The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 244

of its DivinA Author. Such is not the most that the account in Exodus ie not e:a:actly obvious a.pplica.tion of the word, nor the one followed. The variations from it are these: 1anctioned by the quotation from Jeremiah, (1) The mention of goate as well as calves or by other referenCP.S to the Divine covenant or bullocks-of wa.ter--of the scarlet wool (see mpra. eh. viii. 10, and also Giln. xv. 18; and hysso~nd of the sprinkling of the Dent. v. 2, 8; Luke xii. 29; Acts iii. 25; book, instead of the altar, ae in Exodus. as well as Exod. xxiv. 8, quoted below (2) The words spoken by Moses are (ver. 20), where 01/8..-0, not ,!v,.,.,111.a..-o, ia differently given, ..-ouTo being substituted the word in the LXX. But suoh is the for llioo, cl Ehds for KJp,os, and lv,.,-Elll.a.,-o for application in Ps. l. 5, nnd may be considered, 5,,8,.,-o. On these variations we may ob• therefore, not untenable. 'fhe writer may, serve tha.t the mention of goo.ta may have indeed, have had the expression in the psalm been suggested to the writer's mind by the in his mind when he wrote the verses before oeremonies of the Day of Atonement, pre- us. It appears from what has been said that viously alluded to; a.nd it is not inconsistent difficulties attend both the views that have with the a.ccount in Exodus, where the been a.hove explained. It is not here at- victims used for the "burnt offeringii" are tempted to decide between them. not specified, only the bullocks for •• 1rnace Ver. 18.-Wherefore neither bath the offerings." Nor is there inconsistenoy in first (testgment, A.V.; or, covenant) been the other additions to the ceremonial. The dedicated without blood. Here the blood scarlet wool a.nd hyssop were the usual of slain victims, which had been essential instruments of aspersion (a bUD.ch of the for the first inauguration of the old li,aB"11<11, latter being app11.rently bound by the is referred to e.s expressing the principle of former to e. stick of cedar ; cf. Exod. xii. 22 ; vers. 16, 17, viz. that there must be death Lev. xiv. 50; Numb. xix. ti, 18). It may for a li<a8-l,,c11 (in whatever sense the word have been usual to mix water with the ma.y be intended, whether as a testament blood used for aspersion, if only to prevent or e.s a. cor,enant bP.tween God a.nd man) to coagulation (see Lightfoot on John xix. 3-1), ta.kc effect. Whichever view we ta.ke of though in some cases certainly also with the intended import of the word, the a symbolical meaning (cf. Lev. xiv. 5, 50); reference is eq ua.lly apposite in support a.nd, if the book was, as it was likely to be, of the introductory proposition of ver. 15 ; on the altar when the latter was sprinkled which is to the effect that Christ's death (Exod. :xxiv. 6, 7), it would itself partake ( 8avci.,-ou .,,,,,.,_,,,ou ), fulfilling the symbolism of this sprinkling, and, being thns conse- of the old inaugurating sa.crifices, qualified crated, would be then ta.ken from the a.lte.r him a.s Mediator of a new li,a.6-1/1<11, to be read from to the people a.nd to receive Vers. 19, 20. - For when Moses had their assent, previously to the sprinkling of spoken every preoept to all the people themselves with the moiety of the blood aceordiug to the Law, he took the blood of reserved. Probably the whole account, as the calves and the goats, with water and here given, was the traditional one at the scarlet wool, and hyuop, and sprinkled time of writing (see below, on ver. 21). both the book it.Belf and all the people, With regard to the slightly altered. form eaying, This is the blood of the oovenant of the words spoken by Moses, it is an (A.V. tutament) which God enjoined unto interesting suggestion that the writer may you (strictly, to yo1HDar-d; i.e. enjoined to have had in his mind onr Lord's corre• me for you). The reference is to Exod. sponding words in the institution of the xxiv. 3-9, where the a.ccoUD.t is given of Eucharist, beginning in all the o.ccoUD.ts the inau;.:uratioo of the covenant between with ,,-oii.,-o, a.nd being thus worded: in St. God e.nd the lei-a.elites through Moses. He Luke, Toin-o ..-b 1ro.,--l,p1011 ?/ ,ea.wt, 31a.871,c71 iv "ea.me a.nd told tl,e pe'lple a.11 the words of ..-,, a.i,.,.a.-rl ,.,_ou, ..-b inr~p {,,_,;;., l"Xu~o,.,_,,,011: and the Lmw, a.nd e.ll the j udgments: e.nd e.ll in St. Matthew and St. Mark, Toil.,-o lo-.,-, .,-b the people RD.B\\ert,d with one voice, and alµ.d µ.ou, ,,-b ..-ijs Ka.<Vijs liia.81,,c11s, ..-o ..-,pi said, All the words which the Loao bath 1roMiiJv l,cxu110µ.•vov, St. Matthew adding said will we do." And then be wrote all ,ls 6.,p,o-"' a.l'-a.f"T'""'· The.t Christ in these tLe words of the LORD in a book, and words referred to those of Moses is obviolll!, builde<l an altar under the mount, and speaking of his own outpoured blood 118 the aaerifices were offered. a.nd lie.If of the a.ntitype of that wherewith the old 8,a81,IC1/ blood wa.s sprinkled on the e.lte.r, e.nd the was dedicated; and it ia likely tho.t the words were read from the book, a.nd a.gain writer of the Epistle would have Cbrist'a tht: people undertook to observe them, and words in his mind. tLe otl,er Lalf of the blood was sprinkled Ver. 21.-Moreover the ta.bernaole and all on the pwple, e.nd so the covenant we.a the vessels of the ministry be 1prinkled in ro.tifioo. The 1:ss1:utial µart of the whole like manner with the blood, This refera to ceremony being the "blood-sheddi11g,'' it is a. subsequent occasion, the tabernacle not of no importance for the generol argument having been constructed at the time of the OB. IX, 1-28.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 235