Vv.
some force that the rhythmical character of the passage favours the supposition that we have here a snatch from some very ancient hymn or liturgical com- position. The question must be con- fessed to be still open. But what in any case is the point of the quotation here ? The passage is introduced in connection with the reference to the effects of a faith- ful ἔλεγξις and under the impression of the figure of the light. It takes the form of an appeal to wake out of the pa condition of sin, described by the two- fold figure of sleep and death, and of a promise that then Christ will shine upon the sinner with the saving light of His truth. The quotation comes in relevantly, therefore, as a further enforcement both of the need for the reproof which is enjoined, and of the good effects of such a reproof faithfully exercised.
Vv. 15-21. A paragraph closely con- nected with the former, and specifying various things belonging to the correct- ness and consistency of the Christian walk.
Ver. 15. βλέπετε οὖν πῶς ἀκριβῶ [ἀκριβῶς πως) περιπατεῖτε: “abet heed then how ye walk with strictness (or, take heed carefully how ye walk). The writer passes from the statement of the need of the ἔλεγξις and its profitable effects into which he had been led for a space, and returns to the exhortation of ver. 8. The οὖν has its resumptive force here; as indeed it is a particle not so much of infer- ence as of “‘continuation and retrospec- tion" (Donald.), and is better rendered’ “then,” “accordingly,” ‘to proceed,” than ‘‘therefore’’ (see Win.-Moult., p. 553; Ell. on Gal. iii. 5; and eapealaliy Donaldson, Greek Gram., p. 571). It is out of place to give βλέπετε any such sense as “ make use of the light so as to see,” as if it had regard to the φῶς pre- viously mentioned, It has the simple force of ‘‘take heed,” as in Matt. xiii, 23, 33; 1 Cor. x. 7; Phil. iii. 2; Col. iv. 17. Itis followed by πῶς again in Luke viii. 18; 1 Cor. iii, ro. The particular shade of meaning attributable to ἀκριβῶ here turns in some degree on the reading. The TR gives πῶς ἀκριβῶς, following $°ADGKLP and most MSS., with the Vulg., Syr., Arm. Versions, and such Fathers as Theodor., Jerome, etc. If this order is adopted ἀκριβῶς, which = “exactly,” “ diligently ᾿" (Matt. ii. 8; Luke i. 3; Acts xviii. 25; 1 Thess. v. 2), will express the idea of strict conformity to a standard, carefulness against any departure from what is proper to a Chris- tian walk. So the AV and other old
15---16,
περιπατεῖτε, μὴ ὡς "
τὸν “καιρὸν, ὅτι αἱ Ἱ ἡμέραι iv. 5 only. be Col. iv. 5; Dan. ii. 8. de Ps. xl. 1. e= Gal. i. 4; ch. vi. 13.
English Versions render it “ circum- spectly”” or (Wicl., Rhem.) ‘ warily” —a very good translation. In BN *17, Origen, etc., the order is ἀκριβῶς πῶς, and this is adopted by TTr marg. WHRV. In that case the injunction loses its distinctive note, and instead of the charge to take heed how they walked “with strict carefulness,’? we have the plain exhortation to ‘take heed care- fully’? how they walked. The πῶς in either case should have its proper sense “how” (as in Cran., Cov., Rhem. and
. similarly Wicl.), not ‘‘that” (as in AV and the rest of the old English Versions). Further, the περιπατεῖτε is not an indic. with a conjunctive force, as if = “ take heed how ye should walk,” but a proper indic. ; the point being the need of looking carefully at the way in which the Christian walk was being carried out there and then. See Win. -Moult., p. 376, and cf. ἕκαστος βλεπέτω πῶς οἰκοδομεῖ in τ Cor, πὶ. xo. --μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς σοφοί: not as unwise, but as wise. Some think that some such term as περιπατοῦντες must be supplied here. But it is unnecessary, the μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι being dependent on the TOS περιπατεῖτε and explanatory of it, = “how ye walk, {ο wit, not as unwise, but as wise”. The subjective negative μή is in point because the whole sentence is also dependent on the βλέπετε. The nature of the walk to be consistently pursued is placed in the stronger light by the anti- thetic parallelism ; a form especially char- acteristic of the Johannine writings; cf. Win.-Moult., p. 762. They were to walk as those who had the character (@s) not of fools, but of wise men.