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Eph_6:16. Ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ] not: before all things (Luther, Castalio, Michaelis, and others), but: in addition to all. Comp. Luk_3:20; Polyb. vi. 23. 12: ἐπὶ δὲ πᾶσι τούτοις προσεπικοσμοῦνται πτερίνῳ στεφάνῳ . See Wetstein, ad Luc. xvi. 26; Matthiae, p. 1371. By the three pieces previously mentioned, Eph_6:14-15 (which were all made fast to the body), the body is clothed upon for warlike purposes; what is still wanting, and must be added to all that has preceded, is shield, helmet, sword, Eph_6:16-17.
τὸν θυρεόν ] θυρεός , which Polybius mentions and more fully describes as the first part of the Roman πανοπλία (Eph_6:23; Eph_6:22 ff.), is, with Homer, that which is placed in front of the doorway and blocks the entrance (Od. ix. 240, 313); and only with later writers (Plutarch, Strabo, etc.) is the shield (see Lobeck, ad Phryn. p. 336, and Wetstein, ad loc), and that the scutum, the large shield, 4 feet in length and 2½ feet in width, as distinguished from the small round buckler, clypeus, ἀσπίς . See Lipsius, de milit. Rom. iii. 2, ed. Plant. 1614, p. 106 ff.; Alberti and Kypke in loc.; Ottii Spicileg. p. 409 f. Comp. the Homeric σάκος and the Hebrew öÄðÌÈä . Paul does not say ἀσπίς , because he is representing the Christian warrior as heavy-armed.
τῆς πίστεως ] Genitivus appositionis, as τῆς δικαιοσύνης , Eph_6:14. The faith, however, is not the faith of miracles (Chrysostom), but the fides salvifica (Eph_2:8), by which the Christian is assured of the forgiveness of his sins on account of the sacrificial death of Christ, and at the same time is assured of the Messianic blessedness (Eph_1:7, Eph_2:5 ff., Eph_3:12), has the Holy Spirit as the earnest of everlasting life (Eph_1:13-14), and consequently has Christ in the heart (Eph_2:17; Gal_2:20), and as child of God (Eph_1:5; Rom_8:15 f.; Gal_4:5 ff.) under the government of grace (Rom_8:14) belongs so wholly to God (Rom_6:11; comp. 1Jn_3:7 ff.), that he cannot be separated by anything from the love of God towards him (Rom_8:38); and on his part is consecrated only to the service of God (Eph_1:4; Rom_7:4; Rom_7:6; Rom_6:22), and hence through God carries off the victory over the power of Satan opposed to God (Rom_16:20; 2Th_3:3). Only wavering faith is accessible to the devil (2Co_11:3; comp. 1Pe_5:8-9).
ἐν ᾧ ] by means of which, i.e. by holding it in front.
δυνήσεσθε ] for the conflict in question is future. See on Eph_6:12-13.
τοῦ πονηροῦ ] of the morally evil one κατʼ ἐξοχήν , i.e. the devil; 2Th_3:3; Mat_5:37; Mat_6:13; Mat_13:19; Mat_13:38; Joh_17:15; 1Jn_5:19.
τὰ [309] πεπυρωμένα ] those set on fire, the burning ones. Comp. Apollod. Bibl. ii. 5. 2; Leo, Tact. xv. 27, ed. Heyn.; also πυρφόροι ὀϊστοί in Thucyd. ii. 75. 4; βέλη πυρφόρα , Diod. xx. 96; Zosim. Hist. p. 256, 2. The malleoli are meant, i.e. arrows tipped with inflammable material (tow, pitch) and shot off after being kindled, which, known also to the Hebrews (see expositors on Psa_7:14), were in use among the Greeks and Romans, and are to be distinguished from the javelins of the same kind (falaricae, see Vegetius, iv. 8). For the description of the malleoli, see Ammian. Marcell. xxiii. 4; and see, in general, Lydius, Agonist. p. 45, de re mil. p. 119, 315; Spanheim, ad Julian. Orat. p. 193. Poisoned arrows (od. i. 260 f.; Virg. Aen. ix. 773; Psa_38:3; Job_6:4; and see Lyd. de re mil. p. 118) are not meant (as supposed by Boyd, Hammond, Bochart), since these are not on fire ( πεπυρωμένα ), but excite a fire (inflammation). The aim of the predicate, we may add, is to present in strong colours the hostile and destructive character of the Satanic assaults; but more special explanations of its import, such as of the burning desires excited by Satan (Chrysostom, Theophylact; comp. Oecumenius), or of doubts and of the anguish of despair (Boyd), are inappropriate; and the more so, inasmuch as in the whole context the apostle is speaking of diabolic assaults in general, not of particular kinds thereof.
σβέσαι ] The shields of the Greeks and Romans were as a rule of wood, with a thick coating of leather (Hom. Il. v. 452; Herod, vii. 91; Polyb. l.c.; Plin. viii. 39; and see, in general, Lipsius, de milit. Rom. iii. 2, p. 109 ff.). So Paul conceives of faith under the figure of such a shield, which not only prevents the missiles from injuring the warrior, but also by reason of its coating brings it about that these do not set on fire the wood of the shield, but must needs be themselves extinguished, so that thus the warrior, by holding the shield in front of him, can quench the fiery arrows.
[309] The article implies that Satan discharges other arrows besides burning ones. See Kühner, ad Xen. Anab. iv. 6. 1.