behalf of the Israelites, ver. 12-20, on account of the Gentiles, ver. 21, etc. Comp. Eph. ii. 3, 11. — V. g.] — rfi ixavuffavn, who hath made us meet) For we had been formerly not meet. The same word is found at 2 Cor. hi. G. — g/'g, for) i.e. that we might receive a part of the inheritance of the saints ; comp. the following verse, and Eph. i. 11, or rather Acts xx. 32, xxvi. 18. — /tsptda rov xX^ou) a part given by allotment, not for a price. — ev9 in) construed with a part. Light is the kingdom of God, and believers enjoy a blessed share in this kingdom : li>, in, is, so to speak, a preposition of place. The opposite, Matt. iv. 16, should be compared, where in occurs twice. — rti part, in light) an antithesis to of darkness, ver. 13. Comp. Eph. v. 8. It is the light of knowledge [recognition and perception] and joy.
13. "Og, who) the father. — s^ouffiag, from the poiver) The anti thesis is kingdom : power detains captives ; a kingdom fosters willing citizens ; comp. Eph. ii. 2, v. 5, vi. 12. — axorovg, of dark ness) the darkness of blindness, of hatred, of misery. — rov T/oD rq$ aydnric, avrov, the Son of His love) [His dear Son, Engl. Vers.] John xvii. 26; Eph. i. 6. This is treated in the 15th and fol lowing verses.
14. 'EC f>, in Whom) the Son, Eph. i. 7. — rfy a<no\vrpto<fiv, the redemption) This is treated of, ver. 18 (from the middle) and in the following verse.
15. " Og sffriv, who is) He describes the glory and excellence of Christ as even above the highest angels, and hereby scatters those seeds by which he will prove, next in order, the folly of the worshippers of angels. [lie teaches believers to make applica tion to Christ Himself, as their Saviour, and at the same time the head of all. — V. g.] Those, in short, obtain this full knowledge concerning Christ, who have experienced the mystery of re demption. — six&v ro\j 0£oD, the image of God) 2 Cor. iv. 4, note. — rov aopdrov, of the invisible) A most glorious epithet of God, 1 Tim. i. 17. The only begotten Son alone represents the invi sible God, and is Himself His image, invisible, according to the Divine nature ; visible, according to the human nature [John xiv. 9], visible even before the incarnation, inasmuch as the in visible things of God [Rom. i. 20] began to be seen from the cre ation, which was accomplished through Him [by Him as the instrument]. To this refer ver. 16, things visible and invisible.