was, of which the latter might, however, have been used in a dignified sense, comp. John i. 1 ; but He is, in the present ; comp. John viii. 58. — <rpb ndvruv, before all things) even before time, i.e. from eternity. — xa/ ra vdvra iv aurw <7uvg<rr»j7cg) and all things in Him came together into one system [Engl. Vers. By Him all things consist, i.e. are maintained.] The universe found its completion in Him. LXX. ra ffvffTr^ara ruv bddruv, Gen. i. 10. He is the first and the last, Rev. xxii. 13. [Is. xli. 4, in regard to the origin : I the Lord am first, and I am with the last.— V. g.]
18. Ka/, and) He now comes down from the whole to the principal part, the Church, comp. Eph. i. 22, note. — 05 effn, tvho is) The Anaphora [repetition of the same words in begin nings], comp. ver. 15, shows that there is here the beginning of a new paragraph, and its own on, because, is added to each member. — «/?%?}, beginning) This word corresponds to the He brew word G?&n, especially concerning Christ, Hos. ii. 2, and JVtWi, concerning a first-begotten in particular, Deut. xxi. 17, but chiefly of Christ, Prov. viii. 22. a^apy^, first fruits, is the term used, 1 Cor. xv. 23, the word being rather restricted to the resurrection of the dead : ap^, beginning, more expressly denotes distinguished excellence; comp. ii. 10; Ps. Ixxxix. 27. apW in the singular is antithetic to ap^al, principalities, in the plural, ver. 16. — irpuroroxos e% ruv vexpuv, the first-begotten from the dead) Christ, even before His resurrection from the dead, nay, before the creation of the world, was the first-begotten, ver. 15; but He is said to be first-begotten from the dead, be cause, for this reason, inasmuch as He was the Son of God, He could not but rise again, and because, in consequence of His resurrection, He is acknowledged [recognised] to be the Son of God ; comp. Acts xiii. 33, note ; and especially since there flows from His resurrection the life of many brethren. — Kaffiv, in all things) In the neuter gender, ver. 1 7. — avrbg, He) by Himself, without deputies or substitute. — ^wrsuwc, holding the first place) for example, in His resurrection, ascension, etc., John iii. 13. Victorinus translates it, primarius, " the pre-eminent One."
19.1 EuSoxjjffg, He was well-pleased) viz. God [Engl. Vers. the
airy, in Him) namely, the Son. The words regarding either the