413
ing any specious form whatever, also obtruded themselves among them, and put the sickle into Paul’s harvest. Reproving the bold daring of these drones, he says, we dare not ; in which, while he tells what he himself does not do, he marks by implication, what they are doing. I, says he, claim nothing to myself from them [I own no connection with them] ; let them in turn cease to join themselves to us [identify themselves with us], even at Corinth. He puts a hedge between himself and them. — syxpTvou ri tsuyxpTvai) to place [ ourselves ] on the same level , as sharers of the same office ; or to compare [ourselves] as partakers of the same labour ; both, in respect to you : syxpmvrcu, things are placed on the same level with one another, which are of the same kind ; 6-jyx.plvovrca , things are compared , which, though they differ in kind, are supposed to have at least the same relative aspect [rationem]. fisrpovvrsg presently after corresponds to syxpTvai, as evyxpmvrsg to evyxpTvut. — ruv) The Genitive. Of those, who commend themselves, the boldest syxpfvovtn, place themselves on the same level , etc. — xa) avyxpivovrsg , and comparing) This expression is put at the beginning of the clause for the sake of emphasis. — eccuro/g,1 ov%l9 x.r.X.) See App. Crit. on this passage. This phra- seology does not indeed apply to the false apostles, who really attempted to measure themselves by others, and to obtrude them- selves among them. Paul, on the contrary, says of himself and those like himself, we measure ourselves by ourselves , not by them, the false apostles ; we compare ourselves with ourselves , not with them.2
13. Ou^/, not ) From ver. 13 to 16, both the % yxpnsig and the avyxpnfig [alleged by the false apostles as subsisting] between the apostle and the false apostles are utterly set aside. This is the summary of his argument : ovyt s )g rot d^srpu xavy7ie6/xs6u, sv aXXo- rp/o/g xotfoig. The first member, obyj eig rd dfisTpu9 is put in anti- thesis to the sv eavTofg fisrpovvrsg , and is treated of ver. 13, 14, the word fisrpov being often repeated. The second, abyi sv d XXorpioig
1 D(A)Q/<7 "Vulg. Lucif. omit ov avviovait/. But B reads the words (avvtxaiv, which Lachm. prefers) : so also Memph. and both Syr. Versions. — Ed.
2 It is consistent with this, that the Ger. Ver., although it expresses the words ov avviovaiv qpcels 3s', yet so arranges the agreement of the words, that the same sense comes out, which the Gnomon gives. — E. B.
i
414