Looking diligently lest any man fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Read Chapter 12
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Be wanting to the grace of God, by resisting and abusing his favours, or by falling from the grace of God received.
Lest any root of bitterness He means scandalous wicked persons, by whom others are infected, defiled, and corrupted. (Witham)
Do you see how everywhere he puts the common salvation into the hands of each individual? Exhorting one another daily (he says) while it is called Today. Hebrews 3:13 Do not then cast all [the burden] on your teachers; do not [cast] all upon them who have the rule over you: ye also (he means) are able to edify one another. Which also he said in writing to the Thessalonians, Edify one another, even as also ye do. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 And again, Comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:18 This we also now exhort you.
If you be willing, you will have more success with each other than we can have. For you both are with one another for a longer time, and you know more than we of each other's affairs, and you are not ignorant of each other's failings, and you have more freedom of speech, and love, and intimacy; and these are no small [advantages] for teaching, but great and opportune introductions for it: ye will be more able than we both to reprove and to exhort. And not t...
Looking diligently, he says, that is, searching carefully, considering, thoroughly ascertaining, as is done in the case of sick persons, and in all ways examining, thoroughly ascertaining. Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you. Deuteronomy 29:18 This is found in Deuteronomy; and he derived it from the metaphor of plants. Lest any root of bitterness, he says; which he said also in another place when he writes, A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 1 Corinthians 5:6 Not for his sake alone do I wish this, he means, but also on account of the harm arising therefrom. That is to say, even if there be a root of this kind, do not suffer any shoot to come up, but let it be cut off, that it may not bear its proper fruits, that so it may not defile and pollute the others also. For, he says, Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you; and by it many be defiled.
And with good reason did he call sin bitter: for truly nothing is more bitter than sin, and they know it, wh...
