The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 349

Ohrlstlo.ns for ea.eh other, i1 a. specio.l form or ~era. J8- ·21.-;-It it be possible, as mnch rno.nlfesto.tion of generu.l d-ycl11"1, In it there u lieth 1n Jon, live peaoeably with all men. should be over the warmth of family e.ffec- Avenge not your■elve1, beloved, but give tion, <r.-opyfi): in honour preferring one plaoe unto wrath. The thought in ver. 13 another; literally, according to the proper seelDl!_to follo".' from_what precedes. It mny sense of 1rp•'l1-Y•6µ.•vo,, taking the lead of each somet1mea be 1mpoea1ble to be at peaC'l with other in honour-La. in showing hononr, all; b11t o.t any rate, do not increaae bitter- ro.ther than equivalent to i',.M.~>..ov• fryo6µ.•vo, ness by avenging youraelvea. Gfoe r,v1rA inr•ptxovTas ia.V'Twv in Phil. ii. 3. unl.o 'lbTath (T~ om), has been taken by Ver. 11.-In b111iness (re.ther, diligence) some to mean that we ere to give sc0pe to not slothful ; in spirit fervent ( we e.re to the wrath of aur 1rnemy, instead of bein<>' do with our might whatever our he.nd finds exasperated to resist it (er. Matt. v. 39, etc. f. to do: yea, with fervent zeal); serving the But there has been no particular reference Lord. For ,,.,; Kvp{q, (the LOTd), some manu- to e. wrathful adversary. Another view is scripts have ,,.,; 1<a.1prp (the time, or the that IYUT aum wrath is intended, to which opportunity), which reading is preferred by we are to allow time to expend it.elf before some commentators on the ground that it is following its impulse; 6&-,-e ,,.,S-r., bein.,. less likely to have been instituted for the ta.ken e.s equivalent to data 8}l(lti11m i; familiar -rrjJ Kvplq, than 'Dice 'Versa. But ,,.,;; Latin ( cf. Lactantins, 'De Ira,' 18, "Ego Kvplq, is best supported, and has an obvious vero le.udarem, si, cum fnisset iraru, dedi&- meaning, viz. that in the zealous performance set irz B1Llll spatium, ut, reaidente per inter- of all our duties we are to feel that we are vallnm temporis animi tomore, h.aberet serving the Lord. modnm caatigatio." Also Livy, viiL 32, Vere. 12-14.-In hope rejoioing; in "Legati circumstantes sellam ornbant, ut tribulation enduring ; in prayer continuing rem in poaterum diem d.ifferret, et irz sua, instant : oommu.nicating to the necessities ,patium, et consilio tempus daret." There of the saints (i.e. Christians): given to seems, however, to be no known instance (literally, purming) hospitality. Bless them elsewhere of this use of the Greek phrase. whioh perseoute you : bless, and our&e not. Chrysostom, Augustine, Theodoret, and In ver.14 the form of the admonition passes most commentators, understand the mean- from participles to direct imperatives, a ing to be that we are to gi1Je place to the positive command of Christ being adduced. tDTath of God, not presuming to fore:.--tall it. In ver. 15 the gentler admonitory form of The wrath, used absolntely, might be an in the infinitive is taken up,, passing to understood expression for t.he Divine wrath participles, as before in ver. 16. against sin (cf. eh. v. 9; 1 Thess. i. 10; ii. Vere. 15-17.-Rejoice with them that do 16); and this interpretation suits the usual rejoioe, and weep with them that weep. lie of sense of 66-re -ro1ro•. It is not thus implied the same mind one towa.rd another (denoting that the falling of Divine vengeance on our mntual good feeling and unanimity of senti- enemy should be our desire and purpose, ment ; not, of course, agreement in opinion but only this-that, if ;punishment is du.,, on all subjects). Mind not high things, but we must leave it to the rigi.iteous God to condeaoend to (literally, being led away with) inflict it; it is not for us to do so. And this in- men of low estate. It is e. question whether terpretation suits wh11t immediately follows. -rois -ra.,reivois should not be understood as For it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will neuter, so e.s to correspond with -r11 l,,j,,i>..11: repay, saith the Lord (Dent. :=xii. 35, the meaning thus being thnt, instead of quoted freely from the Hebrew, but witll. being o.mbitious, we should let ourselves be the words /,c6lte1J<r1s and o.vra,roc5.,,,-., as dra.wn willingly to the lowlier spheres of found in the LXX. The fact that the usefulness to which we may be called. The same form of quotation occurs also in Hteb. ma.in objection to this view is that the x. 30 seems to show that it was one iu o.djeotive -ra.,reivbs is not elsewhere applied current use). lint (so rather than trhere- to things, but to persons. lie not wise in /ortJ, (),lj in the Authorized Version) if thine your own oonoeita. Reoompense to no man enemy h11llger, feed him; if he thirst, give evil for evil. Provide (in tlle sense of take him drink: for in so doing thou sh:l.lt heap foretlwught for) things honest (or fuir, or ooals of tire on his head. This wholo Vt'?Stl honourable) in the sight of all men. This is is from Prov. xxv. 21, 22, where is added, 11, oitation from Prov. iii. 4, where the LXX. "o.nd the Lord shall reward theo." What hllB, Upoi,ooii Ka.All lvdi,r,oi, Kvp,dv ,cal a.,9ptfr is mennt bv the "coo.ls of fire," both in tho ,,.,.,.,. We are not only to do whnt we know originnl and in St. Pnul's cit,\tion, h,\s bet>n to be right in the sight of God, but l\lso to much discussed. Uudoubtedly, th~ e:s:pres- have regard to the view thnt will bo taken siou in itsolf, in view of its USlll\l signitican('O of our oomluot by othor men ; wo must uot in the Old Tcst,\luent, suggests oulv thtl givo o.uy just cnuso for our good boing evil idoo of Divine vengooncc (seo Ps. xvi1i. l '.!: 111okon of (of. vor. 16 o.ud 1 Pot. ii. 12). ou, 4; o:s.J.. 10; llJld ospocially 2. Es,lr.  34-8 TlIE ErtSTLli: OF PAUL T() Tag ltOM:AliiS. [Ort, :llI, 1-21.