Philippians 4:3

γνήσιε σύνζυγε (the MSS. are divided between συνζ- and συζ-). So אABD, 17 27 47 73 and some other cursives, vulg (germane compar) copt goth æth, Orig Victorin. KL, most cursives, syrr, Chr Thdt, read σύζυγε γνήσιε. WH print Σύνζυγε (as a proper name) in the margin.

3. ἐρωτῶ. “I beg”; as in our polite use of that word. In secular writers (and often in Biblical Greek) ἐρωτάω regularly means “to enquire,” “to question.” The meaning “to request” is very rare in secular Greek; occasional in LXX., and somewhat frequent in N.T., e.g. Luke 14:18, ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον (the construction used here): John 14:16, ἐρωτήσω τὸν πατέρα: 1 Thessalonians 5:12, ἐρωτῶμεν ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι κτλ.

καὶ σέ. “Thee also,” as co-operating with St Paul.

γνήσιε σύνζυγε. “True yoke-fellow.” Vulg., te, germane compar, which Wyclif renders, “the german felowe,” i.e. “thee, genuine (germane) comrade.”—For the metaphor (σύζυγος) cp. 2 Corinthians 6:14, μὴ γίνεσθε ἑτεροζυγοῦντες�.—Who was this person? One curious explanation is, St Paul’s wife[6]. So Clem. Alex., Strom. iii. p. 535 (Potter): ὁ Παῦλος οὐκ ὀκνεῖ ἔν τινι ἐπιστολῇ τὴν αὐτοῦ προσαγορεύειν σύζυγον, ἥν οὐ περιεκόμιζε κτλ. This is not only unlikely in itself, but γνήσιε is against it; “the uncertain gender of σύνζ. would cause γνήσιος to revert to three terminations” (Ellicott). Another suggestion is that σύνζ. is in fact a proper name, Σύνζυγος, belonging to some Philippian leader, and that St Paul describes him as “true to his name” (γνήσιε). Such a play on Ὀνήσιμος occurs Philemon 1:11. But Syzygus does not occur as a name in inscriptions. Chrysostom suggests a husband or brother of one of the women; others, Timothy. Lightfoot advocates Epaphroditus, who would thus have this friendly commission given him in writing as well as orally. This is at least probable.

[6] Renan translates the words here, ma chère épouse (Saint Paul, p. 148). See Salmon, Intr. to N.T., p. 465 note.

συνλαμβάνου αὐταῖς. “Help them”; obviously, the two Christian women. The word “help” happily suggests that they would themselves do their best for peace.—This open mention of a personal difficulty seems to indicate the modest and, so to speak, domestic scale of the Philippian community.

αἵτινες. Just more than αἵ: see above on ἅτινα, Philippians 3:7. R.V., well, “for they.”

συνήθλησάν μοι. So above, Philippians 1:27, συναθλοῦντες, where see the note. These two women had given earnest and energetic aid in St Paul’s work at Philippi; perhaps with special χαρίσματα (see Acts 21:9; cp. 1 Corinthians 11:5), or simply as instructors of other women, or in practical labours of love.

ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ. Cp. Philippians 1:5; Philippians 2:22, and below on Philippians 4:15.

μετά καὶ Κλήμεντος, κτλ. I.e., probably, Clement &c. were associated with them in the special “wrestling” to which St Paul refers. The words may of course mean that Clement &c. are asked to join the “yokefellow” in “helping” the two women (a view preferred in the note here in the Camb. Bible for Schools); but it seems less likely that St Paul would thus call in help from many quarters in a personal matter than that he should (with happy tact) pass from his allusion to the disagreement to expand his allusion to past labours in which the two persons at variance had joined.

Κλήμης. We cannot be sure of his identity; the name was common. Origen (in Joann. i. 29) identifies him with St Clement of Rome, whom he names as ὁ πιοτός Κλ. ὑπὸ Παύλου μαρτυρούμενος, quoting this passage. So Eusebius (H. E. iii. 4), Κλήμης τῆς Ῥωμαίων … ἐκκλησίας τρίος ἐπίσκοπος … Παύλου … συναθλητὴς γεγονέναι πρὸς αὐτοῦ μαρτυρεῖται. So Jerome (Scriptt. Eccl.); not Chrysostom here. There is nothing impossible in this. But the dates of St Clement’s life and work are obscure in detail, and some evidence makes him survive till quite 120, more than half a century later than this. In his Ep. to the Corinthians (cp. 47) he makes most reverent mention of St Paul, but does not claim him as his personal chief.—See Lightfoot, Phil., p. 168.

τῶν λοιπῶν συνεργῶν μου. “The rest of my fellow workers,” at the time and in the circumstances here recalled.

ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ἐν βίβλῳ ζωῆς. A βίβλος which God has written appears Exodus 32:31; Exodus 32:33; a βιβλος ζώντων, Psalms 68 (Heb., 69):33; ἡ βίβλος simply, Daniel 9:12; ἡ β. τῆς ζωῆς, Revelation 3:5; Revelation 20:15; τὸ βιβλίον τῆς ζ., Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 21:27. Cp. Isaiah 4:3; Ezekiel 13:9; Daniel 12:1. On the whole, in the light of these passages, St Paul seems here to refer to “the Lord’s knowledge of them that are His” (2 Timothy 2:19; cp. John 10:27-28), for time and eternity. All the passages in the Revelation, save Revelation 3:5, connect the phrase with the ultimate preservation of the saints; especially Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8; cp. Daniel 12:1 and Luke 10:20; Revelation 3:5 (οὐ μὴ ἐξαλείψω τὸ ὄνομα, κτλ.) seems to point another way (see Trench there, Seven Epistles). But compared with other passages, that sentence may be only a vivid assurance that the name shall be found in the (indelible) register. Exodus 32. and Psalms 69. may well refer to a register of “the living” in respect of life temporal, not eternal.—Practically, Clement and “the rest” are referred to as having fully evidenced by their works their part in that “life eternal” which is to know God and Christ (John 17:3).—The word ὀνόματα powerfully suggests the individual incidence of Divine love. Cp. Luke 10:20, τὰ ὀνόματα ὑμῶν ἐγγέγραπται ἐν τοῖς οὐ ρανοῖς.