ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ. Text. Rec. adds εἰς Χριστὸν with DGKL syrr.

17. τοῦτο δὲ λέγω. Now what I mean, by using the figure in Galatians 3:15.

διαθήκην. St Paul here distinctly passes from the general notion of διαθήκη (Galatians 3:15 note) to the special, i.e. to God’s great disposition to Abraham.

προκεκυρωμένην[103]. The preposition strengthens the thought of time already lying in the perfect. The confirmation may be seen in the vision of the burning lamp (Genesis 15), or the repetition of the promise, or the oath (Hebrews 6:13-14 referring to Genesis 22:16-17).

[103] Is affixed it means that all the passages are mentioned where the word occurs in the Greek Bible.

ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ. See notes on Textual Criticism.

ὁ μετὰ τετρακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη γεγονὼς νόμος. St Paul is not concerned with the question as to who gave the Law, or with that of its being “given” at all, but only with the fact of its having come into existence (γεγονώς).

St Paul’s period of 430 years from Abraham to the exodus is practically that of the LXX. in Exodus 12:40 sq. (ἡ δὲ κατοίκησις τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ ἣν κατῴκησαν ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ἐν γῇ Χανάαν ἔτη τετρακόσια τριάκοντα [+ πέντε Β*]), which is also that of the Samaritan Pentateuch, Josephus, Ant. II. 15. 2 (§ 318), Jerusalem Targum on Exodus 12:40 (the Fragmenten-targum does not contain this verse). Compare also Charles’ note on the Book of Jubilees 14:13. But St Stephen, Acts 7:6 (though using “400” as a round number), follows the Hebrew of Exodus 12:40, according to which the 430 years were all spent in Egypt, and so Philo (Quis rer. div. her. 54, § 269) and Josephus (Ant. II. 9. 1 [§ 204]; B.J. v. 9. 4 [§ 382]). So also Genesis 15:13.

οὐκ�, “does not repeal,” Matthew 15:6 || Mark 7:13[104]; stronger than ἀθετεῖ, Galatians 3:15. See Swete on Mark 7:13. Cf. the juristic formula in the papyri εἰς� (Deissmann, Bible Studies, p. 228, and Moulton and Milligan in Expositor, VII. 5, 1908, p. 177).

[104] Is affixed to a word it means that all the passages are mentioned where that word occurs in the New Testament.

εἰς τὸ καταργῆσαι (Galatians 5:4; Galatians 5:11) τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν. “So as to make the promise of none effect” (R.V.). Compare Romans 4:14. The force of εἰς τὸ is to express the “measure of effect, or result” (see Moulton, Proleg., 1906, p. 219).

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Old Testament