9. τίναγὰρεὐχαριστίανκτλ.] Thdt.: νικᾷτῆςεὐφροσύνηςτὸμέγεθοςτῆςγλώττηςτὴνὑμνῳδίαν. Εὐχαριστία, which in the LXX. is confined to the apocr. books, is used by St Paul twelve times in a theological sense: cf. Revelation 4:9; Revelation 7:12, where it is found in doxologies, and see Acts 24:3 for its only other occurrence in the N.T. The word, of which I have as yet found only one ex. in the papyri P.Lond. 3. 1178, 25 (2./a.d.), is frequent in the inscriptions, e.g. O.G.I.S. 227, 6 (3./b.c.) διὰτὴντοῦδήμουεὐχαριστίαν. For its later Christian usage see a note by Dr Hort published in J.T.S. 3. p. 594 ff. The ἀντι- in ἀνταποδοῦναι expresses the idea of full, complete return, cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:6. The verb is used in a good sense as here in Luke 14:14, Romans 11:35 (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:13 ἀντιμισθία), and in a bad sense in Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30 (both from LXX.). ἐπὶπάσῃτ. χαρᾷκτλ.] For ἐπί pointing to the basis of the thanksgiving (O.L. super omne gaudium rather than Vg. in omni gaudio) see note on v. 7. ῟ῌχαίρομεν is usually understood as a case of attraction for ἣνχαίρ.: cf. however the cognate dat. in John 3:29 χαρᾷχαίρει. Διʼ ὑμᾶς ‘ because of you,’ emphasizing more pointedly the περὶὑμῶν of the previous clause. ‘Ten times, with an emphasis of affection, is the pronoun ὑμεῖς repeated in vv. 6– 10’ (Findlay). ἔμπροσθεντ. θεοῦἡμ.] to be connected with χαίρομεν, and deepening the thought of the joy by referring it to its true author. It was because their success in the work entrusted to them was due to ‘ our God’ (2:2 note) that the Apostles could thus rejoice ‘ before’ Him.