Obs. III. As the grant of these things is free and absolute, so the enjoyment of them is secured from all interveniencies by the death of the testator.
VERSES 18-22.
"Obev od 4 xpdrn xople alwaros eynexcivorcas Aadrndcions yap réong EVTOARS Hard vowoy id Muiotws wari rH haw, AaCoy 7d alum ray mboywy na) Tpayov, merc VOaros xual éplov xoxxivov xal Loowrov, ard re rb BiCAlov nal whvra roy Acwdy eppavrioe, Aéywvr Toro rd alua ris diaddnns, Ag evereiAaro mpos buds 6 Osdsr Kal rv oxnvyvy Of xal wdvra cd oxen rIs Agiroupyias rw alwars djuolwg eppdvrice. Kal oxyeddy ev alwars révra xada- piCeras xarce roy voor, nal yupls alwarenyvoias ob viveras &pears.
“Ody, “ande;” “ hence,” “ therefore.” Syr., 725 Dien, “ propter hoe,” “quia,” sé propter.” “For this cause.” “ And hence it is,” Arab, “Eyxexelviores. Syr., MAAS, “was confirmed;” “dedicatum fuit,” “was dedicated,” “ consecrated,”
pe separated unto sacred use.”
Aarnbetons yep raons evroris nerd vowov. Syr., “when the whole command was enjoined.” Vulg. Lat., “lecto omni mandato legis,” “the command of the law being read;” taking évroay and yomos for the same. Arias, “ exposito secun- dum legem.” Most, “cum recitasset;” “having repeated,” “ recited,” namely, out of the book.
Mésxav xa) rpcyov. The Syriac reads only 872297, “of an heifer;” as the Arabic omits rpéyay also, “of goats ;” it may be in compliance with the story in Moses, without cause, as we shall see. yedcv is omitted in the Syriac.
Ver. 18-22.—Whereupon neither the first [testament] was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people, saying, This [2s] the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry: and almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
What we have before observed is fully confirmed in this dis- course, namely, that the apostle intended not to argue absolutely
344 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IX.
and precisely from the name and nature of a testament properly so called, and the use.of it among men. For he makes use of these things no further but as unto what such a testament hath in com- mon with a solemn covenant; which is, that they are both confirmed and ratified by death. Wherefore it was necessary that the new testament, as it was a testament, should be confirmed by death; and as it had the nature of a covenant, it was to be so by such a death as was accompanied by bloodshedding. The former was proved before, from the general nature and notion of a testament; the latter is here proved at large from the way and manner whereby the first covenant was confirmed or dedicated.
But the apostle in this discourse doth not intend merely to prove that the first covenant was dedicated with blood, which might have been despatched in a very few words; but he declares moreover, in general, what was the use of blood in sacrifices on all occasions under the law; whereby he demonstrates the use and efficacy of the blood of Christ, as unto all the ends of the new covenant. And the ends of the use of blood under the old testament he declares to have been two, namely, purification and pardon; both which are com- prised in that one of the expiation of sin. And these things are all of them applied unto the blood and sacrifice of Christ in the follow- ing verses.
In the exposition of this context we must do three things: 1. Consider the difficulties that are in it. 2. Declare the scope, design, and force of the argument contained in it. 3, Explain the particular passages of the whole. ;
First. Sundry difficulties there are in this context; which arise from hence, that the account which the apostle gives of the dedica- tion of the first covenant and of the tabernacle seems to differ in sundry things from that given by Moses, when all things were ac- tually done by him, as it is recorded, Exod. xxiv. And they are these that follow :—
1. That the blood which Moses took was the blood of calves and goats, whereas there is no mention of any goats or their blood in the story of Moses.
2. That he took water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, to sprinkle it withal; whereas none of them are reported in that story,
3. That he sprinkled the book in particular; which Moses doth not affirm.
4, That he sprinkled all the people; that is, the people indefi- nitely, for all the individuals of them could not be sprinkled.
5. There are some differences in the words which Moses spake in the dedication of the covenant, as laid down verse 20.
6. That he sprinkled the tabernacle with blood, and all the ves- sels of it; when at the time of the making and solemn confirmation
VER. 18-22.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 345
of the covenant the tabernacle was not erected, nor the vessels of its ministry yet made.
For the removal of these difficulties some things must be premised in general, and then they shall all of them be considered distinctly :—