6 &&bg, God) Here the promise is expressly predicated of God.
19. T/ oiiv o VO/AOS;) Some use this punctuation, «•/' olv; 6 vo>o?, x.r.X. Indeed r/ OUK is often put by itself; sometimes, however, the interrogation is given at length, ri olv py/ai ; 1 Cor. x. 19 : r/ olv rb -Trspiffffbv rou 'loyda/ou ; Rom. iii. 1. WJiat then is [the use of] the laiv, i.e., one might say, was the law therefore given in vain? — rS>v KapafSdasuv y^dpiv, because of transgressions) that they might be acknowledged and might gain strength. Transgres sions committed by men are noticed not so much before, Rom. v. 13, as after the giving of the law. The same word occurs at Rom. iv. 15, where see the note ; and in the plural at Heb. ix. 15. The antithesis is continueth, ver. 10. The thing itself is explained at ver. 21, 22 : namely, all are "concluded under sin." — sred?), it was put, given) He does not say, put instead of, substituted [for the promise]. Many have Kpoffsredr),1 but ersdq is more consistent with ver. 15. — eX0»j, should come) comp. came, ver. 23. — rb an'sp/Aa, the seed) viz., believers of the New Testa ment, to whom is given the fulfilment of the promise ; ver. 22. — w e-TnjyytXra/, to whom the promise was made) or rather to whom God promised; comp. IcnjyygXra/, Rom. iv. 21 ; Heb. xii. 26. — 5/arays^, ordained) not gV/<5/arays/£ ;2 comp. ver. 15,
addeth thereto any new ordinance]. — di ayyeXuv, by angels, in the hand of a mediator) A double mediation. Angels being the representatives of God, Heb. ii. 2 : a mediator standing as representative of the people. God delegated the law to angels as something rather alien to Him and severe : He reserved the promise to Himself, and gave and dispensed it according to His own goodness. Moses was the mediator ; hence it is frequently said, HK'D *V<1, by the hand of Moses. We have the definition of a mediator, Deut. v. 5. Moses, as a mediator, is quite different from Christ — the one keeps back [repels] — the other brings forward [attracts].
20. 'O ds peffirqs, now a Mediator) The article has the meaning of the relative. That Mediator, Moses, who was far later than
1 ttpoasriOn is read by AB (judging from silence) C, both Syr. Versions, etc. ''Er^Yi by GD(A) corrected later, fg Vulg. (positaest), Iren. 182, 318.