Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Hebrews 12:18

Οὐ γὰρ προσεληλύθατε … “For ye have not approached,” assigning a further reason for the previous exhortation. Your fathers drew near [Deuteronomy 4:11, προσήλθετε καὶ ἔστητε ὑπὸ τὸ ὄρος] to hear God's word. The word is used in its general sense, and the idea of drawing near as an accepted worshipper is not intended. ψηλαφωμένῳ … As MS. authority removes ὄρει, the construction is doubtful. The R.V. renders “ the mount that might be touched,” indicating that “the mount” is not in the text. This is justified by the antithetic clause, Hebrews 12:22, ἀλλὰ προσεληλύθατε Σιὼν ὄρει, which already was in his mind. Others translate “ye are not come to a palpable and kindled fire,” which is grammatically possible, but open to the objection that “a palpable fire,” a fire that can be touched is precisely what this fire was not, and it is an awkward mode of expressing a “material” fire. A third rendering is “Ye are not come to that which can be touched and is kindled with fire”. κεκαυμένῳ πυρὶ, “that burned with fire” is in agreement with Deuteronomy 4:11, τὸ ὄρος ἐκαίετο πυρὶ ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ · σκότος, γνόφος, θύελλα; see also Deuteronomy 5:22-23; Deuteronomy 9:15; Exodus 19:18. The “gloom and mist and tempest (or hurricane) and the blast of trumpet (Exodus 19:16, φωνὴ τῆς σάλπιγγος ἠχει μέγα) and voice of words” (Deuteronomy 4:12, ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐκ μέσου τοῦ πυρὸς φωνὴν ῥημάτων) are enumerated to accentuate the material and terrifying character of the revelation on which the O.T. dispensation was founded. The regularly recurrent καὶ gives emphasis to this enumeration; all the features of the manifestation were of the same character. The article is omitted before each particular, because each is introduced not for its own sake but for the general effect. From ἧς to ἔντρομος (Hebrews 12:21) describes the terror induced by these manifestations, (1) first in the people (οἱ ἀκούσαντες) who begged that not a word more should be added to them (προστεθῆναι suggested by Deuteronomy 5:25; Deuteronomy 18:16, οὐ προσθήσομεν ἀκοῦσαι τὴν φωνὴν Κύριου, “we will not any more hear, etc.,”) for they could not endure that which was being commanded, “If even a beast touch the mountain it shall be stoned” (Exodus 19:12-13); and (2) also in Moses, for, so terrifying was the appearance that Moses said, “I am extremely afraid (Deuteronomy 9:9) and tremble”. (ἔκφοβός εἰμι was uttered by Moses when God's anger was roused by the people's idolatry; Stephen (Acts 7:32) uses ἔντρομος γενόμενος of Moses at the burning bush.)

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Hebrews 12:18

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