The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 165

nceq,tnnce by a meritorious life, had con- compounded verb a-yopd(.,, buy, is found fom:illy to be tnrnin~ his eye, slansbly and with reference to Christ's denth in 1 Oor. under fear of the "curse" in case of failure, vi. 20 and vii. 23, "Ye were bought with n fowards an external Law, whose detail of price;" 2 Pet. ii. l, '' The Master that positive enactments, in addition to the bought them;" Rev. v. 9, " Didst purchase rei::nlation of his moral conduct and inward unto God with thy blood." In tho present spirit, he was bound with scrupulous exact- passage it is not the blood of Obrist, as in ness to copy in his life. The spiritual 1 Pet. i. 18, that is rege.rded as the pur- obedience of "faith," on the other hand, chase money,-for the notion of expiation evolws itself (in the apostle's ·l'iew) freely with blood of sacrifice is not even glanced and spontaneously from the inward teaehing at; but rather, as the next words show, bis and prompting of God's Spirit, of which it taking upon him the accursedness o·nd pol- is the natural product or "fruit'' ( eh. v. 22). lution which by the Lo.w attached to every Such are these two forms of religious life one crucified. " From the curse of the when viewed ea.eh in its idea. When, how- Law;" its cursing affects us no •more. ever, we compare the spiritual state of many God's people are, in Christ, no longer,' 11s even sincere believers in Christ, so far as we they were before, subject to his disapproval can estimate it, with the spiritual state of or abhorrence, in consequence of transgress- (say) the marvellous nuthor of Ps. cxix. or ing the positive, ceremonial enactments of of David and other pious Israelites. as dis- the Law of Moses. In respect to that cle.ss olosed in the exercises of pious feeling gar- of transgressions, its cursing expended it- nered in that same devotional book, we self, and perished, upon the crucified body cannot fail to perceive that an Israelite of the Son of God. BQmg me.de e. ourse 'for under the Law might yet be not " of the us (-yodµ.,vor {,,r~p TJP."'" tCe&-rd.pa); having works of the Law," but in no small degree become on our behalj a curse. The position qualified to teach the Christian believer of Ka-rd.pa makes it empbe.tio. The form of himself. even in the life which is" of faith." expression, "become a curse," instead of "Shall live in them;" that is, shall find in "become accursed," is chosen to mark the them a fountain, as it were, of life. The intense degree in which the Law's curse Targums, Bishop Lightfoot observes, define fastened upon the Lord Jesus. Compare the meaning of" living" by "life eterne.l." the expression; "made him on our behalf Ver. 13.-Christ he.th redeemed us from sin," in 2 Cor. v. 21. Probably the form of the curse of the Law (Xp,,,..,.1,s 'TJ!L'" ~/;71-y&pa1Ter1 expression was suggested to the apostle by i" .,.;;s Kanfpas -rov v&µ.ov) ; Christ bought tU that found in the Hebrew of the passage of off from the curse of the Law. The position Deuteronomy which he proceeds to cite of the word " Christ " in the Greek, beading (see next note but one). The preposition the sentence, me.kes it empbe.tic-Cbrist; {nrlp, "for," "on behalf of," me.y possibly he alone; no means offered by the Law mean" in place of," as (perhaps) in Philem. hath procured justification for the sinner. 13 ; but this idea would he.ve been more " Us ; " not merely the Israelites after the distinctly expressed by avTl : and the strict flesh, who were Yieibly under the Law: but notion of substitution is not necessary to either nil mankind, Gentiles as well ae the line of argument here purs1,1ed. For it Israelites, being declared by the Law un- is written (-Y•"l'P",,..,."' ')'d.p ). But the more clean and unholy, both ceremonially and approved reading is ifn 'YE"l'Pa,,..,.a,, because it morallv. and thus under its curse (comp. is written; which more definitely marks the "for us," 2 Cor. v. 21); or God's people, the writer's purpose of vindicatiug the propriety children of Abraham, prospective as well e.s of bis using so strong an expression as "be- present (comp. John xi. 50-52 and ob. iv. coming a curse." Cursed iB ,every one that 5). "Redeemed," or "bought us off." The haugeth on a tree (l,r11Ca.-r&pe&Tos ,ras cl same compound Greek verb occurs eh. iv. 5, Kpeµ.d.µ.,vos E,rl {6.\ov); or, upon wood (Dent. "That he miaht redeem [buy off] them who xxi. 23). The Septuagint bas KEKaT17pa.µ.l.as were under the Law;" obv:iously, buy off [or, Ka-r11paµ.lvos] o-irb ·e,oii ,ras ,cpeµ.dµ..vos from being under it. Another Greek verb, [or, ,ras cl ,cp.J e,rl {6>-ou, "Cursed by God }l.v.,.p&w, ransom, is rendered "redeem" is every one hanging on e. tree." The He- in Titus ii 14; I Pet. i 18; whence the brew is qillath elohim talui, " e. curse of God compound verbal noun a,ro:>..iJ.,.pwlTL<, re- ill be that is banged." The words, "every demption, in Rom. iii. 24; viii. 23; 1 Cor. one " and "on a tree," a.re additions made i. :JO etc. The apostle may be supposed to by the Septuagint; the le.tter expression, hav~ preferred to use El;a-yopd.(w here, e.s however, is found in the. preceding cle.use, pointing more definitely to the price which as also in the preceding verse; so that t.he the Redeemer paid; for in :>..v.,.p&w, re- sense is given rightly. The apostle .departs deem, this notion of a price paid often lies from the Septuaginte.l rendering of the He- BO far in the background as to leave the brew phrase, "a curse of God," probably \'erb to denote simply "deliver." The un- because be regarded the rendering as ino.o-  CH, III, 1-20,] THE EPlS'l'LE TO 'fI-IE GALATIANS. 131