The sense of the phrase here is: they are coming short of the honor or approbation which God bestows. The point under discussion is the want of righteousness. Unbelievers, or mere legalists, do not approve themselves before God by the right- eousness which is of the law. They come short of the approba- tion which is extended only to those who are justified by faith.*
24. Being justified. The fact that they are justified in this extraordinary way shows that they must have sinned.
Freely (Swpedv). Gratuitously. Compare Matt. x. 8; John xv. 25; 2 Cor. xi. 7; Apoc. xxi. 6.
Grace (ydpitt). See on Luke i. 30.
Redemption (aodutpécews). From drodutpsw to redeem by paying the Abtpov price. Mostly in Paul. See Luke xxi.
*So Meyer, Shedd, Beet, De Wette, Alford.
Ox. IIL] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 43
28; Heb. ix. 15; xi. 85. The distinction must be carefully maintained between this word and Avtpov ransom. The Vul- gate, by translating both redemptio, confounds the work of Christ with its result. Christ’s death is nowhere styled dzro- AUTpwats redemption. His death is the AvTpov ransom, figura- tively, not literally, in the sense of a compensation; the mediwm of the redemption, answering to the fact that Christ gave Himself for us.
25. Set forth (apoéJero). Publicly, openly (apo); correlated with ¢o declare. He brought Him forth and put Him before the public. Bengel, ‘placed before the eyes of all;” unlike the ark of the covenant which was veiled and approached only by the high-priest. The word is used by Herodotus of eapos- ing corpses (v., 8); by Thucydides of exposing the bones of the dead (ii., 34). Compare the shew-bread, the loaves of the set- ting-forth (ris mpotecéws). See on Mark ii. 26. Paul refers not to preaching, but to the work of atonement itself, in which God’s righteousness is displayed. Some render purposed. or determined, as Rom.i.13; Eph. i. 9, and according to the usual meaning of mpoJecis purpose, in the New Testament. But the meaning adopted here is fixed by to declare.
Propitiation ((Aacrypiov). This word is most important, since it is the key to the conception of Christ’s atoning work.
In the New Testament it occurs only here and Heb. ix. 5; and must be studied in connection with the following kindred words: (AdoKowat which occurs in the New Testament only Luke xviii. 13, God be merciful, and Heb. ii. 17, to make recon- ciliation. ‘InXacpos twice, 1 John ii. 2; iv. 10; in both cases rendered propitiation. The compound é&Adexopat, which is not found in the New Testament, but is frequent in the Septua- gint and is rendered purge, cleanse, reconcile, make atonement.
Septuagint usage. These words mostly represent the Hebrew verb kaphar to cover or conceal, and its derivatives. With only seven exceptions, out of about sixty or seventy passages in the Old Testament, where the Hebrew is translated by atone or atonement, the Septuagint employs some part or derivative of iddoxowa or éEindoxopar. “Idacpos or é&vAacpds is the
44 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. III.
usual Septuagint translation for kippurim covering for sin, A. V., atonement. Thus sin-offerings of atonement ; day of atone- ment; ram of the atonement. See Exod. xxix. 36; xxx. 10; Lev. xxiii. 27; Num. v. 8, ete. They are also used for chat- tath sin-offering, Ezek. xliv. 27; xlv. 19; and for selichah for- giveness. Ps. exxix. 4; Dan. ix. 9.
These words are always used absolutely, without anything to mark the offence or the person propitiated.
‘IXdoxopuat, which is comparatively rare, occurs as a transla- tion of kipher to cover sin, Ps. Ixiv. 3; Ixxvii. 38; Ixxviii. 9; A. V., purge away, forgive, pardon. Of salach, to bear away as a burden, 2 Kings v. 18; Ps. xxiv. 11: A. V., forgive, pardon. It is used with the accusative (direct objective) case, marking the sin, or with the dative (indirect objective), as be conciliated to our sins.