c in same sense Acts v. 38, Rom. xiv. 20. πα
Vv.
17. “M} "νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον “καταλῦσαι τὸν νόµον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας ' οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι, ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι. λέγω ὑμῖν, ἕως ἂν “παρέλθῃ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ, "ἰῶτα ἓν ἢ µία
18. ἀμὴν γὰρ
d Ch. xxiv. Lk. xvi. 17. @ vi. 17 (xepéa in both pl. WHS.
protests that He came not as an abro- tor, but as a fulfiller. What rdéle does
e thereby claim? Such as belongs to one whose attitude is at once free and reverential. He fulfils by realising in theory and practice an ideal to ne O. T. institutions and revelations point, but which they do not adequately ex- press. Therefore, in fulfilling He neces- sarily abrogates in effect, while repudi- ating the spirit of a destroyer. He brings in a law of the spirit which cancels the law of the letter, a kingdom which realises prophetic ideals, while setting aside the crude details of their conception of the Messianic time.
Vv. 18-19. These verses wear on first view a Judaistic look, and have been regarded as an interpolation, or set down to the credit of an over-conservative evangelist. But they may be reconciled with ver. 17, as above interpreted. Jesus
esses here in the strongest manner His conviction that the whole O. T. is a Divine revelation, and pron: po µην every minutest precept has religious significance which must be recognised in the ideal fulfilment.—Aphy, formula of solemn asseveration, often used Jesus, never by apostles, found doubled only in fourth Gospel.—fws ἂν π θῃ, etc.: not intended to fix a period after which the law will pass away, but a strong way of saying never = Tholuck and Weiss).—léra, the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet.—xepa(a, the little projecting point in some of the letters, ¢.g-, of the base line in Beth; both representing the minuti# in the Mosaic legislation. Christ, though totally op- posed to the spirit of the scribes, aha not allow them to have a monopoly of zeal for the commandments great and small, It was important in a polemical interest to make this εἶεατ.--- οὐ μὴ π., elliptical = do not fear lest. Vide Kihner, Gram., § 516, 9; also Goodwin's Syntax, Appendix ii.—fws ἂν π. yev., a second protasis introduced with ἕως explanatory of the first ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ; vi Goodwin, § 510; not saying the same thing, but a kindred: eternal, lasting, till adequately fulfilled ; the latter the more exact statement of Christ's thought.
17—20.