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kai; poihth;n blasfhmei'n uJpomevnonta" ;

28. ajqethvsa" ti" n. M.] One that setteth at naught Moses' law ... Vulg. Irritam quis faciens legem ... O.L. Cum enim quidam relinqueret legem ... The offence like the correlatives ( katapathvsa", hJghsavmeno", ejnubrivsa" ) is regarded in its isolated completeness; the culprit ‘set the law at naught.’ His act was final and decisive; and it is not presented in its present fulfilment
(
ajqetw'n ti" ) or in its abiding permanence ( hjqethkwv" ti" ).

The verb ajqetei'n occurs here only in the Epistle (comp. ajqevthsi" Heb. 7:18; 9:26 note). It describes not only the violation of an ordinance or authority in details, but the denial of the validity of the ordinance or the authority altogether. Comp. Gal. 3:15; 1 Tim. 5:12; Jude 8; John 12:18.

The unique absence of the article here in novmon Mwusevw" (elsewhere oJ novm. M. Luke 2:22; 24:44; John 7:23; Acts 13:39; 15:5; 28:23 (1 Cor. 9:9)) gives the sense of ‘that which was a prescription of Moses.’ The reference, as marked by the clause ejpi; dusi;n h] trisi;n m. ajpoq. (Deut. 17:6), appears to be to the specific warning against idolatry (Deut. 17:2 ff.). Not every offence against the Law was visited with death, but specially, among others, this offence to which the apostasy from Christ corresponded. In the case of the Old Covenant the sanction lay in the declaration of the Lawgiver: in the case of the New Covenant the believer had direct experience of the power of the Divine Presence.
cwri;" oijktirmw'n ] All the people shared in the infliction of the punishment (Deut. 13:9; 17:7; Acts 7:58).

The word oijktirmov" (compassion) appears to be very rare in classical

Gk. (Pind. Pyth. 1.85 [164]) and the plural (LXX. : ymij}r" , H8171) is peculiar to

ecclesiastical writers. The word expresses the feeling which witnesses to fellowship and natural sympathy, while e[leo" (pity) describes the feeling which is called out by the sight of misery. Comp. Rom. 12:1; 2 Cor. 1:3; Phil. 2:1; Col. 3:12; Luke 6:36; James 5:11.
ajpoqnhvskei ] The Law is valid and effective. For ejpiv see Heb. 9:10.
29.
povsw/ dokei'te ...] Vulg. quanto magis putatis deteriora mereri supplicia (O. L. deteriora deprecabitur vindictae ). The parenthetical dokei'te makes the appeal to the readers more direct and pointed: th;n krivsin aujtoi'" ejpitrevpei : o{per eijwvqamen poiei'n ejpi; tw'n sfovdra oJmologoumevnwn, tou;" ajkroata;" dikasta;" poiou'nte" (Theophl ct

The verb ajxiwqhvsetai , which is commonly used in connexion with words of reward (Heb. 3:3; 1 Tim. 5:17), is used also of meet punishment, like a[xio" Acts 23:29.
timwriva" ] The noun occurs nowhere else in the N. T. (the verb timwrei'n is found Acts 22:5; 26:11). It expresses simply the notion of retributive punishment in regard of the offence. It will be seen that in the case of the perfect fulfilment of a perfect law the ends of retribution and correction absolutely coincide.
oJ ... katapathvsa" ... hJghsavmeno" ... ejnubrivsa" ] There is a triple indictment. The manifestation of the apostasy of the offender is described under three distinct aspects, as an act ( katapathvsa" ), as an opinion ( hJghsavmeno" ), as a personal and wilful assault ( ejnubrivsa" ). His conduct shews that he has already abandoned his faith, and that too after he had made trial of its blessings. His decision, expressed in deed, is regarded as complete and final.


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