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Rev. iii. 10 .—iXm'da, hope ) to which our attention is directed at the end of ver. 2. The discourse returns in a circle [revert- ing to hope , from which he started in ver. 2] ; and it is to this whole [i.e., from rejoice , in ver. 2, to maketh not ashamed , ver. 5] that the Aetiology1 [reason assigned by the"] because , at ver. 5, refers.
5. Ou mraid’/bm, does not make ashamed) We have here an instance of the figure Tcmts/i m<ng, [by which less is said than the writer wishes to be understood] ; that is, hope affords us grounds for the highest glorying , and will not prove fallacious ; hope will be a reality. — on, because) The [believer’s] present state is described, ver. 5-8. From this, hope as to the future is inferred, ver. 9—11. — ay a vr) [not our love to God, but] the love [of God] sig wag, toward us ; [as proved by] ver. 8 ; from which we derive our hope ; for it [God’s love] is an eternal love — sxytiyprai, is shed abroad) most abundantly ; whence we have this very feeling ala &r;<ng [Sense, perception of His love] — iv ra/g xupbla/g, in our hearts ) not into our hearts. This form of ex- pression indicates, that the Holy Spirit Himself is in the heart of the believer — did, through [ by ]) We have the reason assigned for the whole of our present condition, in which the Holy Spirit is the earnest of the future. [The Holy Spirit is here mentioned for the first time in this discussion. When a man is really brought to this point , he at length perceives distinctly (in a marked manner) the operation of the Holy Spirit. — Y. g.] — bod&vrog) given, through faith. Acts xv. 8 ; Gal. iii. 2, 14.
6. ”e n, as yet ) This is to be construed with ovruv, when we were. — yap, for) The marvellous love of God is set forth. — dtihvdv, powerless [ without strength]) ’ AffQivua is that [ want of strength] powerlessness which characterises a mind when made ashamed (comp, the beginning of ver. 5) which [ powerlessness ] is opposed to glorying [ver. 2, 3] (comp, notes on 2 Cor. xi. 30) ; we have the antithetic word at ver. 11, [we glory (joy) in God] where this paragraph also, which begins with the words, being without strength , returns in a circle to the point, from which it started. There was powerlessness, and that a deadly power- lessness (comp. 1 Cor. xv. 43), on the part of —
1 See Appendix.