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Col_4:1. Τὴν ἰσότητα ] not: equity, for the word signifies aequalitas, not aequitas, i.e. ἐπιείκεια (in opposition to Steiger, Huther, de Wette, Ewald, Bleek, and most expositors), but: equality (2Co_8:13 f.; very often in Plato, Polyb. ii. 38. 8, vi. 8. 4; Lucian, Herm. 22, Zeux. 5, also the passages from Philo in Wetstein, and the LXX. Job_36:29; Zec_4:7), so that ye, namely, regard and treat the slaves as your equals. What is herein required, therefore, is not a quality of the master, and in particular not the freedom from moral unevenness,[168] which is equivalent to δικαιοσύνη (Hofmann), but a quality of the relation, which is to be conceded; it is not at all, however, the equalization of the outward relation, which would be a de facto abolition of slavery, but rather the equality, which, amidst a continued subsistence of all the outward diversity, is brought about in the Christian κοινωνία by kindly treatment. While ΤῸ ΔΊΚΑΙΟΝ (what is right) expresses that which, according to the Christian consciousness of right, belongs as matter of right to the slave, τὴν ἰσότητα requires the concession of the parity (égalité) implied in the Christian ἀδελφότης . Paul has in view (in opposition to Hofmann) merely Christian slaves (whom he has exhorted in Col_3:22 f.); otherwise, in fact, the conception of ἰσότης would be not at all appropriate. It is just by the Christian status of both parties that he desires to see their inequality in other respects ethically counterbalanced. A commentary on τὴν ἰσότητα is supplied by Phm_1:16. At variance with the context, Erasmus, Melanchthon, Vatablus, Cornelius a Lapide, Böhmer, and others understand the equality of impartial treatment, according to which the master does not prefer one slave to another. This would not in fact yield any definite moral character of the treatment in itself, nor would it suit all the cases where there is only one slave. As to the middle παρέχεσθε (Tit_2:7; Act_19:24), observe that it is based simply on the conception of the self-activity of the subject; Kühner, II 1, p. 97.
ΕἸΔΌΤΕς ] consciousness, that serves as a motive, as in Col_3:24.
ΚΑῚ ὙΜΕῖς Κ . Τ . Λ .] Theophylact says correctly: ὭΣΠΕΡ ἘΚΕῖΝΟΙ ὙΜᾶς , ΟὝΤΩ ΚΑῚ ὙΜΕῖς ἜΧΕΤΕ ΚΎΡΙΟΝ , and that in heaven, namely Christ.
[168] This conception, coincident with δικαιοσύνη , does not pertain to ἰσότης at all; and just as little to ἴσος in Soph. Phil. 685, where ἴσος ἐν γʼ ἴσοις ἀνήρ is nothing else than par inter pares, namely, to his friends a friend, to his foes a foe. Comp. Schneidewin in loc. At many other passages ἴσος denotes the equality of right, that which is impartial, and is hence often combined with δίκαιος (righteous in the narrower sense). But ἰσότης is always (even in Polyb. ii. 38. 8) equality; see e.g. Plato, Rep. 658 C, where it is said of the democracy: ἰσότητά τινα ὁμοίως ἴσοις τε καὶ ἀνίσοις διανέμουσα , that is, it distributes uniformly to equal and unequal a certain equality. In such passages the conception of égalité comes into view with special clearness. Hofmann has explained our passage as if ἰσότης and ὁμαλότης or λειότης (levelness), were identical conceptions.