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11. ’AyysX/a, the announcement) An appellation most characteristic of Gospel liberty [as contrasted with the bondage which the law gendereth]. He never applies this appellation to the law.
12. Ou xuQwg) not as. An ellipsis. See ch. ii. 27, note. — Kri/V, Cain) The Scripture speaks more mildly respecting Adam himself, than respecting Cain and persons like him. — ex too -arovjjpoD, from the Evil One ) Afterwards wovripu, evil. It is antithetical to, of God , ver. 10.
13. ’ Ade\<pot pov, my brethren) In this one passage only he calls them brethren , in antithesis to the world without, and in his re- peated mention of the brethren. At other times he says, beloved , my dear children , ch. ii. 7, i. 12. — piceT, has in hatred) as Cain hated even his brother, [viz. with a murderous hatred : for its bad works are reproved by your righteous works. — Y. g.]
14. Mera(3e(3hxafiev, we have passed) We had therefore been in death. — lx rov Ouvdrov, from death) spiritual. — elg rfy into life) spiritual, and also eternal : in the following verse. The language again is reciprocal : we are in life , and life is in us ; ver. 15*. — or/, because) A judgment [a criterion drawn] from the effect. — //ivs/, abides) is as yet.
15. * AvOpuKoxrovog, a murderer) as Cain. All hatred is an attempt against life : but life [spiritual] does not assail life [physical]. He who hates his brother desires either that his brother or himself should not live. Hence duels.1 — //.svouffai/, abiding) Eternal life is in very deed in him who believes and loves.
16. Tqv ay a-TTji', love) the nature of love.
17. Tov (3/ov rou xo<r/uov, the substance of the world) An instance of
the figure Litotes : in antithesis to lives , ver. 16. — xXe'nsr\, shall shut) whether asked for aid, or not asked. The sight of the wretched at once knocks at the hearts of the spectators, or even opens them : then a man freely either closes his bowels of compassion, or opens them more fully. Comp. Deut. xv. 7. — rd his bowels)
Together with his bowels a man’s substance is also closed or opened. —
1 Whereas ver. 16 desires us to lay down our life for the brethren, duels re- quire one (awful to say!) to risk his own life rather than not deprive another of his life. This is the part of desperate insanity, far removed from bravery. We may suppose that the devil himself wonders how men, bearing also the Christian name, can have fallen so low. It is to be lamented that the men of chief authority in the world, with all the power that has been entrusted to them by God, either are not able, or not willing, to suppress duels. One single atrocity of this kind has power to involve in the direst guilt before God the whole human race, the whole assembly of Christians, or a whole camp of soldiers.
-v. g.