332
Καϊν τ, ες καιροῦ διορθώσεως ἐπικείμενα.
iv. 14, et £
11. "Χριστὸς δὲ παραγενόμενος
vi. 20, εἰ ἀρχιερεὺς τῶν μελλόντων 1 ἀγαθῶν, διὰ τῆς μείζονος καὶ τελειοτέρας
viii. I.
1 μελλοντων in SADcEKLP, f, vg., Copt., Basm., Syrp.mg ; γενομένων in BD*, d,
Ὁ, Syrp text, than vice versd.
16; Acts xxi. 24 [see especially Donald- son’s excellent treatment of this pre- position (Greek Gram., p. 518) showing that with the dative it signifies absolute superposition, i.e., rest upon, or close to, hence addition, subsequence and _ suc- cession, then ‘‘that which is close by us as a suggesting cause, accompaniment, motive, or condition”. ἐπὶ τοῖς τ. φίλων ἀγαθοῖς φαιδροὶ γιγνόμεθα, “we are cheerful on account of the prosperity of our friends”. ὀνομάζοι δὲ πάντα ταῦτα ἐπὶ ταῖς δόξαις τοῦ μεγάλου ζώου “' but were to give all these things names from in accordance with) the opinions of the great monster” (Plato, Rep. 493,¢).] The meaning then is that the virtue (δυνάμεναι) of the gifts and sacrifices is only in relation to defilements occasioned by eat- ing and drinking or neglecting the enjoined purifications. δικαιώματα σαρκὸς may either be construedas a contemptuous exclamation appended, or it may be softened by οὖσαι “whichare”. μέχρι καιροῦ διορθώσεως “usque ad tempus correctionis”. διόρθωσις is a making straight or right; used by Hippocrates of reducing a fracture, by Aristotle of repairing roads and houses, by Polybius of paying debts, of education, etc. It means, putting things right, bringing matters into a satisfactory state, and is thus used of the introduction of the new covenant, in confirmation of viii. 8. No term could better express this writer’s view of the characteristic of Messianic times.
Ver. τσ. Χριστὸς δὲ παραγεν- όμενος.. . “Βαὲ Christ having arrived a High Priest of the good things that were to be, He, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, nor yet through blood of he-goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered once for all into the Holy of Holies, and obtained eternal redemption.”’ The main thought of the verse is that Christ has obtained eternal redemption; the δὲ, therefore, which introduces it, refers to the inability of the Levitical gifts and sacrifices to perfect the worshipper. The greater efficiency of Christ’s ministry results from its being exercised in a more perfect tabernacle and with a truer sacrifice.
But the former was more likely to be changed into the latter reading
παραγενόμενος, scarcely, as Vulg. ‘“‘assistens”” rather ‘having arrived,’ as in Matt. ii. 1, iii. 1, 13; and frequently in Luke and Acts. Cf. Isa. lxii. 11. ᾿Ιδού σοι ὃ σωτὴρ παραγίνεται . . . Here it is in fulfilment of the expectation aroused by µέχρι. ἀρχιερεὺς τῶν pend. “The genitive gives the subject of the high priestly action. High Priest, con- cerned about, ministering in, securing and applying by His ministry τὰ μέλλ. ἀγαθά. The genitive here is nearly equivalent to the accusative τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν in ii. 17’ (Vaughan). The good things that were to be under the new covenant are specified in viii. 10-12; they surpassed all expectation, however. “The High Priest’ of the good things coming, is a notable title. Possibly it is only equiv- alent to ‘‘High Priest of thé new covenant,” the contents being used to stand for the whole dispensation, but more probably the writer has in view the slender benefits obtained by the Levitical High Priest, and contrasts them with the illimitable good mediated by Christ. διὰ τῆς... σκηνῆς ... οὐ ταύτης τῆς κτίσεως. The meaning of διὰ in ver. ττ favours the understanding of it here not in a local (Weiss, etc.) but an instrumental sense, ‘‘ by means of”. It was because He was High Priest notin the earthly but the heavenly tabernacle that He was able to secure these great results. No doubt διὰ in a similar connection in iv. 14 and x. 20 is used locally. But this sense is not so applicable here. Christ is represented here as the High Priest ministering in the tabernacle, not passing through it (Cf. Davidson and Westcott). τῆς μείζονος καὶ τελ. σκηνῆς, the tabernacle greater and more perfect than that which has been described in the preceding verses, and which has itself been mentioned as the scene of Christ’s ministry, viii.2. This tabernacle is ‘not made with hands” οὐ χειροποιήτου, as in ver. 24; equivalent to ἣν ἔπηξεν ὁ Κύριος οὐκ ἄνθρωπος, viii. 2. Our Lord characterised the temple as χειροποίητον, Mark xiv. 58. Being of human manu- facture, vili. 2, it could be only a symbolic dwelling for God and a symbolic worship was appropriate. The words οὐ ταύ- της τῆς κτίσεως are added in ex-