Commentary on Hebrews and the Catholic Epistles John Calvin (continued)
HEBREWS: APPENDIX OF ADDITIONAL NOTATIONS
view. Macknight's version is this, ---
16. ``For where a covenant is, there is a necessity that the 17. death of the appointed sacrifice be brought in; for a covenant is firm over dead sacrifices, since it never hath force whilst the appointed sacrifice liveth.''
The difficulty here is as to the word {διαθέμενος}, rendered above, ``the appointed sacrifice,'' --- by Doddridge, ``he by whom the covenant is confirmed,'' --- and by Scholefield, ``the mediating sacrifice.'' But the word is never found to have such meanings in the New Testament, in the Sept., or in the classics. It is therefore impossible to accede to such a view of the passage.
It is then said, on the other hand, that {διαθήκη} does not mean a testament or a will in the New Testament nor in the Sept. This is not true; for it clearly means a testament or a will in Galatians 3:15, and in connection, too, with its common meaning, a covenant, see verse 17. Besides it has commonly, if not always, this meaning in the classics.
These two verses are to be viewed as an illustration, and may be regarded as parenthetic; and were {γὰρ} rendered ``in fact,'' or indeed, this would appear more evident, ``Where indeed a testament is,'' etc. As an illustration, a reference to a testament is exceedingly suitable; for with regard to Christ, his death was really the ratification of the covenant; as by death a Will attains its validity, so by Christ's death the covenant of which he is the Mediator. Death in both instances has a similar effect. And this, and no more than this, seems to have been the intention of the Apostle. The different meaning of the same word in the same passage is to be found out by words connected with it; in the present instance {διαθέμενος} is sufficient, independently of the 17th verse, which can be rightly applied to nothing but to a will or a testament.
Many agree with Calvin on these verses, such as Erasmus, Beza, Schleusner, Stuart, Bloomfield, etc.
Appendix I2
APPENDIX I 2
Chapter 10:5 But a body hast thou prepared me The words in the Psalm are, ``Mine ears hast thou opened,'' 40:6; or more literally, ``Ears hast thou opened for me.'' Calvin seems to have discarded the idea of an allusion to the boring of the ear in sign of servitude. The two verbs are certainly different. He evidently refers to Isaiah 50:5, ``The Lord hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious;'' which clearly applies to Christ. He therefore makes the meaning of the phrase to be, ``Thou hast made me teachable and obedient.'' This view has been adopted by Merrick, Bishop Horne, and Stuart. But how to make the words, ``a body hast thou prepared for me,'' to bear an analogous meaning, does not very clearly appear. Bishop Horne gives this version, ``Thou hast prepared'' or fitted ``my body,'' that is, to be obedient and to do thy will.
Mede conceived that the allusion is to the practice of boring the ear in token