2 Timothy 1:5

ὑπόμνησιν λαβών : Having been reminded. Not to be connected with the clause immediately preceding, as R.V.m. ὑπόμνησις, a reminder, i.e., an act of recollection specially excited by a particular person or thing, thus differs from ἀνάμνησις, which is self-originated (so Ammonius Grammaticus, quoted by Bengel). Ell. compares for the thought Ephesians 1:15. For this use of λαμβάνω, cf. Romans 7:8; Romans 7:11 (ἀφορμὴν λ.), Hebrews 2:3 (ἀρχὴν λ.), Hebrews 11:29; Hebrews 11:36 (πεῖραν λ.), 2 Peter 1:9 (λήθην λ.). The fact that St. Paul received this reminder of Timothy's faith suggests that there were other aspects of his conduct possibly as an administrator which were not wholly satisfactory. His unfeigned faith made up for much.

ἥτις ἐνῴκησεν κ. τ. λ.: ἐνοικέω is used in Romans 8:11 and 2 Timothy 1:14 of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; and in Colossians 3:16 of the Word of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 6:16, ἐνοικήσω is added in the quotation from Leviticus 26:12 to ἐνπεριπατήσω. Tisch. and W.H. read ἐνοικοῦσα for οἰκοῦσα in Romans 7:17. Timothy's faith was hereditary as St. Paul's was. πρῶτον does not mean that Lois was the first of her family to have faith, but that it dwelt in her, to St. Paul's knowledge, before it dwelt in Timothy. It is to be observed that it is implied that the faith of God's people before Christ came is not different in kind from faith after Christ has come.

μάμμῃ : an infantile equivalent in early Greek for μήτηρ, is used in later Greek for τήθη, grandmother. It occurs, e.g., in 4Ma 16:9, οὐκ ὄψομαι ὑμῶν τέκνα, οὐδὲ μάμμη κληθεῖσα μακαρισθήσομαι. See also Moulton and Milligan, Expositor, vii., vii. 561.

Λωίδι : Since Timothy's father was a Greek, and his mother a Jewess (Acts 16:1), we may conclude that Lois was the mother of Eunice (see art. in Hastings' D. B.).

Εὐνίκῃ : See art. in Hastings' D. B., where Lock notes that the curious reading of cursive 25 in Acts 16:1, υἱὸς γυναικός τινος Ἰουδαίας χήρας, and the substitution of χήρας for Ἰουδαίας in Gig., fuld [306] “may embody a tradition of her widowhood”.

[306]uld. Cod. Fuldensis

πέπεισμαι : The other examples of St. Paul's use of this word (see reff.) give no support to the notion of Thdrt. (followed by Alf.) that πέπεισμαι here has the force of our I am sure, I am certain, when we wish to hint gently that we desire reassurance on the point about which we express our certainty. In all the places in which St. Paul uses πέπεισμαι he is anxious to leave no doubt as to his own certitude. Nevertheless, in this case, it was quite possible for him to be perfectly certain that unfeigned faith animated Timothy, and at the same time to have misgivings (2 Timothy 1:7) as to Timothy's moral courage in dealing with men. We supply ἐνοικεῖ after σοί.