Hebrews 13:24

Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) That have the rule over you.—Better, that are your leaders: see Hebrews 13:7; Hebrews 13:17.

They of Italy salute you.—These much discussed words are consistent with either of two hypotheses:—(1) That the writer is in Italy, and salutes “the Hebrews” in the name of the Christians of Italy: (2) That the writer is addressing a Church of Italy, and sends greeting from Christians who have their home in Italy, but are now with him. (See Introduction.)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:22-25 So bad are men, and even believers, through the remainders of their corruption, that when the most important, comfortable doctrine is delivered to them for their own good, and that with the most convincing evidence, there is need of earnest entreaty and exhortation that they would bear it, and not fall out with it, neglect it, or reject it. It is good to have the law of holy love and kindness written in the hearts of Christians, one towards another. Religion teaches men true civility and good breeding. It is not ill-tempered or uncourteous. Let the favour of God be toward you, and his grace continually working in you, and with you, bringing forth the fruits of holiness, as the first-fruits of glory.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Salute all them - see the notes on Romans 16:3 ff. It was customary for the apostle Paul to close his epistles with an affectionate salutation.

That have the rule over you - notes, Hebrews 13:7, 17. None are mentioned by name, as is usual in the Epistles of Paul. The cause of this omission is unknown. "And all the saints." The common name given to Christians in the Scriptures; see the notes on Romans 1:7.

They of Italy salute you - The saints or Christians in Italy. Showing that the writer of the Epistle was then in Italy. He was probably in Rome; see the introduction, section 4.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

24. all—The Scriptures are intended for all, young and old, not merely for ministers. Compare the different classes addressed, "wives," Eph 5:22; little children, 1Jo 2:18; "all," 1Pe 3:8; 5:5. He says here "all," for the Hebrews whom he addresses were not all in one place, though the Jerusalem Hebrews are chiefly addressed.

They of Italy—not merely the brethren at Rome, but of other places in Italy.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

He sends his salutations, which were good wishes and prayers for the peace, prosperity, health, and happiness of their souls and bodies, and success in all their concernments; first unto their excellent guides and rulers, Hebrews 13:7,17, that they may prosper and succeed in their work among the saints; and then unto

the saints themselves, conveying the gospel peace, according to Christ’s command, Matthew 10:12 Luke 10:5. Which saints were all those Hebrews dispersed in several places, and there convening, and maintaining church society; and to whose hand the Epistle first came, they were to receive the salutations themselves, and transmit them to others. With his own he transmits the salutations of all that part of the church of Christ which was in Italy to them. Which salutations, though commonly abused, yet are of great weight and worth where communicated and received by the churches in which the Holy Spirit abideth.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Salute all them that have the rule over you,.... The pastors and officers of the church of the Hebrews, the same with those in Hebrews 13:7 and all the saints; the several members of the church, who were set apart to holiness by God; whose sins were expiated by Christ; to whom Christ was made sanctification; and who were internally sanctified by the Spirit of God, and lived holy lives and conversations; to these the apostle wished all prosperity, inward and outward, spiritual and temporal; and he uses the word "all" in both clauses; and, including every officer and member, expresses his universal love to them, whether high or low, rich or poor, greater or lesser believers:

they of Italy salute you; that is, the brethren, as the Vulgate Latin version reads; the Italian brethren; such as were at Puteoli, and other places, in that country; see Acts 28:13. Italy is a famous and well known country in Europe; a very fruitful and delightful one; of which Rome, where the apostle very likely now was, is the chief city: it has been called by different names, as Saturnia from Saturn; and Ausonia, Aenotria, and Hesperia Magna; and it had its name Italy, some say, from Italus, the son of Penelope and Telegonus; others, from Italus, a king of the Arcadians, or, as some say, the Sicilians; but, according to Timsaeus and Varro (e), it was so called from the multitude of oxen in it, which in the old Greek language were called "Italoi", to which comes near in sound the Latin word "vituli", used for "calves"; and Italy is frequently, by Jewish writers (f) called , "Italy of Greece"; and formerly it was inhabited by Greeks, and was called Great Greece (g): it is bounded on the east with the Adriatic sea; and on the west by the river Var, with the Alps, which separate France from Italy; and on the south with the Tyrrhene, or Tuscan sea, called the lower, and on the north, partly with the Alps, which are on the borders of Germany, and partly with the Adriatic sea, called the higher. There were Christians in this country before the Apostle Paul came to Rome, both at Rome, and other places, as before observed. It is said (h), that Barnabas was first at Rome, and planted the church there; that he went round Lombardy, and lived at Milain; that in the "first" century, Apollinaris preached at Ravenna, and Hermagoras at Aquileia; and there were Christian churches in the "second" century, not only at Rome, but in many other cities and places; and so likewise in the "third" century, as at Verona, Spoletum, Beneventum, &c. and in the "fourth" century, there were great numbers of churches in this country; as at Verona, and Capua, in Calabria, Campania, and Apulia; and which might be traced in following centuries.

(e) Apud Aul. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 11. c. 1. Vid. Apollodor. de Orig. Deorum, l. 2. p. 101. (f) Bereshit Rabba, sect. 67. fol. 59. 4. T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 56. 2. R. Sol. Jarchi in Genesis 27.39. (g) lsidor. Hispal. Origin. l. 14. c. 4. (h) Hist. Eccl. Magdeburg. cent. 1. l. 2. c. 2. p. 17. cent. 2. c. 2. p. 4. cent. 3. c. 2. p. 4. cent. 4. c. 2. p. 6.

Geneva Study Bible

Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Hebrews 13:24. Request for the delivering of salutations, together with the conveying of salutations to the readers.

πάντας τοὺς ἡγουμένους ὑμῶν καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους] This designation of persons has about it something surprising, since according to it the letter would have the appearance of being addressed neither to the presidents of the assembly, nor to the whole congregation, but to single members of the latter. Probably, however, the meaning of the author is only that those to whom the epistle is delivered, for reading to the congregation, should greet as well all the presidents as also all the other members of the congregation.

οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰταλίας] is not to be explained from the absorption of one local preposition into another; in such wise that it should stand for οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἰταλίᾳ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰταλίας, which is thought possible by Winer, Gramm., 7 Aufl. p. 584. It signifies: those from Italy, i.e. Christians who have come out of Italy, and are now to be found in the surroundings of the writer. The general expression: οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰταλίας, seems to point to a compact number of persons already known to the readers. It is highly probable, therefore, that those referred to are Christians who, on the occasion of the Neronian persecution, had fled from Italy, and had settled down for the time being at the place of the author’s present abode. The expression shows, moreover, that the epistle was written outside of Italy. See p. 13.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

24. Salute all them that have the rule over you] This salutation to all their spiritual leaders implies the condition of Churches, which was normal at that period—namely, little communities, sometimes composed separately of Jews and Gentiles, who in default of one large central building, met for worship in each other’s houses.

They of Italy] This merely means “the Italians in the place from which I write,” just as “they of Asia” means Asiatic Jews (Acts 21:27. Comp. Acts 17:13, Hebrews 6:9, &c.). The phrase therefore gives no clue whatever to the place from which, or the persons to whom, the Epistle was written. It merely shews that some Christians from Italy—perhaps Christians who had fled from Italy during the Neronian persecution—formed a part of the writer’s community; but it suggests a not unnatural inference that it was written to some Italian community from some other town out of Italy. Had he been writing from Italy he would perhaps have been more likely to write “those in Italy” (comp. 1 Peter 5:13).

Bengel's Gnomen

Hebrews 13:24. Πάντας τοὺς ἡγουμένους ὑμῶν, all them that have the rule over you) They laboured under dulness of apprehension; but this epistle has solid food for them that are perfect. Therefore if any epistle needed to have been withdrawn from the general multitude, this certainly was that epistle. And yet this epistle too is directed to the general multitude, rather than to the ministers, to whom it was less necessary. [So the discourse is addressed to women, children, servants, young men, etc., Ephesians 5:22, etc.; 1 John 2:18; 2 John 1:1 : and to all together, 1 Peter 3:8; 1 Peter 5:5. Paul gives an injunction to Archippus through the Colossians 4:17.—V. g.] The writings of the apostles were read in the public assembly, as those of the prophets formerly were: how much more ought it so to be left free to every individual to read them in private, as much as is requisite, so that it should not be granted only by a dispensation from the Pope! For it is more profitable often to read, what it is safe once to hear. Paul elsewhere mentions the bishops and deacons: Php 1:1. Here he only names ἡγουμένους, them that rule—the ministers: comp. 1 Thessalonians 5:12; 1 Timothy 5:17. He sends salutations to them all; for those to whom he writes were in many places.—πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους, all the saints) believers, especially Israelites.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 24. - Salute all them that have the rule over you (τοὺς ἡγουμένους, as before), and all the saints. They of Italy salute you. The fact that no names are here mentioned, as is usual with St. Paul in sending salutations to Churches he was personally well acquainted with, leads us to infer that there had been no such close association, at any rate recently, between the writer and the readers in this case; or else that a circle of Churches in some locality is addressed. Nothing certain can be concluded as to the writer's whereabouts at the time of writing from the expression, "they of Italy (οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰταλίας)," though it seems to favor the idea, rather than otherwise, that he was in Italy at the time, possibly at Rome. For the phrase means simply "natives of Italy" (cf. Acts 10:23; Acts 10:38; Acts 12:1; Acts 17:13; Acts 21:27; Acts 18:13; all these being, we observe, expressions of St. Luke's); it by no means implies that they had left Italy. In fact, as Delitzsch observes, "if the author was then in Italy, and at the same time was not a native of Italy, he could not have selected a more appropriate designation for the Italian Christians." The Epistle is concluded by St. Paul's accustomed words, which, with some variations, seem to have been appended to all his letters as his authenticating autograph (see 2 Thessalonians 3, etc.) - Hebrews 13:24

Vincent's Word Studies

They of Italy (οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἱταλίας)

This may mean, "those who are in Italy send greeting from Italy"; or, "those of Italy (Italian Christians with the writer at the time) send greeting' from the place at which the letter is being written. See Introduction. The phrase affords no reliable indication as to the residence of the persons addressed.