must thus be explained : that you may have Christ dwelling in you, being rooted, comp. Col. ii. 2, note ; unless the Nominative rather agrees with you may be able,1 as the ardour of Paul was eagerly intent on what follows. So, in the middle of the sentence, if and how are placed, 1 Cor. xi. 14, 15, xiv. 7, 16 ; and '/va itself, that, 1 Cor. xiv. 12 ;2 2 Cor. ii. 4 ; but the words which precede these particles render the earnest striving [of his prayers] very emphatic. — !{-/fl%6<j'jjr«) you may be able: even still further. — xaraXajSsffQai) to attain, to comprehend. — ri rb K\dro$ xat wxog xai (3a6o$ xai u-vj/og, what is the breadth and length and depth and height) These dimensions of the spiritual temple refer to the ful ness of God, ver. 19, to which the Church according to its capa city ought to correspond ; comp. ch. iv. 10, 13, concerning Christ. For the breadth of the fulness and of the love of Christ is signi fied, and that too in respect of all men and all peoples ; and its length, extending through all ages, ver. 21: as also its depth, which no creature can fathom ; and its height, iv. 8, such as no enemy can reach. Comp. Ps. cxvii. In regard to this breadth, length, depth, height, all which are one magnitude, there is no thing broad, long, deep, high in any creature. By Chiasmus the order of the ideas is, love [ver. 17], breadth [length, depth, height, ver. 18] : [then in ver. 19] love, fulness; of these four, the third corresponds to the first, therefore the second to the fourth. In ver. 19 the love is at length expressly mentioned; but in ver. 18 the fulness of God in itself; but this very fulness is also tinctured with love.
19. Tvuva/ rs rw v<7r£p@d\\ouGav rJjg yvwtfswg, x.r.X., and to know what passes knowledge, etc.) This clause also depends on that you may be able. This is a very charming correction of himself, so to speak ;3 he had said, to know : he immediately denies that our knowledge can be considered adequate ; we know only this, that love is more abundantly rich than our knowledge. The love of Christ to us always exceeds our knowledge ; and so in ver. 20
1 The margin of both Ed. favours this connection of the words, and the Germ. Vers. agrees with it.— E. B.
2 ^YtTi7ri 'ivce, KtptGasvyTt, for £>JT. tvee. vrtpiffff. sv OIKO^O^YI. So
here eppiga/xevot 'ivct gf/o^o-jjrg, for "ivot, Ippi^u^vot t&fffc — ED.
3 See App. When we take away what has been said, and put in something better or more important : ' correctio.'