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τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος : according to the prince of the power of the air. A yet darker colour is now given to the descrip- tion of the former heathen walk of those addressed. Their life was determined and shaped by the master of all evil, the supreme ruler of all the powers of wicked- ness. The terms obviously designate Satan, but their precise sense is some- what difficult to decide. Three different shades of meaning are suggested for ἐξ- ουσία here, viz., (a) supreme right or power, in which case the idea would be the prince to whom belongs the authority of the air; (b) the domain or sphere ot authority, as possibly in Col. i. 13 (Chrys., Theod., Hofm., Oltr.); (c) authority in the collective sense, the totality of evil powers, all that is known as evil authority. The third sense is supported in some measure by Rom. xiii. 1, 2, and is preferred by most. The idea thus becomes “the prince who rules over all that is called authority”. The ἀέρος then is best taken as the gen. of place, denoting the seat of this overlordship of evil. The word ἀήρ cannot be taken as equivalent to mundus (Aquin.) or οὐρανός (Olsh.) or σκότος (K1.) or πνεῷμα (Hofm.) ; neither can it express the quality of these evil powers—their incorporeal or aeriform nature (Hahn). In all its other NT occurrences (Acts xxii. 23; 1 Cor. ix. 26, xiv. 9; 1 Thess. iv. 17; Rev. ix. 2, xvi, 17) it has the literal sense. It has it here, and it describes these demonic powers as between earth and heaven, in that “‘ supra-terrestrial but sub- celestial region (6 ὑπονράνιος τόπος, Chrys.) which seems to be, if not the abode, yet the haunt of evil spirits” (Ell). Thus the prince of evil is described as the Lord-Paramount over all the demonic powers; and these demonic powers, as having their seat in the air, are distinguished from the angels whose abode is in heaven (ἄγγελοι τῶν οὐρανῶν, Matt. xxiv. 36). The Rabbinical literature has many extraordinary and grotesque speculations about the demons as being winged (Talmud, Chagizg., 2), as dwelling in the air (R. Bechai, Pent., f. 139, 4), about the souls of devils as dwell- ing in a firmament under the sphere of the moon (Tu/f haares, f. 9, 2), etc. Such fancies were also entertained by the Greek philosophers, ¢.g., the Pythagoreans (Diog. Laert., viii. 2). But these have little or no relation to the present passage. In Philo and in the Jewish Pseudepi- graphic writings things more akin to it are found. There is, ¢.g., the description of Beliar as the ἀέριον πνεῦμα (Test. xii. Patr. p. 729); of the “prince of this