Philippians 1:9

καὶ τοῦτο προσεύχομαι. He defines thus the “request” of Philippians 1:4.

ἵνα κτλ. Here ἵνα c. conj. denotes rather purport than purpose; less the aim than the idea of his prayer. This usage, as distinct from the strictly final usage, belongs to the later classical and the Hellenistic Greek, and is very frequent in N.T. A kindred but not identical usage appears e.g. John 17:3, where the Greek means, in effect, that “the life eternal is, in the true import of the words, to know &c.”

ἡ�. Of which St Paul has had such warm proofs.

περισσεύῃ. He loves the thought of spiritual growth and overflow; see e.g. below, Philippians 1:26; Philippians 4:12; Philippians 4:18; and, for a close parallel here, 1 Thessalonians 4:1.

ἐν ἐπιγνώσει. So Romans 15:13, εἰς τὸ περισσεύειν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἐλπίδι. He prays that their love may be ever “richer in knowledge and perception” as its safety and aid. The use and construction here of περισσεύειν belongs to later classical and Hellenistic Greek.

ἐπιγνώσει. Ἐπίγνωσις is a word of later classical and Hellenistic Greek. (In LXX. and Apocrypha the noun does not occur, but the verb is frequent.) In N.T., (more than in other Biblical Greek), it tends by usage to denote full (or true) knowledge, in spiritual things. St Paul uses it 15 times, besides Hebrews 10:26; St Peter 4 times.

πάσῃ αἰσθήσει. Πάσῃ, with reference to the manifold demands for its exercise. Αἴσθησις is used only here in N.T., and cognates to it only Luke 9:45; Hebrews 5:14. In LXX. it is frequent in Proverbs as a rendering for da’ath, “knowledge.” The A.V. rendering, “judgment,” (R. V., “discernment”), a word which we often use of the criticism of e.g. works of art, and of practical insight, is a fair equivalent to the Greek here.