2 Timothy 2:15 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Rightly dividing the word of truth.— The Vulgate, no doubt, has given in general the true sense of this expression, by rendering it, Recte tractantem verbum veritatis, "rightly handling the word of truth:" but it is not so easy to determine, whence in particular the metaphorical word 'Ορθοτομουντα, cutting aright, or straight, is taken. Some suppose it alludes to the cutting up and dividing the sacrifices by the Levitical priests; others, to the dividing and dispensing food at a table, or to the distribution made by a steward, in delivering out to each person under his care such things, as his office and their necessities required. Compare Luke 12:42. Price refers it to the exact cutting, or polishing of stone or marble: Chrysostom, Theophylact, and OEcumenius explain it of cutting off all superfluous and useless matter in preaching God's word, (as curriers do, in skins that they are preparing for use; compare 2 Timothy 2:16.) but Theodoret thinks it is a metaphor taken from husbandmen. "We commend (says he,) even those husbandmen who cut straight furrows: so, that preacher is worthy of praise, who follows the rule of the divine oracles." And to this last interpretation I must confess myself most inclined,—because our blessed Lord himself illustrates the duty of a minister of his gospel by a similar allusion, Luke 9:62.—because St. Paul had just before called Timothy Εργατην; which, though applied to other workmen, properly signifies a husbandman; — and also because the word ορθοτομειν in the LXX. signifies to cut, or make straight, in the only two passages of that version where it occurs; namely, Proverbs 3:6; Proverbs 11:5. To all which we may add, that, though it may be doubted whether the verb ορθοτομειν be ever in the Greek writers applied to husbandmen's ploughing, yet in Theocritus, Idyll. x. l. 2 we have the term ογμον αγειν ορθον, — to draw, or make a straight furrow.