16.
π μεθα οὗ ὰ ί @ θρέ ῆς χά ἵνα λά ροσερχώμεθα οὖν μετὰ παρρησίας τῷ θρένῳ τῆς χάριτος, ἵνα λά-
foreground; ὥστε δύνασθε καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας διαγε- νέσθαι.
Ver. 16. προσερχώμεθα οὖν.... “Let us, therefore [1.6., seeing that we have this sympathetic and victorious High Priest] with confidence approach the throne of grace”. προσέρχεσθαι is used in a semi-technical sense for the approach of a worshipper to God, as in LXX frequently. Thus in Lev. xxi. 17 it is said of any blemished son of Aaron οὐ προσελεύσεται προσφέρειν τὰ δῶρα τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ, and in the 23rd ver. ἐγγιεῖ is used as an equivalent, cf. Heb. vii. το. The word is found only once in St. Paul, | Tim. vi. 3, and there in a peculiar sense; but in Heb. it occurs seven times, and generally in its more technical sense, vil. 25, x. I, 22, xi. 6. It had become so much a technical term of divine worship that it can be used, as in Χ. I, 22, without an object. Here, as in vil. 25, it is followed by a dative τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος, the seat of supreme
authority which by Christ’s intercession
is now characterised as the source from which grace is dispensed. Premonitions Οἱ this are found in O.T.; for although in Ps. xcvi. (xcvii.) 2 and elsewhere we find δικαιοσύνη Kal κρίμα κατόρθωσις τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ, yet in Isa. xvi. 5 we read διορθωθήσεται μετ᾽ ἐλέους θρόνος. Philo encourages men to draw near to God by representing “ the merciful, and gentle, and compassionate nature of Him who is invoked, who would always rather have mercy than punishment” (De Ex- secy., ο. 1x). There is also something in Theophylact’s remark: Avo yap θρόνοι εἰσὶν, ὁ μὲν νῦν χάριτος, . . . ὁ δὲ τῆς δευτέρας παρουσίας θρόνος οὐ χάριτος «ν΄. ἀλλὰ κρίσεως. Similarly Atto: ‘Modo tempus est donorum: nemo de se ipso desperet”. They are to ap- proach μετὰ παρρησίας, for as Philo says (Quits. Rer. Div. Haer., 4): φιλοδεσπότοις ἀναγκαιότατον ἣ παρρη- σία κτῆμα; and inc. 5. παρρησία φιλίας συγγενές. The purpose of the approach is expressed in two clauses which Bleek declares to be ‘ganz synonym”. This, however, is scarcely correct. As is apparent from the next verse, the ‘“‘ obtaining mercy” refers to the pardon of sins, while the ‘finding grace ’’ im- plies assistance given. So Primasius,
Vox ITPOS*EBPAIOY= 285
βωμεν ἔλεον,] καὶ χάριν εὕρωμεν εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν. V. τ. "πᾶς α ἥ. 17, εἰ 2 3 9 Vill, 3. γὰρ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων λαμβανόμενος, ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων καθίσταται τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ἵνα προσφέρῃ δῶρά τε” καὶ θυσίας ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν;
1T.R. in ΟΡΡΕΕΙ,; ελεος RABC*D*KP. ‘The exx. of interchange of -ος masc.. Decl. ii., and -ος neut. Decl. iii., have somewhat increased in number [in N.T. Greek] in comparison with those in the classical language” (Blass, Gram., p. 28, E. Tr.).
28wpa τε with RACDcEKLP; τε omitted by BDb, vg., ‘‘ut offerat dona, et sacri- Ποῖα pro peccatis ”.
quoted by Westcott ‘‘ut misericordiam a certain peculiar and exceptional kind consequamur, id est remissionem pecca- of high priest. It might almost be ren- torum, et gratiam donorum Spiritus dered “since he is taken from among Sancti”. ἔλεος and χάρις are, however, men”; for the writer means that all constantly conjoined (v. Hort on 1 Pet. 1. priesthood proceeds on this foundation, 2). The close connection of χάριν with and it is this circumstance that involves βοήθειαν suggests that ἔλεος is the more what is afterwards more fully insisted general and comprehensive term, and upon, that the high priest has sympathy. that χάρις is becoming already more For λαμβ. cf. Num. xxv. 4, viii. 6. On associated with particular manifestations the present tense, see below. Grotius of ἔλεος. There may be ἔλεος, where renders “ segregare, ut quae ex acervo there isnoxdpis. We first obtainmercy desumimus”. Being taken from among and then find grace. εὑρίσκειν is every- men every high priest is also appointed where in LXX used with χάριν in this not for a own Ὁ ba to fulfil his own : » purposes, but ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων καθίσταται, sense, translating NY. εἰς εὔκαι- ig appointed a maar behalf”; not