> 1. Does anyone happen to have S and H at hand so that s/he can set me
> straight on what they claim, and how they end up
> translating/interpreting the verse.
"usually subst. meaning strictly 'place or vehicle of propitiation,' but
originally neut. of adj. hILASTHRIOS (hILASTHRION EPIQEMA Ex. XXV. 16[17],
where, however Gif. takes the two words as substantives in apposition).
In LXX of the Pentateuch, as in Heb. ix.5, the word conbstantly stands for
the 'lid of the ark,' or 'mercy-seat' so called from the fact of its being
sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement. A
number of the best authorities (esp. Gif. Va. Lid. Ritschl, "Rechtfert. u.
Versohn") take the word here in this sense, arguing (i) that it suits the
emphatic AUTOU in EN TW AUTOU hAIMATI; (ii) that through LXX it would be
by far the most familiar usage; (iii) that the Greek commentators (as Gif.
hs shown in detail) unanimously give it this sense; (iv) that the idea is
specially appropriate inasmuch as on Christ rests the fulness of the
Divine glory, 'the true Shekinah,' and it is natural to connect with His
Death the culminating rite in the culminating service of Atonement.
But, on the other hand, there is great harshness, not to say confusion, in
making Christ at once priest and victim and place of sprinkling. Origen it
is true does not shrink from this.... But although there is a partial
analogy for this in Heb.... where Christ is both priest and victim, it is
straining the image yet further to identify Him with the HILASTHRION."
FWIW, it strikes me as confusing and harsh too.
"....It appears therefore simplest to take it as adj. accus. masc.
added as predicate to hON....it is just this personal element which is
most important. It agrees with the context that the term chosen should be
rather one which generalizes the character of propitiatory sacrifice than
one which exactly reproduces a particular feature of such sacrifice."
Hope what I've included/deleted from S and H is of use to you. There are
almost 2 pages worth of stuff about this one word, so I guess it's not
*so* strange that your student is wrestling with the same issue.
God Bless,
Ginger (assistant to Holly)