ἀρχῶν καὶ αἷΜΑ ΤΑΥΡΟΝ και τράγων οὐ Βούλομαι, ΟΥ̓Δ ̓ ἂν ἔρχεσθε ὀφθηναί ΜΟΙ. τίς γὰρ ἐΞΕΖΗΤΗCEN ΤΑΫΤΑ ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν; ΠΑΤΕΪΝ ΜΟΥ ΤΗΝ ΑΥΛΗΝ οὐ προσθήσεσθε· ἱτὲ δέ· Εάν φέρητε CΕΜΙΔΑΛΙΝ, ΜΑΤΑΙΟΝ ΘΥΜΙΑΜΑ, ΒέλγΓΜΑ ΜΟΙ ἐCTIN TAC ΝΕΟΜΗΝΙΑΣ ΥΜῶΝ και τα σάββατα οΥ̓ ἀΝΕΧΟΜΑΙ. 6 ταῦτα οὖν κατήργησεν, ἵνα ὁ καινὸς νόμος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν

Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἄνευ ζυγοῦ ἀνάγκης ὤν, μὴ ἀνθρωποποί7 ητον ἔχῃ τὴν προσφοράν. λέγει δὲ πάλιν πρὸς αὐτούς· Ter. vii. 2254. Με ἐγὼ ἐνετειλάΜΗΝ τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν ἐκπορεγομένοις ἐκ Γῆς Αἰγύπτου, προσενέγκαι Μοι ὁλοκαγτώματα και θγείας; 8 ἀλλ ̓ ἢ τοῦτο ἐΝΕΤΕΙΛΑΜΗΝ ατυς Εκατος ἡμῶν κατὰ τοῦ Zech. vii. 17. πλησίον ἐν τῇ καρδία ἑΑΥΤΟΥ͂ ΚΑΚΙΑΝ ΜΗ ΜΝΗCΙκακείτω, καὶ 9 ὅρκοΝ ΨΕΥΔΑ ΜΗ ἀγαπᾶτε. Αἰσθάνεσθαι οὖν ὀφείλομεν, μὴ ὄντες ἀσύνετοι, τὴν γνώμην τῆς ἀγαθωσύνης τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν· ὅτι ἡμῖν λέγει, θέλων ἡμᾶς μὴ ὁμοίως πλανωμένους 10 ἐκείνοις ζητεῖν πῶς προσάγωμεν αὐτῷ. ἡμῖν οὖν οὕτως λέγει· Θγεία τῷ θεῷ καρδία εγΝτετρΙΜΜΕΝΗ, CMH εγωδίας τῷ κυρίῳ καρδία Δοξάζογ͵ τὸν πεπλακότα ΑΥΤΗΝ. ἀκριβεύε σθαι οὖν ὀφείλομεν, ἀδελφοί, περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν, ἵνα μὴ ὁ πονηρὸς παρείσδυσιν πλάνης ποιήσας ἐν ἡμῖν ἐκσφεν δονήσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν.

Ps. li. 17.

5.

ΙΙΙ. Λέγει οὖν πάλιν περὶ τούτων πρὸς αὐτούς. Ινατί

wheat

is a obla

σεμίδαλις, the finest
flour. The orig. Hebrew П
general expression: so E. V.
tions; but both in this passage and
Lev. ix. 4, and Is. lxvi. 3, the LXX.
turns it by σεμίδαλιν, as forming the
principal element in the offering.

ὁτὲ δέ, an unnecessary emendation
of text in place of cὐδέ of N.

6. ὁ καινὸς νόμος, note the striking expression.

Here only in Ep. we have 'Inooûs Χριστός. Χριστός alone appears (with ref. to O. T. quotations) only twice besides, viz. xii. 10, 11. Elsewhere always Ἰησοῦς.

7. Iren. Adv. Haer. IV. xvii. p. 248, commenting on same words says,

that the Israelites were led up out of Egypt, not that they might sacrifice, but that they might forget the idolatries of Egypt and be made ready to hear the words of the Lord. Thus the command was an injunction not so much to perform sacrificial rites as to obey and hearken to the will of God.

8. ἀλλ' ή “but or 'except,' again in xi. 7. The quotation is very inexact; indeed the first part is little more than a paraphrase.

9. ἐκείνοις, here as commonly of the Jews.

προσάγωμεν, ν. i. 7 for similar intrans. use.

arietum et pinguaminibus agnorum, et sanguinem taurorum et hircorum nolo, nec si veniatis videri mihi. quis enim exquisivit haec de manibus vestris? calcare aulam meam non adicietis. si attuleritis mihi similaginem, vanum; supplicamentum exsecratio mihi est. numenias vestras et sabbata et diem magnum non sustineo; ieiu6 nium et ferias et dies festos vestros odit anima mea. haec

ergo vacua fecit, ut nova lex domini nostri Iesu Christi, quae sine iugo necessitatis est, humanam habeat obla7 tionem. dicit iterum dominus ad illos: Numquid ego Ier. vii. 225q. praecepi parentibus vestris, cum exierunt de terra Aegypti, 8 ut offerrent mihi hostias et victimas? sed hoc praecepi illis dicens: Unusquisque vestrum adversus proximum Zech. viii. 17. suum non habeat malitiam, et iuramentum mendax non 9 amet. Intellegere ergo debemus, cum non simus sine intellectu, consilium benignitatis patris nostri; quia nobis dicit, nolens nos similiter errantes quaerere, quemIO admodum ad illum accedamus. nobis enim sic dicit: Sacrificium domino cor contribulatum, et humiliatum deus Ps. li. 17. non despicit. certius ergo inquirere debemus, fratres, de salute nostra, ut ne nequam habeat introitum in nobis et evertat nos a vita nostra.

IO.

ne quando cod.

III. Dicit ergo iterum de his ad illos: Ut quid mihi Is. lviii. 4 sq. 7. 14 Mendax. mendum cod. 7. 15 Amet, habet cod. 7. 21 Nequam. ὀσμή, κ.τ.λ. The preceding words are quoted from Ps. li. 17, but these do not occur in either Heb. or LXX. text. It is curious that Irenaeus, who does not otherwise appear to have known our Epistle, Adv. Haer. IV. xvii. 2, appends the same words to the same quotation, proving that both consulted a common source. Sacrificium Deo cor contribulatum; odor suavitatis Deo cor clarificans eum qui plasmavit.' The Lat. vers. here replaces the -LXX. text.

ὁ πονηρὸς παρείσδυσιν, iv. 9 offers

a perfect parallel both in sense and
expression. παρείσδ. is used in
both. For o Tovnpós the title chosen
for the Evil One is ó péλas, which
might prps. be similarly explained
in XX. I, though there it seems
neuter. For other appellations given
to Σατανάς cf. v. I. ὁ πονηρός recurs
thus in xxi. 3, possibly xix. 11, and
is similarly used in N. T., e.g. Matt.
xiii. 19, 1 Joh. ii. 13, 14, v. 18, 19,
and so prps. Matt. vi. 13.

§ III. Fast-days are done away,
and true fasting consists in humble-
ness of heart and compassion.

Is. Ivii. 4 sq. MOI NHCτεύετε, λέγει κύριος, ὡς CHMEPON ἀκογεθῆναι ἐν κραγ ΤΗΝ ΦΩΝΗΝ ΥΜῶΝ; ΟΥ̓ ΤΑΥΤΗΝ ΤΗΝ ΝΗΣΤΕΙΑΝ ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάΜΗΝ, λέγει κύριος, οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ΤΑΠΕΙΝΟΥ͂ΝΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΨΥΧΗΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΥ͂, 2 ΟΥ̓Δ ̓ ἂΝ ΚΑΜΨΗτε ὡς κρίκου Τὸν τράχηλον ἡμῶν, καὶ σάκκον καὶ πολὺν Υποστρώσητε, ΟΥ̓Δ ̓ οὕτως καλέσετε NHCTEÍAN 3 Δεκτών. πρὸς ἡμᾶς δὲ λέγει· ΙΔΟΥ ΑΥΤΗ ΝΗΣΤΕΙΑ ΗΝ ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάΜΗΝ, λέγει κύριος, οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ΤΑΠΕΙΝΟΥ͂ΝΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΨΥΧΗΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΥ͂· ἀλλὰ λγε πᾶν CYNΔECMON ἀδικίας, Διάλγε στραςΓαλιάς Βιλίων εγναλλαγμάτων, ἀπόστελλε τεθραγεMENOYC ἐν ἀφέσει, καὶ πᾶσαν ΔΙΚΟΝ ΣΥΝΓΡΑΦΗΝ Διάσπα. Διαθρυπτε πειNῶCIN τὸν ἄρτον COY, ΚΑΙ ΓΥΜΝΟΝ ἐὰν ἴΔΗΣ, περίβαλε ἀετέΓΟΥ elcare εἰς τὸν οἶΚΟΝ COY, καὶ ἐὰν ἴΔΗΣ ταπεινόΝ, ΟΥ̓Χ ΥπερόΨΗ ΑΥΤΟΝ, ΟΥ̓Δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων του σπέρματός coy. 4 τότε ραγίζεται πρώϊμον τὸ φῶς Coy, καὶ τὰ ἰάματα Cor ταχέως ἀνατελεῖ, καί προπορεύσεται ἔμπροσθέν COY Η ΔΙΚΑΙΟ5 CΥΝΗ, καὶ ἡ Δόξα τοῦ θεοῦ περιστελεῖ ce. τότε βοήσεις, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐπακούσεταί Coy, ἔτι λαλοῦντός coY ἐρεῖ· ΙΔΟΥ πάρειμι ἐὰν ἀφέλης ἀπὸ CO CΝΔΕΣΜΟΝ Καί χειροτονίαν καὶ ῥΑΜΑ ΓΟΙΓΥΣΜΟΥ͂, καὶ ζῷς πεινῶΝΤΙ Τὸν ἄΡΤΟN COY ἐκ ΨYXHC CoY, ΚΑΙ 6 ΨΥΧΗΝ ΤΕΤΑΠΕΙΝΩΜΕΝΗΝ ἐλεHCHC. εἰς τοῦτο οὖν, ἀδελφοί, ὁ μακρόθυμος προβλέψας, ὡς ἐν ἀκεραιοσύνῃ πιστεύσει ὁ

I. The question of fasts, which forms the subject of this chapter, was one that gave rise to much controversy in the early Churches, the stricter party upholding the maintenance of the set Jewish fasts, and supporting their case by the example of Paul and Barnabas, as well as by the construction they put on Christ's injunctions, Matt. vi. 16, ix. 15, xvii. 21, while their opponents as here urged that the fixed fasts of the Jewish ritual were done away with the rest of the ceremonial law, and found their equivalent in the more spiritual exercises and discipline which the true Christian must - substitute.

αὐτούς, sc. the Jews.

ieiunatis, ut hodie audiatur vox vestra in clamore? non tale ieiunium elegi, dicit dominus, ut quis humiliet animam 2 suam sine causa, neque si curvaveris quasi circulum collum tuum et saccum te circumdederis et cinerem straveris: 3 nec sic celebrabis mihi ieiunium acceptum. ad nos autem sic dicit: Cum ieiunaveritis, solve omnem nodum inius- Is.lviii.6—10. titiae, et omnem consignationem iniquam dele, resolve suffocationes inpotentium commerciorum, dimitte quassatos in remissionem, et omnem cautionem malignam dissipa. frange esurienti panem tuum, et egenos sine tecto induc in domum tuam; si videris nudum, vesti, et domesticos semi4 nis tui non despicies. tunc erumpet temporanum lumen tuum, et vestimenta tua cito orientur. et praeibit ante te 5 iustitia, et claritas dei circumdabit te. tunc exclamas, et deus exaudiet te; cum adhuc loqueris, dicet: Ecce adsum; si abstuleris a te nodum et suadelam malorum et verbum 6 murmurationis, et dederis esurienti panem ex animo. in hoc ergo, fratres, providens est et misericors deus, quia

7. 16 A te. ante te cod.
Ambr. Cypr. Aug. all read vesti-
menta. In either case, but even
more with ἱμάτια than ἰάματα, there
is sad confusion of metaphor.

5. XeipоToviav, a verbal transla

tion of the Hebr. Yaş nhw,

the

stretching out of the finger; either,
as is most prob., of pointing in
token of scorn, or in way of direc-
tion to deceive. The Gk. word is
never so used elsewhere.

Xenons. , the sole MS., has eλain-
σεις by itacism for ἐλεήσεις, which
Müller retains and no doubt rightly,
careless as the grammar seems.
Cf.
notes on v. 6, xi. 11.

6. o μакρólvμos, sc. of course 'God,' which the Lat. actually supplies. These adjectival appellatives are characteristic of our author. Cf. ὁ μέλας, ὁ πονηρός, &c., and in this verse ὁ ἠγαπημένος.

λαὸς ὃν ἡτοίμασεν ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ αὐτοῦ, προεφανέρωσεν ἡμῖν περὶ πάντων, ἵνα μὴ προσρησσώμεθα ὡς ἐπήλυτοι τῷ ἐκείνων νόμῳ.

IV. Δεῖ οὖν ἡμᾶς περὶ τῶν ἐνεστώτων ἐπιπολὺ ἐραυνῶντας ἐκζητεῖν τὰ δυνάμενα ἡμᾶς σώζειν. φύγωμεν οὖν τελείως ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων τῆς ἀνομίας, μήποτε καταλάβη ἡμᾶς τὰ ἔργα τῆς ἀνομίας· καὶ μισήσωμεν τὴν πλάνην τοῦ 2 νῦν καιροῦ, ἵνα εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα ἀγαπηθῶμεν, μὴ δῶμεν τῇ ἑαυτῶν ψυχῇ ἄνεσιν, ὥστε ἔχειν αὐτὴν ἐξουσίαν μετὰ ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ πονηρῶν συντρέχειν, μήποτε ὁμοιωθῶμεν 3 αὐτοῖς. Τὸ τέλειον σκάνδαλον ἤγγικεν, περὶ οὗ γέγραπται, ὡς Ενωχ λέγει. εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ δεσπότης συντέτμηκεν τοὺς καιροὺς καὶ τὰς ἡμέρας, ἵνα ταχύνῃ ὁ ἠγαπημένος 4 αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν ἥξῃ. λέγει δὲ οὕτως καὶ ὁ Dan. vii. 24. προφήτης Βασιλείαι δέκα ἐπί τῆς γῆς ΒασιλεYCOYCIN, καὶ ἐξαNATHσεται οπισθΕΝ ΑΥ̓ΤῶΝ Μικρός Βασιλεύς, ως ταπεινώσει 5 τρεῖς ὑφ ̓ ἓν τῶν Βασιλέων, ὁμοίως περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λέγει

λαὸς ὃν ἡτοίμασεν, phrase recurs v. 7, xiv. 6.

προσρησσώμεθα, Hilg., from Lat. incurramus, foists into the text a tame and most improbable προσερ» χώμεθα.

έπη

ἐπήλυτοι. ἐπήλυτοι, Volk. Mül.
επίλυτοι, Ν. ἐπιλύτῳ. Weiz.
λύται, Hilg. The Lat. interprets
rightly proselyti. Weiz. gives an
elaborate and very forced defence
οἱ ἐπιλύτῳ, which in reality dif-
fers from the reading of more
seriously than our text. The adj.
seems never to occur, though both
the verb and subst. are found in
N. T. and repeatedly in Herm. Past,
in sense of expounding, interpreting
parables or allegory. The form
ἐπήλυτοι is well supported.
words form one among the abound-
ing evidences that Gentile Christians
formed at least a large part of the
body to whom the Epistle is address-
ed. Is it conceivable that a body of

The

Jewish Christians should be told that the Scriptures were written to prevent their being dashed ὡς ἐπήλυτοι like proselytes against their (note the ἐκείνων) law ?

$ IV. Warning to hold fast in these latter days; for, as prophecy proves, the time is at hand. He only that endures to the end shall be saved.

1. ἐραυνῶντας. N keeps this form Joh. v. 39, vii. 52, Rom. viii. 27, I Cor. ii. 10, 1 Pet. i. 1o, it.

ἐκζητεῖν, of earnest diligent seeking with a view to find something. ἐρευνᾶν, of careful thorough searching examination of an object, e.g. Joh. v. 39, jr Cor. ii. 1o. ἐκζητεῖν is a common word in our Ep., and recurs strikingly in xxi. 6.

τὴν πλάνην τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ. From the habitual use of πλάνη, πλανᾶσθαι in this Ep., we shall do right to refer this, with Hefele, specially to Judaizing, even if (cf. Dressel) it includes the godlessness and wicked.