the+decree

διαθήκη, ης, ἡ (Democr., Aristoph.+; ins, pap, LXX, En, TestSol, TestAbr, Test12Patr; ParJer 6:21; ApcEsdr, ApcMos; AssMos Fgm. a; Philo, Joseph., Just.; Mel., HE 4, 26, 14) apart from the simplex θήκη ‘case, chest’, for the mng. of this word one must begin with the mid. form of the verb διατίθεμαι, which is freq. used in legal and commercial discourse of disposition of things (s. L-S-J-M s.v. διατιθημι B), w. implication of promissory obligation. Disposition of one’s personal effects would naturally come under testamentary law, hence

① last will and testament (so exclusively in Hellenistic times, Eger [s. 3 below] 99 note; exx. e.g. in Riggenbach 292ff; Behm 10, 1; 2; Philo, Joseph., Test12Patr; loanw. in rabb.) Hb 9:16f; δ. κεκυρωμένη a will that has been ratified Gal 3:15; cp. 17, where δ. shades into mng. 2 (s. κυρόω 1, προκυρόω); s. also EBammel, below, and JSwetnam, CBQ 27, ’65, 373–90. On Jewish perspective s. RKatzoff, An Interpretation of PYadin 19—A Jewish Gift after Death: ProcXXCongPap 562–65.

② As a transl. of בְּרִית in LXX δ. retains the component of legal disposition of personal goods while omitting that of the anticipated death of a testator. A Hellenistic reader would experience no confusion, for it was a foregone conclusion that gods were immortal. Hence a δ. decreed by God cannot require the death of the testator to make it operative. Nevertheless, another essential characteristic of a testament is retained, namely that it is the declaration of one person’s initiative, not the result of an agreement betw. two parties, like a compact or a contract. This is beyond doubt one of the main reasons why the LXX rendered בְּרִית by δ. In the ‘covenants’ of God, it was God alone who set the conditions; hence covenant (s. OED s.v. ‘covenant’ sb. 7) can be used to trans. δ. only when this is kept in mind. So δ. acquires a mng. in LXX which cannot be paralleled w. certainty in extra-Biblical sources, namely ‘decree’, ‘declaration of purpose’, ‘set of regulations’, etc. Our lit., which is very strongly influenced by LXX in this area, seems as a rule to have understood the word in these senses (JHughes, NovT 21, ’79, 27–96 [also Hb 9:16–20; Gal 3:15–17]). God has issued a declaration of his purpose Ro 11:27 (Is 59:21); 1 Cl 15:4 (Ps 77:37); 35:7 (Ps 49:16), which God bears in mind (cp. Ps 104:8f; 105:45 al.) Lk 1:72; it goes back to ancestral days Ac 3:25 (PsSol 9:10; ParJer 6:21). God also issued an ordinance (of circumcision) 7:8 (cp. Gen 17:10ff). Since God’s holy will was set forth on more than one occasion (Gen 6:18; 9:9ff; 15:18; 17:2ff; Ex 19:5 and oft.), one may speak of διαθῆκαι decrees, assurances (cp. διαθῆκαι πατέρων Wsd 18:22; 2 Macc 8:15.—But the pl. is also used for a single testament: Diog. L. 4, 44; 5, 16. In quoting or referring to Theophr. sometimes the sing. [Diog. L. 5, 52; 56] is used, sometimes the pl. [5, 51; 57]) Ro 9:4; Eph 2:12. Much emphasis is laid on the δ. καινή, mentioned as early as Jer 38:31, which God planned for future disposition (Hb 8:8–10; 10:16). God’s decree or covenant directed toward the Christians is a καινὴ δ. (δ. δευτέρα Orig., C. Cels. 2, 75) Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25; 2 Cor 3:6; Hb 8:8; 9:15a; PtK 2 p. 15, 5, or δ. νέα Hb 12:24; PtK 2 p. 15, 6 which, as a δ. αἰώνιος (cp. Jer 39:40; En 99:2) Hb 13:20, far excels 7:22; 8:6 the παλαιὰ δ. 2 Cor 3:14, or πρώτη δ. Hb 9:15b, with which it is contrasted. Both are mentioned (Did., Gen. 46, 4; 235, 26) Gal 4:24; B 4:6ff (Ex 34:28; 31:18; Just., D. 67, 9). Blood was shed when the old covenant was proclaimed at Sinai Hb 9:20 (Ex 24:8); the same is true of the new covenant Hb 10:29. τὸ αἷμά μου τ. διαθήκης Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24 (ELohse, Märtyrer u. Gottesknecht², ’63, 122–29) is prob. to be understood in connection w. this blood (s. WWrede, ZNW 1, 1900, 69–74; TRobinson, My Blood of the Covenant: KMarti Festschr. 1925, 232–37; for a critique of this view s. GWalther, Jesus, D. Passalamm des Neuen Bundes, ’50, 22–27 and JJeremias TLZ, ’51, 547. For Syriac background JEmerton, JTS 13, ’62, 111–17; s. also ÉDelebrecque, Études grecques sur l’vangile de Luc ’76, 109–21).—The v.l. Lk 22:29 may be derived from Jer 39:40 or Is 55:3 LXX (for the cognate acc. s. Aristoph., Aves 440).—δ. may also be transl. decree in the Ep. of Barnabas (4:6ff; 6:19; 9:6; 13:1, 6; 14:1ff δ. δοῦναί τινι); but the freq. occurrence of the idea of inheritance (6:19; 13:1, 6; 14:4f), makes it likely that the ‘decree’ is to be thought of as part of a will.

③ The mng. compact, contract seems firmly established for Gr-Rom. times (FNorton, A Lexicographical and Historical Study of Διαθήκη, Chicago 1908, 31ff; EBruck, D. Schenkung auf d. Todesfall im griech. u. röm. Recht I 1909, 115ff; JWackernagel, D. Kultur d. Gegenw. I 8² 1907, 309). It remains doubtful whether this mng. has influenced our lit. here and there (exc. quite prob. Lk 22:29 v.l. with its administrative tenor; the phrase διατίθεμαι δ. as Aristoph., Av. 440 of a treaty agreement), but the usage of the term δ. in such sense would again serve as a bridge to LXX usage.—The expr. ἡ κιβωτὸς τ. διαθήκης covenant chest i.e. the sacred box (Eng. ‘ark’ as loanw. from Lat. arca) that symbolized God’s pledge of presence w. Israel (Ex 31:7; 39:14 al.) Hb 9:4; Rv 11:19 or αἱ πλάκες τ. διαθ. (Ex 34:28; Dt 9:9, 11) Hb 9:4 would have required some acquaintance with Israelite tradition on the part of ancient readers.—ERiggenbach, D. Begriff d. Διαθήκη im Hb: Theol. Stud. f. TZahn 1908, 289ff, Hb² 1922, 205ff al.; ACarr, Covenant or Testament?: Exp. 7th ser., 7, 1909, 347ff; JBehm, D. Begriff D. im NT 1912; ELohmeyer, Diatheke 1913; WFerguson, Legal Terms Common to the Macedonian Inscr. and the NT, 1913, 42–46 (testamentary exhibits); HKennedy, Exp. 8th ser., 10, 1915, 385ff; GVos, Hebrews, the Epistle of the Diatheke: PTR 13, 1915, 587–632; 14, 1916, 1–61; OEger, ZNW 18, 1918, 84–108; EBurton, ICC Gal 1921, 496–505; LdaFonseca, Διαθήκη foedus an testamentum?: Biblica 8, 1927; 9, 1928; EBammel, Gottes διαθήκη (Gal 3:15–17) u. d. jüd. Rechtsdenken, NTS 6, ’60, 313–19; NDow, A Select Bibliography on the Concept of Covenant, Austin Seminary Bulletin 78, 6, ’63; CRoetzel, Biblica 51, ’70, 377–90 (Ro 9:4); DMcCarthy, Berit and Covenant (Deut.), ’72, 65–85; EChristiansen, The Covenant in Judaism and Paul ’95.—DELG s.v. θήκη. M-M. TW. Sv.

ψήφ-ισμα, ατος, τό, [dialect] Dor. [full] ψάφιγμα [ψᾱ] Inscr.Cret.1. v 20 A17 (Arcades, ii B.C.); written [[full] ψ] άπιγμα Supp.Epigr.4.171.53 (Tymnus, v/iv B.C.):—

A proposal passed by a majority of votes: esp. measure passed by a popular assembly, decree, act, A. Supp. 601 (pl.), Ar.Ach. 536, al.: c. gen. suasoris, the decree proposed by him,

τὸ Καννωνοῦ ψ. Id.Ec. 1090

, cf. And.1.27: but τὸ Μεγαρέων ψ. the decree concerning them, Th.1.140 (more freq. τὸ περὶ Μ. ψ. ib. 139, cf. X.HG2.1.32); also

τὸ ψ. τὸ διὰ τὰς λαικαστρίας Ar.Ach. 536

; ἐγένετο ψ. μὴ ἐξεῖναι .. X.HG2.2.15; ψ. γράφειν bring in a decree, Ar.Nu. 1429; ψ. ἐπιψηφίζειν put it to the vote, Aeschin.2.84; ψ. νικᾶν carry it, Id.3.68; ψ. καθαιρεῖν rescind it, Th.1.140; ἐξαλεῖψαι, ἀφελέσθαι, And.1.76, 2.24: prop. concerned with special circumstances (

οὐδὲν ἐνδέχεται ψ. εἶναι καθόλου Arist.Pol. 1292a37

); opp. νόμος (general law, statute),

νόμους καὶ ψηφίσματα Pl.Tht. 173d

;

ὅταν τὰ ψ. κύρια ᾖ ἀλλὰ μὴ ὁ νόμος Arist.Pol. 1292a6

;

περὶ ἐνίων ἀδύνατον θέσθαι νόμον, ὥστε ψηφίσματος δεῖ Id.EN 1137b29

;

ψηφισμάτων οὐδ' ὁτιοῦν διαφέρουσιν οἱ νόμοι, ἀλλὰ νεώτεροι οἱ νόμοι, καθ' οὓς τὰ ψ. δεῖ γράφεσθαι, τῶν ψ. αὐτῶν D.20.92

.

II generally, decree, law,

θεῶν ψ. παλαιόν Emp.115

, cf. Ar.V. 378 (lyr.), Lexap.And.1.96, LXXEs.3.7, al.

decree, edict

1. The jurisdiction of the Council of the Federation includes:

a) approval of changes in borders between subjects of the Russian Federation;

2. The Council of the Federation shall adopt resolutions on the issues referred to its authority by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

φεύγω, Il.21.472, etc.: [dialect] Ep. inf. φευγέμεν, φευγέμεναι, 10.147, 21.13; [tense] impf.

A

ἔφευγον 22.158

, etc., Poet.

φεῦγον 9.478

, Tyrt.5.8, Pi.N. 9.13: iter.

φεύγεσκον Il.17.461

, Hdt.4.43: [tense] fut.

φεύξομαι Il.18.307

, etc.; also φευξοῦμαι in E. and Com., E.Med. 341, 346, Hel. 500, 1041, Ba. 659, Ar.Ach. 203 (cod. R), 1129, Pl. 447, Av. 932 ([etym.] ἀπο-), Men. 283 (but dub. where found in [dialect] Att. Prose, Pl.Lg. 635c, al., D.38.19; φευξεῖται is dub. l. in IPE12.24.11 (Olbia, iv B. C.); [tense] fut. [voice] Act. ἐκ-φεύξω only late, v.l. in Aesop.349b, cf. Chambry ii p.479): [tense] aor. ἔφῠγον, [dialect] Ion.

φύγεσκον Od.17.316

: [tense] pf.

πέφευγα Hdt.7.154

codd. (v. infr.11.1a); opt.

πεφεύγοι Il.21.609

(

ἐκ-πεφευγοίην S.OT 840

), part.

πεφευγότες Od.1.12

; part. [tense] pf. [voice] Pass. πεφυγμένος in act. sense, Il.6.488, Od.1.18, etc. (in pass. sense, Epicur.Fr. 423); [dialect] Ep. πεφυζότες (cf. φύζα) Il.21.6, 528, 532, 22.1, later sg.

πεφυζώς Nic.Th. 128

; [dialect] Aeol. πεφύγγων, v. φυγγάνω:—[voice] Med., μὴ φεύγησθε Anon.Hist. in PLit.Lond. 115: [tense] aor. 1 δια-φεύξασθαι Decr.Ath. in Hp.Ep.25.

I abs., flee, take flight, opp. διώκω, Il.22.157, etc.;

βῆ φεύγων ἐπὶ πόντον 2.665

;

πῇ φεύγεις; 8.94

;

πόσε φεύγετε; 16.422

;

ποῖ φύγωμεν.. χθονός; A.Supp. 777

(lyr.);

ποῖ τις οὖν φύγῃ; S.Aj. 403

(lyr.);

ἐνθένδε ἐκεῖσε φ. Pl.Tht. 176b

: with Preps.,

φ. ἀπό τινος Od.12.120

;

φεύξονται ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν εἰς φιλοσοφίαν Pl.Tht. 168a

, etc.; ἐκ πολέμοιο, ἐκ θανάτοιο, Il.7.118, 20.350;

ἐκ κακῶν πεφευγέναι S.Ant. 437

, cf. Hdt.1.65;

ὑπὲκ κακοῦ Il.15.700

, cf. 17.461 (rarely c. gen. only, πεφυγμένος ἦεν ἀέθλων (v. infr. 11) Od.1.18;

τῆς νόσου πεφευγέναι S.Ph. 1044

);

φ. ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν Il. 2.140

, 159, al.; ἐπὶ Σάρδεων, ἐπὶ τὸν Ἑλικῶνα, X.Cyr.7.2.1, Ages. 2.11;

πρὸς τὸ ὄρος Id.HG3.5.19

;

ὑπὸ γᾶν A.Eu. 175

(lyr.);

ὑπὸ δελφῖνος ἰχθύες φ. Il.21.23

, cf. 554 (cf. infr. 111.2): c. acc. cogn., φύγε λαιψηρὸν δρόμον ran the course full swiftly, Pi.P.9.121;

τίνα φυγὴν φευξούμεθα; E.Hel. 1041

; φ. τὴν παρὰ θάλασσαν (sc. ὁδόν) flee by the shore route, Hdt.4.12; cf. infr. 111; for φυγῇ φεύγειν, v. infr. 11.1,

φυγή 1.1

.

2 [tense] pres. and [tense] impf. tenses prop. express only the purpose or endeavour to get away: hence part. φεύγων is added to the compd. Verbs καταφεύγω, ἐκφεύγω, προφεύγω, to distinguish the attempt from the accomplishment, βέλτερον, ὃς φεύγων προφύγῃ κακὸν ἠὲ ἁλώῃ it is better that one should flee and escape than stay and be caught, Il.14.81;

φεύγων ἐκφεύγει Hdt.5.95

, cf. Ar.Ach. 177;

φ. καταφυγεῖν Hdt.4.23

.

3 φ. εἰς .. have recourse to.. take refuge in..,

ἐς τοὺς ἀφώνους μάρτυρας E.Hipp. 1076

.

4 c. inf., shun or shrink from doing, Hdt.4.76, Antipho 1.13, Pl.Ap. 26a; with inf. omitted,

φεύγουσι γάρ τοι χοἱ θρασεῖς

shrink back,

S.Ant. 580

.

II c. acc., flee, avoid, escape,

Ἕκτορα Il.11.327

, etc.;

φ. τινὰ ἐκ μάχης Hdt.7.104

;

φ. ἐς τὴν Ἀσίην τοὺς Σκύθας Id.4.12

;

φ. θάνατον Il.1.60

;

ἔνθ' ἄλλοι μὲν πάντες, ὅσοι φύγον αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον, οἴκοι ἔσαν πόλεμόν τε πεφευγότες ἠδὲ θάλασσαν Od.1.11

; ἔφυγον κακόν, εὗρον ἄμεινον, formula used by μύσται, D.18.259; with modal dat., φ. ὄνειδος λόγοις, ἀμαχανίαν ἔργῳ, Pi.O.6.90, P.9.92; avoid, shun,

χρὴ.. φεύγειν τὰ παχύνοντα Gal.Vict.Att.12

;

τὴν ἀργίαν καὶ τὴν ἀκινησίαν τοῦ σώματος Sor.1.93

, cf. 46, al.; φόνον φ. flee the consequences of the murder, E.Med. 796;

αἷμα συγγενὲς φ. χθονός Id.Supp. 148

;

τὰν Διὸς μῆτιν φ. A.Pr. 906

(lyr.);

ὀσμὴν.., μὴ βάλῃ, πεφευγότες S.Ant. 412

;

φεύγων φυγῇ τὸ γῆρας Pl.Smp. 195b

;

ἐς πόντον.. φύγε πέτρας νηῦς Od. 10.131

; οὐδεμία [πόλις] πέφευγε (sed fort. leg. ἀπέφυγε) δουλοσύνην πρὸς Ἱπποκράτεος at the hands of.., Hdt.7.154: part. [tense] pf. [voice] Pass. also retains the acc. in Hom. in periphrastic phrases,

μοῖραν δ' οὔ τινά φημι πεφυγμένον ἔμμεναι ἀνδρῶν Il.6.488

;

πεφυγμένον ἔμμεν ὄλεθρον Od.9.455

;

οὔ οἱ νῦν ἔτι γ' ἔστι πεφυγμένον ἄμμε γενέσθαι Il.22.219

, cf. h.Ven. 34:—but in pass. sense, τὸ πάραυτα πεφυγμένον κακόν Epicur.l.c.

b seek to avoid, shirk,

στρατείαν D.21.162

;

εἰ τοῦτο φεύξονται καὶ μὴ 'θελήσουσι ποιεῖν Id.20.138

; so in [tense] aor.,

ἢν φύγῃ τις, ζημιοῦν Ar.Ach. 717

.

2 of things,

ἡνίοχον φύγον ἡνία

escaped, slipped from his hands,

Il.23.465

;

Νέστορα δ' ἐκ χειρῶν φύγον ἡνία 8.137

, cf. 11.128; τὸ φεῦγον the part which slips, X.Eq. 10.9, cf. Hp.Off.9, Gal.18(2).735: c. dupl. acc.,

ποῖόν σε ἔπος φύγεν ἕρκος ὀδόντων Il.4.350

, Od.1.64, etc.

b of wine, 'go off', turn sour, Gp.7.7.8.

III flee one's country, Il. 9.478, Od.13.259; οἱ φεύγοντες the exiles, Th.1.24, X.Ages.7.6;

πατρίδα φ. Od.15.228

, X.Cyr.3.1.24;

τὴν αὑτοῦ Th.5.26

;

ἅπασαν τὴν Ἀθηναίων ξυμμαχίδα IG12.10.30

;

φ. ἐξ Ἄργεος Od.15.224

, cf. Th.8.85; ἐξ Ἀθηνέων, ἐκ τῆς πατρίδος, Hdt.6.103, X.An.1.3.3.

2 φ. ὑπὸ Σκυθέων to be expelled, driven out by.. Hdt.4.125: but esp. to be exiled,

φ. ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου Id.5.30

, X.HG1.1.27; φ. ἐξ Ἀρείου πάγου by their sentence, Din.1.44: also c. acc.,

φ. Πεισιστρατίδας Hdt. 5.62

.

3 abs., go into exile, live in banishment, A.Ag. 1668 (troch.), Antipho 2.2.9, Pl.Mx. 242b;

δύο ἔτη φευγέτω Id.Lg. 867c

; φ. ἀειφυγίαν to be banished for life, ib. 871d, al.;

φεόγειν Ἀμφίπολιν ἀειφυγίην SIG194.3

, cf. 24 (Amphipolis, iv B. C.); but also

ἐν ἀειφυγίᾳ Pl.Lg. 877e

;

φεύγων ἀπ' οἴκων ἃς ἐγὼ φεύγω φυγάς E.Andr. 976

; φεύγοντες being in exile, opp.

φυγόντες

having gone into exile,

Lys.14.33

; with play on words, "μέχρι τίνος φεύξῃ, Ἀρκαδίων; καὶ ὅς, ἔς τ' ἂν τοὺς ἀφίκωμαι οἳ οὐκ ἴσασι Φίλιππον" Duris 3 J.

IV as law-term (mostly in [tense] pres. and [tense] impf., but cf. Lys.12.4 (v. infr.)), to be accused or prosecuted at law: ὁ φεύγων the accused, defendant, Ar.V. 893, Pl.R. 405b, etc.; opp.

διώκω, οὔτε φεύγων ἁλοὺς οὔτε διώκων ἡττηθείς D.23.66

; c. acc., φ. γραφάς, δίκην, Ar.Eq. 442 (lyr.), Nu. 167;

ὑπό τινος δίκας φ. Pl.Ap. 19c

, cf. D.49.1;

οὐδενὶ πώποτε οὔτε ἡμεῖς οὔτε ἐκεῖνος δίκην οὔτε ἐδικασάμεθα οὔτε ἐφύγομεν Lys.

l. c.;

φ. ἀπολογίας Aeschin.3.201

; the crime being added in gen.,

φόνου δίκην φ. Antipho 5.9

;

γραφὰς φ. παρανόμων D.18.235

; more freq. c. gen. only, φ. φόνου to be charged with murder, Lys.10.31, Lycurg.133, etc.;

φ. δειλίας Ar. Ach. 1129

;

ξενίας Id.V. 718

(anap.); with gen. of the penalty,

ἐὰν.. φεύγῃ δεσμῶν OGI218.92

(Ilium, iii B. C.); also

περὶ θανάτου φ. Antipho 5.95

;

φ. ἐπὶ μηνύσει τινός And.1.18

; ἀσεβείας φ. ὑπό τινος is accused of impiety by.., Pl.Ap. 35d; rarely of things, τὸ φεῦγον ψήφισμα the decree that is on its defence, the decree in question, D.23.58:—in Hdt.7.214 αἰτίην φ. has the older sense, flee from a charge, quit one's country on account of a charge.

2 plead in defence, δεῖ τοί σε φεύγειν.. ὡς οὐκ ἔχουσι κῦρος [οἱ νόμοι] A.Supp. 390; ἔφευγε μὴ εἰδέναι pleaded ignorance, S.Ant. 263, (Cf. Lat.fugio, Goth. biugan 'bend', etc.)