2 Timothy 4:14 - Exposition

Will render to him for reward him, A.V. and T.R. Alexander ; apparently an Ephesian, as appears by the words, "of whom be thou ware also." It seems probable, though it is necessarily uncertain, that this Alexander is the same person as that mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20 as "a blasphemer," which agrees exactly with what is here said of him, "he greatly withstood our words" (comp. Acts 13:45 , "contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed"). He may or may not be the same as the Alexander named in Acts 19:33 . Supposing the Alexander of 1 Timothy 1:20 and this place to be the same, the points of resemblance with the Alexander of Acts 19:33 are that both resided at Ephesus, that both seem to have been Christians (see note on 1 Timothy 1:20 ), and both probably Jews, inasmuch as 1 Timothy 1:1-20 relates entirely to Jewish heresies ( 1 Timothy 1:4 , 1 Timothy 1:7 , 1 Timothy 1:8 ), and Acts 19:33 expressly states that he was a Jew. The coppersmith ( ὁ χαλκεὺς ; only here in the New Testament); properly, a coppersmith, but used generally of any smith—silversmith, or goldsmith, or blacksmith. Did me much evil ( πολλά μοι κακὰ ἐνδείξατο ) . This is a purely Hellenistic idiom, and is found in the LXX . of Genesis 1:15 , Genesis 1:17 ; Song of the Three Children, 19; 2 Macc. 13:9. In classical Greek the verb ἐνδείκυυμαι , in the middle voice, "to display," can only be followed by a subjective quality, as "good will," "virtue," "long suffering," an "opinion," and the like (see Alford, in loc. ) . And so it is used in 1 Timothy 1:16 ; Titus 2:10 ; Titus 3:2 . The question naturally arises—When and where did Alexander thus injure St. Paul?—at Ephesus or at Rome? Bengel suggests Rome, and with great probability. Perhaps he did him evil by stirring up the Jews at Rome against the apostle at the time of "his first defence;" or by giving adverse testimony before the Roman tribunal, possibly accusing him of being seditious, and bringing up the riot at Ephesus as a proof of it; or in some other way, of which the memory has perished. Will render. The R.T. has the future, ἀποδώσει for the optative ἀποδώη , "a late and incorrect form for ἀποδοίη " (Ellicott, in loc. ) .