Rev. 8: 13 renders ek, "by reason of." One could not very well translate "woe to

the inhabitants of the earth out of the other voices," unless we intended by "out of" origin,

cause, or occasion. Again in Rev. 9: 2 and 18: 19 it is rendered "by reason of."

To translate ek "out of" in II Cor. 1: 11 would be manifestly unscriptural, for

the gift of the Apostle Paul was "by means of," not "out of," many persons. In

Rev. 16: 11 we read, "and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and

because of their sores." "Out of" as meaning place would be untrue, "out of" as meaning

origin or cause would be true and is better expressed in English by "because of." To

translate ek in Phil. 1: 23 "out of" is only possible if we mean origin or cause. To use

"out of" as meaning place is contrary to the meaning of the word rendered "press," which

everywhere demands the idea, to hold fast, to keep in, to constrain.

The A.V. rendering "betwixt" is perhaps a little free but conveys the meaning of the

passage (Dr. Bullinger's Lexicon gives "literally, constrained by"), whereas "out of"

while literally and etymologically true would be in reality false. "By reason of" is the

most suitable rendering. J. N. Darby's rendering, "I am pressed by both," is true to the

meaning, although rather free in the use of the word "both." Paul was held in some

suspense "by reason of the two."  He was not pressed out of the two into some

hypothetical "third"--that is an invention. He immediately places before us "the two"

and his double feelings can be easily understood.

For I am held in constraint by reason of the two (here follows "the two," thus)

(1) "Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is very far better,"

but (2) "to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you."

Here the Apostle presents the alternatives which were before him. Something "very

far better" for himself is contrasted by something "more necessary for others."

"Departing" is balanced by "remaining in the flesh."  His "desire" to depart is

outweighed by the remaining "for you."

The choice which he did not tell is fairly manifest. At least, if we dispute the point as

to whether he really did choose the harder path, he certainly does tell us that he knew he

would remain, and seems to be joyful at the prospect of thus "spending and being spent."

We must now examine the word "depart." The original word is analuõ, which is thus

defined in Dr. Bullinger's Critical Lexicon and Concordance:--

Schrevelius' Lexicon thus defines the word:--