`They ... bought with them the potter's field' (Matt. 27:7).

`Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart' (Mark 12:30).

`Wearied with His journey' (John 4:6).

`Drunk with the wine ... with the blood of the saints' (Rev. 17:2,6).

Again, ek is correctly translated `by' fifty times, e.g.:

`The tree is known by his fruit' (Matt. 12:33).

`By the fire ... which issued out of their mouths' (Rev. 9:18).

(Here ek is rightly translated `by' and `out of' in the one verse).

Revelation 8:13 renders ek, `by reason of'; we could not very well

translate it: `Woe to the inhabitants of the earth out of the other voices'.

In Philippians 1:23 also, `by reason of' is the best rendering.

`For I am held in constraint by reason of the two (here follow "the

two"), (1) having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is very

far better, but (2) to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you'.

Something very far better for himself is weighed over against something

necessary `for you', and, with the thoughts of verses 12 -20 in mind, we know

what was the choice.  `Departing' is balanced by `remaining', and `with

Christ' is answered by `with you'.

We must now examine the word `depart', which is the translation of

analuo.  We have two important factors to consider: (1) the usage of the

word, and (2) the etymology.  The words of Philippians 1:23, `having a desire

to depart', are echoed in 2 Timothy 4:6, where we have the substantive form

analusis, `the time of my departure is at hand'.  It is beyond argument that

in 2 Timothy 4 the apostle refers to his approaching death, and this settles

for us the parallel passage in Philippians 1.

Dr. E.W. Bullinger's Critical Lexicon and Concordance reads:

`Analuo -- To loosen again, set free; then to loosen, dissolve or

resolve, as matter into its elements (hence Eng. analysis); then, to

unfasten as the fastening of a ship, and thus prepare for departure

(and with the force of ana, back) to return'.

Schrevelius's Lexicon defines the word thus:

`Analuo -- To unloose, free, release, relax, untie, undo; dissolve,

destroy; abolish; solve, explain, analyse; weigh anchor, depart, die,

return from a feast'.

There is no doubt that the word analuo means exactly the same as does

our English word analyse, to break up a thing into its elements, and so

return.  The fact that the English word `return' has a double meaning, has

misled some into speaking here of the Second Coming of Christ, but how can

the Second Coming of the Lord be His `analysis'? At this point Luke 12:36 is

brought forward, for a hasty reading of this passage has given colour to the

idea that analuo can refer to the return of Christ.  What we must notice is

that there are two statements, not one, in this verse.