imposed until a season of reformation.
( a ) 9:1-5. The writer begins his account of the High-priestly service of Christ with a retrospective view of the Levitical Service; and in doing this he first describes the Tabernaclethe divinely appointed scene of its performanceand not the Temple, with its parts and its characteristic furniture. As he had spoken at the close of the last chapter of the imminent disappearance of the old system, he now pauses for a moment to dwell upon the glories of that Old Covenant before he contrasts them with the supreme glory of the Christian order. He seems indeed to linger over the sacred treasures of the past; and there is a singular pathos in the passage, which is unique in the N. T. There was, he says, something majestic and attractive in the Mosaic ordinances of worship. Christians do not question the fact; nay rather when they acknowledge the beauty and meaning of the Law they can understand the Gospel better.
So OEcumenius gives the connexion rightly: ejpei; katevbalen aujth;n [ th;n palaia;n diaqhvkhn ] th'/ pro;" th;n nevan paraqevsei i{na mhv ti" ei[ph/ o{ti oujkou'n ajei; ajpovblhto" h\n, prolabw;n fhsi;n o{ti ei\ce kajkeivnh dikaiwvmata latreiva", novmou", fhsivn, kai; tavxin kai; ajkolouqivan ejmprevpousan latreiva/ qeou' .
Philo discusses the meaning of the arrangements of the Tabernacle: de vit. Mos. iii. §§ 3 ff. (2.146ff. M.).
Heb. 9:1. ei\ce me;n ou\n ªkai;º hJ prwvth ...] Now even the first covenant had ... Vulg. Habuit quidem et prius (O.L. Habebat autem )...The past tense ( ei\ce ) can be explained in different ways. The writer may regard the original institution of the Mosaic ritual (Heb. 9:2 kateskeuavsqh ); or he may regard the system as essentially abrogated by the fulfilment of Christ's work.
The latter is the view commonly taken from early times: deivknusin h[dh touvtw/ aujth;n ejkkecwrhkui'an : tovte ga;r ei\ce, fhsivn : w{ste nu'n, eij kai; e{sthken, oujk e[sti (leg. e[cei ) (Chrys.). to; ei\ce dhloi' o{ti nu'n oujk e[cei : w{ste eij kai; mh; pantelw'" ejpauvsato dia; to; tina;" aujth'/ e[ti stoicei'n, ta; mevntoi dikaiwvmata oujk e[cei (OEcum.).
But it seems more likely that the writer is considering the Mosaic system in its divine constitution.
The particles me;n ou\n correspond with the dev in 9:6. There were divine and significant elements in the service which corresponded with the first Covenant, but they were subject to particular limitations in use. The Christian Order (9:11 Cristo" dev ) offers a contrast to both parts of this description: its institutions are spiritual, and its blessings are for all. The combination does not occur again in the Epistle; and it is found in St Paul only in 1 Cor. 9:25 ejkei'noi me;n ou\n ... hJmei'" dev ...; Phil. 2:23 tou'ton me;n ou\n ... pevpoiqa dev ... o{ti kai; aujtov" ...It is frequent in the Acts (Acts 8:4, 25; & c.).
There can be no doubt that diaqhvkh (not skhnhv ) is to be supplied with hJ prwvth . This interpretation, which is supported by the ancient Versions (except Memph. ) and Fathers, is required by the context: Heb. 8:13. JH prwvth tiv" ; Chrysostom asks, and answers JH diaqhvkh .
If the
kai;
is retained (
kai; hJ prwvth
) it emphasises the parallel of the Covenants. Though the first was destined to pass away, it had, no less than the second, ordinances of divine institution.
dikaiwvmata latr.
]
ordinances of divine service
... Vulg.
justificationes