By which he obtained witness (8v js guaprupyén). Lit. was witnessed to, as ver. 2. The pronoun which may refer either to the sacrifice or to faith. Better the latter, as is apparent from ver. 2, and probably from ver. 7, although the relation there is somewhat different.
is seen (be known) to have arisen not from things which appear.’’ Accord- ing to this, faith certifies not only the fact of creation by the word of God, but also God’s design that creation should be believed to have taken place only by his word, calling the world out of nothing; and should not be believed to have arisen out of visible things. It must be allowed that els rd followed by the infinitive, in every one of the eight other instances in this epistle, expresses purpose ; and further, that such is its more frequent meaning everywhere. But (a) such is not its wniversal meaning. See Rom.i. 20; xii. 3; 2 Cor. viii. 6; Gal. ili. 17; 1 Th. ii. 16. (G6) On this explanation something is imported into the passage which neither the sense nor the construction requires, and which is laboured and unnatural. (c) Teyovévac thus becomes excessively awkward. Alford justly says that, on this hypothesis, yeyovévac ought to have been some subjective word; not, as it is now, a mere record of a past fact. The sense of result is held by Bleek, Alford, Weizsicker, Burton.
* That some external difference was recognised is most likely. See the peculiar reading of LXX, Gen. iv. 7.