329
. 18,
6. “ Τούτων δὲ οὕτω κατεσκευασμένων, εἰς μὲν ε Num.
XXViii. 3.
1 yepovBew in BDcE; χερουβειμ AP, 37. The LXX also has the same variants.
μαρτυρίου. These tables were, in LXX, first spoken of as πυξία (τὰ πυξία τὰ λίθινα, Exod. xxiv. 12). They are called “πλάκες in Exod. xxxi. 18. Paul also uses this word in contrasting the stone tables -of the Law with the σάρκιναι πλάκες of the heart. In 1 Kings viii. 9 it is stated that when Solomon’s Temple was dedi- cated these tables were the sole contents of the ark. In the tabernacle, however, as here described the ark also contained στάμνος χρυσῆ ἔχουσα τὸ pav- va ‘ta golden jar containing manna,” as directed in Exod. xvi. 33, 34, Moses said to Aaron λάβε στάμνον χρυσοῦν éva, where it is masculine; in Aristoph. Plut. 545, feminine (see Stephanus, s.v.). Usually it was of earthenware and used for holding wine, honey, etc. τὸ μάννα in Exod. μάν is the form used; in the ‘other books μάννα. καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος ᾿Ααρὼν ἡ βλαστήσασα, as related in Num. xvii. 1-10, when the rods of the tribes were laid up before the Lord to determine who were the legitimate priests, ἰδοὺ ἐβλάστησεν ἡ ῥάβδος ᾿Ααρὼν. Chrys- -ostom remarks that the contents of the ark were venerable and significant memor- ials of Israel’s rebellion; the tables of the covenant for the first were broken on ac- count of their sin; the manna reminding them of their murmuring; the rod that budded of their jealousy of Aaron. ὑπεράνω δὲ αὐτῆς χερουβεὶν "δόξης . « «“Απάονετ it [the ark] Cheru- bim of glory, overshadowing the mercy- seat’? [‘tobumbrantia propitiatorium” (Vulg.)]. According to Exod. xxv. 18-22, the Cherubim were to be two in number, made of gold, one at each end of the ark, looking towards one another, and over- shadowing the mercy seat with their wings [συσκιάζοντες ἐν ταῖς πτέρυξιν αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου]. The Cheru- bim seem to have symbolised, in the manner of the Assyrians and Egyptians, the creatures of God, all that is best in creation, by a combination of excellences found in no single creature. In Ezekiel, i. 1ο they have four faces, of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, representing tespectively intelligence, strength, stead- ‘fastness, rapidity. But cf. Davidson, p. 173 and Cheyne’s art. in Encycl. Bibl.
δόξῃς, the Cherubim are here called “οἵ glory,” probably because closely attached to and, as it were, attendant upon, the place of the manifestation of the divine glory. [‘‘Als Trdger der Herrlichkeit, in welcher die gdéttliche Gnadengegenwart sich kund that” (Weiss).] τὸ ἱλαστήριον. In Exod. xxv. 17 Moses is instructed to make a
golden cover [83] to be laid upon
the lid of the ark, and this instruction the LXX renders by the words ποιήσεις ἱλαστήριον ἐπίθεμα χρυσίου καθαροῦ. The word ἐπίθεμα alone, without any qualifying adjective, would have been an
adequate translation of nn, for both
words mean “‘acover”. But ἐπίθεμα is nowhere else used in the LXX to
translate me, which is regularly
translated by ἱλαστήριον, although this word does not express the idea ofa material covering. [Philomore than onceremarks upon this. In De Profug., 19, inspeaking of symbols, he says τῆς thew δυνάμεως τὸ ἐπίθεμα τῆς κιβωτοῦ, καλεῖ δὲ αὐτὸ ἱλαστήριον. And in Vit. Mos. iii. 68, ἧς ἐπίθεμα ὡσανεὶ πῶμα Td λεγόμενον ἐν ἱεραῖς βίβλοις ἱλαστήριον) The reason of this usage is to be found in the fact that this “‘cover’”? was sprinkled with blood on the day of atonement, and came, therefore, to be associated with the covering of sin. Indeed, the Hebrew word which denotes the material covering is that which is regularly used to express the covering ofsin. The original ἐπίθεμα thus became a ἱλαστήριον ἐπίθεμα and finally ἱλαστήριον. (See Deissmann, Bibelstud. p. 121-132.) περὶ ὧν... μέρος “οἵ which we cannot now speak in detail”. ἔστιν, ascommonly in classi- cal Greek = ἔξεστι. κατὰ μέρος =one by one. Examplesin Wetstein and Bleek (see especially Plato, Theaet. 1578, where it is opposed to ἄθροισμα).