154 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. V.
Quotation from LXX of Gen. xxi. 10. For the words of this bondwoman — with my son Isaac, Paul substitutes of the bondwoman — with the son of the freewoman, in order to adapt it to his context. This is according to his habit of adapting quotations to his immediate use. See 1 Cor. ii. 9; xv. 553 Eph. v. 14, etc.
Shall not be heir (od pu) KAnpovouyjce). Or, shall not inherit. One of the key-words of the Epistle. See ch. iii. 18, 29; iv.1,7. The Greek negation is strong: shall by no means inherit. Comp. J. viii. 35. Lightfoot says: “The law and the gospel cannot coexist. The law must disappear before the gospel. It is scarcely possible to estimate the strength of conviction and depth of prophetic insight which this declaration implies. The apostle thus confidently sounds the death-knell of Judaism at a time when one half of Christ- endom clung to the Mosaic law with a jealous affection little short of frenzy, and while the Judaic party seemed to be growing in influence, and was strong enough, even in the Gentile churches of his own founding, to undermine his influ- ence and endanger his life. The truth which to us appears a truism must then have been regarded as a paradox.”
1. In the liberty wherewith. This is according to the reading Tp édevdepia 7. Different connections are proposed, as with stand fast, as A. V.: or with the close of ch. iv., as, “we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free with the freedom with which Christ freed us”: or, “of her who is free with the freedom with which,” etc. But 4 wherewith must be omitted. A new clause begins with r7 édevepia. Rend. for freedom did Christ set us free. For, not with freedom. It is the dative of advantage; that we might be really free and remain free. Comp. ver. 13, and J. viii. 36.
Made (us) free (7Aev0dpwcev). With the exception of J. viii. 32, 36, only in Paul.
Cu. V.] THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 155
Stand fast (oryjxere). Used absolutely, as 2 Th. ii. 15. Mostly in Paul. See on 1 Th. iii. 8.*
Be not entangled (u2 évéyece). Or, held ensnared. By Paul only here and 2 Th. i. 4. Lit. to be held within. For an elliptical usage see on Mk. vi. 19.
Yoke (vy). Metaphorical, of a burden or bondage. Comp. Matt. xi. 29, 30; Acts xv.10; 1 Tim. vi.1. Simil- arly LXX, Gen. xxvii. 40; Lev. xxvi. 183; 2 Chron. x. 4, 9,10, 11,14. So always in N. T. except Apoc. vi. 5, where it means a pair of scales. See note, and comp. Ley. xix. 35, ove Erov. xi: 1 3 xvi. Ls Hos. «xii. 7.
2. Behold (ide). Imperative singular, appealing to each individual reader.
Wale § Comp, cn Coras: 1s witph. rill. 1; Cold in 23. Asserting his personal authority.
If ye be circumcised (éav wrepitéuvnobe). Better, receive eireumersion. ‘The verb does not mean that they have already been circumcised. It states the case as supposable, implying that they were in danger of allowing themselves to be cir- cumcised.
Christ will profit you nothing. Circumcision is the sign of subjection to the Jewish “ yoke” —the economy of the law. ‘The question with the Galatians was circumcision as a condition of salvation. See ch. ii. 3,5; Actsxv. 1. It was a choice between salvation by law and salvation by Christ. The choice of the law involved the relinquishment of Christ.
* Lightfoot says that orjxw does not appear earlier than N.T. There are, however, three instances in LXX where it appears as a various reading: Ex. xiv. 13; Judg. xvi. 26; 1K. viii. 11. In the two latter passages it is the reading of B, and is adopted by Swete. Lightfoot also says that it is found only in Paul, with one exception, Mk. xi. 25. It occurs Mk. ili. 31; J. i. 26. In J. viii. 44 and Apoe. xii. 4 there is a dispute between éornxev and éoryxev. In both cases Westcott and Hort adopt the former, and Tischendorf the latter.