11 However, though woman be inferior to man in her relative capacity, the terms of salvation are the same for both: For neither is man without woman, nor woman without man in the covenant.

12 Besides, as the woman is from the man, and on that account is inferior to him, so also the man is born and nursed by the woman, and on that account he ought to treat her with kindness; but both are from God.

13 Consult your own feelings, and say, whether, according to your customs, it is decent that a woman, whom God hath subjected to her husband, pray to God in public unveiled, as not subjected?

14 Doth not even reason and experience teach you, that if a man indeed have long hair, it is a disgrace to him, because it renders him in appearance like a woman?

15 But if a woman have long hair, it is an ornament to her which does not incommode her, being suitable

Ver. 14.-1. Doth not even nature itself teach you? For the different senses of the word nature, see Ephes. ii. 3. note 2. Here, it signifies reason and experience. But others thereby understand the nature of the sexes, which requires that they be distinguished by some outward mark. Hence the law, Deut. xxii. 5. The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment. 2. It is a disgrace to him. That the Hebrews thought it a mortification to wear their hair long, and to have it dressed, is evident from the law of the Nazarites, Numb. vi. 5. Besides, as the sexes were distinguished, not so much by the form of their clothes, as by the length or shortness of their hair, to have long hair, and to dress it nicely, was to assume the appearance and manners of a woman. Therefore it was a disgrace to a man.-The ancient busts and statues of the Greeks and Romans still remaining, shew that they likewise wore their hair short. In that form it neither incommoded them in the field, nor required much time to dress it.

Ver. 15.-1. It is a glory to her. What a value the eastern ladies put on their hair, may be known from this, that when Ptolemy Euergetes, king of Egypt, was about to march against Seleucus Callinicus, his queen Berenice who loved him tenderly, vowed as the most precious sacrifice she could

her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

16 But ifany man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

17 Now in this that I declare unto you, I praise you not, that you come together not for the better, but for the worse.

18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

19 For there must be

also heresies among you, that they which are ap

proved, may be made manifest among you.

20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the

Lord's supper.

κομη αντι περιβολαίου δέδοται αυτή.

16 Ει δε τις δοκει φιλονεικος ειναι ἡμεις τοιαύτην συνηθειαν ουκ έχομεν, ουδε αι εκκλησίαι του Θεου.

17 Τούτο δε παραγγέλλων ουκ επαινω, ότι ουκ εις το κρειττον, αλλ' εις το ἧττον συνερχεσθε.

18 Πρωτον μεν γαρ, συνερχομενων ὑμων εν τη εκκλησία, ακουω σχισματα εν ἱμιν ὑπαρ χειν και μερος τι πιςεύω.

19 Δει γαρ και αιρεσεις εν ἱμιν ειναι, ἵνα δι δοκιμοι φανεροι γενώνται εν ὑμιν.

20 Συνερχομενων ουν ύμων επι το αυτό, ουκ εςι Κυριακον δειπνον φαγείν.

offer, to cut off and consecrate her hair, if he returned in safety. See ver.

6. note 1.

Ver. 18.1. For first. The first thing the apostle blamed in the Corin thians, was their indecent manner of eating the Lord's supper. The second was the wrong use which they made of their spiritual gifts, chap. xii. And as these offences were committed in their public assemblies, he told them very properly, that they came together, not for the better but for the worse.

2. There are divisions. So the word σχισματα must be translated here, because the faction had not formed any separate church at Corinth, but had occasioned uncharitable dissentions in the church there; of which this was one bad effect, that they celebrated the Lord's supper in separate companies at separate tables, which the apostle with great propriety termed σχιστ

ματα, rents.

3. And I partly believe it. Estius, Grotius, and Pearce, think the Greek phrase με τι πιςεύω, may be translated, I believe it with respect to a part of you. And for this use of με τι, they cite Rom. xi. 25. Parkhurst says it is used in that sense by Thucydides, and that it is an Attic phrase. See chap. xii. 27. xiii. 9. note,

1

hair is given her (avri) for to her domestic state; for her hair is

a veil.

16 (4) However, if any one (doxe, chap. vii. 40. note) resolves to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

17 (4) Now when I declare this, I praise you not, that ye come together, not for the better, but for the

worse.

18 For first,1 indeed, I hear, when ye come together in the church, there are divisions among you; and I partly 3 believe it.

19 (All yos x) For there must1 even be heresies 2 among you, that the approved3 may be made manifest among you.

20 (Ovv, 262.) But your coming together into one place, is not to eat the Lord's supper. (See chap. v. 7. note.)

given her for a veil, to heighten her charms by partly concealing them.

16 Now, if the false teacher resolves to be contentious, and maintains that it is allowable for women to pray and teach publicly in the church unveiled, we in Judea have no such custom, neither any of the churches of God.

17 I praised you for holding fast my precepts, But now when I declare this which follows, I praise you not, that ye assemble, not so as to make yourselves better by edifying each other, but worse by fomenting strifes.

18 For first indeed I hear, that when ye assemble in the church to eat the Lord's supper, there are divisions among you; ye sit down in separate companies at separate tables, as being at variance among yourselves; and I partly believe it.

19 For, as men have different views of things and are often guided by their lusts, there will even be heresies among you; which God permits, that those who are approved of him, may be made known among you.

20 But your coming together into one house to eat, is not to eat the Lord's supper, unless ye eat it in fellowship together and with mutual love, as the disciples of one master.

Ver. 19.-1. For there must even be. Here the word must, does not signify what ought to be, but what in the natural course of things will certainly be, as the consequence of the pride, anger, envy, and other evil passions, which prevail among men.

2. Heresies among you. In this passage, heresies are represented as something different from, and worse than the divisions mentioned in the preceding verse. By the account given of them in other passages of scripture, he. resies are false opinions in religion, obstinately maintained by the heretic, in 23

VOL. II.

opposition to his own conscience, for the purpose of authorizing bad practices, and of making gain. See Gal. v. 20. note 5.

3. That the approved. Οι δοκιμοι, Tbe approved, are persons who on being tried are found sound in the faith, and holy in their practice. One end of God's permitting heresies to arise in the church, is for the trial of the faith and holiness of such approved persons, that being made manifest, they may be examples for others to imitate.

Ver. 21.-1. Every one taketh first his own supper. This is the proper translation of the clause, έκαςος το ίδιον δειπνον προλαμβάνει: for what follows, shews that the apostle did not mean, as in the English bible, that every one took before another his own supper; but that every one took his own supper, before he ate the Lord's supper.-Christ having instituted his Supper after he had eaten the passover, his disciples very early made it a rule to feast together, before they ate the Lord's supper. These feasts were called (Αγαπαι, Charitates) Love feasts. They are mentioned, Jude ver. 12. as also by some of the ancient Christian writers.—From Xenophon. Memorab. lib. iii. c. 14. we learn, that the Greeks when they supped together, brought each his own provisions ready dressed, which they ate in company together. Probably the Corinthians followed the same practice, in their feasts previous to the Lord's supper. But as they excluded all who were not of their party, and even the poor of their own party who had no supper to bring, it came to pass that when they ate the Lord's supper, one was bungry, and another was filled.

2. And another is filled, So the Greek word μεθύειν signifies here, being opposed to, one is hungry. The word is used in this sense by the LXX. Psal. xxxv. 9. Jerem, xxxviii. 14. and John ii. 10. where it is rendered by our

21 For in eating IT, every one taketh, first1 his own supper, and one, verily, is hungry, and another is filled.2

22 What, have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or do ye think amiss 1 of the church of God, and put to shame those who have not A SUPPER ?2 What shall I say to you? shall I praise you (v, 167.) for this? I praise you not.

23 For I received from the Lord,' what also I delivered to you, That the Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was betrayed, 2 took bread,

21 For when ye eat, every one with his own party taketh first his own supper which he hath brought; and the poor being excluded, one verily is hungry, on that occasion, and an. other is plentifully fed.

22 What, have ye not houses to eat and to drink in with your friends? Or do ye mistake the Church of God for an idol's temple in which feasts are made; and put to shame those who have not a supper to eat, while ye are feasting luxuriously? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this, as having kept my precepts? I praise you not; but utterly condemn you for these scandalous practices.

23 For I received from the Lord Jesus, by immediate revelation, what also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was betrayed to the chief priests and eldersof the Jews, took bread,

translators, when men have well drunk, drunk plentifully. According to the grammarians, μvy literally signifies to eat and drink, para to Jusw, after sacrificing; on which occasions the heathens often drank to excess.

Ver. 22.-1. Do ye think amiss of the church of God? Kaτappovers; See Rom. ii. 4. note 4.-That in the first age, the brethren of a particular city or district, met together in one house or room for the worship of God, is evident from ver. 20. That house or room, whether it was used statedly, or only occasionally for their religious assemblies, is here called the church of God, and is distinguished from their own house. Accordingly, what is termed ver. 18. a coming together in the church, is called ver. 20. a coming together into one place.

2. Put to shame those who have not a supper. Tas un exorras, may be translated without any addition, Those who are poor.

Ver. 23.-1. I received from the Lord, &c. For the import of the terms received and delivered, see Col. ii. 6. note.

2. In the night in which he was betrayed; that is, in the night which preceded his crucifixion.-The apostle told the Corinthians, that the institution of the Supper in the night before our Lord suffered, for the purpose of perpetuating the memory of his death to the end of the world, was made known to him by Christ himself, as a circumstance which merited particular attention, because it was a strong proof of his innocence. He knew he