SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:26
Y se conviertan del lazo del diablo, en que estn cautivos, para hacer su voluntad.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Timothy 2:26
Verse 26. And that they may recover themselves] The construction of this verse is extremely difficult, though the sense given by our translation is plain enough. I shall set down the original, and the principal English translations:- kai ananhywsin ek thv tou diabolou pagidov, ezwgrhmenoi up autou eiv ekeinou qelhma. And thei rise agein fro snaaris of the debyl, of whome thei ben holde captyffis at his wille. - WICLIF. First translation into English, 1378.
And to turne agayne from the snare of devell, which are holden in prison of him at his will. - COVERDALE. First printed English Bible, 1535 That they may come to themselves agayne out of the snare of the devyll, which are now taken of him at hys will. - EDWARD VIth's Bible, by Becke, 1549.
And they may recover their senses to perform his will, after being rescued alive by the servant of the Lord out of the snare of the devil. - WAKEFIELD; who refers autou, him, to the servant of the Lord, ver. 24.
And being caught alive by him out of the snare of the devil, they may awake to do his will. - MACKNIGHT; who remarks that autou, the relative, means the servant of the Lord; and ekeinou, the demonstrative, refers to God, mentioned 2 Timothy ii. 15.
I leave these different translations with the reader.
I HAVE referred, in the preceding notes, to inscriptions which appear on the buildings and coins of the Asiatics; such inscriptions are, in general, very curious, and carry with them a considerable show of piety to God, in the acknowledgment of his providence and mercy. I shall quote one merely as a curiosity, without supposing it to be immediately applicable to the illustration of the text.
There is extant a gold circular coin of the Great Mogul Shah Jehan, struck at Delhi, A. H. 1062, A. D. 1651, five inches and a half in diameter; on each side of this coin is a square, the angles of which touch the periphery; within this square, and in the segments, there are the following inscriptions:- 1. Within the square, on one side, The bright star of religion, Mohammed (a second Sahib Kiran) Shah Jehan, the victorious emperor.
2. In the segment on the upper side of the square, The impression upon this coin of 200 mohurs, was struck through the favour of God.
3. On the lateral segment to the left, By the second Sahib Kiran, Shah Jehan, the defender of the faith.
4. On the bottom segment, May the golden countenance from the sculpture of this coin enlighten the world.
5. On the lateral segment to the right, As long as the splendid face of the moon is illuminated by the rays of the sun! 1. On the reverse, within the square, There is no god but God; and Mohammed is the prophet of God. Struck in the capital of Shah Jehanabad, A. H. 1062.
2. On the top of the square, Religion was illuminated by the truth of Abu Beker.
3. On the left hand compartment, The faith was strengthened by the justice of Omar.
4. On the bottom compartment, Piety was refreshed by the modesty and mildness of Othman.
5. On the right hand compartment, The world was enlightened by the learning of Aly.
On these inscriptions it may be just necessary to observe that Abu Beker, Omar, Othman, and Aly, were the four khalifs who succeeded Mohammed. Abu Beker was the father of Ayesha, one of Mohammed's wives. Othman was son-in-law of Mohammed, having married his two daughters, Rakiah, and Omal-Calthoom. And Aly, son of Abi Taleb, Mohammed's uncle, was also one of the sons-in-law of Mohammed, having married Fatima, the daughter of his favourite wife, Ayesha. The Ottoman empire was not so called from Othman, the third khalif, but from Ottoman, the successful chief, who conquered a small part of the Grecian empire in Asia, and thus laid the foundation for the Turkish.
Grotius and others have supposed that the apostle alludes to the custom of putting an inscription on the foundation stone of a city or other building, giving an account of the time in which it was founded, built, &c.
Sometimes engraved stones were placed over the principal gates of cities and fortresses, particularly in the east, specifying the date of erection, repairs, &c., and containing some religious sentiment or verse from the Koran. But I do not think it likely that the apostle refers to any thing of this kind. There appears to be an allusion here to the rebellion of Korah and his company against the authority of Moses, Num. xvi. 5, where, it is said: The Lord will show who are his: here the words of the Septuagint are nearly the same that the apostle uses in this verse, egnw o qeov touv ontav autou? God knoweth or approveth of them that are his. And the words in Num. xvi. 26, Depart from the tents of these wicked men, are similar to those of the apostle, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity. We may therefore take it for granted that those false teachers, the chief of whom were Hymeneus and Philetus, had risen up against the authority of St. Paul; and he, in effect, informs Timothy here that God will deal with them as he did with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and their company. And as the true Israelites were to separate themselves from the tents of those wicked men, so he and the believers at Ephesus were to hold no sort of communion with those workers of iniquity. This subject he farther illustrates by a contract between two parties, each of which sets his seal to the instrument, the seal bearing the motto peculiar to the party. This I conceive to be the meaning; but the common mode of interpretation will, it is probable, be most commonly followed.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 26. And that they may recover themselves , etc.] Or awake, and come to themselves, and appear to be sober, and in their right mind: the metaphor is taken from drunken men, who are overcharged, and are not in their senses, and being stupified fall asleep; and like these are persons intoxicated with errors and heresies, who when their minds are enlightened, and they are convinced of their evil tenets, repent of them, come to themselves, and acknowledge the truth, and so escape out of the snare of the devil ; for as carnal lusts and pleasures are the snares and nets, in which Satan, who may be compared to a fowler, catches some; so errors and heresies are those with which he ensnares others: who are taken captive, or alive, by him at his will ; such are taken in his nets and snares, as creatures are taken alive, by fowlers, and huntsmen; and they are held fast, and become his captives, and his slaves, and do his will, being led by him to whatsoever he pleases; he works powerfully in them, and they readily comply with him, and obey his lusts. Though some understand this, not of the will of the devil, but of the will of God; and that the sense is, that such persons are held captive by Satan, as long as it is the pleasure of God, and no longer; when the prey is taken from the mighty, and the lawful captive is delivered; and so it is an encouragement to the ministers of the word to go on in instructing, hoping this may be the case. Others connect this phrase, to his will or according to his will, as they differently render it, with the word, recover: and then the meaning is, that such, repenting of their errors, might escape out of the snare of Satan, in which they were taken alive; that so they might do the will of God, by professing and holding fast his truths; or that their repentance, recovery, and escape out of Satan's snare and captivity, are according to the will of God, and his sovereign good pleasure.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 22-26 - The more we follow that which is good, the faster and the further we shall flee from that which is evil. The keeping up the communion of saints, will take us from fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness See how often the apostle cautions against disputes in religion; whic surely shows that religion consists more in believing and practisin what God requires, than in subtle disputes. Those are unapt to teach who are apt to strive, and are fierce and froward. Teaching, no persecution, is the Scripture method of dealing with those in error The same God who gives the discovery of the truth, by his grace bring us to acknowledge it, otherwise our hearts would continue to rebe against it. There is no "peradventure," in respect of God's pardonin those who do repent; but we cannot tell that he will give repentance to those who oppose his will. Sinners are taken in a snare, and in the worst snare, because it is the devil's; they are slaves to him. And i any long for deliverance, let them remember they never can escape except by repentance, which is the gift of God; and we must ask it of him by earnest, persevering prayer __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 ανανηψωσιν 366 5661 εκ 1537 της 3588 του 3588 διαβολου 1228 παγιδος 3803 εζωγρημενοι 2221 5772 υπ 5259 αυτου 846 εις 1519 το 3588 εκεινου 1565 θελημα 2307
Vincent's NT Word Studies
26. May recover themselves (ananhywsin). Lit. may return to soberness. N.T.o . See on be sober, 1 Thess. v. 6. A similar connection of thought between coming to the knowledge of God and awaking out of a drunken stupor, occurs 1 Cor. xv. 34.
Out of the snare of the devil (ek thv tou diabolou pagidov). Comp. Psalm cxxiv. 7. The phrase snare of the devil, only here and 1 Tim. iii. 7 (note). The metaphor is mixed; return to soberness out of the snare of the devil.
Who are taken captive (ezwgrhmenoi). Or, having been held captive. Only here and Luke v. 10 (note on thou shalt catch!.
By him (up autou). The devil.
At his will (eiv toekeinou qelhma). Better, unto his will: that is, to do his (God's) will.
The whole will then read: "And that they may return to soberness out of the snare of the devil (having been held captive by him) to do God's will."
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:26 {They may recover themselves} (ananeywsin). First aorist active subjunctive of ananefw, late and rare word, to be sober again, only here in N.T., though nefw is in #1Th 5:6. {Out of the snare of the devil} (ek tes tou diabolou pagidos). They have been caught while mentally intoxicated in the devil's snare (#1Ti 3:7). See #Ro 11:9 for pagis. {Taken captive} (ezwgremenoi). Perfect passive participle of zwgrew, old verb, to take alive (zwos, agrew), in N.T. only here and #Lu 5:10 (of Peter). "Taken captive alive." {By him unto his will} (hup' autou eis to ekeinou qelema). this difficult phrase is understood variously. One way is to take both autou and ekeinou, to refer to the devil. Another way is to take both of them to refer to God. Another way is to take autou of the devil and ekeinou, of God. this is probably best, "taken captive by the devil"that they may come back to soberness to do the will of God." There are difficulties in either view.
