Romans 16:4

Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) Laid down their own necks.—Whether this expression is to be taken literally or figuratively we do not know, neither can we do more than guess at the event to which it refers. It may have something to do with the tumult at Ephesus, and with that “fighting with beasts” mentioned in 1Corinthians 15:32.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

16:1-16 Paul recommends Phebe to the Christians at Rome. It becomes Christians to help one another in their affairs, especially strangers; we know not what help we may need ourselves. Paul asks help for one that had been helpful to many; he that watereth shall be watered also himself. Though the care of all the churches came upon him daily, yet he could remember many persons, and send salutations to each, with particular characters of them, and express concern for them. Lest any should feel themselves hurt, as if Paul had forgotten them, he sends his remembrances to the rest, as brethren and saints, though not named. He adds, in the close, a general salutation to them all, in the name of the churches of Christ.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who have for my life - In order to save my life.

Laid down their own necks - To "lay down the neck" is to lay the head on a block to be cut off with the axe; or to bow down the head as when the neck was exposed to be cut off by the sword of the executioner. The meaning is, that they had hazarded their lives, had exposed themselves to imminent danger, to save the life of Paul. On what occasion this was done, is not known, as it is not referred to in the New Testament elsewhere. As Paul, however, lived with them Acts 18:3, and as he was often persecuted by the Jews, it is probable that he refers to some such period when he was persecuted, when Aquila and Priscilla took him into their house at the imminent hazard of their lives.

All the churches of the Gentiles - All the churches that had been founded by the apostles. They "felt" their deep obligation to them for having saved the life of him who had been their founder, and who was their spiritual father.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

4. who have for my life laid down—"who did for my life lay down"

their own necks—that is, risked their lives; either at Corinth (Ac 18:6, 9, 10), or more probably at Ephesus (Ac 19:30, 31; and compare 1Co 15:32). They must have returned from Ephesus (where we last find them in the history of the Acts) to Rome, whence the edict of Claudius had banished them (Ac 18:2); and doubtless, if not the principal members of that Christian community, they were at least the most endeared to our apostle.

unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles—whose special apostle this dear couple had rescued from imminent danger.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Who have for my life laid down their own necks; i.e. they hazarded their own lives to save mine. The Scripture speaks of this as the duty of Christians, 1Jo 3:16. He refers (it may be) to that uproar that was at Corinth, of which see Acts 18:12; or that in Asia, of which see Acts 19:23.

Unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; because he was the apostle of the Gentiles, and his preservation redounded to the benefit of them all.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Who for my life laid down their necks,.... That is, exposed themselves to great danger to save the apostle's life: the allusion is to the manner of executions by beheading, and to one person's laying down his head, and offering his neck to the executioner the room of another: this we are not to suppose was literally done; but the design of the expression is, that in some shape or another they risked their own lives for the apostle's; which might be done either at the insurrection in Corinth against Paul, when the Jews dragged him to the judgment seat of Gallio, and beat Sosthenes the ruler of the synagogue before him; or the uproar in Ephesus by Demetrius and the craftsmen, when Paul and his companions were in great danger; at both which times and places these two persons were, and being very zealous, were no doubt active to preserve the apostle, and which he acknowledges with thankfulness:

unto whom not only I give thanks, but all the churches of the Gentiles; both for the care they took of him, and the danger they exposed themselves to on his account; which the apostle expresses his sense of gratitude for, and which all the Gentile churches were under obligations to do likewise, since they had a common share in his labours and usefulness, he was the apostle of them all; and also for their help and assistance in carrying on the work of the Lord in all the churches of the Gentiles.

Geneva Study Bible

Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. who have for my life, &c.] Lit., and better, who did for my life lay down their own neck, (not necks). An entirely unknown occasion, on which Aquila and his wife had risked their lives for St Paul’s.—“Laid down:”—the figure is of presenting the neck, or throat, to the executioner. Whether the word is only figurative here, we cannot determine.

all the churches of the Gentiles] To whom they had, by their self-devotion, preserved their Apostle.

Bengel's Gnomen

Romans 16:4. Οἵτινες, who) They are individually distinguished by their own respective graces, or duties; but Scripture never praises any one so as to give him any ground for extolling himself, but for praising God and rejoicing in Him.—ὑπέθηκαν) The force of the verb is not unsuitably explained by the noun ὑποθήκη, a stake laid down.—αἱ ἐκκλησίαι, the churches) even the Church at Rome, for the preservation of Paul, and we still are bound in some measure to give thanks to Aquila and Priscilla, or we shall do so hereafter.

Romans 16:4

Vincent's Word Studies

Who (οἵτινες)

The double relative, with an explanatory force: seeing that they.

Laid down their own necks (τὸν ἑαυτῶν τράχηλον ὑπέθηκαν)

Laid down is, literally, placed under (the axe). Whether the expression is literal or figurative, or if literal, when the incident occurred, cannot be determined.