Romans 15:26

For it hath pleased, &c. Lit. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased. (The tense is aor., perhaps here an "epistolary past.") The verb rendered "were pleased" implies, as E. V. also does, not only a voluntary act but the act of a superior; in the sense in which the giver of bounty is the superior party. It is no doubt chosen as a word of gentle irony, to be used further in the next sentence.

" Macedonia and Achaia" are the personification of the Churches of Greece, North and South.

a contribution Lit. a communion. The giver communicates, or shares his store, with the receiver. The word is kindred to the Gr. of "distributing," Romans 12:13.

For this same Collection, see 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, where incidentally we see the Apostle's own influence, methodical care, and high sense of honour, at work in the matter. See too 2 Corinthians 8:1-14; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15, for beautiful examples of appeal in this same matter to "Achaia" and to "Macedonia" respectively.

On this passage as a note of chronology, see Introduction, ii. § 1.

for the poor saints Lit., and better, for the poor among the saints. The Christians at Jerusalem were not all poor, but included an unusually large proportion of poor, apparently, among them. Doubtless the special influences of the Capital of Pharisaism kept Christian artizans at a great disadvantage in matter of employment.