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those who are rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom. — h nforet, in faith) which has for its object the Lord of glory. To this faith are assigned as a consequence the riches of heaven and of the world to come, even as the inheritance is assigned to love. — xXypovopoug, heirs) because sons. — ryg QaaXuag^ of the kingdom) The highest dignity. ,
6. ’Hr/^ao'ars, ye have despised) while ye held the poor in too little esteem. A most expressive word. — ou% oi nXoUioi, do not the rich) Not all the rich, but many of them, and none but they ; for the poor have not the power, even if they wished. The apostle mentions this, not to excite the godly to envy, but to show the un- worthiness of the rich. — avro /, these ) The demonstrative pronoun, as in ver. 7. In Hebrew, DPI. These are they who act both with open violence, and yet with the appearance of justice. — sXxowiv v^ag, drag you) with unreasonable violence.
7. BXaotpy poutii, blaspheme) Prov. xxx. 9. The apostle is speak- ing chiefly of rich heathens. Comp. 1 Pet. iv. 14, ii. 12. For there were not many rich men among the Jews, at any rate at Jerusalem. — rh xaXov ovo/xa, the good name) DG5>n, the name of God, to be praised above all things, HID *0, since it is good , and His good name. — rb inrx7 ydb if b[iag, which is invoked over you) from which ye are called the people of God. There is a similar expression, Gen. xlviii. 16; Is. iv. 1.
8. No/aov f3a<r/Xixbv , the royal law) which does not allow itself to be enslaved at the will of man ; but is itself the law of liberty , ver. 12, and the sum of the (ten) commandments, ordering, as it does, that all shall love, and be loved — the greatest law of the Supreme King , who is Love, with whom there is no accepting of persons , and who exalts all His people to liberty and a kingdom, who orders them to avoid the accepting of persons, and has power to punish trans- gressors. Comp, note on Chrysost. de Sacerdotio, p. 443, respect- ing the epithet fiounXixbg, royal. — nX s?rey ye fulfil) even by avoiding the respecting of persons. — xard, according to) This word particu- larises : the law is the whole ; that Scripture, thou shalt love , etc., is a part. Comp. ver. 10 and 11. — ay any tug, thou shalt love) even in paying honour. The royal law is a law of love :l comp. 2 Cor. ii. 8, note. — rov nXygiov ffov , thy neighbour) even though poor. — xaXug) excellently , rather than in the sense which is noticed in ver. 3 [sit in an honourable place] : comp. ver. 19 and 7.
1 Thus Luther : die Liebe ist Kayserin. — Love id supreme.
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