SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:9
ruego antes por la caridad porque soy tal, es a saber, Pablo ya anciano, y aun ahora preso por amor de Jess, el Cristo;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Philemon 1:9
Verse 9. Paul the aged] If we allow St. Paul to have been about 25 years of age at the utmost, in the year 31, when he was assisting at the martyrdom of Stephen, Acts vii. 58; as this epistle was written about A. D. 62, he could not have been at this time more than about 56 years old. This could not constitute him an aged man in our sense of the term; yet, when the whole length of his life is taken in, being martyred about four years after this, he may not improperly be considered an aged or elderly man, though it is generally allowed that his martyrdom took place in the 66th year of our Lord.
But the word presbuv signifies, not only an old man, but also an ambassador; because old or elderly men were chosen to fulfill such an office, because of their experience and solidity; and presbuthv, for presbeuthv, is used in the same sense and for the same reason by the Septuagint; hence some have thought that we should translate here, Paul the ambassador. This would agree very well with the scope and even the design of the place.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 9. Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee , &c.] Either for the sake of the great love which the apostle bore to Philemon, being, as he calls him, his dearly beloved, he took this method; or because of Philemon's great love to all the saints before mentioned, he was encouraged to proceed in this manner, hoping on that account to have success; or it may be, it was for the sake of that love with which God had loved him, and which he puts him in mind of, to engage him to grant his request; that seeing God the Father had loved him, and chosen him in Christ; and Christ had loved him, and redeemed him by his blood; and the Holy Spirit had loved him, and sanctified him by his grace, that therefore he would receive his servant again for the sake of this love; who also was the object of it; (see Romans 15:30). The Alexandrian copy reads, for, or through necessity, as if necessity obliged him to this request. Being such an one as Paul the aged ; or the elder; meaning either in office, which he might mention with this view, that his request might have the greater weight and influence; or else in years, and which he might observe partly to move compassion in Philemon, and that he might not grieve him in his old age, as he would, should he deny his request; and partly to suggest to him, that the advice he was about to give him, to receive his servant, did not come from a raw young man, but from one well stricken in years, with whom were wisdom and understanding; and therefore not to be treated with neglect or contempt: how old the apostle was at this time, is not certain; he could not be less than sixty years of age, or he would not have called himself an old man; for no man was so called by the Jews, but he that was at the age of sixty f4 . Some editions of the Vulgate Latin version, as that of the London Polyglot Bible, read, seeing thou art such an one as Paul the aged; as if Philemon was an old man, as the apostle was, and therefore he would not lay his commands upon him, as an ancient man might upon a young man, but rather entreat him as equal to him in years: but then it follows, which does not appear to be true of Philemon, or that he was in the like case, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ ; which is observed with the same view as in ( Philemon 1:1). (See Gill on Philemon 1:1).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-14 - It does not lower any one to condescend, and sometimes even to beseech where, in strictness of right, we might command: the apostle argue from love, rather than authority, in behalf of one converted throug his means; and this was Onesimus. In allusion to that name, whic signifies "profitable," the apostle allows that in time past he ha been unprofitable to Philemon, but hastens to mention the change by which he had become profitable. Unholy persons are unprofitable; the answer not the great end of their being. But what happy change conversion makes! of evil, good; of unprofitable, useful. Religiou servants are treasures in a family. Such will make conscience of their time and trusts, and manage all they can for the best. No prospect of usefulness should lead any to neglect their obligations, or to fail in obedience to superiors. One great evidence of true repentance consist in returning to practise the duties which have been neglected. In his unconverted state, Onesimus had withdrawn, to his master's injury; but now he had seen his sin and repented, he was willing and desirous to return to his duty. Little do men know for what purposes the Lor leaves some to change their situations, or engage in undertakings perhaps from evil motives. Had not the Lord overruled some of ou ungodly projects, we may reflect upon cases, in which our destructio must have been sure.
Greek Textus Receptus
δια 1223 την 3588 αγαπην 26 μαλλον 3123 παρακαλω 3870 5719 τοιουτος 5108 ων 5607 5752 ως 5613 παυλος 3972 πρεσβυτης 4246 νυνι 3570 δε 1161 και 2532 δεσμιος 1198 ιησου 2424 χριστου 5547
Vincent's NT Word Studies
9. Being such an one as Paul the aged (toioutov wn wv Paulov presbuthv). Being such an one, connect with the previous I rather beseech, and with Paul the aged. Not, being such an one (armed with such authority), as Paul the aged I beseech (the second beseech in ver. 10); but, as Rev., for love's sake I rather beseech, being such an one as Paul the aged. The beseech in ver. 10 is resumptive. Aged; or ambassador (so Rev., in margin). The latter rendering is supported by presbeuw I am an ambassador, Eph. vi. 10. 210 There is no objection to aged on the ground of fact. Paul was about sixty years old, besides being prematurely aged from labor and hardship. For aged see Luke i. 18; Tit. ii. 2.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:9 {Paul the aged} (paulos presbutes). Paul is called neanias (a young man) at the stoning of Stephen (#Ac 7:58). He was perhaps a bit under sixty now. Hippocrates calls a man presbuts from 49 to 56 and gerwn after that. The papyri use presbuts for old man as in #Lu 1:18 of Zacharias and in #Tit 2:2. But in #Eph 6:20 Paul says presbeuw en halusei (I am an ambassador in a chain). Hence Lightfoot holds that here presbuts = presbeutes because of common confusion by the scribes between u and eu. In the LXX four times the two words are used interchangeably. There is some confusion also in the papyri and the inscriptions. Undoubtedly ambassador (presbeutes) is possible here as in #Eph 6:20 (presbeuw) though there is no real reason why Paul should not term himself properly "Paul the aged."
