to the Father of spirits. Generation by men is carnal ; by GOD, is spiritual. Here the propagation of the soul by parents is not denied, even as by mentioning spirits it is not denied that our fleshy i.e. our nature, is formed by GOD. — we had, we endured with equanimity, in early life. — xai fjLsQa) The fruit of discipline is to be turned to virtue and practice. Eustathius observes in Homer, evrpemffQai, rb smgrp'epegQai, /tsra - 8dX\sffdai ; but also the LXX. have evrpe*sff9ai for JJJIM, 2 Chron. vii. 14, xii. 7, 12, xxx. 11, xxxvi. 12, etc. — r& Harp} ruv mevfLd- ruv, to the Father of spirits} An exquisite title; comp. wevpaffi, to the spirits, ver. 23. So LXX. Kvpioc 6 0«oc ruv Kvevftdruv, the Lord God of the spirits, Num. xxvii. 16, also Num. xvi. 22.— xai fyffoftfv, and we shall live) in the spiritual and everlasting life. This is explained in the following verse. Often spirit and life are mentioned together : xai, and, has the consecutive (conse quential) power (and therefore, and so), as just before xai ewrpe- KoptQa, and ive reverenced.
10. Hpbs oXiyag jjftspaf) for a few days, of which our life con sists in the flesh. Those days are not only denoted, during which the discipline lasts, but those [viz. all the days of the present life] to which the fruit of discipline appertains. The e/g corre sponds to this vpoc, at the end of the verse : comp. ch. ix. 13, 14. In like manner Paul joins these prepositions, Eph. iv. 12, where see note. — Kara, TO Boxovv avroTg, as they themselves thought jit) Such is indeed the case. Our fathers of the flesh commit great faults in respect of discipline, both in indulgence and in seve rity ; nor do they so much chastise, as think that they chastise us. But the Father of our spirits altogether chastens us for our advantage : avro?;, to themselves, includes an antithesis to those who are chastened by the fathers of the flesh. So and Boxefi, in the following verse, correspond. — e/$ rb r?)$ ayiorqrog avrov, that we may become partakers of His holiness) sanctimony : ayiambc, sanctification : ver. 14 ; but sanctity or holiness.1 The holiness of GOD: i.e. GOD, who is holy, whom men do not attain to unless they be sancti fied ; and they who attain to Him, shall obtain the enjoyment of the spiritual life for ever. [It is a religious obligation to pursue
1 See note, Rom. i. 4, on this distinction.
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tliis Holiness with filial reverence ; and yet we are not allowed to come near to it. — V. g.] An abstract appellation, as ?J /,tgyaX«- ffvvq, Majesty, i. 3 ; ^ do^a, at/rou, His glory, Jude, ver. 24 ; y\ /^sya- )*Meptiefa &6%&y the excellent glory, 2 Pet. i. 17. And this ex pression, iv a ysvqffQs de<a$ xoivwoi tpvtfewg, that you become par takers of the Divine nature, i.e. of GOD, 2 Pet. i. 4, accords' in a singular manner with the passage before us.
11. Uaffa, all) which is applied by both fathers of the flesh and the Father of spirits.— ds, but) This is the figure Occupatio.1 — SoKsTj seems) For a feeling of pain and sorrow often prevents a sound judgment. — Xucrjjs, a matter of grief) Those who chasten, seem to have for their object the grief or pain of those who are chastened ; but this is not the case : 2 Cor. i. 24, vii. 8. — t/pyvijibv — d/xa/otfui/Tj;) LXX., xat sffrat ra 'ipyce, rqg dixaio<fvvr,g etpqvvi, Is. xxxii. 17. Etpqvixbv, peaceful, Heb. D7fi?, LXX. fipqvixbg, Gen. xxxvii. 4, etc. : an antithesis to doxe?, seems. He who chastens, shows that he has acted faithfully : he who is chas tened, acknowledges that, and feels grateful ; and hence peace. — yfyg/twiMjcriyoff, to those who are exercised) Such as these have both a lighter burden, and whatever burden they have, they bear it with greater ease. They acquire experience by exercise. — avodiduffi) yields, viz. the fruit, which had been formerly kept back. — dntaioffvvns, of righteousness) This explanation, after the language (the sentence) had kept the reader in suspense, is sweetly added at the end : the peaceable fruit, namely, of righteousness, with which a man being endued, approaches with joy to the Holiness of GOD.