in cibis et potu et variis baptismis, justitia carnis usque ad tempus restitutionis imposita.
The Vulgate renders kai; dikaiwvmasin ... ejpikeimevnoi" quae non possunt...in cibis...et variis baptismatibus et justitiis carnis usque ad tempus correctionis impositis.
Three points in this complicated sentence require consideration, the weakness of the Levitical offerings (
mh; dun. kata; sun. tel. to;n latr.
), the ground of their weakness (
movnon ejpi; brwvmasin
...
dikaiwvmata sarkov"
), the purpose of their enactment (
mevcri kairou' diorq. ejpik.
).
mh; dun.
...
tel. to;n latr.
] For the idea of
teleivwsi"
a bringing to
perfection according to some assumed standard, see Heb. 7:11 note. Here that standard is said to be according to as touching the conscience. The Levitical offerings were able to secure an outward perfecting, the admission of each worshipper to a full participation in the privileges of the ancient commonwealth of God, which depended on the satisfaction of ceremonial conditions. But they could not bring a spiritual perfecting. They could not, to notice one aspect, cleanse the conscience from dead works to serve a living God (9:14).
For suneivdhsi" see Additional Note. to;n latreuvonta expresses each worshipper who approached God through the appointed minister. Compare Heb. 10:2 tou;" latreuvonta" (of the whole body); 13:10. For the absolute use of latreuvw see 10:2 note.
9:10.
movnon ejpi; brwvm.
...
dik. s.
] These offerings were unable to satisfy
man's destiny
being only ordinances of flesh
combined with,
resting upon, meats and drinks and divers washings.
The movnon and the ejpi; brwvm. both serve to limit and explain the character of the Mosaic institutions. These institutions were only ordinances of flesh, ordinances which dealt with that which is external (comp. Heb. 7:16 kata; novmon ejntolh'" sarkivnh" ); and the accompaniments of the sacrifices, the personal requirements with which they were connected, indicated their purely outward significance.
For the use of the preposition ejpiv to express the accompanying circumstances or conditions see 1 Thess. 4:7; 1 Cor. 9:10; 2 Cor. 9:6; Gal. 5:13; Eph. 2:10; 2 Tim. 2:14. Compare also Heb. 9:15, 17; Heb. 8:6; 10:28.
The reference in brwvm. kai; povm. kai; diaf. Bapt. is general, and must be taken to include the various Levitical regulations positive and negative as to meats and drinks, developed by tradition. The mention of drinks has caused difficulty, for the Law gave no universal directions in this respect: so Theophylact asks: pw'" de; ei\pe povmasi ; kaivtoi peri; pomavtwn diafora'" ouj dielavmbanen oJ novmo" ; He suggests that the reference may be to the conditions of the Nazarite vow (Num. 6:3), or to the injunctions laid upon the ministering priests (Lev. 10:9). Comp. Col. 2:16.
For the different washings see Mark 7:4. Comp. Ex. 29:4; Lev. 11:25, 28 ff.; 16:4, 24 ff.; Num. 8:7; 19:17, & c.
mevcri k. diorq. ejpikeivmena
] The provisional character of the Levitical institutions illustrates their enactment. They were
imposed until a season of reformation.
The word
diovrqwsi"
is not found elsewhere in biblical Greek. It is used in late Greek writers for the reformation of laws, institutions, states. Comp. Acts 24:3
diovrqwma
. The verb
diorqou'n
is used in the LXX. of