315
privilege of visions, but as a gift proper to the whole community of believers and one in which these Ephesians might share together with all God’s people; for the phrase cf. 1. 15, vi. 18; Col. i. 4; 1 Thess. 111, 13; Philem. 5; Rev. viii. 3; and for the sense of ἅγιος see under i. 1 above. —tl τὸ πλάτος καὶ μῆκος καὶ βάθος καὶ ὕψος: what is the breadth and length and depth and height. Sothe AV. But height and depth, according to the RV. The order of the TR, βάθος καὶ ὕψος, is that of 5 ΚΙ,, Syr., etc.; ὕψος καὶ βάθος is that οἵ BCDG, 17, Vulg., Boh., etc. The latter is preferred by LTrWH, the former getting a place in the margin with Trand WH. What is the object in view in the mention of these dimensions? It is left unnamed. Hence the many con- jectures on the subject; e.g., that it is the Christian Church (Mich., Koppe, etc.), or Temple (Bengel), the work of redemp- tion, or the mystery previously noticed (Theophy., Harl., Olsh., Bleek, etc.), the mystery of the Cross (Est.), the Jove of God (Chrys., Erasm., Grot., etc.), the wisdom of God (De Wette), Jove (Moule), all that God has revealed or done in us and for us (Alf.). But the context natur- ally suggests the love of Christ (Calv., Mey., Ell.), that being the supreme theme and the one which is immediately set be- fore us in express terms. The imagination of the Fathers, Augustine, Gregory Nyss., Jerome and others, ran riot in the en- deavour to find some distinctive, spiritual meaning in each of the four things here named, the shape of the Cross, e.g., being supposed to be signified (Estius), the Divinity of Christ being found in the figure of the height, His human nature in the depth, the extent of the Apostolic Commission in the length and breadth, etc. Nor are the feats of interpretation less forced or fanciful which have been performed by some more modern exe- getes. But the terms length, breadth, depth, height are introduced with no other purpose than the simple and consistent one of setting forth the surpassing magni- tude of Christ’s love for us. The power to comprehend that love in its utmost conceivable grandeur and its furthest- reaching relations is what Paul prays God to grant his Ephesians.
Ver.19. yvaval re τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν τῆς γνώσεως ἀγάπην τοῦ Χριστοῦ : and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. Literally, ‘‘the knowledge- surpassing love of Christ”. The gen. γνώσεως is due to the ὑπερβάλλουσαν having the force of a comparative (cf. Aesch., Prom., 944; Hom., Π1., xxiii.,
316