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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJohn Bengel Commentary - Romans 8:26 - 8:26
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Rom 8:26. Καὶ, even) Not only the whole creation (every creature) groans, but the Holy Spirit Himself affords assistance; comp. Rom 8:23, note 2. On both sides, believers have such as groan with them, and make common cause with them;-on the one side, they have the whole creation [creature]; on the other, what is of still more importance, they have the Spirit. In as far as the Spirit groans, it respects us: in as far as He also affords assistance [‘helps,’] it respects the creature [creation].-συναντιλαμβάνεται) σὺν has the same force in this compound as in συμμαρτυρεῖ, Rom 8:16, [i.e., along with us].-ταῖς ἀσθενείαις) infirmities, which exist in our knowledge and in our prayers; the abstract for the concrete, infirmities, that is our prayers, which are in themselves infirm.-γὰρ, for) Paul explains what the infirmities are.-τί-καθὸ, what-as) comp. how or what, Mat 10:19.-ὑπερεντυγχάνει) ὑπὲρ, abundantly [over and above] as in Rom 8:37, ὑπερνικῶμεν, and ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν, ch. Rom 5:20. Both ὑπερεντυγχάνει in this verse, and ἐντυγχάνει, Rom 8:27, are the predicates of the same subject, viz. the Holy Spirit. It is the general practice, first to put the compound verb with its proper emphasis, and then afterwards merely to repeat, in its stead, the simple form. Thus in Rom 15:4 we have first προεγράφη, and subsequently in the second place, ἐγράφη follows, which is the genuine reading.-στεναγμοῖς, with groans) Every groan (the theme or root of the word being στενός, strait) proceeds from the pressure of great straits: therefore the matter [the component material] of our groaning is from ourselves; but the Holy Spirit puts upon that matter its form [puts it into shape], whence it is that the groanings of believers, whether they proceed from joy or sorrow, cannot be uttered.