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prayer i1 and to those who do not forgive, our heavenly Father does not forgive, although they pray. — npogsv^dg, prayers ) by which you gain that inheritance, and seek the salvation of your wives. Comp, note on 1 Tim. ii. 8.
8. Uavreg , all) Before this, from ch. ii. 18, he has been describing particular duties. — bp6<ppo vsg9 unanimous) in mind. The three parts of ver. 8 and 9, by the figure Chiasmus,2 in inverted order answer to the psalm which is repeated in ver. 10 and 11, by three clauses (members).3 — cv^na k7g9 having the same feelings with , sympathising) in prosperity and adversity. Raphelius proves from Polybius the wide sense in which the word is used : ©a ptiog e/A(3aXe7v xa / ev/xnaOsTg ‘Toiritfai roiig napay.uXov^svovg9 to inspire confidence , and make those who are exhorted entertain the same feelings with himself. — (piXdbtX<pot9 having brotherly love) towards the saints. — tvtnXa yxvob pitiful) to- wards the afflicted.
9. Kaxov, evil) in deed. — Xoidop! av, railing) in w^ords. — rovmvr/ov , on the contrary) This has reference to railing. For evil is the opposite to those things which occur in the preceding verse. — or/, because) No railing can injure you. Comp. ver. 13. You ought to imitate God, who blesses you. — tig rovro, unto this) So, for this purpose , that , ch. iv. 6. — svXoy/av, a blessing) for eternity, the first-fruits of which are enjoyed by the righteous even now. See next verse.
10. ' O yap 6'eXuv ^urjv ayanuv xal ids/v q/uepag ayaQag , he who wishes to love life and to see good days) If you wish, says Peter, to taste of that inheritance, you must abstain from evil in speaking and in practice. Ps. xxxiv. 12-16, Septuagint : Tig sffnv a vdpunog 6 QeXwv faijv, dyanuv i ifispag idsTv dya&dg ; What man is there who wishes life , loving to see good days ? And thus the Hebrew has it in that passage, and the Syriac Version in this. Peter, without altering the sense, im- parts to it fresh vivacity : QsXuv fyriv ay an av, who wishes so to live , that he may not be wearied of life. Opposed to this is s/^tcrjc a rriv Eccles. ii. 17 ; that is, I became weary of life. And so Gen. xxvii. 46 ; Num. xi. 15. — navffdru rr\v yXugaav au rou, let him refrain his tongue) The Septuagint has navtrov rfy yXuggdv <roo, refrain tliy tongue ,
1 It not seldom happens that, at the time when a quarrel has broken out among friends, neighbours, colleagues, and the learned, so as to take possession of the mind day and night, prayer ceases altogether. — V. g.
2 See Append, on Chiasmus.
3 Therefore the expression to Is rsMg refers not to the conclusion of the whole Epistle, but to the exhortation to maintain a conversation such as is right, ver. 11. — V. g.
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