b passage intimately connected with the whole As Hammond, Wetstein, and others. See Vitringa's 6, Luke vi. 41-43; compare verse 39, (sie de παραβολὴν αὐτοῖς) and others of the same class. But, above all, we must consult the context, and observe whether in what goes before, or in that which follows, we can detect any thing which may lead us to suspect the presence of tropes. And these marks are various, as we are taught by many passages of Scripture. When the author himself uses words which clearly shew that a comparison is intended, the case is clear, as Luke xii. 35, "Eorwσav iμãv ai ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι, καὶ οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι (i, e. be always ready,) καὶ ὑμεῖς ὅμοιοι ἀνθρώποις προσδεχο μένοις τὸν κύριον ἑαυτῶν. κ. τ. λ, 2 Pet. i. 19, καὶ ἔχο μεν βεβαιότερον τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον, ᾧ καλῶς ποιεῖτε προσέχοντες, ὡς λύχνῳ φαίνοντι ἐν αὐχμης, τόπῳ; from which expressed comparison it is clear, that the succeeding phrases, ἕως οὗ ἡμέρα διαυγάσῃ, καὶ φωσφόρος ἀνατείλῃ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, must be understood in a tropical sense, and transferred to a more intimate and perfect knowledge of the doctrines of revelation. Nearly allied to this class of texts are those in which the proper and improper forms are so united, as that the one shall involve the interpretation of the other. Of such we shall produce a few examples. When Jesus, Matth. xi, 29, admonishing his readers "to take his yoke upon them," adds, "and learn of me;" he clearly shews that the word yoke is to be taken figuratively, and that it means nothing more than the precepts which he taught; compare Sirach li. 26. The Apostle Paul, Rom. vi. 21, after inquiring of those who had once been devoted to the practice of vice, "What fruit had ye then?" by immediately adding, "for the end, réλos, of these things is death," shews that fruit must here be taken tropically, as meaning result or payment. The same inspired author, in Philipp. iii. 2, says, BéTETE roùs núvas, beware of dogs; and the tropical application of the word dogs, to false and impudent teachers, is proved by what follows, βλέπετε τοὺς κακοὺς ἐργά ras, beware of evil workmen; compare Rev. xxii. 15. In like manner, in James iv. 4, the words μαχοὶ καὶ μοιχαλίδες, are to be understood, not properly, as referring to actual adultery, but figuratively, to an undue attachment to worldly things; as appears, not only from the context generally, but also from what immediately follows, "Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God. с Compare Grotius and Hottinger on the passage. [With respect to the preceding text, Philipp. iii. 2, I have followed Beckhaus in rendering igyáras, workmen, operarios; not workers, as our version has it. The text referred to in Rev. Light is also frequently thrown upon the proper or improper signification of a word, by comparing it with some contrasted word: thus, Rom. vi. 23, if we compare the phrase, rà yàg ὀψώνια τῆς ἁμαρτίας θάνατος, which many theologians understand in a proper sense, as referring to natural death, with the opposed phrase, rò δὲ χάρισμα τοῦ θεοῦ ζωὴ αἰώνιος ; we shall perceive that the tropical sense is to be preferred; and that the word Jávaros is to be interpreted by misery of every kind. We shall shew, in the last place, by a few examples, the importance of the subsequent context, in determining the proper or improper use of a word. Commentators are divided as to the meaning of n gwn aurou, Luke xii. 15, whether it ought to be understood tropically of happiness, or properly, of the natural life of man. 1 I agree with Paulus, Bolten, and others, that the former rendering is to be preferred; for this reason principally, that the parable of the rich man snatched away by death, which im leaves the matter doubtful, as immorality and heresy are both denounced in it; and in Luke xiii. 27, we meet with ἐργάται τῆς ἀδικίας, workers of injustice. But the usage of St. Paul himself appears to be uniform in favour of workmen, that is, labourers, or teachers in the Church. Compare 2 Cor. xi. 13, and 2 Tim. ii. 15.] mediately follows, (verse 16, 21,) is in favour of this opinion. For a like reason, John ix. 4, I would interpret the expressions, ews nuéga lorir gerai vú, of the duration of man's natural life, and the death which terminates it, because our blessed Saviour immediately adds, örav v τῷ κόσμῳ ᾧ, φῶς εἰμι τοῦ κόσμου, as long as I live among men, I am a light to them, i. e. I promote their happiness.e Having thus disposed of the context, we must, in the next place, examine the use which may be derived from parallel passages, in which the same subject is treated in other words, or phrases, either proper or tropical. Keil' has d [Bretschneider renders Cwn in this passage, vitae șustentatio. The New Testament, however, does not furnish him with one example of such a use. The context leads us further than our author has gone. The moral of the parable shews, that worldly riches have no power to produce happiness in the future state of rewards and punishments: we are led, therefore, to consider this as one of a numerous class of texts in which an alone is used for an aivios, and signifies an eternal life of happiness in heaven.] [The context also leads to this rendering of the word φως. For though as is often used in the New Testament, and especially by John, as an image for a teacher, yet here it must be taken according to the Hebrew use of for happiness, or the author of happiness; because it appears that Jesus was at this time occupied, not so much in teaching, as in relieving from suffering by miraculous cures. See Kuinoel ad loc.] Lehrbuch der Hermeneutic des N. T. § 43 note. U |