[152] Ei gar kai horismenon en, phesin, homos androphonoi esan. B. C. after apall. tou enklematos, and before the text. As the sentence so placed seemed to make Chrys. contradict himself, the other mss. and Edd. before Ben. omit it. Something is wanting, which perhaps may be supplied from OEcumen. 'Alla kai apallasson ouk aphiesin autous pante tou enklematos. 'Epagei gar, hoti dia cheiron anomon aneilete.
[153] In v. 23, the preferable reading is dia cheiros anomon, "through the hand of lawless men," instead of dia cheiron anomon of the Text. Recep. So A, B, C, D, Tisch. W. and H., Lach. Treg. R.V. This reading is also to be preferred in accordance with Bengel's first rule of text-criticism--Lectio difficilior principatum tenet.--G.B.S.
[154] The confusion may be cleared up by supposing that Chrys. here commented upon the words dia cheiron anomon as admitting of a double connection: viz.: with ekdoton labontes and with prosp. aneilete. In the former, it refers to Judas: while at the same time, it is shown that of themselves they had no power against Him. He was delivered up by the predestination and will of God, by means of the wicked hands of Judas; upon whom (already gone to his doom) the evil is shifted entire. But again, as ekdotonis not put simply and without addition (haplos), so neither (oude) is aneilete: but "by wicked hands ye slew," i.e. by the soldiers.
[155] The text seems to be corrupt: kai auto didontos estin tideiknusin hoti. B. omits estin ti. Perhaps kai auto is derived from an abbreviation of krateisthai auton: and didontos estin ti; may be, "is (the expression) of one assigning something, i.e. some special prerogative to Him:" or, possibly, "For the expression, Kathoti ouk en dunaton even of itself implies the granting of something (in His case):" viz. as a postulate. E. kai auton didonta emphainei kataschein; kai hoti, i.e. "that it was even He that gave death the power to hold Him:" this, which is adopted by Edd. is, however, not a various reading, but only an attempt to restore the passage. OEcumen. gives no assistance: he has only, dia de tou, kathoti ouk en dun. auton krat., to megaleion autou paristesi, kai hoti ouketi apothneskei. In the next sentence E. and Edd. have: "For by pains of death' Scripture is everywhere wont to express danger:'" but OEcumen. and Cat. agree with the old reading, he Palaia. Possibly the meaning of the whole passage may be somewhat as follows. "It is something great and sublime that Peter has darkly hinted in saying, it was not possible that He should be holden of it.' And the very expression kathoti implies that there is something to be thought of (comp. Caten. in 1). Then, in the Old. Test., the expression odines thanatou means pains in which death is the agent; but here they are the pangs inflicted upon death itself, travailing in birth with Christ the first-begotten from the dead.' It shows then both that death could not endure to hold Him, and, that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more. For the assertion, etc. But then, without giving them time to ponder upon the meaning of what he has darkly hinted, he goes off to the Prophet," etc.--On the expression odinas luein Mr. Field, Index to Hom. in Matt. s. v., remarks, that "it is said sometimes of the childbearing woman herself, as p. 118. B., sometimes of the child born, as p. 375. A., sometimes of the person aiding in the delivery, as Job xxxix, 2. Hence the obscure passage Acts ii, 34 is to be explained. See Theophylact in 1."
[156] It is noteworthy that this interpretation of odinas tou thanatou (24) is exactly that of Meyer who explains thus: "Death travailed in birth-throes even until the dead was raised again. With this event these pangs ceased, they were loosed; and because God had made Christ alive, God has loosed the pangs of death." Other interpretations are: (1) The snares or bands of death, on the ground that odines is used in the lxx. to translate the Hebrew ichvl (e.g. Ps. xviii. 5), which has this meaning. So Olsh. (2) That the pains of Jesus connected with the whole experience of death are meant. He is popularly conceived as enduring these pains until the resurrection when God loosed them, the conception being that he was under their power and constraint. We prefer this view. So Lechler, Gloag, Hackett.--G.B.S.
[157] i.e. The former part of the passage cited, down to, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell," as far as the words go, is no more than David might say in reference to himself, or any other saint: viz. he set God always before his face, etc. therefore (dia touto, referring to v. 26. dia touto euphr.) death was not in the number of things that cause grief. And St. Peter instead of going at once to that in the prophecy which is peculiar to Christ, with wise management begins with what is less exalted, hate eisagogikoteron logon deomenois, OEcumen.--For dia touto ou ton lupounton ho thanatos, E. and Edd. have hina deixe, hoti ou..."to show that death," etc.
[158] teos manthanomen kai hemeis houto katechein. As the text stands, this can only mean, "And here by the bye let us also learn how to hold fast Christ; not to hold Him with pain, like one in travail-pangs, who therefore cannot hold fast, but is in haste to be delivered," etc. But this can hardly have been St. Chrysostom's meaning. Something seems to be omitted after kai hemeis or houto.--Edd. teos de manthanomen kai hemeis dia ton eiremenon ti esti to katechein. If this is: "What is the meaning of the expression katechein, the emphatic kai hemeis is superfluous; and besides, the word katechein does not occur in the text commented upon. OEcum. and the Catena give no help.
[159] Edd. kai gumnen tithesi delon pos. "And gives it bare (of comment), showing." Montf. mistranslates gumnen tith, nudam exponat, and notices the old reading (A. B. C ) with the remark, Unus Codex proph. ou gumnen. Minus recte. But Chrys. is now commenting on v. 30, 31. "Above, St. Peter gave the prophecy by itself: now he adds his own exposition and reasoning, "Being therefore a Prophet." etc.
[160] 'Exechee, phesin, ouk axioma zeton, kai ouch haplos. Edd. 'Ex., ph. 'Entautha to axioma emphainei, kai hoti ouch haplos. "Here he intimates the dignity: and that," etc. But the meaning is, "He poured it forth, not requiring merit: i.e. not giving here and there to the most deserving, but as the phrase implies, with unsparing liberality." meta dapsileias. N. meth' huperboles.
[161] pothen touto; Edd. "Wherefore also to prove this very thing, he adds what follows." The connection is, "He has shed forth. How so? It must be He; for not David ascended," etc.
[162] Here five of our mss. have meth' huperboles, "hyperbolically:" but the reading of E. meth' hupostoles is attested by OEcumen. and the Catena.
[163] i.e. the expression "Lord" is derived from David's, "My Lord:" the expression "Christ," or rather kai Christon ho Theos epoies en, is from the Psalm: meaning perhaps the second Psalm. Edd. have, "this he says from David and from the Psalm," after the text.
[164] The two Old Test. pp. (Joel ii. 28-32; Ps. xvi. 8-11) which occur in this chapter are quoted from the lxx., the former freely, the latter with great exactness. The following peculiarities of phraseology are noticeable in the first passage. (1) "In the last days," more definite expression for the Heb. and lxx. "afterward." (2) The partitive expression: "I will pour out of my Spirit," is after the lxx. vs. the original which reads: "I will pour out my spirit." (3) The phrases: "saith God" and "they shall prophesy" (17, 18) are added to both Heb. and lxx. (4) "Vapor" is from lxx. for Heb. "columns." (5) If we read kai epiphane at the end of v. 20 (as Mey., W. and H.) it is from the lxx. an inaccurate trans. of Hebrew for "fearful," occasioned by misunderstanding on the part of the Seventy of the derivation of the Heb. word. The second pp. follows the lxx. exactly and in several deviations from the original.--G.B.S.
[165] Alluding to the Psalm above cited, "Until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool."
[166] In the modern text the connection is supplied, and the thought expanded. "And yet neither is it any ordinary being that promises it: but One who is beyond comparison greater than the Kingdom itself. Now when the promise is a Kingdom, and God the Giver thereof, it is a great thing, the very receiving from such a Giver.
[167] In the original the pronouns are ekeinos (God), houtos (the Devil; for which however our mss. have ou ta and auta): then inversely, ekeinos (the Devil), houtos (God). The modern text reduces the antithesis to regularity by transposing the first and second clause, with ekeinos, houtos, in each member. Mr. Field, however, Hom. in Matt. 709 B. not. has remarked, that St. Chrys. is negligent in his use of these pronouns, and this passage may be added to those cited.
[168] Idomen ti chresimoteron, ti dai (de, A. N.) ophelimoteron. (Here N. adds: Me touto domen ti chresimoteron; ti de ophelimoteron`) Me touto phesin eipes; all' ennoeson hoti diabolos estin; malista men an ekeino deichthe; dei kai ponous hupostenai kai palin, k. t. l. The addition in N. is perhaps the result of unintentional repetition. If meant for emendation, it supposes an antithesis of chres. and ophelimoteron: "let us grant which is more serviceable (to others): but (the question is) which is more profitable (to one's self)." This, however, is not what the context requires. Rather it seems that something is omitted after eipes: e.g. all' idomen ti eukoloteron, "But let us see which is more easy." In the following sentence, it is not clear whether malista men belongs to dei kai p. hu. "of course, if the former appear to be the case, it is necessary," etc. or, to the preceding clause, as in the translation: "above all (consider that it is the devil who gives the bidding), if that appear to be the case (i.e. that it is the easier of the two): it is needful," etc.--Edd. "But not only this, but bethink you that he indeed is the devil: for above all if that be shown, again the prize of victory shall be greater."
[169] dia touto, i. e. by enjoining ta sumpheronta, although phortika, are fathers and masters shown to be truly such, whereas kidnappers who steal away children, seduce them by promising pleasure, and lumeones, masters who ruin their servants, let them have their own way.--Morel. Ben. 'Ekeinoi de andrap. kai lum. kai panta ta enantia: "but the others are kidnappers and destroyers, and all that is contrary (to fathers and masters)." Savil. as above.
[170] Plen hoti kai hedonen echei, delon ekeithen. We have supplied the interpretation in the translation. 'Ekeithen, i.e. from that saying, "Come unto Me," etc. D. has enteuthen: i.e. "is manifest from the following consideration."
[171] Here is another instance of the negligent use of the pronouns ekeinos and houtos noticed above (note 1). In the modern text this is altered, besides other changes intended as improvements upon the ornate description following. We have retained the original text throughout.
[172] Ou te the& 139; de monon oude te opsei terpei (Sav. terpoito an) tote ho toioutos, alla kai (en B. C ) to somati auto tou pros ton leimona horontos, (tou p. t. l. ho. om. Sav. with full stop at auto., ekeinon (gar add. B. Sav.) mallon aniesi k. t. l. Savile's reading, adopted by Ben. rests on the sole authority of the New College ms. and is manifestly a correction, as the Paris Editor remarks. (This ms. has the clause tou....horontos, but dotted for correction or omission, and the gar is added by a later hand.) But the passage seems to be incurably corrupt and only so much of the sense can be guessed at, that the delight is said not only to affect the eye, but to be felt through the whole frame of the beholder.
[173] alla psuchas aniesin thermainomene kai zeousa. (theousa A.) The latter words, "heated and glowing," as manifestly unsuitable to aura are omitted in the modern text. They seem to be a fragment of a sentence, describing the heat of fever, or of passion.
[174] plen ei me eis hexin heauton tina toiauten katasteseie. Edd. hapax eis hexin....katastesas: "having settled himself down into some such habit." But the old reading is preferable. "You may pacify him again and again, but the fit is subdued for the time, not the temper changed. There will be a fresh outbreak by and bye, unless indeed by self-discipline (heauton kat.) he bring himself into a habit," etc.