ἵνα μὴ πλεονεκτηθῶμεν κ. τ. λ.: lest we, sc., you and I together, be robbed by Satan; i.e., lest we drive sinners to despair and so let Satan capture them from us. “The offender was to be delivered over τῷ Σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκός (1 Corinthians 5:5) care must be taken lest we πλεονεκτηθῶμεν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ, and his soul perish likewise” (Alford). Observe that in St. Paul's writings (except chap. 2 Corinthians 12:7; see reff.) Σατανᾶς takes the article, “the Satan,” the adversary; it has not yet come to be regularly used as a proper name (but cf. Matthew 4:10; Mark 3:23). οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ κ. τ. λ.: for we are not ignorant of his devices. νόημα (see reff.) is generally (always in this Ep.) used in a bad sense, of the thoughts of man's unregenerate heart. Here τὰ νοήματα are the designs of the adversary of souls.

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Old Testament