for the dead — the dead — they , i.e,, the former]. — ndGav dpyfv *«/ ftatiav s^ovgIccv not) dvva/jtiv, all rule and all authority and power ) Rule and, authority are also said of the powers of men, Tit. iii. 1 [ principalities and powers ] : but oftener of those of angels, Col. i. 16 : and that too in the concrete, to denote their very essence [substances] : here however they are in the abstract, as /3a<r/- Xs/av, concerning the kingdom of the Son: for the essences of angels will not be destroyed, ’a pyf denotes rule; subordinate to this are egovG/a, authority , magistracy, and duvotfiig, an army , forces. — -s^ovGia and hlvafug are more closely connected as is seen by the fact that they have the one epithet, all , in common [The one GroiGav qualifies both igouG/av and dvva/jtiv ; though dpyfv has a separate ndGuv]. Here not only rule, authority, forces of enemies, are signified, ver. 25, such as is death, ver. 26 ; but the all intimates that the rule, authority, etc., even of good angels shall cease. For when the king lays down His arms, after His enemies have been subdued, the soldiers are discharged, and the word xarapy&TV) to put down , is not an inapplicable term even to these latter : xiii. 8 ; 2 Cor. iii. 7.
25. AsT, He must) for it has been foretold. — avrov, He) Christ. —
/ 3ug/\svsiv , reign) !YH, reign Thou in the midst of Thy enemies , Ps. cx. 2. — ayjig ov civ, until) There will he no further need of the mediatorial reign. — 6r\, He hath put) viz. the Father. — Kavrag, all) Paul brings in this, to prepare for a transition to what fol- lows.— rovg l^dpovg, enemies) bodily and spiritual, supply His, from that expression, His feet, to wdt, the Sorts : but it is now elegantly elliptical ; since Christ has long ago destroyed these enemies, in so far as they were the enemies of Christ ; He will destroy them [their destruction is still future ], in so far as they are our enemies. The remaining part of His victory bears the same relation to His triumph already achieved, as any frontier or corner does to the whole extent of any human monarchy wrhich has been subdued.
26. ” RG-^arog, the last) A pregnant announcement. Death is an enemy ; is an enemy, who is destroyed ; is the enemy, who is destroyed last of all ; last moreover, that is, after Satan, Heb. ii. 14; and after sin, ver. 56. For they acquired their strength in the same order ; and Satan brought in sin, sin pro- duced death. Those enemies have been destroyed ; therefore