3. "O 77, because) Anaphora with epitasis.1 — fi aprvpu, I bear witness) This expression has respect to the words, xara, accord- ing to, and Kapa, beyond . — avda'/pzro/) of their own accord ; not only not being besought, but they themselves beseeching us. See the following verse.
4. AzofMvot, beseeching [praying”]) They had been affectionately admonished by Paul, not to do beyond their power. The Mace- donians on the other hand besought [prayed], namely, that their gift might be received. — rr\ v ypap/v xui rfiv xo/vwv/av,2 grace and fellowship 3) a Hendiadys.
5. "E duxccv, they gave ) This word maintains the whole struc- ture of the paragraph in the following sense : Not only have they given grace and a proof of fellowship, or So/xa, that gift, but they have altogether given their own selves. So Chrysos- tom, Homil. xvi. on 2 Cor. comp, especially Homil. xvii., where he repeats ocrsp Svva/x/v eSwxuv. The nominatives avOaipzroi , Szo- fxsvoi are connected with the same verb edconav ; and the accusa- tives %«p/i/, xo/mvtav, savrovg , depend upon it, in an easy and agreeable sense. The transcribers have thrust in S's^aaQa/ ? )[xag after a yioug ; and those who consider these words as Paul’s, give themselves great trouble, especially Beza. Different commen- tators have used different glosses, which are quite superfluous. — ‘TTpurov, first) their own selves, before [in preference and prece- dency to] their gift ; comp. Rom. xv. 16. — r& Kvp/oj, to the Lord) Christ. — xa/' t][x7v S/a k'kij/xurog ©sou, and to us by the will of God) It is therefore called the grace of God , ver. 1. The Macedonians did not of themselves previously determine the amount of the gift, but left that to the disposal of the apostle.
6. E ig) Not the end, but the consequence is intended [“ inso- much that”]. — naOug tfpoevTip^aro, as he formerly began) in regard to spiritual things, ch. vii. 15. To him, who has begun well, the things which are beyond turn out easy. He had gone to the Corinthians ; lie was going to the Corinthians. — scr/rsXstnj, he
1 See App. The same or/, already used ver. 2, is again by Anaphora used here, to mark the beginnings of sections or sentences. The Honu. Svvotpc/u makes an emphatic addition or epitasis. — Ed.
2 Rec. Text adds after uylovg the words btiguvQoti qpcoLg. But BCD( A)G/^ Yulg. omit them. — Ed.
* =. their free gift of fellowship to be ministered to. — Ed.