SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:7
queriendo ser maestros de la ley, sin entender ni lo que hablan, ni de donde lo afirman.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 1:7
Verse 7. Teachers of the law] To be esteemed or celebrated as rabbins; to be reputed cunning in solving knotty questions and enigmas, which answered no end to true religion. Of such the rabbinical teaching was full. Understanding neither what they say] This is evident from almost all the Jewish comments which yet remain. Things are asserted which are either false or dubious; words, the import of which they did not understand, were brought to illustrate them: so that it may be said, They understand not what they say, nor whereof they affirm. I will give one instance from the Jerusalem Targum, on Gen. i. 15: And God made two great lights, and they were equal in splendour twenty-one years, the six hundred and seventy-second part of an hour excepted: and afterwards the moon brought a false accusation against the sun, and therefore she was lessened; and God made the sun the greater light to superintend the day, &c. I could produce a thousand of a similar complexion.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 7. Desiring to be teachers of the law , etc.] They were very fond of being called Rabbi, Rabbi, and styled doctors of the law, and of being thought to have skill in interpreting the law, and good talents in expounding it, and preaching upon it; which was now most in vogue, and gained the greatest applause, when the preaching of the Gospel was treated with contempt, not only by the unbelieving Jews, but by judaizing Christians, and carnal professors. Understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm : they did not understand the law, the nature and end, the purity and spirituality, and perfection of it, which they were so fond of teaching, and went into many foolish and unlearned questions about it; (see 2 Timothy 2:23 Titus 3:9), and which they as foolishly answered: these are the ignorant and unlearned men, who, notwithstanding their vain show of learning, and pretence to skill in interpreting the law, wrested the Scriptures to their own destruction, and that of others; they were ignorant of the things they talked of, and knew not by what arguments to confirm them, and yet were very bold and confident in their assertions: and generally speaking so it is, that those who can prove least assert most, and that with the greatest assurance.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-11 - Whatever tends to weaken love to God, or love to the brethren, tends to defeat the end of the commandment. The design of the gospel i answered, when sinners, through repentance towards God and faith i Jesus Christ, are brought to exercise Christian love. And as believer were righteous persons in God's appointed way, the law was not agains them. But unless we are made righteous by faith in Christ, reall repenting and forsaking sin, we are yet under the curse of the law even according to the gospel of the blessed God, and are unfit to shar the holy happiness of heaven.
Greek Textus Receptus
θελοντες 2309 5723 ειναι 1511 5750 νομοδιδασκαλοι 3547 μη 3361 νοουντες 3539 5723 μητε 3383 α 3739 λεγουσιν 3004 5719 μητε 3383 περι 4012 τινων 5101 διαβεβαιουνται 1226 5736
Vincent's NT Word Studies
7. Desiring (qelontev). The participle is explanatory and confirmatory of the preceding statement: since they desire.Teachers of the law (nomodidaskaloi). o P. It occurs in Luke v. 17 and Acts v. 34. Nomov is, apparently, the Mosaic law. These teachers may have been arbitrary interpreters of that law, but in what way, cannot be shown.
Understanding (noountev). Better, though they understand.
What they say - whereof they affirm (a legousin - peri tinwn diabebaiountai). The latter expression is an advance on the former, as appears not only from the verbs themselves, but from the different pronominal expressions. They know not what they say, nor what kind of things they are of which they speak so confidently. The compound diabebaiouswai to affirm, Past o . Comp. Tit. iii. 8. The false teachers announce their errors with assurance.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:7 {Teachers of the law} (nomodidaskaloi). Compound only in N.T. (here, #Lu 5:17; Ac 5:34) and ecclesiastical writers. {Though they understand} (noountes). Concessive participle of noew, old verb (#Eph 3:4,20). {Neither what} (mete ha). Relative ha (which things). {Nor whereof} (mete peri tinwn). Here the interrogative tinwn used in sense of relative h"n. It may be regarded as the use of an indirect question for variety (Parry). {They confidently affirm} (diabebaiountai). Present middle indicative of the common _Koin_ compound, in N.T. only here and #Tit 3:8.
