Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Hebrews 7:13

This enormous change is in fact being made. ἐφʼ ὃν γὰρ λέγεται ταῦτα.… “For He with reference to whom this [110th Psalms 4] is said hath partaken of another tribe from which no man hath given attendance at the altar”. Here for the first time definitely in this chapter the writer introduces the fulfilment of the Psalm. It was spoken of the Messiah, and He did not belong to the tribe of Levi, but φυλῆς ἑτέρας μετέσχηκεν, has thrown in his lot with, or become a member of (cf. Hebrews 2:14) a tribe of a different kind from the Levitical (ver. Hebrews 11:11-12) being characterised by this, that from it ἀφʼ ἧς issuing from which, not ἐξ, [as in Hebrews 7:14] no one has given attendance at the altar. [Cf. 1 Timothy 4:13; Acts 20:28; Hdt., ix. 33, γυμνασίοισι; Thuc., i. 15, τοῖς ναυτικοῖς; and the equivalent in 1 Corinthians 9:13, οἱ τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ προσεδρεύοντες.] It is doubtful whether the perfect μετέσχηκεν can bear the meaning put upon it by Vaughan: “a striking suggestion of the identity of Christ in heaven with Christ upon earth”. So too Weiss. It might seem preferable to refer it with Burton (88) to the class of perfects which in the N.T. have an aorist sense, γέγονα, εἴληφα, ἔσχηκα. So Weizsäcker “gehörte”; the Vulgate, however, has “de alia tribu est,” and cf. ἀνατέταλκεν of Hebrews 7:14. But the perfects are best accounted for as referring to the statement of the previous verse. This great change is being made, for he of whom the 110th Psalm was spoken has actually become a member of another tribe. The result reaches to the change of priesthood.

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Hebrews 7:13

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