27---28.
vear”. Weiss renders this interpreta- tion more probable by pointing out that ‘the words have a reference to πάντοτε ζῶν εἰς τὸ ἐντυγχάνειν of ver. 25. His intercession is continuous, from day to day, but in order to accomplish it He does not need day by day to purify Himself and renew His sacrifice. Cf. also the seven days’ purification of the high priest on entering his office, Exod. xxix. 13-8. θυσίας ἀναφέρειν, a phrase resulting from the carrying up of the sacrifice to the raised altar, and only found in Hellenistic, frequently in LXX. The more usual word in this Epistle {twenty times and frequently in LXX) is προσφέρειν. “ἀναφέρειν properly describes the ministerial action of the priest, and προσφέρειν the action of the offerer (Lev. 11. 14, 16, vi. 33, 35), but the distinction is not observed universally ; thus ἀναφέρειν is used of the people (Lev. xvii. 5), and προσφέρειν of the priests (Lev. xxi. 21)” (Westcott). πρότερον ... ἔπειτα, as in v. 3, “they must first offer for themselves, because they may not approach God sin-stained ; they must also offer for the people, because they may not introduce a sin-stained people to God” (Weiss). τοῦτο yap ἐποίησεν .. . This, {.ε., offering for the sins of the people. But it must be borne in mind that this writer keeps in view that Christ also had a preparation for His priestly ministry in the sinless temptations and sufferings He endured, vv. 7-10. The emphasis is on ἐφάπαξ, in contrast to the καθ᾽ ἡμέραν, and the ground of the ἐφάπαξ is given in ἑαυτὸν ἀνενέγκας, an offering which by the nature of the case could not be repeated, ix. 27, 28, and which by its worth rendered repetition super- fluous. This difference between the new priest and the old is based upon their essential difference of nature, ‘‘ For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness,” which especially gives the reason, as in v. 3, why they must sacrifice for themselves. In v. 3 the weakness is ascribed to the same source as here; the high priest is ἐξ ἀνθρώπων λαμβανόμενος. Inc. 5, however, the fact that the high priest is taken from among men is introduced chiefly for the sake of illustrating his sympathy: here it is in- troduced in contrast to υἱόν of the next clause, which is thus raised to a higher than human dignity. For had this con- trast not been intended, rove would have deen used, aad not ἀνθρώπους. The law only made provision for the appointment