1Matt. vii. 11; Phil. iv. 15.
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17. " Πᾶσα * δόσις rx Cor. vi.
Β aA “ ο, 6). ἃ τέλειον "ἄνωθέν ἐστιν 2 καταβαῖνον ὃ ἀπὸ Eph. v.6.
s Ps. Ixxxv. 12; Tobit
u Eccles. iii. 14. v Cf.
20m. ff, εστιν, WH. βϑκαταβαινων A, 13; κατερχοµενον 278.
4 mapa K, curss.
in passages like these death is not used in its literal sense, and probably what underlies the use of the word is that which is more explicitly expressed in Rev. ii. 11, He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death; χχ. 6. . . Over these the second death hath no power; xxi. 8, But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and foini- cators .. . their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone ; which is the second death. But there is another set of passages in which death is used in its literal sense; these shouid be noted, for it is possible that they may throw light on the use of θάνατος in the verse before us :—Matt. xvi. 28, Verily I say unto you, there be some of them that stand here, which shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom, almost the identical words occur in Mark ix. 1; Luke ix. 27; the belief in the near advent of Christ witnessed to by such passages as 1 Cor. xi. 26; 2 Thess. ii. 1, etc., shows that the possibility of not dying, in the literal sense of the word, was entertained; for those who were living would know that when Christ, who had overcome death, should be among them again, there could be no question of death. The belief in the abolition of death when the Messiah should come was held by Jews as well as by Christians, see ¢.g., Bereshith Rabba, chap. 26, Wajjikra Rabba, chap. 30. The possibility may therefore be enter- tained that the writer of this Epistle is contemplating death in its literal sense, which those Christians will not escape in whom ἐπιθυμία holds sway, but which they are able to escape if they remain faithful until the return of Christ; that this is expected in the near future is clear from v. 7, Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord . . . stablish your hearts ; for the coming of the Lord is at hand.—py πλανᾶσθε: i.¢.,as regards the false teaching concerning the cause of sin in their hearts. The affectionate ending, ‘‘ My beloved brethren” witnesses to the earnestness of the writer’s feelings.
Ver. 17. The following saying of R. Chaninah (first century, A.D.) is preserved:
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w Job xxv. τοῦ πατρὸς τῶν “ φώτων, παρ᾽