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dei' ] The word marks a logical necessity and not a moral obligation: we must rather than we ought. Compare 11:6, 9:26, and contrast ojfeivlein v. 17,
v. 3, 12. See 1 John 2:6 note.

peris". pro". ] Vulg. abundantius observare. The adverb expresses, so to speak, an absolute excess (Heb. 13:19, Heb. 6:17, 7:15), and not simply a relative excess ( ma'llon 9:14, 10:25, 12:9, 25). The connexion of perissotevrw" with dei' is unnatural. The force of the comparative is ‘more exceedingly than if there had been no such marked preeminence of the Son.’ The form in -w" is not found in the LXX. or Philo.
prosevcein ] The full phrase pro". t. nou'n does not occur in the N.T. (but see Job 7:17 LXX.). The word is used of things Acts 8:6; 16:14; 1 Tim. 1:4; Tit. 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:19; and of persons Acts 8:10 f.; 1 Tim. 4:1. The absolute use occurs as early as Demosthenes. Compare Heb. 7:13 n.
hJma'" ] we Christians. The obligation is a special one.
toi'" ajkousq. ] to the things that were heard , to the message received by the apostles ( oiJ ajkouvsante" ) when ‘God spake in His Son’; or, more simply, to the things we heard (as kathcouvmenoi ) when first the Gospel was preached to us ( oJ lovgo" th'" ajkoh'" Heb. 4:2; 1 Thess. 2:13. Comp. Rom. 10:17).

It is to be noticed that the writer of the Epistle does not use eujaggevlion (the verb occurs Heb. 4:2, 6). In the writings of St John it is found only in Apoc. 14:6.
mhv pote ] lest haply , Vulg. ne forte (O. L. ne casu ) and not lest ever. Compare 4:1.
pararuw'men ] The word pararrei'n is of considerable interest. It is constantly used of things which slip away, as a ring from the finger (Plut. Amat. p. 754 A), OR TAKE A WRONG COURSE , AS A CRUMB OF FOOD PASSING INTO THE WINDPIPE (A RIST . DE PART . AN . 3.3), OR AN INOPPORTUNE SUBJECT INTRUDING UPON A COMPANY (AE LIAN , V. H. 3.30).

I T OCCURS TWICE IN THE G REEK TRANSLATIONS OF THE B OOK OF P ROVERBS . I T IS FOUND IN THE SENSE OF SLIPPING AWAY IN S YMMACHUS ' RENDERING OF P ROV . 4:21 MH PARARRUHSAVTWSAN EJX OJFQALMWN SOU FOR THE

H EB . Ú YNY [ EME W ZY L ÀIY "A LA : V ULG . NE RECEDANT AB OCULIS TUIS : E. V. L ET THEM NOT DEPART FROM THINE EYES . A ND AGAIN IT OCCURS OF THE PERSON IN P ROV . 3:21
(LXX.)
uiJe; mh; pararuh'/", thvrhson de; ejmh;n boulh;n kai; e[nnoian , for the similar

Hebrew Úyn–<y[eme Wzl¢uy:Ala' ynIB]£ : Vulg. Fili mi, ne effluant haec ab oculis tuis: E.

V. Let them not depart from thine eyes. This latter usage is identical with the usage in the present passage: ‘Do not be carried away from my teaching.’

The idea is not that of simple forgetfulness, but of being swept along past the sure anchorage which is within reach. (Compare Hesychius: pararuh'/", metewrisqh'/", parapevsh/" .) The image is singularly expressive. We are all continuously exposed to the action of currents of opinion, habit, action, which tend to carry us away insensibly from the position which we ought to maintain.

The versions are very vague. The Syriac gives fall lp,n< as in Heb. 4:11

( mhv ti" pevsh/ ). There are many Latin renderings: Vulg. pereffluamus , O. L. labamur (lebemur) or labemus; and in patristic quotations: supereffluamus (Hier.), defluamus (Aug.), effluamus (Sedul.). Primasius was evidently


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