1. 20, thou) The exhortation is intensified ; ver. 3, ch. iii. 10, note [in antithesis to the previously mentioned backsliders, ch. i. 15]. — r'exvov ftov, my son) An argument why Timothy should imitate Paul, viz. from his spiritual relationship. — evdwa- IM\J) i. 7, be strong ', and show thyself to be so. [This is treated of in ver. 3—13. — V. g.] — sv ry %«p/r/? in the grace) Common grace incites and strengthens us even for extraordinary duties. It is an incentive and stimulus.
2. A/a, by) before, 1 Tim. vi. 12. — irapafov, commit) before thou comest thence to me. — -7r/<rro/c, to faithful men) This is to be the distinguishing grace to be sought for in those to whom
1 That Onesiphorus was dead is a gratuitous assumption. The fact that Paul nowhere else prays for the dead, is fatal to the notion here. Beng., by the word < voto,' wish, probably implies that Paul does not here pray, but wish, that in that day it may be found Onesiphorus is among those who are to obtain mercy. — ED.
them committest this trust or deposit. [This is treated of in ver. 14—21. — V. g.] — etfovrai, shall be) after thy departure.
3. 2.) ovv, thou then) An Anaphora;1 com p. ver. 1. Timothy is here, ver. 3, called to higher duties ; comp. ver. 2.
4. Ovdsis, no man) The word abstain (abstinence) is recom mended in this verse : sustain2 (endurance) is added to the recommendation in the next. — ffrparsvopsvot:, warring} Do with all thy might what thou art doing. — xpuy/jtareiaig, with the affairs [matters of business] of this life) in which merchants and work men are involved. — upttfr,, may please) being entirely devoted to the duties of a soldier.
7. N&e/) attend to, consider, what I say : ffuvsovg, understanding, is of the divine gift ; vosfy to consider, is the part of a well- minded man. Paul says this, if you compare ver. 6 with ver. 5. If the husbandman (Timothy) hath (or shall have) laboured, then first he ought (he is entitled) to partake of the fruits (in which the resurrection of Christ abounds, ver. 8, 11, 12) ; but if this were the whole meaning of Paul, he would have said, TOV ftsraXvi'^opsvov cuT -/jj^iav. Therefore from this seventh verse we may gather that a thought rather different is involved in this expression, which amounts to this : — Paul trained the mind of Timothy, i. 6 ; therefore fruits are chiefly due to him from Timothy. In tins view, Paul does not openly require, as is necessary in addressing dull men, but by amphibology and enigma, that Timothy should ingenuously acknowledge and perform the duty ; and this he does by three comparisons taken from the employment of the soldier, the wrestler, the husbandman. — d'Jr/i yap ffot, for may the Lord give to thee) The meaning is, He will give ; there is thus a connection between consider and for ; but affection adds the modus or qdos [see Append, on "Modalis Sermo." Here the imperative mood ex presses the feeling']. — 6 Kif/oc, the Lord) Christ. — sv vracv, in all things) He had already given him understanding in many things : this being taken for granted, Paul says, May He give it in all things.
8. Mvtytt&i/gys) remember, so that thou mayest follow. Paul,
1 Frequent repetition of the same word in beginnings. Append. — ED.
2 It is here in the sense of withstand. It was thought right to use it to give the reader an idea of the antithesis in the original. — TR.