A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

Bengel, Johann Albrecht, 1687-1752 • SECTION 31

Galatians Iv. 6-8. 33

← Gnomon of the New Testament — Volume 4

in which those who are of age delight, along with the actual en joyment [usufructu] of the inheritance. — airohdfiupev) we might receive ; ano shows the suitableness1 of the thing, which has been long ago predestined by God.

6. "Or/, because) The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the con sequence of the condition of sons [their status as sons], the latter does not follow the former. — IcW) you are; even you of the Gentiles. — viot sons) who are of age, living with the Father on terms of free-born liberty. — 'A/3/3& 6 nar^p, Abba Father) The Hebrew noun is here delightfully used ; comp. Mark xiv. 36 ; and the union of the Hebrew and Greek idiom is consonant with the one mixed cry [in prayer] of the Hebrews and Greeks [made one in Christ]. The Hebrew says, Abba, the Greek says, Father, both, Abba, Father ; comp. Rev. i. 8.2 So peace, peace, is redoubled, in like manner, for the Jews and Greeks, Isa. Ivii. 19. Individuals also no less [than the whole Church] re double their call upon the name of the Father. This is a pledge of sonship in the New Testament ; comp. Matt. vi. 9, note.

7. E/" — v/b$, thou art — a son) Paul passes with a sweet eifect from the plural to the singular, as in ch. vi. 1 ; and there is at the same time expressed in this passage the fatherly answer of God towards [in relation to] individuals who cry out, Abba, Father, in the spirit. — dovXog, a servant) in the manner of in feriors. — xXqfonl/Ko?) an heir in reality.3

8. Tors, then) when we were children [ver. 1]. — ouz g/'<5oYs; ®sbv, not knowing God) The very wretched state of the Gentiles. — edov- Xevffars, ye did service) being under a different bondage from that of the Jews, ver. 3. You worshipped gods not true with a

1 ' ATTO in the compound expresses often something appropriate or due, — ED.

2 " I am Alpha and Omega (Greek), the Beginning and Ending" (ex pressed in Hebrew, s and n). The Greek and Hebrew are often so conjoined. Or rather it is vers. 7 to which Beng. refers, veti (Greek), K/XVJV (Hebrew).

Public domain historical edition (1857-1858); scan/OCR from Internet Archive.

Project Gutenberg source record →