Romans 16:7

7. Junia Is, doubtless, the name of a female, wife or sister of Andronicus. This appears from their names being coupled like Priscilla and Aquila, (Romans 16:3.) Tryphena and Tryphosa, (Romans 16:12,) perhaps, are sisters, or are coupled from the alliteration. There are four remarkable points regarding the couple of this verse. They were Paul’s kinsmen, they had been his fellow prisoners, they were converted to Christianity before him, and they were honoured by the apostles. It is clear that these facts are not given in their historical order. That they were his kinsmen points back to Jerusalem, where they must have early become Christians, and dear to the apostles when Paul was a persecutor. In Acts 23:16-21, we find that Paul’s sister’s son interposed to rescue him from imprisonment. Were this couple additional relatives of Paul who suffered unmentioned durance on account of Paul? But as there are no less than six persons who are called kinsmen, the term is probably an affectionate epithet like mother. It seems inadmissible to render apostles any otherwise than as designating the twelve, or to make it an appellation of the couple: first, because such a use of the word is rare; second, because Junia is probably female; and, third, because it is extremely improbable that these two comparatively obscure persons should have been eminent apostles.