Romans 16:8-11
(8) Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.
(9) Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
(10) Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household.
(11) Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.
Ampliatus was one Paul loved in the Lord. This was high praise from the apostle. Urbanus was called our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys was addressed as my dear friend (lit., “the one loved by me”; cf. Epenetus, v. 5). Paul said Apelles was tested and approved (ton dokimon, “the one approved through testing”; cf. the same word trans. “approved,” 14:18; the related infinitive dokimazein is trans. “to test and approve,” 12:2). Without naming other individuals Paul sent greetings to those who belong to the household of Aristobulus, perhaps a grandson of Herod the Great. (See the chart on the Herods at Luke 1:5.) A household may have included family members and servants. (However, the Gr. simply has “those out of, belonging to Aristobulus”; cf. Rom. 16:11).
Herodion was greeted as my relative, but once again the relationship was probably tribal and not familial (cf. vv. 7, 21). The name may identify this person as belonging to Herod’s family. Once again without naming individuals Paul sent greetings to those in the household of Narcissus (lit., “those out of, belonging to Narcissus”; cf. v. 10). But Paul restricted his greetings to the ones who are in the Lord, which probably indicated Narcissus’ family was divided spiritually.
Excerpt from:
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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