Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
Apphia. . Under the word Suidas says: ̔· Appha is the affectionate address of a brother or sister; or the diminutive of a brother and sister, used to express kindness and affection. Hence the apostle, referring to the meaning of the word, says: ͅ ͅ ͅ ͅ· And to Apphia the beloved sister. Though ͅ, sister, be not in our common text, it is found in AD*EFG, several others, the Itala, Vulgate, Slavonic, etc.; and is undoubtedly genuine.
Archippus, . The ruler or master of the horse; from , a chief, and ̔ , a horse. Heroes of old were, both among the Greeks and Trojans, celebrated for their skill in managing and taming the horse, and employing him in war; this frequently occurs in Homer. The import of the name of Archippus might suggest this idea to the apostle' s mind, and lead him to say: Archippus our Fellow Soldier.
Suidas mentions a person of this name, who was once victor at the games, in the ninety-first Olympiad.
There was one of the pupils of Pythagoras of this name; and I introduce him here for the sake of a quotation from St. Jerome, (Apol. adv. Ruffin.), relative to the doctrines taught by him and his fellow disciple, Lysis: , , , , , ͅ · "By all means and methods these evils are to be shunned and cut off: effeminacy from the body; Ignorance from the soul; delicacies from the belly; sedition from the city; discord from the house; and, in general, intemperance from all things." Vid. Fab. Thes. Erud. Schol.
Onesimus, . Useful or profitable; from , to help. The import of this name led the apostle to play upon the word thus: I beseech thee for any son Onesimus - which in time past was to thee Unprofitable, but now Profitable to thee and me.
To the Church in thy house - The congregation of Christians frequently assembling in Philemon' s house; for at this time the Christians had neither temples, churches, nor chapels. See the note on Romans 16:5, and the reference there.
It is very probable that Apphia was the wife of Philemon, and Archippus, their son, the pastor of the Church at Philemon' s house.
Other Adam Clarke entries containing Philemon 1:2:
1 Corinthians 16:19
Colossians 4:17
Philemon 1:20
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