Ὁ παράκλητος: the word
being of sundry significations, many translations have thought fit not to
restrain it, but do retain the original word “paracletus;” so the Syriac also: and, as some think, it
was a word before in use among the Jews (whence the Chaldee paraphrast
makes use of it, Job xvi.
20 מְלִיצַי רֵעָי,
rendered in our translation, “My friends scorn me,” is in the Targum, to
which Owen alludes, פְרַקְלִיטַי חֲבֵרַי, “My advocates are my friends.”
The word is the Greek παράκλετοι, in
Hebrew characters. — Ed.); and amongst them it
signifies one that so taught others as to delight them also in his
teaching, — that is, to be their comforter. In Scripture it hath two
eminent significations, — an “advocate” and a “comforter;” in the first
sense our Saviour is called παράκλητος, 1 John ii.
1. Whether it be better rendered here an advocate or a
comforter may be doubted.