Commentary on Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians Timothy Titus and Philemon John Calvin
John Calvin
21. (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 21. Ne esitaveris, ne gustaveris, ne attigeris: 22. Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
22. Quae sunt omnia in corruptionem ipso abusu, secundum praecepta et doctrines hominum,
23. Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
23. Quae speciem 583 quidem habent sapientiae in superstitione, 584 et humilitate animi, et neglectu corporis: 585 non in honore aliquo ad expletionem carnis. 586
20. If ye are dead. He had previously said, that the ordinances were fastened to the cross of Christ. (Colossians 2:14.) He now employs another figure of speech --- that we are dead to them, as he teaches us elsewhere, that we are dead to the law, and the law, on the other hand, to us. (Galatians 2:19.) The term death means abrogation, 587 but it is more expressive and more emphatic, ({καὶ} {ἐμφατικώτερον}.) He says, therefore, that the Colossians, have nothing to do with ordinances. Why? Because they have died with Christ to ordinances; that is, after they died with Christ by regeneration, they were, through his kindness, set free from ordinances, that they may not belong to them any more. Hence he concludes that they are by no means bound by the ordinances, which the false apostles endeavored to impose upon them.
21. Eat not, taste not. Hitherto this has been rendered --- Handle not, but as another word immediately follows, which signifies the same thing, every one sees how cold and absurd were such a repetition. Farther, the verb {ἅπτεσθαι} is employed by the Greeks, among its other significations, in the sense of eating, 588 in accordance with the rendering that I have given. Plutarch makes use of it in the life of Caesar, when he relates that his soldiers, in destitution of all things, ate animals which they had not been accustomed previously to use as food. 589 And this arrangement is both in other respects natural and is also most in accordance with the connection of the passage; for Paul points out, ({μιμητικῶς},) by way of imitation, to what length the waywardness of those who bind consciences by their laws is wont to proceed. From the very commencement they are unduly rigorous: hence he sets out with their prohi-
583"Espece, ou, forme;" — "Appearance, or form." 584"Superstition, or will-worship." 585"En mespris du corps, ou, en ce qu'elles n'espargnent le corps;" — "In contempt of the body, or, inasmuch as they do not spare the body."
586"Sans aucun honneur a rassasier la chair, ou, et ne ont aucun esgard au rassasiement d'iceluy: ou, mais ne font d'aucune estime, n'appartenans qu'a ce qui remplit le corps;" — "Without any honour to the satisfying of the flesh, or, and they have no regard to the satisfying of it, or, but they hold it in no esteem, not caring as to what fills the body."
587"Et abolissement;" — "And abolishment." 588An example occurs in Homer's Odyssey, (6: 60,) {σίτου} {θ} {᾿} {ἅπτεσθον} {καὶ} {χαρ́ετον}. --- ``Take food and rejoice.'' See also Xenoph. Mem. 1. 3. 7. --- Ed.
589"The passage referred to is as follows: — " {᾿Εβρώθη} {δὲ} {καὶ} {φλοιὸς} {ὡς} {λέγεται}, {καὶ} {ζώων} {ἀγεύστων} {πρότερον} {ἥ} {ψαντο}.'' --- ``Even the bark of trees, it is said, was devoured, and they ate animals not previously tasted.'' --- Ed.