Ephesians 1:8

ἦς ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς ἡμᾶς : which he made to abound towards us. Both in profane and Biblical Greek περισσεύειν is usually intrans. It is so used in the vast majority of cases in the Pauline Epistles (Romans 5:15; 1 Corinthians 14:12; 2Co 1:5; 2 Corinthians 8:2; 2 Corinthians 9:12; Philippians 1:26, etc.). In later Greek, however, it has also, though not frequently, the trans, sense, and there are some instances of this also in the NT (Luke 15:17, according to the better reading; 2 Corinthians 4:15; 2 Corinthians 9:8; 1 Thessalonians 3:12). Here, therefore, two interpretations are possible, viz., “wherewith he abounded” (as in Syr., Vulg., Arm., AV, RV marg., etc.), or “which he made to abound” (as in Goth., Eth., RV, etc.). The latter sense, that of furnishing richly so that there is not only enough but much more, is on the whole in better harmony with the context. It is also supported by grammar, inasmuch as it is uncertain whether the NT presents any instance of attraction where the genitive of the relative represents the dative. Such attraction is possible in classical Greek (cf. G. Krüger, Untersuch., p. 274; Jelf, Gram., 822; Winer-Moult., Gram., p. 204); but the instances referred to in the NT (Romans 4:7; 1 Timothy 4:6) may admit of another explanation. It is also possible, indeed, to take the ἧς, not as a case of attraction, but as under the immediate regimen of ἐπερίσσευσεν. For there are at least some instances of περισσεύειν τινος in the sense of abounding in something; cf. ἵνα … παντὸς χαρίσματος περισσεύῃς in Ignat., Pol., 2, and περισσεύουσιν ἄρτων in Luke 15:17 (the reading of the TR with [47] [48] Q [49], etc.; περισσεύονται, however, being accepted by TrWHRV with [50] [51] [52], etc.). The transitive sense, however, is further favoured by the force of the following γνωρίσας, as Winer points out. The εἰς ἡμᾶς, expressing the objects to whom the “abounding” is directed, is like the εἰς τοὺς πολλούς of Romans 5:15, the εἰς ἡμᾶς of 2 Corinthians 1:5, the εἰς ὑμᾶς of 2 Corinthians 9:8. In the last-named passage, indeed, περισσεύειν occurs both in the sense of making to abound and in that of abounding, and in both cases, though with different shades of meaning, it is followed by εἰς. ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει : in all wisdom and prudence. The clause expresses the particular forms in which God made His grace to abound towards us, or the gifts in which His abounding grace was to be seen, namely, those of insight and practical intelligence or discernment with regard to the deep things of His saving counsel. There is considerable difference of opinion, however, with respect to the connection of the clause, its application, and the precise import of its terms. By some (Theod., Griesb., etc.) the words are attached to the following γνωρίσας and taken to define the way in which God made known the “mystery of His will”. But the reason already given, drawn from Paul's usage, for attaching the ἐν ἀγάπῃ (Ephesians 1:4) to the statement preceding it, holds good also here. Not a few (Rückert, De Wette, Alf., etc.) understand the clause to refer to God, and to express the thought that the supremacy of His wisdom was seen in the bestowal of His grace so abundantly on us, that it was “in His manifold wisdom and prudence, manifested in all ways possible for us, that He poured out His grace upon us” (Alf.). But it is difficult to adjust the terms to such a use. For it is doubtful whether φρόνησις in the sense which it bears here can be predicated of God. The instances which are cited (Proverbs 3:19; Jeremiah 10:12) are extremely few. They are also of doubtful relevancy, inasmuch as the φρόνησις in these passages represents a Hebrew word with a somewhat different idea, rendered by the RV “understanding”. Neither is the πολυποίκιλος σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ (Ephesians 3:10) a valid analogy, the thought expressed there being that of the many and various ways in which the Divine wisdom is manifested and realised. The same must be said of the phrase φρόνησις θεοῦ in the narrative of Solomon's decision (1 Kings 3:28); for it expresses a prudence or intelligence given to Solomon by God or divine in quality. Even were it more certain than it is that there is biblical warrant for affirming φρόνησις of God, the πάσῃ puts that reference out of the question here; πᾶς being an extensive, not an intensive, definition, expressing not the highest wisdom and prudence, but all possible wisdom and prudence, every kind of such attributes (cf. Winer-Moult., p. 137). It is true that there are cases in classical Greek which might entitle us to take πᾶσα σοφία as equivalent to πᾶσα ἡ σοφία, “the whole of wisdom,” “the sum of wisdom” (cf. Kühner, Gram., ii., § 465; Anm., 8). But there does not appear to be any certain example of that in NT Greek. Further, it is the grace of God that is magnified in the paragraph, and that not in respect of other qualities in God Himself, but in respect of what it does for us. Hence most (Harl., Mey., Ell., Abb., Haupt, etc.) understand the clause to refer not to God the Giver, but to us the receivers. This is borne out also by the ἵνα πληρωθῆτε τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ συνέσει of Colossians 1:9; by the place assigned to Christian wisdom in the Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians; and also to some extent by such partial parallels as these: ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ (Colossians 3:16); ἐπλουτίσθητε ἐν αὐ - ῷ, ἐν παντὶ λόγῳ καὶ πάσῃ γνώσει (1 Corinthians 1:5), etc.

[47] Codex Sinaiticus (sæc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.

[48] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[49] Codex Cryptoferratensis (sæc. vii.), a palimpsest fragment containing chap. 11:9 19, edited by Cozza in 1867, and cited by Tischendorf.

[50] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[51] Codex Alexandrinus (sæc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).

[52] Codex Porphyrianus (sæc. ix.), at St. Petersburg, collated by Tischendorf. Its text is deficient for chap. Ephesians 2:13-16.

There remains, however, the question as to the precise sense of the two nouns. Σοφία is of frequent occurrence in the NT generally and in the Pauline writings in particular; φρόνησις occurs only twice in the whole NT, viz., in Luke 1:17 (where the RV renders it “wisdom”) and here. As in the present passage the two nouns are also conjoined in 1 Kings 3:12; 1 Kings 4:29; Proverbs 1:2; Proverbs 8:1; Daniel 1:17; Daniel 2:21; Daniel 2:23. So, too, in Joseph., Antiq., ii., 5, 7, viii., 7, 5. There is a distinction between them which is variously put in Greek and Roman literature, Aristotle, e.g., defines σοφία as ἐπιστήμη καὶ νοῦς τῶν τιμιωτάτων τῇ φύσει, and φρόνησις as περὶ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα καὶ περὧν ἔστι βουλεύσασθαι (Eth. Nic., vi., 7). Plato deals with φρόνησις as the wisdom of action, prudential wisdom or sagacity (Laws, i., 631 [53]; 632 [54], etc.) and as the faculty by which we judge τί πρακτέον καὶ τί οὐ πρακτέον ([Plato] Def., 411). Philo takes σοφία to relate πρὸς θεραπείαν Θεοῦ and φρόνησις to relate πρὸς ἀνθρωπίνου βίου διοίκησι (De Prom. et Poen., 14). Cicero again describes the former as rerum divinarum et humanarum scientia and the latter as rerum expetendarum fugiendarumque scientia (Off., i., 43); while others explain σοφία as ἐπιστήμη θείων τε καἀνθρωπίνων and φρόνησις as ἐπιστήμη ἀγαθῶν καὶ κακῶν (Sext. Emp., p. 720; Plut., Mor., 1066 D). In all these definitions σοφία is the larger idea, wisdom in the most general sense, and φρόνησις is the secondary idea, expressing a particular result or application of σοφία. So it seems to be also substantially with the Biblical use of the terms. Σοφία is the collective moral intelligence, “insight into the true nature of things” (Light.), and in the Pauline Epistles it is this intelligence in especial as knowledge of the Divine plan of salvation long hidden and now revealed; while φρόνησις is the practical use of wisdom, the product of wisdom (cf. Proverbs 10:23, ἡ δὲ σοφία ἀνδρὶ τίκτει φρόνησιν), “the right use and application of the φρήν ” (Trench), the faculty of discerning the proper disposition or action. The riches, the abounding riches, of the grace expended on us stood revealed in the bestowal of these gifts of spiritual comprehension and practical discernment with reference to the deep things of the Divine Counsel and the Divine Revelation.

[53] Codex Ephraemi (sæc. v.), the Paris palimpsest, edited by Tischendorf in 1843.

[54] Codex Sangermanensis (sæc. ix.), a Græco-Latin MS., now at St. Petersburg, formerly belonging to the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its text is largely dependent upon that of D. The Latin version, e (a corrected copy of d), has been printed, but with incomplete accuracy, by Belsheim (18 5).