Philippians 1:14

τοὺς πλείονας. Vaughan holds that “from the universal practice of deciding matters by the vote of a majority the term comes to mean the main body, the society as a whole,” but this scarcely seems needful. τῶν ἀδ. ἐν Κ. These words surely make up one phrase (so Alf [21], Weizs., Ws [22], etc., as against Lft [23], Lips [24], Myr [25], etc.). Cf. Colossians 1:2. It is difficult to see where the tautology, which is said to be involved in this interpretation, comes in. Probably it is an almost technical combination. Dsm [26] (BS [27], p. 82) notes from Papyri a precisely similar technical use of ἀδελφός in the language of the Serapeum at Memphis. πεποιθ. τ. δεσμ. μου. “Having confidence in my bonds,” i.e., being encouraged by the favourable light in which his imprisonment was beginning to be regarded when seen in its true character. [This tells in favour of (4) in Philippians 1:13.] Cf. Philemon 1:21, πεποιθὼς τῇ ὑπακοῇ σου. λαλεῖν. Hpt [28] believes that λαλ. is used here expressly instead of λέγειν as emphasising the physiological process rather than the word spoken. In the later language these refinements were apt to be overlooked. Still it is interesting to find that in LXX דָבַר is almost invariably transl. by λαλεῖν and אָמַר by λέγειν.

[21] Alford's Greek Testament.

[22] Weiss.

[23] Lightfoot.

[24]ips. Lipsius.

[25] Meyer.

[26] Deissmann (BS. = Bibelstudien, NBS. = Neue Bibelstudien).

[27] Bibelstudien

[28] Haupt.