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Col_3:7. Transition to the following exhortation; and how touching through the effect of the contrast!
ἐν οἷς ] is, with the reading διʼ ὅ in Col_3:6, necessarily to be referred to the υἱοὺς τ . ἀπειθ .: among whom ye also walked once, by which is meant, not external association (which in fact was not cancelled by conversion, 1Co_5:10), but the fellowship of moral conduct. But, even with the reading διʼ ἅ in Col_3:6, ἐν οἷς is to be taken (comp. Eph_2:2 f.) as inter quos (Vatablus, Rosenmüller, de Wette, Schenkel, Bleek), and not to be referred, as it commonly is (Chrysostom, however, seems to understand it as masculine) to the vices named in Col_3:5, because the relative most naturally attaches itself to what immediately precedes, in order to continue the discourse, and because, if ἐν οἷς refer to the sins, then ἐζῆτε ἐν τούτοις once more asserts substantially the same thing, so that the discourse gains nothing in thoughtfulness through the two verbs, as in Gal_5:25, but is unduly amplified. The distinctions which in this case have been attempted between περιπατεῖν and ζῆν still make the one or the other appear as self-evident. See e.g. Calvin: vivere and ambulare are distinguished from each other like potentia (comp. Grotius: “moveri”) and actus, the former preceding and the latter following; Beza (and Estius): vivere denotes naturae habitum, ambulare, ἐνέργειαν ipsam; Bähr (comp. Olshausen and Reiche): the former refers more to the disposition, the latter to the outward conduct; Hofmann: the state of life ( ἐζῆτε ), with which the conduct in detail ( περιεπατ .) harmonized.
ὅτε ἐζῆτε ἐν τούτοις ] ἐζῆτε stands emphatically and pregnantly first: when ye lived in these, i.e. when ye were alive therein, inasmuch as the ἀπεθάνετε of Col_3:3 had not yet set in in your case, the requirement of the νεκροῦν in Col_3:5 was still strange to you, and these disgraceful things formed the element and sphere of activity of your life. On ζῆν , to be alive, in contrast to the being dead, comp. Rom_7:9; 2Co_13:4; also Col_2:20; ἐν τούτοις [145] is neuter, grouping together demonstratively, and setting forth contemptuously, the states of vice spoken of. According to Flatt, Böhmer, and Huther, it is masculine: “then, when ye belonged to the children of disobedience,” so that ζῆν ἐν κόσμῳ (Col_2:20) and ἀναστρέφειν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ (2Co_1:11) would have to be compared. In opposition to this view it may be urged that ὅτε ἐζῆτε ἐν τούτοις , in this sense, would be a very meaningless and superfluous more precise designation of the ποτέ , whereas, according to the view above adopted, it is thoughtful and characteristic.[146]
On the change from the merely historical aorist to the descriptive imperfect, lending a lively colour to the representation, and claiming the closer attention of the reader who had passed more rapidly over the περιεπατ ., comp. Kühner, II. 1, p. 133, and Reisig, ad Soph. O. C. p. 254 f.
[145] With the Recepta αὐτοῖς any other reference than that, which οἷς has, is excluded; hence the origin of μὐτοῖς .
[146] Hence not to be attributed, with Holtzmann, to the tautological style of the author, in remembrance of 1Co_6:11.