OT-LAW.filter - rwp Africa:

rwp@Info_Hebrews @ THE AUTHOR Origen bluntly wrote: "Who wrote the Epistle God only knows certainly" as quoted by Eusebius. Origen held that the thoughts were Paul's while Clement of Rome or Luke may have written the book. Clement of Alexandria (Eusebius says) thought that Paul wrote it in Hebrew and that Luke translated it into Greek. No early writer apparently attributed the Greek text to Paul. Eusebius thought it was originally written in Hebrew whether by Paul or not and translated by Clement of Rome. But there is no certainty anywhere in the early centuries. It was accepted first in the east and later in the west which first rejected it. But Jerome and Augustine accepted it. When the Renaissance came Erasmus had doubts, Luther attributed it to Apollos, Calvin denied the Pauline authorship. In North Africa it was attributed to Barnabas. In modern times Harnack has suggested Priscilla, but the masculine participle in strkjv@Hebrews:11:32| (\me digoumenon\) disposes of that theory. The oldest Greek MSS. (Aleph A B) have simply \Pros Hebraious\ as the title, but they place it before the Pastoral Epistles, while the Textus Receptus puts it after the Pastoral Epistles and Philemon. In the light of all the facts one can only make a guess without a sense of certainty. For myself I should with Luther guess Apollos as the most likely author of this book which is full of the Spirit of God.

rwp@Matthew:13:8 @{Yielded fruit} (\edidou karpon\). Change to imperfect tense of \didmi\, to give, for it was continuous fruit-bearing. {Some a hundredfold} (\ho men hekaton\). Variety, but fruit. This is the only kind that is worth while. The hundredfold is not an exaggeration (cf. strkjv@Genesis:26:12|). Such instances are given by Wetstein for Greece, Italy, and Africa. Herodotus (i. 93) says that in Babylonia grain yielded two hundredfold and even to three hundredfold. This, of course, was due to irrigation as in the Nile Valley.

rwp@Revelation:18:12 @{Of fine linen} (\bussinou\). Genitive case after \gomon\, as are all the items to \kokkinou\. Old adjective from \bussos\ (linen, strkjv@Luke:16:19|), here a garment of linen, in N.T. only strkjv@Revelation:18:12,16; strkjv@19:8,14|. {Purple} (\porphuras\). Fabric colored with purple dye (\porphureos\, strkjv@17:4; strkjv@18:16|), as in strkjv@Mark:15:17,20; strkjv@Luke:16:19|. {Silk} (\sirikou\). Songs:the uncials here. \To srikon\ (the silken fabric) occurs in Plutarch, Strabo, Arrian, Lucian, only here in N.T. Probably from the name of the Indian or Chinese people (\hoi Sres\) from whom the fabric came after Alexander invaded India. Silk was a costly article among the Romans, and for women as a rule. {Scarlet} (\kokkinou\). See strkjv@17:4; strkjv@18:16|. {All thyine wood} (\pan xulon thuinon\). Now accusative again without \gomon\ dependence. An odoriferous North African citrus tree, prized for the colouring of the wood for dining-tables, like a peacock's tail or the stripes of a tiger or panther. Here only in N.T. {Of ivory} (\elephantinon\). Old adjective (from \elephas\ elephant) agreeing with \skeuos\ (vessel), here only in N.T. Cf. Ahab's ivory palace (1Kings:22:39|). {Of marble} (\marmarou\). Old word (from \marmair\, to glisten), genitive after \skeuos\ (vessel), here only in N.T.

rwp@Revelation:18:23 @{Of a lamp} (\luchnou\). Old word (Matthew:5:15|), again in strkjv@Revelation:22:5|. {Shall shine no more at all} (\ou m phani\). Fifth instance in these verses of \ou m\ with the aorist subjunctive, here the active of \phain\ as in strkjv@Revelation:8:12|. It is not known whether Rome had street lights or not. {The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride} (\phn numphiou kai numphs\). See strkjv@John:3:29; strkjv@Jeremiah:7:34; strkjv@16:9|. "Even the occasional flash of the torches carried by bridal processions (Matthew:25:1ff.|) is seen no more" (Swete). The sixth instance of \ou m\, in verses 21-23|, occurs with \akousthi\ (third instance of \akousthi\, two in verse 22|). {Were the princes of the earth} (\san hoi megistnes ts gs\). For \megistn\ see strkjv@Revelation:6:15; strkjv@Mark:6:21|. "Thy merchants were the grandees" once, but now these merchant princes are gone. {With thy sorcery} (\en ti pharmakii sou\). \En\ (instrumental use) and the locative case of \pharmakia\, old word (from \pharmakeu\, to prepare drugs, from \pharmakon\, sorcery, strkjv@Revelation:9:21|), in N.T. only here and strkjv@Galatians:5:20| for sorcery and magical arts. If one is puzzled over the connection between medicine and sorcery as illustrated by this word (our pharmacy), he has only to recall quackery today in medicine (patent medicines and cure-alls), witch-doctors, professional faith-healers, medicine-men in Africa. True medical science has had a hard fight to shake off chicanery and charlatanry. {Were deceived} (\eplanthsan\). First aorist passive indicative of \plana\. These charlatans always find plenty of victims. See strkjv@Mark:12:24|.