Philippians 4:19

But R.V., "And." But surely there is a slight contrast meant, to an implied wish that hecould send back some material requital of his own to alleviate their "deep poverty" (2 Corinthians 8:2).

my God Words deeply characteristic of St Paul. See on Philippians 1:3 above. Bp Lightfoot well remarks that the phrase is specially in point here; the Apostle is thinking of what God on his behalfshall do for others.

shall supply Promise, not only aspiration. He is sure of His faithfulness. "Supply":lit., "fill," pouring His bounty into the void of the "need."

all your need R.V., somewhat better, every need of yours. See again, 2 Corinthians 8:2, where the exceptional poverty of the converts of Northern Greece is referred to. The prominent thought here is, surely, that of temporal poverty. Cp. particularly 2 Corinthians 9:8, where the firstreference seems to be to God's ability to supply to His self-denying servants always more from which they may still spare and give. But neither here nor in 2 Cor. are we for a moment to shut out the widest and deepest applications of the truth stated.

his riches in glory His resources, consisting in, and so lodged in, His own "glory" of Divine power and love. Cp. Romans 6:4, and note in this Series, for a similar use of the word "glory." Bp Lightfoot prefers to connect "shall supply, in glory, your need, according to His riches," and he explains the thought to be, "shall supply your need by placing you in glory." But we venture to think this construction needlessly difficult. Anything in which God is "glorified" (see e. g. Galatians 1:24) is, as it were, a reflection of His holy glory, and a result of it. Tender providential goodness to the poor Philippians would be such a result.

On St Paul's love of the word "riches" in Divine connexions, cp. Ephesians 1:7, and note in this Series.

in Christ Jesus "in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead," "in whom" the saints are "filled," as regards all their needs (Colossians 2:9-10). The "glory" of both grace and providence is lodged, for His people, in Him.