xiii. 14). On Traducianism see Loofs’ Leitfaden, p. 194. Vv. I-14. The imperfection of
7—13.
τησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Μελχισεδέκ.
o
ττ. Et μὲν οὖν τελείωσις διὰ τῆς f ver. 18, τὸ
Gal. ii. 21°
Λευϊτικῆς ἱερωσύνης ἦν: ὁ λαὸς yap ἐπ᾽ atti! νενομοϑέτητο “ - τίς
m” , é ? ετι χρεία, “κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ
ye ο J ε , \ ετερον ἀνίστασθαι ἱερέα, και
οὐ “ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν ᾿Ααρὼν ᾿ λέγεσθαι ; 12. μετατιθεμένης γὰρ τῆς
ἱερωσύνης, ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ νόμου μετάθεσις γίνεται.
13. ἐφ᾽ ὃν γὰρ
1 T.R. in DcE**K, Chrys., Thdrt.; επ αυτης in SABCD*E*LP, 17, 31, 37, 46, 73,
118.
3Τ.Ε. ἵπ ΏΕΕΚΙ,: νενοµοθετηται in ΝΔΑΒΟΓΡ3"Ρ.
the Levitical priesthood, and by impli- cation of the whole Mosaic system, proved by the necessity of having a priest of another order.
Ver. 11, εἰ μὲν οὖν τελείωσις. . . . “If then there was [or had been] perfecting by means of the Levitical priesthood—for upon it [as a basis] the people have received the law—what fur- ther need was there [or would have been] that another priest should arise after the order of Melchisedek and be styled not after the order of Aaron?” εἰ μὲν οὖν introduces a statement of some of the consequences resulting from the introduction of a priest of another order. It argues the failure of the Levitical priesthood to achieve τελείωσις. ‘‘ Perfection is always a relative word. An institution brings perfection when it effects the purpose for which it was instituted, and produces a result that corresponds to the idea of it. The design of a priesthood is to bring men near to God (ver. 19), and this it effects by removing the obstacle in the way, viz, men’s sin, which lying on their conscience impedes their free access to God; compare ix. 9, x. 1, 14” (David- son). On the rendering of ἦν see Son- nenschein’s Greek Gram., 355, Obs. 3. ὁ λαὸς yap ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς νενομοθέτη- ται, the omitted clause is ‘‘and we are justified in demanding perfectness from the priesthood,” because it is the soul of the entire legislation. All the arrangements of the law, the entire administration of the people, involves the priesthood. If there is failure in the priestly service, the whole system breaks down. It was idle to give a law without providing at the same time for the expiation of its breaches. The covenant was at the first entered into by sacrifice, and could only be main- tained by a renewal of sacrifice. The priesthood stood out as the essential part of the Jewish economy. νομοθετεῖν to be a νομοθέτης used in classics some- times with dative of person, as in LXX,
Exod. xxiv. 12, Tas ἐντολὰς ἃς ἔγραψα νομοθετῆσαι αὐτοῖς. Sometimes it is followed by accusative of that which is ordained by law. The use of the passive here is peculiar, cf. also viii. 6. The νόμος contained in the word, and ex- pressed separately in ver. 12, is not the bare law contained in commandments, but the whole Mosaic dispensation. τίς ἔτι χρεία, this use of ἔτι is justified by an instance from Sextus Empiricus quoted by Wetstein: tis ἔτι χρεία ἀποδεικνύναι αὐτά; ἕτερον, not ἄλλον but another of a different kind. ἀνίστασθαι so Acts vii. 18, ἀνέστη βασιλεὺς ἕτερος and cf. the transitive use in Acts il. 24, 32, ili. 22, 26, vii. 37. καὶ οὐ... λέγεσθαι. The negative belongs rather to the description κ. τ. τάξιν "A. than to the verb and Burton’s rule (481) applies. ‘‘ When 2 limitation of an infinitive or of its subject is to be negatived rather than the infinitive itself, the negative οὐ is some- times used instead of py.” λέγεσθαι ‘be spoken of” or ‘‘ designated ’’.
Ver. 12, μετατιθεμένης γὰρ. . . . “‘ For if the priesthood is changed, there is of necessity a change also of the law”. Or, This change of priesthood being made, as it is now being made, a change of the law is also being made. The connection is: What need was there for a new priesthood? It must have been a crying need, for to change the priest- hood is to change all. It means nothing short of revolution. Chrysostom rightly τοῦτο δὲ πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας, Ti ἔδει καινῆς διαθήκης ;