allowed to dismiss the people before midnight, since they expected the advent of Christ.”
It is noteworthy how many of the gospel lessons on watch- fulness are associated with the night and a visit by night. See Matt. xxiv. 43; xxv. 1-13; Mk. xi#f. 85; L. xii. 85, 883 xvii. 84; xii. 20.
3. When they shall say. The prediction is thrown into
dramatic form.
* See B. Jowett, ‘On the belief of the Coming of Christ in the Apostolical Age,” in Commentary on the Episties of Pawh -
Cu. V.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 45
Cometh upon (éricrara). See L. xxi. 34,36. Often in N. T. of a person coming suddenly upon another; as L. ii. 9; exiv. 4; Acts iv. 1; xii. 7. ~
Travail (@dty). Birth-throe. Only here in its literal sense. Elsewhere as a strong figure of sorrow or pain. See Matt. xxiv. 8; Mk. xiii. 8; Acts ii. 24. For the figure in O. T. see Isa. xiii. 6-8; xxxvii. 8; Mic. iv. 9; Hos. xiii. 3; Jer. xiii. 21.