contemplantes. )
The word ejpiskopou'nte" expresses the careful regard of those who occupy a position of responsibility (as a physician, or a superintendent). Each Christian shares this in due degree. Mh; toivnun pavnta ejpi; tou;" didaskavlou" ejpirrivptete : mh; pavnta ejpi; tou;" hJgoumevnou" : duvnasqe kai; uJmei'", fhsivn, ajllhvlou" oijkodomei'n (Chrys.). Mh; movnon de; eJautw'n ajlla; kai; ajllhvlwn ejpimelei'sqe, kai; to;n klonouvmenon uJpereivdete kai; to;n ceiragwgiva" deovmenon ijatreuvsate (Theodt.).
In uJsterei'n ajpo; th'" c. t. q. the idea seems to be that of falling behind, not keeping pace with the movement of divine grace which meets and stirs the progress of the Christian (Heb. 12:11). The present participle describes a continuous state and not a single defection.
The construction uJsterei'n ajpov tino" marks a falling back from that with which some connexion exists, implying a moral separation, while uJsterei'n tino" expresses actual defect only, a falling short of.
Compare Eccles. 6:2 (LXX.) oujk e[sti uJsterw'n th'/ yuch'/ aujtou' ajpo; panto;" ou| ejpiqumei' . Compare Ecclus. 7:34 mh; uJstevrei ajpo; klaiovntwn .
Theophylact applies the words to Christians as fellow-travellers on a long journey:
kaqavper oJdovn tina makra;n oJdeuovntwn aujtw'n ejn sunodiva/ pollh'/, fhsiv, Blevpete mhv
(
whether
)
ti" ajpevmeinen
.
mhv ti" rJ. p.
...
ejnoclh'/
] The image is taken from Deut. 29:17 f. The
original connexion points to the perils of allurements to serve strange gods.
The root is personal (1 Macc. 1:10 rJivza aJmartwlo;" jAnt. jEpif. ) and not doctrinal: a pernicious man and not a pernicious opinion. Compare Acts 8:23.
The phrase root of bitterness (as distinguished from bitter root) expresses the product and not simply the quality of the root itself. Oujk ei\pe pikra; ajlla; pikriva", th;n me;n ga;r pikra;n rJivzan e[sti karpou;" ejnegkei'n glukei'", th;n de; pikriva" rJivzan ... oujk e[sti ph gluku;n ejnegkei'n karpovn (Chrys.).
The clause a[nw fuvousa adds a vivid touch to the picture. The seed, the root, lies hidden and reveals its power slowly ( fuvein Lk. 8:6, 8).
For the image compare Ign. Eph. 10 i{na mh; tou' diabovlou botavnh ti" euJreqh'/ ejn uJmi'n . id. Trall. 6; Philad. 1.
The word
ejnoclei'n
occurs again in N. T. in Luke 6:18. The
pres. conj.
ejnoclh'/
leaves it uncertain whether the fear of such a present evil is actually realised. [The strange coincidence of letters between
ENOCLH
and
ENCOLH
of Deut. 29:18 cannot escape notice.]
mianq. oiJ polloiv
]
the many be defiled.
The poisonous influence spreads corruption through the society.
For miaivnein see Tit. 1:15 (2 Pet. 2:10, 20); and for oiJ polloiv the many, the mass of men, the body considered in its membersMatt. 24:12; Rom. 5:15, 19; 12:5; 1 Cor. 10:17, 33; 2 Cor. 2:17.
Heb. 12:16. mhv ti" povrno" h] bevb. wJ" jHsau' ...] A question has been raised whether both povrno" and bevbhlo" are connected with jHsau' , or the latter only. The second view seems unquestionably to be right. Esau is presented in Scripture as the type of a profane man, but he does not appear as povrno" either literally or metaphorically. The later Jewish traditions can hardly have a place here. And, yet again, the words of explanation which