SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:16
el nico que tiene inmortalidad, que habita en luz inaccesible; a quien ninguno de los hombres ha visto ni puede ver; al cual sea la honra y el imperio sempiterno. Amn.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 6:16
Verse 16. Who only hath immortality] All beings that are not eternal must be mutable; but there can be only one eternal Being, that is God; and he only can have immortality. Dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto] All this is said by the apostle in three words fwv oikwn aprositon, inhabiting unapproachable light. Such is the excessive glory of God, that neither angel nor man can approach it. It is indeed equally unapproachable to all created beings.
Whom no man hath seen, nor can see] Moses himself could only see the symbol of the Divine presence; but the face of God no man could ever see.
Because he is infinite and eternal, therefore he is incomprehensible; and if incomprehensible to the mind, consequently invisible to the eye.
To whom] As the author of being, and the dispenser of all good, be ascribed honour and power - the sole authority of all-pervading, all-superintending, all-preserving, and everlasting might.
The words of St. Paul are inimitably sublime. It is a doubt whether human language can be carried much higher, even under the influence of inspiration, in a description of the supreme Being. It is well known that St. Paul had read the Greek poets. He quotes Aratus, Epimenides, and Menander; this is allowed on all hands. But does he not quote, or refer to, AEschylus and Sophocles too? Scarcely any person suspects this; and yet there is such a complete similarity between the following quotations from the above poets and the apostle's words, that we are almost persuaded he had them in his eye. But if so, he extends the thought infinitely higher, by language incomparably more exalted. I shall introduce and compare with the text the passages I refer to. Verse 16. o monov ecwn aqanasian, fwv oikwn aprositon.
In the Antigone of SOPHOCLES there is a sublime address to Jove, of which the following is an extract: aghrwv cronw dunastav, kateceiv olumpou marmaroessan aiglan. Ver. 608. Edit. Brunk.
"But thou, an ever-during Potentate, dost inhabit the refulgent splendour of Olympus!" This passage is grand and noble; but how insignificant does it appear when contrasted with the superior sublimity of the inspired writer! The deity of Sophocles dwells in the dazzling splendour of heaven; but the God of Paul inhabits light so dazzling and so resplendent that it is perfectly unapproachable! Synesius, in his third hymn, has a fine idea on the mode of God's existence, which very probably he borrowed from St. Paul:-kekalummene nou idiaiv augaiv.
"O intellectual Being! veiled in thine own effulgence!" And a few lines after, he says,] su to kruptomenon idiaiv augaiv.
"Thou art He who art concealed by thy splendours." All these are excellent, but they are stars of the twelfth magnitude before the apostolic SUN. See a quotation from Euripides, 2 Tim. iv. 8.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. Who only hath immortality , etc.] Angels are immortal, and so are the souls of men, and so will be the bodies of men after the resurrection; but then neither of these have immortality of themselves, they have it from God; who only has it, of himself, originally, essentially, and inderivatively. Dwelling in that light which no man can approach unto ; in this present, frail, and mortal state; yea, angels themselves cannot bear the lustre of it, but cover their faces with their wings; for God is light itself, as well as clothes himself with light, as with a garment; and is the Father and fountain of lights to all his creatures. Whom no man hath seen, nor can see : nowhere but in Christ, at least spiritually and savingly; and that but very imperfectly in the present state: the sin, frailty, and mortality of human nature must be taken away, in order to inherit the kingdom of God, and enjoy the beatific vision of him; which saints in heaven have, who see him as he is, and in such sort as no man now does, or can see him: to whom [be] honour and power everlasting, Amen . Which may be considered either as a wish, that such honour, power, and glory might be ascribed unto him, as we supply it; or as an assertion that it is given to him, as it is by the angels, and by the saints in heaven and in earth.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-16 - It ill becomes any men, but especially men of God, to set their heart upon the things of this world; men of God should be taken up with the things of God. There must be a conflict with corruption, an temptations, and the powers of darkness. Eternal life is the crow proposed for our encouragement. We are called to lay hold thereon. To the rich must especially be pointed out their dangers and duties, as to the proper use of wealth. But who can give such a charge, that is no himself above the love of things that wealth can buy? The appearing of Christ is certain, but it is not for us to know the time. Mortal eye cannot bear the brightness of the Divine glory. None can approach his except as he is made known unto sinners in and by Christ. The Godhea is here adored without distinction of Persons, as all these things ar properly spoken, whether of the Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghost. God is revealed to us, only in and through the human nature of Christ, a the only begotten Son of the Father.
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 μονος 3441 εχων 2192 5723 αθανασιαν 110 φως 5457 οικων 3611 5723 απροσιτον 676 ον 3739 ειδεν 1492 5627 ουδεις 3762 ανθρωπων 444 ουδε 3761 ιδειν 1492 5629 δυναται 1410 5736 ω 3739 τιμη 5092 και 2532 κρατος 2904 αιωνιον 166 αμην 281
Vincent's NT Word Studies
16. Who only hath immortality (o monov ecwn aqanasian). Comp. ajfqartw incorruptible, ch. i. 17. It has been suggested that there is here a possible allusion to the practice of deifying the woman emperors, with an implied protest against paying them divine honors. In the Asian provinces generally, this imperial cultus was organised as the highest and most authoritative religion. Domitian (8196 A.D.) assumed the titles of "Lord" and "God," and insisted on being addressed as Dominus et Deus noster in all communications to himself. Trajan (98-117 A.D.) forbade his subjects to address him as "Lord" and "God," but Pliny (112 A.D.) required the citizens of Bithynia to pay divine honors to Trajan's statue. Hadrian (117-138 A.D.) allowed the worship of his statues. 129 In light. Comp. Psalm ciii. 2; 1 John i. 5, 7; Jas. i. 17.
Which no man can approach unto (aprositon). More simply, unapproachable. N.T.o . o LXX.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:16 {Who only hath immortality} (ho monos ecwn aqanasian). "The one who alone has immortality." aqanasia (aqanatos, a privative and qanatos), old word, in N.T. only here and #1Co 15:53f. Domitian demanded that he be addressed as "_Dominus et Deus noster_." Emperor worship may be behind the use of monos (alone) here. {Unapproachable} (aprositon). See #Ps 104:2. Late compound verbal adjective (a privative, pros, ienai, to go). Here only in N.T. Literary _Koin_ word. {Nor can see} (oude idein dunatai). See aoraton in #Col 1:15 and also #Joh 1:18; Mt 11:27. The "amen" marks the close of the doxology as in #1:17.
