Ver. 15. ἐν τῷ λέγεσθαι. . . - ‘While it is said to-day, εἰς. The construction of these words is debated. Bleek, Delitzsch, von Soden and others construe them with what follows, begin- ning at this point a fresh paragraph. The meaning would thus be: “ Since it is said, ‘To-day if ye hear his voice, harden not, εἴο., who are meant, who were they who heard and provoked?” This is inviting but the yap of ver. 16 is decidedly against it. Davidson con- nects ἐν τῷ λεγ. with what immediately precedes: ‘‘‘if we hold fast . . . unto the end, while it is said,’ {.ε., not during the time that it is said, but in the pres- ence and consciousness of the saying, Harden not, etc. . . . with this divine warning always in the ears”. Similarly Weiss. Westcott connects the words with ver. 13, making 14 parenthetical. Either of these constructions is feasible. It is also possible to let the sentence stand by itself as introductory to what follows, taking μὴ σκληρ. as directly addressed to the Hebrews, not as merely completing the quotation: ‘‘ While it is being said To-day if ye hear His voice, harden not your hearts as in the provoca- tion”. The λέγεσθαι thus contains only the clause ending with ἀκούσητε.
Ver. 16. τίνες yap ἀκούσαντες παρεπίκραναν: ‘“ For who were they who after hearing provoked?” He pro- ceeds further to enforce his warning that confidence begun is not enough, by show- ing that they who provoked God and fell in the wilderness had begun a life of faith and begun it well. For the answer to his question is ‘‘ Nay did not all who came out of Egypt with Moses?” They were not exceptional sinners who fell away, but all who came out of Egypt,
278
m Num. Xiv. 22, 37, et XXVi. 65. Ps. cvi. 26; 1 Cor.
διὰ Μωσέως.
>