1 Corinthians 13:4-7

In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Paul's utterance began to rise with the elevation of his theme into the Hebraic rhythm (observe the recurrent ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, and the repeated οὐδέν) which marks his more impassioned passages (see e.g., Romans 8:31 ff., Ephesians 1:8 ff.; on a smaller scale, 1 Corinthians 3:22 f. above). Here this rhythm dominates the structure of his sentences: they run in seven couplets, arranged as one (affirm.), four (neg.), and two (aff.) verse-lines, with the subject (ἡ ἀγάπη) repeated at the head of the 2nd line. The ver. which closes the middle, longer movement becomes a triplet, making a pause in the chant by the antithetical repetition of the second clause. The par. then reads as follows:

“Love suffers long, shows kindness.

Love envies not, makes no self-display;

Is not puffed up, behaves not unseemly;

Seeks not her advantage, is not embittered;

Imputes not evil, rejoices not at wrong.

but shares in the joy of the truth.

All things she tolerates, all things she believes;

All things she hopes for, all things she endures.”

The first line supples the general theme, defining the two fundamental excellencies of Love her patience towards evil, and kindly activity in good. In the negative movement, the first half-lines set forth Love's attitude free from jealousy, arrogance (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:6 b), avarice, grudge-bearing; while the second member in each case sets forth her temper modest, refined in feeling, placable, having her joy in goodness. The third movement reverts to the opening note, on which it descants. For the individual words: μακροθυμέω is to be long-tempered (longanimis est, Er [1982]) a characteristic of God (Romans 2:4, etc.) patient towards injurious or provoking persons; this includes οὐ παροξύνεται, οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν, πάντα στέγει; whereas ὑπομένει, closing the list, signifies patience in respect of adverse and afflictive circumstances; the two unite in Colossians 1:11 : see Trench, Syn., § liii. χρηστεύεται a vb [1983] perhaps of Paul's coining plays the part of a χρηστός (benignus), one who renders gracious, well-disposed service to others (Trench, Syn., § lxiii): P. associates μακροθυμία and χρηστότης repeatedly (see parls.). οὐ ζηλοῖ qualifies the ζηλοῦτε of 1 Corinthians 12:31 : directed towards right objects, ζῆλος is laudable ambition; directed towards persons, it is base envy; desire for excellencies manifest in others should stimulate not ill-will but admiring love. The vb [1984] περπερεύεται (parl [1985] in form to χρηστεύεται) occurs only in Marc. Anton., v., 5 besides, where it is rendered ostentare se (the Vg [1986] perperam se agit rests on mistaken resemblance) to show oneself off : πέρπερος, used by Polybius and Epictetus, signifies braggart, boastful (see Gm [1987], s.v.), its sense here. He who is envious (ζηλ.) of superiority in others is commonly ostentatious (περπ.) of superiority assumed in himself, and arrogant (φυσ.) towards inferiors. Such φυσιοῦσθαι is a mark of bad taste a moral indecency, from which Love is clear (οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ : see parls.); she has the instinct for the seemly; Love imparts a delicacy of feeling beyond the rules of politeness. The absence of pride is the burden of the two former of the negative couplets, the absence of greed of the two latter. For οὐ ζητεῖ κ. τ. λ., cf. parls.; 2 Corinthians 12:13 ff. supplies a fine illustration in the writer. Selfishness generates the irritability denied concerning Love in οὐ παροξύνεται; intent on one's own advantage, one is incessantly angered to find the world at cross purposes with him. Except Hebrews 10:24, the only other N.T. parls. (Acts 15:39; Acts 17:16) ascribe to P. himself the παροξυσμὸς which he now condemns; as in the case of ζῆλος (see 1 Corinthians 3:3), there is a bad and a good exasperation; anger may be holy, though commonly a sin. To “rejoice at iniquity,” when seeing it in others, is a sign of deep debasement (Romans 1:32); Love, on the contrary, finds her joy in the joy of “the Truth” (personified: cf. Romans 7:22; Psalms 85:10 f., 3 John 1:8; 3 John 1:12) she rejoices in the progress and vindication of the Gospel, which is “the truth” of God (cf. Philippians 1:7; Colossians 1:3-6; 3 John 1:4): ἀδικία and ἀλήθεια are similarly contrasted in 2 Thessalonians 2:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:12. The four πάντα clauses form a chiasmus: the first and fourth relating to the bearing of ill, the second and third to expectation of good in others; the first pair belong to the present, the last to the future. For στέγει, see parls.; Bz [1988] and a few others render the clause “omnia tegit,” in accordance with the radical sense of the vb [1989]; but suffert (Vg [1990]) is its Pauline, and also prevalent cl [1991] sense. Πίστις appears to bear in Galatians 5:22 the meaning of faith in men belonging to πιστεύει here. Hope animates and is nourished by endurance : ὑπομένει (sustinet, not patitur), the active patience of the stout-hearted soldier; see Trench, Syn., § liii., and N.T. parls.

[1982] Erasmus' In N.T. Annotationes.

[1983] verb

[1984] verb

[1985] parallel.

[1986] Latin Vulgate Translation.

[1987] Grimm-Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the N.T.

[1988] Beza's Nov. Testamentum: Interpretatio et Annotationes (Cantab., 1642).

[1989] verb

[1990] Latin Vulgate Translation.

[1991] classical.