in favour of this it may be urged that in the wish of blessing ó eós forms the main subject. More correctly, however, shall we refer it, partly on account of the immediate joining of ᾧ to Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, partly on account of the design of the whole epistle, to warn the readers, who had become wavering in their faith in Christ, against relapse into Judaism, with Calvin, Jac. Cappellus, Grotius, Owen, Böhme, Stuart, Bleek, Stengel, Tholuck, Bisping, Riehm (Lehrbegr. des Hebräerbr. p. 286), Maier, Moll, and the majority, to Christ. Ver. 22. Request for friendly reception of the epistle. ἀνέχεσθε τοῦ λόγου τῆς παρακλήσεως] bear with the word of the exhortation, grant it entrance with you, close not your hearts against it. Mistakenly do the Vulgate, Stein, and Kluge make Tаρáкλŋσis here have the signification of "consolation." Neither the verb ȧvéxeo0e nor the tenor of the epistle is in keeping therewith. — ὁ λόγος τῆς παρα-ó Kλýσews] Comp. Acts xiii. 15. Not merely the admonitions scattered here and there in the epistle (Dindorf, Kuinoel) are to be understood under this expression; and just as little is merely chap. xiii. (Semler), or the last specially hortatory sections, chap. x. 19-xiii. (Grotius, Calov, and others), thought of in connection therewith. Rather is there intended by it, as also the following étéστe‹λa proves, the epistle in its full extent. — καὶ γὰρ διὰ βραχέων ἐπέστειλα ὑμῖν] Argument for the reasonableness of the request on the ground of the brevity of the epistle: for I have also (i.e. apart from the fact that, by reason of your perilous wavering in the Christian faith, the admonishing of you was laid as a duty upon my conscience), as you see, written to you only with brief words. Theophylact: Τοσαῦτα εἰπών, ὅμως βραχέα ταῦτά φησιν, ὅσον πρὸς ἃ ἐπεθύμει λέγειν. Quite remote from the meaning is that sense which Kurtz would put upon the words: the readers were also to take into account the fact that the epistle has, owing to its brief compass, often assumed a harsher and severer form of expression, than would be the case in connection with a more detailed amplification and a more careful limitation. — διὰ βραχέων] of the same import as δι' ὀλίγων, 1 Pet. v. 12.-ÉTIOTEXλew] in the signification "to write a letter," elsewhere in the N. T. only Acts xv. 20, xxi. 25. Ver. 23. Communication of the intelligence that Timothy has been set free, and the promise, if the arrival of Timothy is not long delayed, in company with him to visit the readers.yiváσKETE] is imperative (Peshito, Vulgate, Faber Stapulensis, Luther, Calvin, Beza, Junius, Owen, Bengel, Böhme, Stuart, Bleek, I. p. 278; Stein, Ebrard, Bisping, Delitzsch, Alford, Maier, Kluge, Moll, Kurtz, Ewald, M'Caul, Hofmann, Woerner, and others), not indicative (Vatablus, Nösselt, Opusc. I. p. 256; Morus, Schulz, Bleek ad loc., and Einl. in d. N. T., 3 Aufl. p. 583; de Wette, al.). For, that the author would be obliged to communicate further details concerning the liberation of Timothy in the case that the readers had not yet known of it, cannot be maintained; while, on the other hand, upon the supposition of the indicative, the whole notice would become superfluous. γινώσκετε ἀπολελυμένον] know as one released, i.e. know that he has been released. Comp. Winer, Gramm., 7 Aufl. p. 324. Wrongly will Storr, Schleussner, Bretschneider, Paulus have yvóσкeтe taken in the sense hold in honour, or: receive with kindness, against which, equally as against the interpretation of Schulz: "ye know the brother Timothy, who has been set at liberty," the non-repetition of the article Tóv before the participle is in itself decisive. — ȧπоλeλvμévov] is to be understood of ἀπολελυμένον] liberation from imprisonment. So Chrysostom, Oecumenius, and Theophylact (all three, however, with hesitation), then Beza, Grotius, Er. Schmid, Seb. Schmidt, Hammond, Wolf, Bengel, Sykes, Chr. Fr. Schmid, Böhme, Bleek, de Wette, Stengel, Ebrard, Bisping, Delitzsch, Maier, Kurtz, Ewald, M'Caul, Hofmann, and others. Of an imprisonment of Timothy nothing is known to us, it is true, from other sources, but the possibility of the same cannot be disputed. The suppositions, that aπoλeλupévov signifies: sent away to the Hebrews with our epistle (Theodoret, subscription of the epistle in many cursives: ἐγράφη ἀπὸ Ἰταλίας διὰ Τιμο O'éov; Faber Stapulensis, al.), or: sent away somewhither, and consequently absent from the author (Estius, Jac. Cappellus, Limborch, Carpzov, Stuart, and others), have the simple signification of the word against them. — ἐὰν τάχιον ἔρχηται] if he very speedily (earlier, sooner than I leave my present abode) comes to me (incorrectly Grotius, Heinrichs, Stuart, al: returns). — ὄψομαι ὑμᾶς] Oecumenius: ἐρχόμενος πρὸς ὑμᾶς. Ver. 24. Request for the delivering of salutations, together with the conveying of salutations to the readers. — Távтas πάντας τοὺς ἡγουμένους ὑμῶν καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους] This designation of persons has about it something surprising, since according to it the letter would have the appearance of being addressed neither to the presidents of the assembly, nor to the whole congregation, but to single members of the latter. Probably, however, the meaning of the author is only that those to whom the epistle is delivered, for reading to the congregation, should greet as well all the presidents as also all the other members of the congregation. — οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς 'Iranías] is not to be explained from the absorption of one local preposition into another; in such wise that it should stand for οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἰταλίᾳ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰταλίας, which is thought possible by Winer, Gramm., 7 Aufl. p. 584. It signifies those from Italy, i.e. Christians who have come out of Italy, and are now to be found in the surroundings of the writer. The general expression: οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Ιταλίας, seems to point to a compact number of persons already known to the readers. It is highly probable, therefore, that those referred to are Christians who, on the occasion of the Neronian persecution, had fled from Italy, and had settled down for the time being at the place of the author's present abode. 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