Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
And—Greek, "Yea."
true yoke-fellow—yoked with me in the same Gospel yoke (Matthew 11:29-30; compare I Timothy 5:17-18). Either Timothy, Silas (Acts 15:40; Acts 16:19, at Philippi), or the chief bishop of Philippi. Or else the Greek, "Sunzugus," or "Synzygus," is a proper name: "Who art truly, as thy name means, a yoke-fellow." Certainly not Paul's wife, as I Corinthians 9:5 implies he had none.
help those women—rather, as Greek, "help them," namely, Euodia and Syntyche. "Co-operate with them" [BIRKS]; or as ALFORD, "Help in the work of their reconciliation."
which laboured with me—"inasmuch as they labored with me." At Philippi, women were the first hearers of the Gospel, and Lydia the first convert. It is a coincidence which marks genuineness, that in this Epistle alone, special instructions are given to women who labored with Paul in the Gospel. In selecting the first teachers, those first converted would naturally be fixed on. Euodia and Syntyche were doubtless two of "the women who resorted to the riverside, where prayer was wont to be made" (Acts 16:13), and being early converted, would naturally take an active part in teaching other women called at a later period; of course not in public preaching, but in a less prominent sphere (I Timothy 2:11-12).
Clement—bishop of Rome shortly after the death of Peter and Paul. His Epistle from the Church of Rome to the Church of Corinth is extant. It makes no mention of the supremacy of the See of Peter. He was the most eminent of the apostolical fathers. ALFORD thinks that the Clement here was a Philippian, and not necessarily Clement, bishop of Rome. But ORIGEN [Commentary, John 1:29] identifies the Clement here with the bishop of Rome.
in the book of life—the register-book of those whose "citizenship is in heaven" (Luke 10:20; Philippians 3:20). Anciently, free cities had a roll book containing the names of all those having the right of citizenship (compare Exodus 32:32; Psalms 69:28; Ezekiel 13:9; Daniel 12:1; Revelation 20:12; Revelation 21:27).
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Philippians 4:3:
Isaiah 4:3
Luke 10:20
Acts 28:31
Revelation 20:12
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