Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.
Whensoever I take my journey into Spain. Those who think our apostle was never at large after his first imprisonment at Rome will of course hold that this never was; while thee who believe, as we do, that he underwent a second imprisonment, prior to which he was at large for a considerable time after his first, incline naturally to the other opinion,
[I will come to you.] The external evidence against the genuineness of this bracketed clause is exceedingly strong ['Aleph (') A B C D E F G, the Old Latin Vulgate, Peshito Syriac, and other versions, a number of the fathers, all wanting it], while that for it is very slight [only L, with nearly all cursives, the Philox. Syriac and later versions, with two or three Greek fathers, having it]. Naturally, therefore, we should pronounce against them; but since it was extensively believed that this purpose of the apostle was never fulfilled, there is strong reason to suspect that the clause was omitted from a false regard for the apostle's credit. And though we cannot go the length of Tischendorf, who believes that the words were struck out advisedly, we nevertheless incline to regard them, with him, as part of the genuine text, though Lachmann and Tregelles omit them. Anyhow, since it cannot be doubted that the apostle here looks forward to a visit to Rome, on the occasion of a proposed visit to Spain, this clause, or one of similar import, must be understood.
For I trust to see you in my journey - or 'as I pass through,'
And to be brought on my way thereward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company - q.d., 'I should indeed like to stay longer with you than I can hope to do. but I must, to some extent at least, have my fill of your company.'