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edged sword.’

The phrase is common in classical writers, e.g., Eurip. Hel. 989. Other examples are given by Wetstein.

For mavcaira see Eph. 6:17 devxasqe ... th;n mavcairan tou' pneuvmato" o{ ejstin rJh'ma qeou' ( xivfo" is not found in N.T.); and for tomwvtero" uJpevr Luke 16:8; Judg. 11:25; Heb. 3:3; 9:23 ( parav ). kai; diiknouvmeno" a[cri merismou' ...] The ‘dividing’ operation of ‘the Word of God’ has been understood as reaching to the separation of soul from spirit, and of joints from marrow, or to the separation, in themselves, of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow. The latter interpretation seems to be unquestionably right. The Word of God analyses, lays bare, reveals in their true nature, reduces to their final elements, all the powers of man. Chrysostom mentions both views: tiv ejsti tou'to ; foberovn ti hj/nivxato . h] ga;r o{ti to; pneu'ma diairei' ajpo; th'" yuch'", levgei : h] o{ti kai; aujtw'n ( leg. dij aujtw'n ) tw'n ajswmavtwn diiknei'tai, ouj kaqw;" hJ mavcaira movnon tw'n swmavtwn .
deivknusin ... o{ti ... o{lon dij o{lou diiknei'tai to;n a[nqrwpon ( leg. tou' ajnqrwvpou )

( ad l. ).

The omission of the te in the first of the two double clauses ( y. kai; pn. aJr. te kai; m .) causes some difficulty as to the construction. It has been supposed that the first clause ( y. kai; pn .) depends on the second ‘unto the division both of the joints and marrow of soul and spirit’; and again that the second clause, understood metaphorically, explains the extent of the penetrative power of the Word ‘unto the division of soul and spirit, yea, of both spiritual joints and marrow in that internal frame.’

The first of these interpretations presupposes a most unnatural construction; and the second is harsh and forced, though Euripides ( Hipp.
255) speaks of the a[kro" muelo;" yuch'" . It is more simple, and free from objection, to regard the two compound clauses as coupled by the te , so that the first two terms taken together represent the immaterial elements in man; while the two which follow represent the material elements. Thus the four in combination offer a general view of the sum of man's powers in his present organization. The divine revelation penetrates through all. No part of human nature is untouched by it.

For this use of te compare Acts 26:30; Luke 24:20. yuch'" kai; pneuvmato" ] Vulg. animae ac spiritus. Compare 1 Cor. 15:45; 1 Thess. 5:23. The broad distinction between the two is given forcibly by Primasius: Anima vivimus, spiritu rationabiliter intelligimus: vita nobis carnalis cum bestiis communis est, ratio spiritalis cum angelis... Comp. Additional Note.


aJrmw'n te kai; muelw'n ] Vulg. compagum quoque ac medullarum. Syr. of joints and of marrow and bones , the most critical parts of the physical framework of man, and the inmost media of his physical force. The words are not found elsewhere in the N.T. OEcumenius notices their relation to what goes before: eijpw;n ta; ajswvmata ei\pe kai; ta; swmatikav . The plural muelw'n expresses the idea of the separate members in which the ‘marrow’ is found. The rendering of the Peshito is a remarkable example of an interpretative gloss.


kritiko;" ejnqumhvsewn kai; ejnnoiw'n k. ] Vulg. discretor (O. L. scrutator )


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