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εἰ γὰρ 6 δι ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς λόγος ἐγένετο « Deut.
xxvii. 26; Acts vii. 38, 535 Gal. 1110. a οχι. Matt. iv. 17; Marc. i. 14.
Bleek favours the T.R. See also
generation, were ““α just recompense,” not an arbitrary, or excessive punish- ment. For μισθαποδοσία classical writers use μισθοδοσία.
Ver. 3. πῶς ἡμεῖς. . . « “ How shall we ’’—to whom God has spoken through the Son, i. 2—‘‘ escape (ἔνδικον µισθ. prob. in final judgment, as in x. 27) if we have neglected (the aorist ἀμελήσαντες suggesting that life is looked at as a whole) so great a salvation ?’’—the salva- tion which formed the main theme of the new revelation. The meaning of ἀμελήσαντες is best illustrated by Matt. xxii. 5, where it is used of those who dis- regarded, or treated with contempt, the invitation to the marriage-supper. The guilt and danger of so doing are in pro- portion to the greatness of the announce- ment, and this is no longer of law but of life, cf. 2 Cor. iii. The word now spoken is vastly more glorious and more fully expressive of its Author than the Law, “Non erat tanta salus in V.T., quanta est in gratia quam Dei filius nobis attulit”” (Atto Vercell:). The ‘ great- ness” of the salvation is involved in the greatness of Him who mediates it (i. 4), of the method employed (ii. το), of the results, many sons being brought to glory (ii. το). But one relevant aspect of its greatness, the source and guaranteed truth of its proclamation is introduced by ἥτις, which here retains its proper qualitative sense and may be rendered ‘inasmuch asit...”. ‘Its object is to introduce the mention of a characteristic quality, which explains or emphasises the thing in question” (Vaughan). It was the trustworthiness of the new re- velation of salvation which the Hebrews were beginning to question. The law had proved its validity by punishing trans- gressors but the majesty and certainty of the recent proclamation were doubtful. Therefore the writer insists that it is “very great,” and illustrates its trust- worthiness by adducing these three feat- tures: (1) its original proclamation by the Lord, (2) its confirmation by those who heard Him, (3) its miraculous certi-
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ς Marc. xvi. ἀκουσάντων εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐβεβαιώθη, είοις τε καὶ τέρασι καὶ ποικίλαις δυνάμεσι, καὶ Πνεύματος Αγίου σημείοις τ ρ μεσι, ματος “Ay
20; Acts ii. 22, et xiv. 3, et ΧΙ͂Χ. IT; x Cor. xii. 4) 7, 11.
fication by God. [This is not contra- dicted by Bleek’s ‘Das τηλικ., tantae talisque salutis, verweist an sich wohl nicht auf den nachfolgenden relativen Satz,” nor by Weiss’ “ Das ἥτις hangt weder sprachlich noch sachlich mit τηλικ.
zusammen.”] ἀρχὴν λαβοῦσα λαλεῖσθαι, Πε: ‘having received a beginning to be spoken”’ = “‘ having be-
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gun to be spoken,” or ‘‘ which was first proclaimed”. ἀρχὴν Aaf.,a common phrase in later Greek, see Stephanus and Wetstein. In Polybius of a war “taking itsrise”’, In Allian, V. H., ii. 28. πόθεν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔλαβεν ὅδε 6 νόμος, ἐρῶ. Itis used here to indicate with precision the origin of the proclamation of the revela- tion about which they are feeling un- certain. λαλεῖσθαι refers back to ver. 2and alsotoi.1. διὰ to be connected with ἀρχὴν λαβ.; it is used instead of ὑπὸ because God is throughout viewed as the ultimate source of revelation. τοῦ Κυρίου, “the Lord” supreme over angels, and whose present exaltation reflects dignity and trustworthiness on the revelation He made while on earth. The salvation which they are tempted to neglect was at first proclaimed not by angels sent out to minister, not by ser- vants or delegates who might possibly misapprehend the message, but by the Lord Himself, the Supreme. The source then is unquestionably pure. Has the stream been contaminated ? God testifies to its purity. There is only one link be- tween the Lord and you, they that heard Him delivered the message to you, and God by witnessing with them certifies its truth. The main verb is ἐβεβαιώθη which looks back to βέβαιος of ver. 2, and compares the inviolability of the one word or revelation with that of the other. We must not, he argues, neglect a gospel of whose veracity and importance we have assurance in this, that it was first proclaimed by the Lord Himself and that we have it on the authority of those who themselves heard Him, and who there- fore were first-hand witnesses who had also made experimental verification of its validity. For ἀκουσάντων though with- out an object expressed, plainly means those who heard the Lord, cf. Luke i. 1. εἰς ἡμᾶς is rendered by Theophy- lact διεπορθμεύθη εἰς ἡμᾶς βεβαίως, it