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eij" eu[kairon bohvqeian ] Vulg. gratiam inveniamus in auxilio opportuno. The help comes when it is needed and not till then (Heb. 2:18 toi'" peirazomevnoi" bohqh'sai ). Comp. Philo de migr. Abr. § 10 (i. p. 445 M.) oujkou'n o{ti kai; pro;" bohvqeian duvnami" ajrwgo;" eujtreph;" ejfedreuvei para; qew'/ kai; aujto;" oJ hJgemw;n ejggutevrw provseisin ejpj wjfeleiva/ tw'n ajxivwn wjfelei'sqai dedhvlwtai . The clause goes with all that precedes: ‘mercy’ and ‘grace’ are always ready at the present moment. An nu'n prosevlqh/", fhsiv, lhvyh/ kai; cavrin kai; e[leon : eujkaivrw" ga;r prosevrch/ : a]n de; tovte prosevlqh/", oujkevti : a[kairo" ga;r tovte hJ provsodo" (Chrys. followed by the later commentators).

Comp. Gen. 35:3. One of the names of Ahura Mazda is ‘the One of whom questions are asked’ ( Zendavesta S.B.E. ii. p. 24 and note). Philo's description of ‘the Divine Word’ as High-priest in the soul of man is worthy of study: de prof. §§ 20, 21 (i. pp. 562 f. M.).

Additional Note on the reading of Hebrews 4:2.

There is evidence of a twofold difference in the earliest authorities as to the reading of this verse. The difference in the forms sunkekerasm-, sunkekram- may be neglected. The substantial differences which affect the interpretation of the passage lie in (1) -mevno", -mevnou" , and (2) toi'" ajkouvsasin, tw'n ajkousavntwn , ( toi'" ajkousqei'si ).

(1) ( a ) The nom. sing. ( sunkekerasmevno" ) is read by a (vg non

admistus ) d ( non temperatus ) syr vg ( because it was not mixed ) Cyr. Alex., Lcfr. ( non temperatus ), (Primas.).

( b ) The accus. plur. ( sunkekerasmevnou" ) is read by ABCD 2*M 2, the great mass of later MSS. some Lat. MSS. (am. non admixtis ), syr hl (text for they were not mixed ), me ( quia non confusi sunt , Wilkins), Theod. Mops., Aug., Chrys., Theodt., Theophct.

(2) ( a ) toi'" ajkouvsasin is the reading of all the Greek MSS. with the exception of D 2* and 71.

( b ) tw'n ajkousavntwn is read by D 2* (and this may be the original of auditorum in d e Lcfr.), and by syr hl mg.

( c ) toi'" ajkousqei'si which appears to have been a conjecture of Theodore of Mopsuestia is read by 71, but the sense is given by the vg ex his quae audierunt.

Thus four combinations which have early authority require to be considered.

( a ) mh; sunkekerasmevno" th'/ pivstei toi'" ajkouvsasin .

( b ) mh; sunkekerasmevno" th'/ pivstei tw'n ajkousavntwn . ( g ) mh; sunkekerasmevnou" th'/ pivstei toi'" ajkouvsasin .

( d ) mh; sunkekerasmevnou" th'/ pivstei toi'" [ ajkousqei'sin v. ajkouvsmasin ]. Of these ( b ) may be set aside without hesitation. The variant tw'n ajkousavntwn is not unlike one of the mechanical changes of D 2 (see Heb. 4:1, 12, 16), and it gives no tolerable sense.

The other readings (( a ), ( g ), ( d )) give severally a good sense, though there are difficulties in each case (see Notes).


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