iRom. xi. δ᾽ κλήσεως ᾿ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τίς) ὁ "πλοῦτος τῆς ᾿δόξης τῆς "κληρονομίας
29; Phil. iil. 14.
k See ver. 7 reff.
1 Col. i. 27.
m Ver. 14 reff.; constr., here only. see Job xv. 11.
r=Ver. 5; Col. i. 11.
τ αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς " ἁγίοις, 19. καὶ τί τὸ " ὑπερβάλλον 3 "ἢ μέγεθος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ “eis ἡμᾶς ὅ τοὺς πιστεύοντας " κατὰ τὴν " ἐνέργειαν n Ver. 1 reff.
p Here only; Exod. xv. 16. 7. ε Phil. iii. 21; ch. iii. 7, iv. 16; Col. i. 29, ii. τα; 2 Thess. ii. 9, τα; Paulonly.
ο Cor. iii. το, ix. 14; ch. ii. 7, iii. 9 only; q=2 Cor. ix. 13; ch. iii. 2; see δα ον, τὰ 4
1 και before τις om. HABDFG, 17, 59, Goth., Ambrst.; insert \*D°EKLP, MSS. nearly vss., Chr., Thdrt., Dam., Ambrst. MS., Jer., al.
2 vrepB. om. FG; νπερµεγεθος 63.
and these as qualities for the better knowledge of which a new illumination of the Spirit is desired. The δόξης and the κληρονομίας are genitives of posses- sion or of characteristic quality,—év τοῖς ἁγίοις: in the saints. How is this to be connected? Many (Harl., Riick., Olsh., Alf., etc.) attach it immediately to κληρο- γομίας = “the inheritance i by God among the saints,” or, as Alf. paraphrases it, “Ηἰς inheritance in, whose example and fulness and embodying is in, the saints’. This would have n a more reasonable interpretation if the κληρο- νομίας had been followed by τῆς; in the absence of the article it would suit better if the κληρονομία could be taken as meaning God's inheritance in us. It is best on the whole to regard the ἐν τοῖς ἀγίοις as related to the idea of the clause as a whole and as expressing the sphere within which (ἐν = among) these riches of the glory of the inheritance are known and realised. The κληρονομία is the future inheritance, which ts ours at present only in foretaste, The “saints” are the whole community of those set apart to God in Jesus Christ (cf. Acts xx. 32, xxvi. 18), and that community contemplated specially in its future com- pleteness. This is the seat of the inheri- tance, or the circle within which alone it is to be found in its riches and glory. Ver. το. καὶ τί τὸ ὑπερβάλλον μέγεθος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ: and what the ex- ceeding greatness of his power. The αὐτοῦ refers again to God, and the power of God is introduced in respect of that surpassing greatness which belongs to it alone and which is the guarantee of the fulfilment of the Christian hope. The context and the subsequent mention of the resurrection and exaltation of Christ show that it is the future of believers that is still distinctively in view. So in these three clauses Paul leads the readers on from the hope itself which becomes theirs in virtue of their being called of God, to the splendour of the inheritance to which the hope points, and from this
ὅ εις υμας DFGP 17, 31-7, al.*, Ambrst.
again to that in God Himself which makes the fulfilment of the hope and the posses- sion of the inheritance certain, namely the limitless efficiency which is His pre- rogative.—els ἡμᾶς τοὺς πιστεύοντας: to us-ward who believe. No better ren- dering of εἰς ἡμᾶς here could be devised than the "(ο us-ward” of the AV which is wisely retained by the RV. The clause is best attached to the whole thought of the preceding sentence, and not to the δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ alone. The els expresses the idea of “ethical direction" (EIl.), indicating the objects toward whom this Divine power will go forth—those, namely, who are believers. The ἡμᾶς connects these Ephesian believers, in whom the Divine power has worked mightily even now αλ the conjunction of faith and the power of God in 1 Cor. ii. 5), with that whole community of the saints which was mentioned in the former sentence as the circle within which at last the complete possession of the in- heritance will be made good.—xara τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ κράτους τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ: according to the working of the strength of his might. Another impressive ac- cumulation of terms, further describing that boundless efficiency of God in which we have our security for the realisation of the hope however new, and the possession of the inheritance however rich in its glory. ᾿Ενέργεια, which in the NT is never used but of superhuman power whether Divine (Eph. iii. 7, iv. 16; Col. i. 29, ii, 12) or Satanic (2 Thess. ii. 9), denotes power as efficiency, opera- tive, energising power. τος is power