The language used suggests the open repudiation of the baptismal confession and covenant: 1 Cor. 12:3. Pliny reports to Trajan that those who were brought away from the Faith imaginem tuam deorumque simulacra venerati sunt et Christo male dixerunt ( Epp. 10.96).
The strangeness of the metaphor in katapatei'n as applied to a person is enhanced by the use of the title the Son of God (comp. Heb. 6:6 note). The word katapatei'n occurs Matt. 5:13; 7:6 in connexions which illustrate the image. That which claims to be precious is not only regarded as having no value: it is also treated with utter contempt.
Katapatei'n is not unfrequent in the LXX. in a similar connexion for
different Hebrew words: Ps. 56:2, 3 (55:2, 3); 57:4 (56:4) ( 5a'v; , H8634); Is.
63:6, 18 ( sWB , H1008).
The act of contemptuous rejection of Christ is joined with or rests upon a deliberate judgment. The apostate held the blood of the covenant to be a common thing. The word
hJgei'sqai
occurs again in this sense: Heb. 11:11,
26.
to; ai|ma th'" diaqhvkh"
] The phrase suggests the contrast on which the writer has already dwelt between the inaugurations of the Old and New Covenants: Ex. 24:8 (Heb. 9:20). Comp. Heb. 13:20; Matt. 26:28; Mark 14:24 (
to; ai|mav mou th'" diaqhvkh"
); Luke 22:20 (
tou'to to; pothvrion hJ k. diaq. ejn tw'/ ai{m. mou
).
koino;n hJghsavmeno"
] Vulg.
pollutum duxerit.
O. L.
communem aestimaverit.
Syr. vg.
as that of any man.
The two senses given by the Latin have each found support in later times. Some have taken
koinov"
as common in the sense of undistinguished from the blood of any other man; others as (positively) impure, unholy, as if Christ had suffered justly as an evildoer. This sense is supposed to be suggested by the clause
ejn w|/ hJgiavsqh
which follows. In either case the clause, added after the structure of the sentence was complete, brings in a new thought which places the greatness of the offence in a clearer light: holding that
common
wherein he was made
holy.
The usage of the N.T. uniformly places koinov" in contrast with a{gio" or kaqarov" . Comp. Heb. 9:13 note.
For the sense like that of other men, ordinary, see Just. M.
Apol.
1.66
koino;" a[rto"
. Perhaps it is simplest here to take the word as negatively opposed to
a{gio"
in the sense of having no divine virtue.
ejn w|/
...]
wherein he was sanctified (hallowed).
Vulg.
in quo sanctificatus est.
Compare Rom. 5:9 (
dikaiwqevnte" ejn tw'/ ai{m. aujtou'
); Eph. 2:13
(
ejgenhvqhte ejggu;" ejn tw'/ ai{m. Cristou'
); Apoc. 1:5 (
luvsanti
...
ejn tw'/ ai{m.
); and Heb. 9:25; 10:19 notes.
The blood of Christ is as the fountain in which the sinner is plunged for cleansing ( baptivzein ejn Matt. 3:11).
In connexion with
aJgiavzein
the preposition (
ejn
) expresses in various forms the idea of the complete introduction (immersion) of that which is hallowed into that element which by embracing hallows. Compare John 17:17 (
aJg. ejn th'/ ajlhqeiva/
); Rom. 15:16 (
hJgiasm. ejn pn. aJg.
); 1 Cor. 1:2 (
hJgiasm. ejn
C. jI
.); 7:14 (
hJg. oJ ajnh;r Jh gunh] ejn
...); Jude 1 (
toi'" ejn q. patri; hJgiasmevnoi"
). The hallowing of the Christian is spoken of as one definite act
(
hJgiavsqh
). By incorporation into Christ he was once for all devoted to God. Comp. 1 Cor. 6:11.