SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:26
Así que, yo de esta manera corro, no como a cosa incierta; de esta manera peleo, no como quien hiere el aire;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 9:26
Verse 26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly] In the foot-course in those games, how many soever ran, only one could have the prize, however strenuously they might exert themselves; therefore, all ran uncertainly; but it was widely different in the Christian course, if every one ran as he ought, each would receive the prize. The word adhlwv, which we translate uncertainly, has other meanings. 1.
It signifies ignorantly; I do not run like one ignorant of what he is about, or of the laws of the course; I know that there is an eternal life; I know the way that leads to it; and I know and feel the power of it. 2. It signifies without observation; the eyes of all the spectators were fixed on those who ran in these races; and to gain the applause of the multitude, they stretched every nerve; the apostle knew that the eyes of all were fixed upon him. 1. His false brethren waited for his halting: 2. The persecuting Jews and Gentiles longed for his downfall: 3. The Church of Christ looked on him with anxiety: And he acted in all things as under the immediate eye of God.
Not as one that beateth the air] Kypke observes, that there are three ways in which persons were said, aera derein, to beat the air. 1. When in practising for the combat they threw their arms and legs about in different ways, thus practising the attitudes of offense and defense. This was termed skiamacia, fighting with a shadow. To this Virgil alludes when representing Dares swinging his arms about, when he rose to challenge a competitor in the boxing match:- Talis prima Dares caput altum in praelia tollit, Ostenditque humeros latos, alternaque jactat Brachia protendens, et verberat ictibus auras. AEn. v., ver. 375.
Thus, glorying in his strength, in open view His arms around the towering Dares threw; Stalked high, and laid his brawny shoulders bare, And dealt his whistling blows in empty air. PITT.
Sometimes boxers were to aim blows at their adversaries which they did not intend to take place, and which the others were obliged to exert themselves to prevent as much as if they had been really intended, and by these means some dexterous pugilists vanquished their adversaries by mere fatigue, without giving them a single blow. 3. Pugilists were said to beat the air when they had to contend with a nimble adversary, who, by running from side to side, stooping, and various contortions of the body, eluded the blows of his antagonist; who spent his strength on the air, frequently missing his aim, and sometimes overturning himself in attempting to hit his adversary, when this, by his agility, had been able to elude the blow. We have an example of this in Virgil's account of the boxing match between Entellus and Dares, so well told AEneid. v., ver. 426, &c., and which will give us a proper view of the subject to which the apostle alludes: viz. boxing at the Isthmian games.
Constitit in digitos extemplo arrectus uterque, Brachiaque ad superas interritus extulit auras.
Abduxere retro longe capita ardua ab ictu; Immiscentque manus manibus, pugnamque lacessunt.
Ille (Dares) pedum melior motu, fretusque juventa; Hic (Entellus) membris et mole valens; sed tarda trementi Genua labant, vastos quatit aeger anhelitus artus.
Multa viri nequicquam inter se vulnera jactant, Multa cavo lateri ingeminant, et pectore vasto Dant sonitus; erratque aures et tempora circum Crebra manus; duro crepitant sub vulnere malae, Stat gravis Entellus, nisuque immotus eodem, Corpore tela modo atque oculis vigilantibus exit.
Ille, velut celsam oppugnat qui molibus urbem, Aut montana sedet circum castella sob armis; Nunc hos, nunc illos aditus, omnemque pererrat Arte locum, et variis assultibus irritus urget.
Ostendit dextram insurgens Entellus, et alte Extulit: ille ictum venientem a vertice velox Praevidit, celerique elapsus corpore cessit.
Entellus VIRES IN VENTUM EFFUDIT; et ultro Ipse gravis, graviterque ad terram pontere vasto Concidit: ut quondam cava concidit, aut Erymantho, Aut Ida in magna, radicibus eruta pinus.- Consurgunt studiis Teucri et Trinacria pubes; It clamour coelo: primusque accurrit Acestes, AEquaevumque ab humo miserans attollit amicum.
At non tardatus casu, neque territus heros, Acrior ad pugnam redit, ac vim suscitat ira: Tum pudor incendit vires, et conscia virtus; Praecipitemque Daren ardens agit aequore toto; Nunc dextra ingeminans ictus, nunc ille sinistra Nec mora, nec requies: quam multa grandine nimbi Culminibus crepitant; sic densis ictibus heros Creber utraque manu pulsat versatque Dareta.
Both on the tiptoe stand, at full extent; Their arms aloft, their bodies inly bent; Their heads from aiming blows they bear afar, With clashing gauntlets then provoke the war.
One (Dares) on his youth and pliant limbs relies; One (Entellus) on his sinews, and his giant size.
The last is stiff with age, his motions slow; He heaves for breath, he staggers to and fro. - Yet equal in success, they ward, they strike; Their ways are different, but their art alike.
Before, behind, the blows are dealt; around Their hollow sides the rattling thumps resound; A storm of strokes, well meant, with fury flies, And errs about their temples, ears, and eyes: Nor always errs; for oft the gauntlet draws A sweeping stroke along the crackling jaws.
Hoary with age, Entellus stands his ground; But with his warping body wards the wound; His head and watchful eye keep even pace, While Dares traverses and shifts his place; And, like a captain who beleaguers round Some strong-built castle, on a rising ground, Views all the approaches with observing eyes; This, and that other part, in vain he tries, And more on industry than force relies.
With hands on high, Entellus threats the foe; But Dares watched the motion from below, And slipped aside, and shunned the long descending blow. / Entellus wastes his forces on the wind; And thus deluded of the stroke designed, Headlong and heavy fell: his ample breast, And weighty limbs, his ancient mother pressed.
So falls a hollow pine, that long had stood On Ida's height or Erymanthus' wood. - Dauntless he rose, and to the fight returned; With shame his cheeks, his eyes with fury burned: Disdain and conscious virtue fired his breast, And, with redoubled force, his foe he pressed; He lays on loads with either hand amain, And headlong drives the Trojan o'er the plain, Nor stops, nor stays; nor rest, nor breath allows; But storms of strokes descend about his brows; A rattling tempest, and a hail of blows. DRYDEN.
To such a combat as this the apostle most manifestly alludes: and in the above description the reader will see the full force and meaning of the words, So fight I, not as one that beateth the air-I have a real and a deadly foe; and as I fight not only for my honour but for my life, I aim every blow well, and do execution with each.
No man, who had not seen such a fight, could have given such a description as that above; and we may fairly presume that when Virgil was in Greece he saw such a contest at the Isthmian games, and therefore was enabled to paint from nature.
Homer has the same image of missing the foe and beating the air, when describing Achilles attempting to kill Hector, who, by his agility and skill, (Poetice by Apollo,) eluded the blow:- triv men epit eporuse podarkhv diov acilleuv egcei calkeiw, triv d hera tuye baqeian.
ILIAD, lib. xx., ver. 445 Thrice struck Pelides with indignant heart, Thrice, in impressive air, he plunged the dart.-Pope.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 26. I therefore so run , etc.] The apostle animates the Corinthians by his own example, telling them that he ran so as he exhorted them; he ran with cheerfulness and swiftness in the way marked out for him, looking to Jesus; continuing steadfast in the profession of his faith, and discharge of his duty as a Christian, and in preaching the Gospel as a minister; and nothing had he more at heart, than to finish his course with joy: not as uncertainly ; as one that knew not, or was in doubt about the way in which he should run, and so ran in and out, sometimes in the way, sometimes out of it; since it was clearly pointed out to him in the word of God: the allusion is to the white line which was drawn from the place the runners set out at to the goal; so that they did not run uncertainly, nor could they be at a loss to steer their course: nor did the apostle run, for what, as the Syriac version renders it, [wdy am , is unknown: he knew what he ran for, for the incorruptible crown of glory, he knew the nature of it; nor was he uncertain as to the event and issue of his running; he knew that this crown was laid up safe and secure, that it would be given him, and he should wear it; he had no doubt at all about it; and with this certain knowledge both of the way and prize, and full assurance of faith and hope, he ran: so fight I, not as one that beateth the air . The allusion is here to fighting with the fist, when, before the combat was entered on, the person used to swagger about, and beat about with his fists, striking the air with them, having no adversary before him; only showing what he could do if he had one, or when he should encounter: so did not the apostle, he did not fight with his own shadow, or a man of straw, or beat the empty air; but gave home blows to real adversaries, Satan, the world, and the flesh; the latter of which is particularly mentioned in the next verse.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 24-27 - The apostle compares himself to the racers and combatants in the Isthmian games, well known by the Corinthians. But in the Christia race all may run so as to obtain. There is the greatest encouragement therefore, to persevere with all our strength, in this course. Thos who ran in these games were kept to a spare diet. They used themselve to hardships. They practised the exercises. And those who pursue the interests of their souls, must combat hard with fleshly lusts. The bod must not be suffered to rule. The apostle presses this advice on the Corinthians. He sets before himself and them the danger of yielding to fleshly desires, pampering the body, and its lusts and appetites. Holy fear of himself was needed to keep an apostle faithful: how much mor is it needful for our preservation! Let us learn from hence humilit and caution, and to watch against dangers which surround us while in the body __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
εγω 1473 P-1NS τοινυν 5106 PRT ουτως 3779 ADV τρεχω 5143 5719 V-PAI-1S ως 5613 ADV ουκ 3756 PRT-N αδηλως 84 ADV ουτως 3779 ADV πυκτευω 4438 5719 V-PAI-1S ως 5613 ADV ουκ 3756 PRT-N αερα 109 N-ASM δερων 1194 5723 V-PAP-NSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
26. Uncertainly (adhlwv). Only here in the New Testament. The kindred adjective adhlov not manifest, occurs Luke xi. 44 (see note) and 1 Corinthians xiv. 8. Compare also ajdhlothv uncertainty, 1 Tim. vi. 17. He runs with a clear perception of his object, and of the true manner and result of his striving.Fight I (pukteuw). Only here in the New Testament. Distinctively of fighting with the fists, and evidently in allusion to the boxing-match. Rev., in margin, box. Etymologically akin to pugmh the fist; see on oft, Mark vii. 3. Beateth the air. A boxer might be said to beat the air when practicing without an adversary. This was called skiamacia shadow-fighting. Or he might purposely strike into the air in order to spare his adversary; or the adversary might evade his blow, and thus cause him to spend his strength on the air. The two latter may well be combined in Paul's metaphor. He strikes straight and does not spare. Compare Virgil, in the description of a boxing-match:
"Entellus, rising to the work, his right hand now doth show Upreared, but he, the nimble one, foresaw the falling blow Above him, and his body swift writhed skew-wise from the fall.
Entellus spends his stroke on air." "Aeneid," v., 443. Morris' Translation.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:26 {So} (houtws). Both with trecw (run) and pukteuw (fight). {As not uncertainly} (hws ouk adelws). Instead of exhorting them further Paul describes his own conduct as a runner in the race. He explains houtws. adelws old adverb, only here in N.T. His objective is clear, with Christ as the goal (#Php 3:14). He kept his eye on Christ as Christ watched him. {Fight} (pukteuw). Paul changes the metaphor from the runner to the boxer. Old verb (only here in N.T.) from puktes (pugilist) and that from pugme (fist). See on Mr 7:3). {As not beating the air} (hws ouk aera derwn). A boxer did this when practising without an adversary (cf. doing "the daily dozen") and this was called "shadow-fighting" (skiamacia). He smote something more solid than air. Probably ou negatives aera, though it still occurs with the participle as a strong and positive negative.
