Heinrich Meyer Commentary - James 5:10 - 5:11

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Heinrich Meyer Commentary - James 5:10 - 5:11


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Jam_5:10-11. Old Testament examples adduced for the sake of strengthening the exhortation to patience.

ὑπόδειγμα λάβετε ] ὑπόδειγμα (instead of the classical παράδειγμα ) here, as frequently in the N. T. and LXX., an example, a pattern; in sense equivalent to ὑπόγραμμον , 1Pe_2:21; τύπος , 2Th_3:9 ( εἰς τὸ μιμεῖσθαι ).

τῆς κακοπαθείας καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας ] κακοπάθεια , in the N. T. ἅπ . λεγ ., is not synonymous with μακροθυμία = vexationum patientia (Hottinger), but denotes suffering, affliction, synonymous with ξυμφοραί , Thue. vii. 77; in 2Ma_2:26-27, it is used in a somewhat attenuated sense. Schneckenburger arbitrarily combines it with the following words into one idea = τῆς ἐν κακοπαθείᾳ μακροθυμίας ; by this combination the point of κακοπάθεια is weakened. On the sentiment, see Mat_5:12.

By the relative clause οἳ ἐλάλησαν ( ἐν ) τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου , belonging to τοὺς προφήτας , is indicated that the prophets, as servants of God, stand opposed to the world, even as believing Christians do. The dative τῷ ὀνόματι (see critical remark) is not to be explained, with Meyer (see on Mat_7:22), “by means of the name, i.e. that the name of the Lord satisfied their religious consciousness and was the object of their confession;” but, as is commonly understood = ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου (Wiesinger: jussu et autoritate; de Wette: “by virtue of the name”); this is evident from the fact that the Hebrew ãÌÄáÌÅø áÌÀùÑÅí éÀäÉåÈä is translated in the LXX. not only by ἐν ( τᾷ ) ὀν . κυρίου (Dan_9:6) or by ἐπὶ τῷ ὀν . (Jer_20:9), but also by λαλεῖν τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου (Jer_44:16).[233]

[233] Also in union with other verbs the LXX. translate áÌÀùÑÅí sometimes by the simple dative; thus Exo_33:19; Exo_34:5 : καλεῖν τῷ ὀνόματι ; Jer_12:16 : ὀμνύειν τῷ ὀν . μου ; see also Isa_41:25; Isa_43:7; Isa_45:4.—Though this usage were not decisive, yet it would be most natural to explain the dative τῷ ἐνόματι = through the name, by which the name of the Lord would be conceived as the objective power by which the prophets were induced to speak.