Chapter XXVII (continued, part 30)
it is apt to produce many more. Numbers 20. I-IS, and Deuteronomy 33. 8, mention a second similar occasion in
tlie wilderness of Sin, near Kadesh, also called Meribali. in the day Greek, "according to the day of," &f. 9. Wlien — rather, "Where," 1112., in the wilderness, your fathers—The authority of the ancients is not conclusive. [Bengel.] tempted me, proved me — The oldest M.SS. read, " tempted (me) in the way of testing," i.e., putting (me) to the proof whether I was able and willing to relieve them, not believing that I am so. saw my worlds forty years—Tliey saw, without being led thereby to repentance, my works of power partly in affording miraculous help, partly in executing vengeance, forty years. The "forty years" joined in the Hebrew a-rnX LXX.,and below,
t). 17, with "I was grieved," is here joined witli "they saw." Both are true; for, during the same forty years
tliat they were tempting God by unbelief, notwitlistandIng their seeing God's miraculous works, God was being grieved. The lesson intended to be hinted to the Hebrew Cliristians is, their "to-day" is to last only between the
first preaching of the Gospel and Jerusalem's impending overthrow, viz., forty years; exactly the number of years of Israel's sojourn in the wilderness, until the full measure of their guilt having been filled up all tlie rebel.s were overthrown. 10. grieved—displeased. Cf. "walk contrary," Leviticus 26. 24, 28. tl>at generation "tliat" implies alienation and estrangement. But tlie oldest MSS. read, " this." said "grieved," or "displeased," at ^ their first offence. Subsequently when they hardened
tiieir heart in unbelief still more. He sware in His wrath
(v. 11); an ascending gradation (cf. v. 17, 18). and they have not known — Greek, "But these very persons," &c. ; they perceived I was displeased with them, yet tliey, the same persons, did not a whit the more wish to know ray ways [Benoel] ; cf. " But they," P.salm 10(j. 43. not known my ways—not known practically and believingly the ways in whicli I would have had them go, so as to reach my rest (Exodus 18. 20). 11. So—lit., "as.'' I sware Bengel. remarks the oath of God preceded the forty years, not— lit., "If they sliall enter, A-c. (God do so to me and more also)," 2 Samuel 3. 85. The Greek is the same, Mark 8. 12. my rest— Canaan, primarilj', their rest after wandering in the wilderness:
(v. 2). aa a Son over his own house—ratlier, "over His (God's, v. 4) house;" and therefore, as the inference from His being one with God, over His own house. So ch. 10. 21, "Having an High Priest over the house of God." Christ enters His Father's house as the Master [over it], but Moses as a servant [in it, v. 2, 5]. [Chry.sostom.] An ambassador in the absence of the king is very distinguislied —in the presence of the king he falls back into the multitude. [Benqel.] whose house are we—Paul and his Hebrew readers. One old M.S., with Vulgate and Lucifer, reads, "which house;" but the weightiest M.SS. support English Version reading, tlie rejoicing — rattier, "the matter of rejoicing." oftlieliope—"of o«r liope." Since
still, even when in it, they never fully enjoyed rest; whence it followed, that the tlireat extended farther than
tlie exclusion of the unbelieving from the literal land of
rest, and that the rest promised to the believing in its
all our good things lie in hopes, we ouglit so to hold fast our hopes as already to rejoice, as tliough our hopes were realized. [Chrysostom.] firm unto the end—Omitted in Lucifer aifd Ambrose, and In one oldest M.S., but supported by most oldest MSS. 7, &c.—Exhortation from Psalm 95., not through unbelief to lose participation in the spiritual bouse. Wherefore—Seeing tliat we are the house of God if we hold fast our contldence, &c. {v. 6). Jesus is " faithful," be not ye unfaithful (v. 2, 12). The sentence beginning with "wherefore," interrupted by tlie parenthesis confirming the argument from Psalm 95., is completed at v. 12, "Take heed," &c. Holy Gltost salth— by the Inspired Psalmist; so that the words ol tlie latter are the words of God Himself. To-d«y—at length; in David's day, as contrasted with the days of Moses in tlie wilderness, and the whole time since then, during wliicli they had been rebellious against God's voice ; as for Instance, in tlie wilderness (r. 8). The Psalm, each fresh time when used In public worship, by "to-day," will mean tlie particular day when it was, or is, used, hearobediently. hl« voice—of grace. 8. Harden not your hearts— This phrase here only is used of xia/i'* own act usually of God's act (Romans 9. 18). AVheu man is spoken
full blessedness was, and is, yet future: Psalm 25. 13; .^7.
9, 11, 22, 29, and Christ's own beatitude (Matthew .5. 5) all accord with this, 9. 13. Take heed—to be Joined witli "wherefore," r. 7. lest there l>e — Greek (indicativei, " lest there shall be;" lest there be, as I fear there is; im
- plying that it is not merely a possible contingency, but that there is ground for thinking it will be so. in any— " in any one of you." Not merely ought all in general Ijo on their guard, but they ought to be so concerned for tlio safety of each one member, as not to suffer any one to perish through their negligence. [Calvin.] heart—TIk heart is not to be trusted. Cf. v. 10, "They do always en in their heart." uultellet—faithlessness. Christ is faith ful; tlierefore, salth Paul to the Hebrews, we ougtit nol to be /ailhless as oar fathers were under Moses, drpartIng—apostatizing. Tlie opposite of "come unto" Him
(ch. 4. 16). God punishes sucli apostates in kind. He departs from them—the worst of woes, the living UoA— Real: the distinct! ve charactorlstic of the God of Israel, not like the lifeless gods of the heathen; therefore One whose threats are awful realities. To apostatize from Christ is to apostatize from the living God (ch. 2. 3). 13. one another— Greek, "yourselves;"' let each exhort him-
The Chrktian's Iltsl Attained by Faith. IIEBEEAVS lY. The Preached Word does not Profit Unhdieetn.
self and his neighbour, tlaily Greek, "on eiich clay," or "Uay by day." wltilv it Is called To-d«y—whilst the
the.v should look beyond to the heavenly land of rest, to which faith is the avenue, and from which unbelief excludes, as it did from the earllily Canaan, tlie word preached lit., " the word of hearing :" the word heard by them, not being mixed Avitli fiiitli in tliein tliat lieatd —So the Syriac and the Old Latin Versions, older than any of our MSS., and LuciFEii, read, "As the world did n('t unite with the hearers in faith." The word heard being the food which, as the bread of life, must pass iato tiesh and blood through man's appropriating it to himself ia
'• lo-day" lasts (the day ol grace, Luke -1.21, belore the coming of the day of glory and judgment at Christ's ouming, ch. 10. 25, 37). To-morrow is the day when idle men work, and fools repent. To-morrow is Satan's today ; he cares not what good resolutions yon form, if only you fix theia for to-morrow, lest ... of you — Tlie "you" is emphatic, as distinguished from "your fathers"
(r. 9). "That from among you no one (so tlie Greek order
is in some of the oldest MSS.) be hardened'' (i). 8). deceltluluess—causing you to "err in your heart." sin—unbe-
faith. Hearing alone is of as little value as undigested food in a bad stomach. [Tholuck.] The whole of olaest extant MS. authority supports a different reading, " uniningled as they were (Greek accusative agreeing with
lief. 14. Foi-, &c.—Enforcing the warning, v. 12. par-
(akt^i-s of CUrist—(Cf. V. 1, (i.) So " partakers of the Holy Ghost" (ch. U. 4j. liold— Grtt/c, " hold fast." tlie begiiiiiiiig of our confidence i. c., the confidence (lit., sub-
' them ) in faith with its hearers," i. e., with its believing, obedient hearers, as Caleb and Joshua. So " hear" is used for "obey" in the context, w. 7, "To-day, if ye will hear His voice." The disobedient, instead of being blended iu "the same body," separated themselves as Korah : a tacit reproof to like separatists from the Christian assembling together (ch. 10. "25; Jude 19). 3. For—Justifying his assertion of the need of "faith,"
iluntiiil, solid confidence) u( faith which we have begitn (ch.
t). 11 ; 12. 2). A Christian so long as he is not made perfect, considers himself as a fceym/tec. [Bengel.J unto tlie end —unto the coming of Clirisl (cti. 12. 2). 15. While it is said—Connected with v. 13, "exhort one auotlier, &c., while it is said To-day:" v. 14, "for we are made partakers," &c., being a parentliesis. "It entirely depends vu yourselves that the invitation of the 95lh Psalm be not a mere invitation, but also an actual enjoyment." Alfokd translaten, "Since (i. e., for) it is said," &c., regarding V. 15 as a proof that we must "hold . . . confidence . . . unto the end," iu order to be "partakers of Christ." 16. For some—rather interrogatively, "For WHO was it that, when they had heard (referring to ' if ye will 7ic'ar,' D. 15), did provoke (Uod)?" The " for" implies. Ye need to lake heed against unbelief: for, was it not because of unbelief that all our fathers were excluded (Ezekiel 2. 3)? "Some," and "not all," would be a faint way of putting his argument, wlien liis object is to show the
11.2. we wliicli liave believed— we who at Christ's coming shall be found to have believed, do enter i.e., are to enter: so two of the oldest MSS. and Lucifeu and the old Latin. Two other oldest MSS. read, " Let us enter." into rest— Greet, "into the rest" which is promised in the 95th Psalm, as he said—God's saying that unbelief excludes from entrance implies that belief gains an entrance into the rest. What, however, Paul mainly here dwells on in the quotation is, that the promised "resi" has not yet been entered into. At v. 11 he again, as iu ch. 3. 12-19 already, takes up faitli as the indispensable qualification for entering It. although, &c.—Although God had finished His works of creation and entered on His rest from creation long before Moses' time, yet under that leader of Israel another rest was promised, which most fell short of through unbelief; and although the rest in Canaan was subsequently attained under Joshua, yet long after, in David's days, God, In the 95th Psalm, still speaks of the rest of God as not yet attained. Therefore, there must be meant a rest stiU future, viz., that wliicli " remaineth for the people of God "
%miveriiulily of tlie evil. Not merely some, but all the Israelites, for the solitarj' exceptions, Joshua and Caleb, are hardly to be taken into account in so general a slateinent. So t). 17, IS, are interrogative: (1.) The beginning of the provocation, soon after the departure from Egypt,
is marked in v. IC; (2.) the forty years of it iu the wilderness, u. 17; (3.) the denial of entrance into the land of rest,
ti. 18. iS'oie, cf. 1 Corinthians 10. 5, " with the majority of lliem God was displeased." liowbeit—" Nay (why need
in heaven, v. 3-9, when they shall rest from their works, as God did from His, v. 10. The argument is to show that by "my rest," God means a future rest, not for Himself, but for us. finislied Greek, "brought into existence," " made." 4. he spake—God (Genesis 2. 2). God did rest the seventli day—A rest not ending with the seventh day, but beginning then and still continuing, into which believers shall hereafter enter. God's rest is not a rest necessitated by fatigue, nor consisting in idleness, but is that upholding and governing of which creation was the beginning. [Alford.] Hence Moses records the end of each of the first six days, but not of the seventh, from all his works Hebreiv, Genesis 2. 2, " from all His u ork." God's "work" was one, comprehending, however, many "ivorks." 5. in this place—In this passage of the Psalm again, it is implied that the rest was evefc then stil.
I put the question ?), was it not all that came out of Eg.vpt" (Exodus 17. 1, 2)? by Moses—by the instrumentality of Moses as their leader. 17. Unt—translate, "Moreover," as it is not iu contrast to v. Hi, but carrying out the same
thought, corpses lit., "liml)S," implying that their bodies fell limb from limb. 18. to tliem tliat believed Mot^—rather as Greek, " to them that disobeyed." l^ractical unbelief (Deuteronomy 1. 26). la. tliey could not enter —though desiring it.
\'er. 1-lC. The Puomise of God's Uest is fully Realized THUOUGH CHKIST: LeT us STKIVE to OllTAIN IT BY Hi.M, OUR Sympathizing High I'kiest. 1. Let us . . . fear—not with slavish terror, but godly "fear and trembling" (Philippians 2. 12). Since so many have fallen, we have cause to fear (ch. 3. 17-19). being left us—still reinaininy to us alter the others have, by neglect, lost it.
future. 6. it remaineth—still to be realized, some must cuter—The denial of entrance to unbelievers is a virtua. promise of entrance to those that believe. God wishes not his rest to be empty, but furnished with guests (Luke
Ills rest—God's heavenly rest, of which Canaan Is the type. "To-day" still continues, during which there is the ikinger of failing to reach the rest. " To-day," rightly used, terminates in tlie rt-si wliich, when once obtained,
14. 2!!). they to wlioin It was first preaclied entered not —lit., "they who first (In the time of Moses) had the Gospel preached to them," viz.. In type, as Note, v. 2. unbelief— (jieei:, rather "disobedience" (IVole, ch. 3. 18). 7. Again—An(fw the promise recurs. Translate as the Greek order Is, "He limited a certain day, 'To-day.' " Here Paul Interrupts the quotation by, "In (the Psalm of/ David saying after so long a time" (after 500 years' posBesslon of Canaan), and resumes It by, " As It has been said
is never lost (Uevelation 3. 12). A foretaste of the rest is given in the inward rest which the believer's soul has in
(.'hrist. should seem to come short of U— Greek, "to have come short of It;" should be found, when the great
trial of all .shall take place [Alfoku], to have fallen short of attaining the promise. The word "seem" Is a mitigating mode of expression, though not lessening the reality. 15KNGKL aiid Owen take it, Lest there should be any semblance or appearance of falling short. 2. Gospel preuchetl
before (so the Greek oldest MS., before, x>iz., ch. 3. 7, 15), Today if ye hear His voice," Ac. [Alfokd.] 8. Answer to
tlie objection which might be made to his reasoning, viz^ that those brought into Canaan by Joshua (so "Jesus" here means, as In Acts 7. 45) did enter tne rest of Gotl. If the rest of God meant Cauuuu, God would not after their
. . unto them—In typo: tlie earthly Canaan, wherein they failed to realize perfect rest, suggesting to them that
The Ckrisliau's Eext Allained by Faith. HEBREWS IV. The PoKer of (luifs Word,
lief. labour— Grce/r, "strive diligently." that rest— wliich is still future and so glorious. Or, in Alford'h translation of v. 10, "Tliat rest into which Chr i<it lins entered before" (v. 14; ch. 6.20). fall—witli the soul, not merely the body, as tlie rebel Israelites fell (ch. 3.17). after the i«aine example—Alfokd translates, "fall into the same example." The less prominent place of the " fall " in tlie Greek favours this. Tiie sense is, " lest any fall into such disobedience (so the Greek for 'unbelief means) as they gave a sample of." [Gkotiu.s.] The Jews say, "The parents are a sign (warning) to their sons."
en(rauce ir.tb that laud, have spoken (or speak [Alford]) of anoflier (future) (lay i)f eiilering the rest. 9. tUercfore — because God "speaks of aiiotlier day" (J\'ote, v. Sj. vcmaineth—still to be realized hereafter by the "some (who) must enter therein " (f. 6), t. e., "the people of God," tbe true Israel who shall enter into God's reM ("my
rest," I'. 3). God's rest was a Sal)batism, so also will ours
be. a rest—Greek, " Sablmtism." In time there are many Babbaths, but then there sliall be the enjoyment and keeping of a Sabbath rest: one perfect and eternal. The "rest" in v. 8 is GreeA; " catapausis;" Hebrew, "Noah;"
1-4. For—Such diligent strivi]tg (v. 11) is incumbent on us, FOK we have to do with a God whose "word" whereby
rest from weariness, as the ark rested on Ararat after its tossings to and fro; atid as Israel, under Joshua, enjoyed at last re-st from war in Canaan. But tho " .eoi. ..i mis
rfK oiidll be judged, is heart-searching, and whose eyes are all-seeing (v. 13). The <iualitios here attributed to the word of Ood, and the whole context, sliow that It
p. 9 is the nobler and more exalted (Hebretv) "Sabbath"
rest; lit., cessation: rest from work when fini.ihed (i\ 4), as God rested (Revelation 16. 17). The two {(leas of "rest" combined, give the perfect view of the heavenly Sabbath. Rest from weariness, sorrow, and sin; and rest in the completion of God's new creation (Revelation 21. 5). The whole renovated creation shall share in it; uolliing will there be to break the Sabbath of eternity; and the Triune God shall rejoice in the work of His hands (Zeplianiali 3.
Is regarded in its judici.\l power, whereby it doomed the disol)edient Israelites to exclusion from Canaan, and shall exclude unljelieving so-called Christians from the heavenly rest. The written woi-d of God is not the prominent thought here, though the passage is often quoted as if it were. Still the word of God (the same as that preached, v. 2), used here in the broadest sense, but with special relerence to its Judicial power, includes the word of God, tlic sword of tlic Spirit with double edge, one edge for convicting and converting some (u. 2), and the other for condemning and destroying the unbelieving (v. 14). Revelation 19. 15 similarly represents the Word's judicial power as a sharp sword going out of Christ's mouth to smite the nations. The same word wliich is saving to the faithful (v. 2) is destroying to the disobedient (2 Corinthians 2. 15, Ifi). The personal Word, to whom some refer the passage, is not here meant: for He is not the sword, but 7ias the sword. Thus reference to Joshua appropriately follows in r. S. qtnlcU —Greek, "living;" having living power, as " the rod of the mouth and the breath of the lips" of "the living God." powertnl— Greek, "energetic;" not only living, but energetically efficacious. sharper—"more cutting." twoe«lged—sharpened at both edge and back. Cf. "sword of the Spirit . . . word of God" (Ephesians 6. 17). Its double power seems to be implied by its being " two-edged." "It judges all that is in the heart, for there it passes through, at once piini«/ii»(; [unbelievers] and searching" [both believers and unbelievers]. [Chrysostom.] Piiii-o similarly speaks of "God passing between the parts of Abraham's sacrifices [Genesis 15. 17, where, however, it is a 'burning lamp' that passed between the pieces] with His word, which is the cutter of all things: which sword, being sharpened to the utmost keenness, never ceases to divide all sensible things, and even things not perceptible to sense or physically divisible, but perceptible and divisible by the word." Paul's early training, both in the Greek schools of Tarsus and the Hebrew schools at Jerusalem, accounts fully for his acquaintance with Philo's modes of thought, which were sure to be current among learned Jews everywhere, though Philo himself belonged to Alexandria, not Jerusalem. Addressing Jews, he by the Spirit sanctions what was true in their current literature, as l.e similarly did in addressing Gentiles (Acts 17.
*7). Moses, the representative of the law, pould not lead
Israel into Canaan : the law leads us to Clirist, and there
Its office ceases, as that of Moses on the borders of Canaan :
tt is Jesus, the antitype of Joshua, who leads us into the beaveuly rest. This verse indirectly estalilishes the obligation of the Sabbath still ; for the type continues until the antitype supersedes it: so legal sacrifices continued
till the great antitypical Sacrifice superseded it. As tlien the antitypical heavenly Sabbatli rest will not be till Christ comes, our Gospel Joshua, to usher us into it, the typical earthly Sabbath must continue till then. The Jews call the future rest " the day whieli is all Sabbath." 10. For—Justifying and explaining the word " irest," or •'Sabbatisra," just used {Note, v. 9). he tliat is entered whosoever onee enters, his rest God's rest: the rfst prepared b}/ God for His people. [Estius.] Rather, His
rest: the man't rest: that assigned to liim l)y God as his. The Greek is the same as tliat for " his own " immediately
after, liath ceased—The Greek aorist is used of indefinite time, " Js !to7i< to cease," or rather, " rest:" rests. The past tense implies at the same time the certainly of it, as also that in this life a kind of foretaste in Christ is already given [Grotius] (Jeremiah 6. 16; Matthew 11. 28, 29). Our highest happiness shall, according to this verse, consist In our being united in one with God, and moulded into conformity with Him as our archetype. [Calvin.] from his own works—even from those that were good and suitable to the time of doing work. Lal)our was followed by rest even in Paradise (Genesis 2. 3, 15). The work and subsequent rest of God are the archetype to which we should be conformed. The argument is, He who once enters rest, rests from labours; but God's people have not yet rested from them, therefore they have not yet entered the rest, and so it must be still future. Alfoiid transUUet, "He that entered Into his (or else God's, but rather ' his ;' Isaiah 11. 10, ' His rest :' ' the joy of the Lord,' Matthew 25. 21, 23) rest (viz., Jesus, our Forerunner, v. 14; ch. 6. 20, 'The Son of God that is passed through the heavens:' In contrast to Joshua the tj'pe, who did not bring God's people <»Uo the heavenly rest), he himself {emphali-
28). pleiTclng Greek, "coming through." even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit— i. e., reaching through even to the separation of the animal soul, the lower part of man's Incorporeal nature, the seatof animal desires, which he has in common with the brutes; cf. the same Greek, 1 Corinthians 2.14, "the natural [animalBouled] man" (Jude 19), from the spirit (the higher part of man, receptive of the .Spirit of God, and allying him to heavenly beings), and of the Joints and marrow rather, (reaching even TO) "both the joints (so as to divide them) and marrow." Christ "knows what is in man" (John 2.25): so His word reaches as far as to the most intimate and accurate knowledge of man's most hidden
oal) rested from his works (v. i), as God (diil) from His own" (so the Greek, works). The argument, tliough generally applying to any one who has entered, his rest, probably alludes to Jesus in particular, the antitypical Joshua,
who, having entered His rest at the Ascension, has ceased or rested from His work of the new creation, as God on the seventh daj' rested from the work of physical creation. Not that He has ceased to carry on the work of redemption, nay. He upholds it by His mediation ; hnt He has ceased from those portions of the work which constitute the foundation, the sacrifice has been onee for all accomplished. Cf. as to God's creation rest, once for all completed, and rested from, but now still upheld (Note, v. 4).
parts, feelings, and thoughts, dividing, i. e., distinguUhing what is spiritual from what is carnnl a.rn\ animtd'm hio: the «pir(« from the soul: so Proverbs 20.27. As the knife of the Levltical priest reached to dividing parts, closely united as Uie joints of the limbs, and penetrated to the in-
11. Letua . . . therefore—Seeing such a promise Is before OH, which we may, like thein, fall short of through uube-
HEBEEWS V.
By our High Priest, Jems,
vie fjo Boldly to the Throne of Grace,
Avlth the feeling of— Greek, "cannot sympathize with onr infirmities:" our weaknesses, physical and moral (not sin, but liability to its assaults). He, though sinless, cansympathize with us sinners; His understanding more acutely perceived the forms of temptation than we who are weak can ; His will repelled them as instantaneously as the fire does the drop of water cast into it. He, therefore, experimentally knew what power was needed to overcome temptations. He is capable of sympathizing, for He was at the same time tempted witliout sin, and yet trnly temjiied. [Bengel.] In Him alone we have an example suited to men of every character and under all circumstances. In sympathy He adapts himself to each, as if He had not merely taken on Him man's nature in general, but also the peculiar nature of that single individual, tout—"nay, rather. He was (one) tempted." [Ai.ford.] lilie as we are Greek, "according to (our) similitude." without sin Greek choris, "separate from sin " (ch. 7. 26). If the Greek aneu had been used, sin would have been regarded as the object absent from Christ the subject; but choris here implies that Christ, the subject, is regarded as separated from sin the object. [Tittmann.] Thus, throughout His temptations in their origin, process and result, sin had nothing in him; He was apart and separate from
nermost parts, as theOTa7T0!('*(the Greek is phiraT)\ so the word of God divides tlie closely-joined parts of man's immaterial being, soul and spirit, and penetrates to the innermost parts of the spirit. The clause (reacliing even to) " both the joints and marrow" is subordinate to the clause, "even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit." (In the oldest MSS., as in English Version, there is no " both," as there is in the clause " both the joints and," &c., which marks the latter to be subordinate.) An image (appropriate in addressing Jews) from the literal dividing of
joints, and penetrating to, so as to open out, the marrow, by the priest's knife, illustrating the previously-mentioned spiritual "dividing of soul from spirit," whereby each (soul as well as spirit) is laid bare and "naked" be-
fore God; this view accords with 13. Evidently " tlie dividing of the soul from the spirit" answers to the "joints" which the sword, when it reaches unto, divides asunder, as the "spirit" answers to the innermost "marrow." " Moses forms the soul, Christ the spirit. The soul draws with it the body; the spirit draws with it both soul and body." ALroRD's interpretation is clumsy, by which he makes the soul itself, and the spirit itself, to be divided, instead of the soul from the spirit: so also he makes not only the joints to be divided asunder, but the marrmv a,\iiO to be divided (?). The Word's dividing and
it. [Alford.] 16. come—rather as Greek, "approach," " draw near." "bolSly— Greek, "with confidence," or "freedom of speech " (Ephesian.s 6. 13). tlie tlirone of grace God's tlirone is become to us a throne of grace through the mediation of our High Priest at God's right hand (cli.8. 1;
far-penetrating power, has both a punitive and a healing
efifect. discerner of tUe thoughts Greek, "capable of Judging the purposes." Intents — rather, "conceptions" [Cbblhus]; "ideas." [Alfokd.] As the Greek for "thoughts" refers to the mind and feelings, so that for "intents," or rather "mental conceptions," refers to the
12. 2). Pleading our High Priest Jesus' meritoriousdeath, we shall always find God on a throne of grace. Contrast Job's coraplaint (Job 23. 3-8) and Elihu's " If," &c. (Job 33.
intellect. 13. creature—visible or in visible, in his sight —in God's sight (t). 12). "God's wisdom, simply manifold, and uniformly multiform, with incomprehensible comprehension, comprehends all things incomprehensible." opened— iii., "thrown on the back so as to have the neck
2;3-28). obtain—rather, "receive." mercy—"Compassion," by its derivation (lit., fellow-feeling from community of
suffei-ing), corresponds to the character of our High Priest
"touched with the feeling of onr infirmities" {v. 15). find grace—Corresponding to "throne of grace." Mercy especially refers to the remission and removal of sins; grace, to the saving bestowal of spiritnal gifts. [EsTiXJS.l
laid hare," as a victim with neck exposed for sacrifice. The Greek perfect tense implies tliat this is our continuom
Btate in relation to God. "Sliow, O man, shame and fear towards thy God, for no veil, no twisting, bending, colouring, or disguise, can cover unbelief" (Greek, "disobedience," V. 11). Let us, therefore, earnestly labour to en-
Cf. Come unto me . . . and I will give yon rest (the rest received on first believing); take my yoke on you . . . and ye shall yind rest (the continuing rest and peace /oioirf in daily submit ting to Christ's easy yoke ; the former answers to "receive mercy" here; the latter, to "find grace," Matthew 11.28, 29). Ivi iimv ot neetl— Greek, "seasonably." Before we are overwhelmed by the temptatioii ; when we most need it, in temptations and pei-seoutions ; such as is suitable to the time, persons, and end designed (Psalm
ter the rest lest any fall through practical unt>elief (t>. 11). 14. having, therefore, iSc.—Resuming ch.2. 17. great— as being "the Son of God, higher than the heavens" (eh.
7. 20): the archetype and antitype of the legal higli priest, passetl into the heavens— rather, "passed through the heavens," viz., those whicli come between us and God, the aerial heaven, and that above the latter containing the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon,<tc. These heavens were the veil which our High Priest passed throiigli into the heaven of heavens, the immediate presence of God, just as the Levitical high priest passe<l through the veil into the Holy of holies. Neither Moses, nor even .loshna, could bring us into this rest, but Jesus, as our Forerunner, already spiritually, and hereafter in actual presence, body, soul, and spirit, brings His people into the heavenly
lot. 27). A supply of grace is in store for believers against
all exigencies; but they are only supplied with it according as the need arises. Cf. "in dne time," Romans 5. 6. Not, as AlfokT) explains, "Help in time," i. e., to-day, while it is yet open tons ; theaccepted time (2("orintliians
G. 2). help—Cf. ch. 2. 18, " He is able to succour Ihem tiiat are tempted."
rest. Jesus—the antitypieal Joshua (w. 8). holdfast—the opposite of "let slip" (ch. 2. 1); and " fall away" (cli. 6.6). As the genitive follows, the lit. sense is, " Let us titke hold of our profession," i. e., of the faith and hope which are subjects of our profession and confession. The accusative
Ver. 1-14. CmtisT's High PRiESTiioon; NKKnKi>(.ii ai^iFTCATioNS; Must he a Man ; Must not iiavk Ashumed THE Dignity Himsei,f, ijitt ii.\ve been Ai'I-oinped by God; Their low SpirititaiPerceitions a Bai; to PaUL'SSAYING AI,r, tie MIGIITON ClIRIIiT'S JI ELCII1.SEU ECI.IKE PRIESTllOOn. 1. For—.>^ubstantiating ch.t. ih. every —I. e., ever.v legitimate high priest ; for instance, the Le-
follows when the sense is " hold fast." [Titpmann.] irt. For—Tlie motive to "holding our profession" (v. It), viz., the sympathy and help we maj' e.xpoct from our High Priest. Though "great" (v. It), He is not al)Ove caring
vitical, as he is addressing Hebrews, among whom theLevitical priesthood was oslnblished as the h-gitimate one. Whatever, reasons Paul, is excellent in the Tj^viticnl
for us; nay, as being in all jiointsone with us as to manhood, sin only excepted. He syuipathizes with us in every
priests, is also in Christ, and besides e.\C( lleiu'ies which are not in the Levitical priests, talcrn from among men —not from among angels, who could not have a fellow-
temptation. Though exalted to the highest heavens. He nas changed His place, not His nature and oflice in relal Ion
»o us, His condition, but not His afl'ection. Cf. Matthew ^. 3S, "Watch with me:" sliowing His desire in the days Cf His tlesli for t/ie sjjmpathy of those whom lie. loved: so He now gives His sutrering people 7/i.» sjimpalhij. Vf. Aaron, the type, bearing the names of the twelve tribes in the breastplate of Judgment on his heart, when he entered into the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually (Kxodus 28.29). cannot be touclied 450
feeling with us men. This (jnal iftcation Christ has, hs being, like tlie Iicviticnl prie.its, a man (ch. '2. It, 16). lowing "from men," He can be "for (i. c. In behalf of, lor the
g<y)d of) men." oiilnitsvd— Greek, "constituted," "ajipolnted." botli gifts— to be Joined with "lor sins," im "sacrifices" Is (the "both . . . and " requires tliisl; there-
fore not the Hebrew Miiicha, unbloody offerings, but animal whole burnt offerings, .«;)0<i<(trttoii,s7// </irc)i. "Saorl-
The Authority and Honour HEBREWS V. 0/ the Priesthood 0/ Chrttt.
fying Him for the high priesthood). "Who" is to be construed with " learned obedience " (or rather as Greek, "His obedience;" the obedience wliioh we all know about). This all shows that "Christ glorified not Himself to be made an High Priest" {v. 5), but was appointed thereto by the Father, prayers and supplications— GceeA;, " botli prayers and supplications." In Gethsemane, where He prayed thrice, and on the cross, where He cried. My God, my God, probably repeating inwanily aiJ the 22d Psalm. '' Players" refer to the mind: "supplications" also to the body [viz., the suppliant attitude] (Matthew 26. 39). [Benoel.] witli strong crying and tears—The "tears" are an additional fact here communicated to us by tlie inspired apostle, not recorded in the Gospels, though implied. Matthew 2C. 37, " sorrowful and very heavy." Mark 11. 33; Luke 22. U, " in an agony He prayed more earnestly . . . His sweat . . . great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Psalm 22. I ("roaring . . . cry"), 2, 10, 21, 3*; 69. 3, 1(1, " 1 wept." able to save him from deatli—Mark 1-1.36, "All things are possible unto thee" (John 12. 27). His cry showed His entire participation of man's infirmity: His reference of His wish to the will of God, His sinless failli and obedience, heard in titat I»c feared—There is no intimation in Psalm 22., or the Gospels, that Christ prayed to be saved from the mere act of dying. What He (eared was the hiding of the Father's countenance. His holy filial love must rightly have shrunk from this strange and bitterest of trials witliout the iini)utation of impatience. To have been passively content at the stpproaeh of such a cloud would have been, not laith, but sin. Tlie cup of death He prayed to be freed from was, not corporal, but spiritual death, i. e., the (temporary) separation of His liuman soul from the light of God's counteniuice. His praj'er was " heard" in His Father's strengthening Him so as to hold fast His unwavering faitli under the trial (My God, rnj/ God, was still His filial cry under it, still claiming God as His, tliough God hid His face), and soon removing it in answer to His cry during the darkness on
flees " are the animal sacrifices due according to the legal ordinance. [ESTIUS.] 2. AVho ca.x\— Greek, "Being able;" not pleasing himself (Romans 15. 3). have compassion
Gree/fc, " estimate mildly," "feel leniently," or "moderately towards;" "to make allowance for;" not showing Rtern rigour save to the obstinate (ch. 10. 28). Ignorant-
sins not committed in resistance of light and knowledge, but as Paul's past sin (1 Timothy 1. 13). No sacrifice was appointed for wilful sin committed with a higli hand ; for
pucl. Tvere to be punished with death ; all other sins, viz.,
](;nor">nces and errors, were confessed and expiated with
sacr'.fices by the high priest, out of tlie way—not de-
libera'.ely and altogether wilfully erring, but deluded through the fraud of Satan and their own carnal frailty
an»J thoughtlessness, inftrmlty—moral weakness which
Is sinful, and makes men capable of sin, and so requires
to expiated by sacrifices. This kind of "iufiruiity" Christ had not'; He liad the " infirmity " of body whereby He was capable of suffering and death. 3. by reason hereof—"on account of this" infirmity, lie ought ... also for himself, to offer for sins—the Levitical priest ought; in this our High Priest is superior to the Levitical. The second "for" is a different Greek tenn from the first; "in behalf of the people, &c., on account of sins." 4. no man—of any other family but Aaron's, according to the Mosaic law, can take to himself the office of high priest. This verse is quoted by some to prove the need of an apos-
tolic succession of ordination in the Cliristian ministry; but the reference here is to ttie priesthood, not the Christian ministry. Tlie analogy in our Cliristian dispensation would warn ministers, seeing that God lias separated them from the congregation of His people to bring them near Himself, and to do the service of His house, and to
ittiinister (as He separated theLevites, Korah with his company), that content witli this, thej' should beware of assuming the sacrificial priesthood also, whicli belongs to Christ alone. The sin of Korah was, not content with the ministry as a Levite, he took tlie sacerdotal priesthood
also. No Christian minister, as such, is ever called Hier-
tlie cross, "My God, my God," &c. But see below a furtlier explanation of how He was heard. The Greek
eas.i.e., sacrificing priest. All Christians, without distinction, whether ministers or people, have a metaphori-
lit. is, " Was heard from His fear," i. e., so as to be saved from His fear. Cf. Psalm 22. 21, which well accords with
cal, not a literal, priesthood. The sacrifices which they
ofTei' are spiritual, not literal, their bodies and the fruit of thtir lips, praises continually (ch. 13. 15). Christ alone had a proper and true sacrifice to otter. The law sacrifices were typical, not metaphorical, as the Christian's, nor proper and true, as Christ's. In Roman times the Mosaic restriction of tlie priesthood to Aaron's family was vio-
this, "Save me from the lion's moutli (His prayer): thou hast heard me /rom the horns of the unicorns." Or what better accords with tlie strict meaning of the Greek noun, " in consequence of His beverential fear," i. e., in that He shrank from the horrors of separation Irom the bright presence of tlie Father, yet was reverentially cautious by no thouglit or word of impatience to give way to a shadow of distrust or want of perfect filial love. In the same sense ch. 12. 28 uses the noun, and cli. 11. 7 the verb. AlFORD somewhat similarly translates, " \iy reason of His reverent submission." I prefer "reverent fear." The word in derivation means the cautious handling of some precious, yet delicate vessel, which witli ruder handling might easily be broken. [Trench.] This fully agrees with Jesus' spirit, "If it be possible . . . nevertheless not my will, but thy will be done;" and with tlic context, «. 5, " Glorified not Himself to be made an High Priest," implying reverent fear: wherein it appears He liad the requisite for the office specified v. 4, "No man taketh tliis honour unto himself." Alford well suys, What is true in the Cliristian's life, that what we ask from God, though He may not grant in tlie form we wisli, yet He grants in His own, and that a bolter form, does not hold good in (/'lirlst's Ciise; for Christ's real prayer, " not my
lated. 5. glorined not himself—did not assume the glory of the priestly office of Himself witliout the call of God (John H. 5-1). but he that said—j. e., the Father glorified Him or appointed Him to the priestliood. Tliis appointment was involved in, and was the result of, the lHoiiship of Christ, which qualified Him for it. None but tlie Divine Son could have fulfilled such an olHce (cii. 10. 5-9). The connection o( Sonship Vind priesthood is typified in the
Hebrew title for priests being given tu David's sons (2 Samuel 8. 18). Clirist did not constitute llirusclf the Son of God, but was from everlasting the ouly-begotteii of the 2<^at/>er. On His Sonship depended His glorification, and His being called of God (v. 10), as Priest. 6. He Is here called simply "Priest;" in v. 5, "High Priest." He isa Wieji^ absolutely, because He stands alone in that character witliout an equal. He is "High Priest" in respectof the Aarouic type, and also In respect to us, whom He has made priests by throwing open to us access to God. [Bengki-.j " The order of Melchisedec " is explained in ch. 7. 15, "the similitude of Melchisedec." The priesthood is similarly combined with His kingly office in Zecharlah (J. i:i. Melchisedec was at once man, priest, and king. Paul's selecting as the type of Christ one not of the stock of Abraliani, on whicli the Jews prided themselves, isan intimation of Messianic uuiversalism. 7. in tlic days of his flfsli— (Cli. '2. U ; 10.
will, but thine be done," in consistency v/itli His reverent fear towards the Father, was granted in the very form in which it was expressed, not in anotlier. 8. Though He was (so itouglit to be translated : a positive admitted fact: not a mere supposition as were would imply) God's Divine Son (wlience, even in His agony. He so lovingly and often cried, T^a^it?-, Mattliew 2(i. 39), yet He learned His (no the G'rt'c/c) obedience, not from His Sonship, but from His sufieiiiigs. As tlie Son, He was always obedient to the Father's will; but the special obedience needed to qualify Him as our High Priest, He learned ex-
20.) Verses 7-10 state summarily the subject about to be handled more fully in clis. 7. and 8. wli<-n lie liad offered —rather, "in thai He offered." His ciyiiig and tears were part of tlie experimental lesson of obeilji nce whicli He iiubmltted to learn from the Father (when God was quali-
Ignorance of C'A/ ui's Priesthood Reproved. HEBREWS VI. The Guilt and Danger -jj Apostasy.
Matthew 3. 1.5). 14. strong meat—"solid food." by reason ot nae—Greek, "habit." tbem . . . of full age—lit., "l)erfect:" akin to "perfection" (ch. 6. 1). sense*—organs of sense, exercised—similarly connected with "righteousness" in ch, 12. 11. to discern botli good and evil— as a child no longer an Infant (Isaiah 7. 16;: so able to distinguish between sound and unsound doctrine. The mere child puts into its mouth things hurtful and things nntritious, without discrimination: but not so the adult. Paul again alludes to their tendenc.v not to discriminate, but to be carried about by strange doctrines, in ch. 13. 9.
perlmentally in practical suffering. Cf. Pbilippians 2. f>-
8, "Equal with God, but . . . took upon Him the form of a gcrvmU, and became obedient unto death," &c. He was oftedieni already before His passion, but He stooped to a
still more humiliating and trying form of obedience then. The Greek adage is, Pnlhemala matheniaia, "sufferings, disciplinings." Praying kUtd obeying, us in Christ's case, ouglit to go hand In hand. 9. made perfect—completed, brought to His goal of learning and suffering through death (ch. 2. 10) [Alford), fiz., at His glorious resurrection and ascension, autlior Greek, "cause." unto all
. . that obey Uim—.\s Ch rist o6c.i/e(i the Father, so must we obeylWra by faith, eternal salvation—obtained for ns in the short "days of Jesus' flesh" (i. 7; cf. v. 6, "for ever," Isaiah 45. 17). 10. Greek, rather, '^Addressed by God (by the appellation) High Priest." Being formally recognized by God as High Priest at the lime of His being " made perfect"' (v. 9). He was High Priest already in the purpose of God before His passion; but after it, when perfected. He was formally addressed so. II. Here he digresses to complain of the low spiritual attainments of the Palestinian Christians, and to warn them of the danger of falling from light once enjoyed; at the same time encouraging tliem by God's faithfulness to persevere. At ch. C. '20 he resumes the comparison of Chi ist to Melchisedec. liard to be nttered—rather as Greek, " hard
Ver. 1-14. Warning against Retrograding, which SOON Le.\ds to Apostasv; Encouuagkjient to Steadfastness FROM God's Faith fui.ne.ss to Hxs Word and Oath. 1. Tlierefore—Wherefore: seeing.tliat ye ought not now to be still " babes" (ch. 5. 11-14). leaving—getting further forward than the elementary "principles." "As in building a house one must never leave the foundation
yet to be always labouring in 'laying the foundation' would be ridiculous." [C.\I.VIN.] tiie principles of the doctrine— G'rccA, "the word o/ the beginning," i. c, the discussion of the first principles of Christianity (ch. 5. 12). let us go on— Greek, " let us be borne forward," or " bear ourselves forward:" implying active exertion : press on. St. Paul, in teaching, here classilies himself with the Hebrew readers, or (as they ought to be) learners, and says. Let us together press forward, perfection—the matured knowledge of those who are "of full age" (ch. 5. 14) in Christian attainments, foundation of—i. e., consisting in "repentance." repentance tVom dead yvorks—viz., not springing from tlie vital principle of faith and love toward God, and so counted, like their doer, dead before God. This rejientance from dead works is therefore paired with "laith toward God." The three pairs of truths enumerated are designedly such as Jewish believere might in some degree have known from the Old Testament, but had been taught more clearly when they bocame C^hristians. This accounts for the omission of diatinct specillcation of some essential first principle of Christian truth. Hence, too, he mentions "faith toward God," and not explicitly faith toward Christ (though of course Included). Repentance and faith were the first principles taught under the Gospel. !J. the doctrine of baptism—paired with "laying on of hands," as the latter followed on Christian baptism, and answers to the rite of confirmation in Episcopal churches. Jewish believers passed, by an easy transition, from Jewish baptismal purifications (ch. 9. 10, " washings''), baptism of proselytes, and John's baptism, and legal Imposition of hands, to their Christian analogues, baptism, and the subsequent laying on of /ifjHrfs, accompanied by the gift of the Holy Ghost
of interpretation, to speak." Hard for me to state intelligibly to you owing to your dulness about spiritual things. Hence, instead of saying many things, he writes in comparatively few words (ch. 13. 22). In the " we," Paul, as usual, includes Timothy with himself in addressing them, arc— Greek, "ye have become dull" (the Greek, by derivation, means >iard to move): this implies that onee, when first "enlightened," they were earnest and zealous, but had become dull. That the Hebrew believers at JERCSALE3I Were dull in spiritual things, and legal in spirit, appears from Acts 21. 20-24, where James and the elders expressly sa.v of the " thousands of Jews •which believe," that "they are aU zealous of the law:" this was at Paul's last visit to Jerusalem, after which this Epistle seems to have been written (v. 12, ?rote on "for the time"), la. for the time—considering the long time that you have been Christians. Therefore this Kpistle was not one of those early written, -ivlilcli l>e tlie flrst principles Greek, "the rudiments of the beginning of," Ac. A Pauline phrase (Notes, Galatians i. 3, 9). Ye need not only to be taught first elements, but also "ivhich they be." They are therefore enumerated ch. 6. 1, 2. [Bengel.I AIjFORV) translates, " That some one teach you the rudiments;" but the position of the Greek tinn, inclines me to take it interrogatively, "which," as English Version, fiyriac, Vulgate, &c. of tlie ornclea of God—t'lz., of the Old Testament: instead of seeing Christ as the end of the Old Testament Scripture, they were relapsing towards Judaism, so as not only not to be capable of understanding the typical reference to Christ of such an Old T<'stament personage as Melchisedec, but even much more elementary references, are become—through indolence, inillc . . . not . . . strong meat — "Milk" refers to sucli fundamental first principles as lieonumerales cli.
(cf. i>. 4). Greek, Baptismoi, plural. Including Jcii'ish and Cltristian ba2>tisms, are to be distinguished from 2iapt isma, singular, restricted to Christian baptism. The six particulars here specified liad been, as it wave, the Christian Catechism of the Old Testament ; and such Jews who had begun to recognize Jesus as the Christ immediately on the new light being shed on these funtlamental particu-
6.1,2. Tlie solid meat, or food, is not absolutely necessary for preserving life, but is so for acquiring greater strength. Especially In the case of the Hebrews, who were mucli given to allegorical Interpretations of their law, which they so much venerated, the application of the Old Testament types, to Christ and His High Priesthood, was calculated much to strengthen them In the Christian faith. [Limborch.] 13. uavth— Greek, "partalceth," i. e., takelh as his portion. Even strong men partake of milk, but do not make milk tlieir chief, much
lars, were accounted as liaving the elementary /Jrinc/pies of the doctrine of Christ. [Bengel.J The first and most obvious elementary instruction of Jews would be the teaching them the t,vpical significance of their own ceremonial law in Us Christian fulfilment. [AIvFORd.] rea» urrection, Ac—held already by the Jews from the Old Testament: confirmed with clearer light in Christian teaching or "doctrine." eternal Judgment—juilgmeut fraught with eternal consequences eitlier of joy or of woe. 3. will we do—So some of the oldest MSS. read ; but others, " Ijet us do." "This," i.e., "Go on unto perfection." if God permit— For even in the case of good resolutions, we cannot carry them into etl'ect, save through God "working In us both to will and (o do of
less their sole, diet, the word of rljtli^eonsnrns— tlio Gospel wherein "the righteousness of (iod is revinlcd from faith to faith" ( Romans 1. 17), and which is called" the ministration of i lgliteousness" (2 Corinthians 3. 0). This Includes the doctrine of justification and sanctlllcatlon
Ills good pleasure" (I'hillppians 2. 13). The "for" In v. 4 refers to this: I sa.v. If Giul iiermit, /<» there are cases where God does not permit, ex. gr., " it is impossible," ilto.
the t'lviil principles, as well as the perfection, of the doctrine
of Christ: the nature of the otJices and person of Christ oa the true Melchisedec, i.e., "King oi righteousness" (cf. 452
The Guilt and Danger of Aposlasy, HEBREWS VI. Khicli Crucifies Anew the Son of God,
need to " renewed" over "again." crucify to (hemselves the Son of God—"are crucifying to themselves" Christ, instead of, like Paul, crucifying the world unto them by Ihe cross of Christ (Galatlans 6. 14). So in ch. 10. 29, " trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith . . . sanctified, an unholy thing." "The Son of God," marking His dignltj', shows the greatness of their offence, put him to an open shame—2(7., "make a public example of" Him, as
Without Uod's blessing, the cultivation of the giojnd does not succeed (r. 7). 4. We must "go on toward perfection;" for if we fall away, after having received enlightenment, it will be impossible to renew us again to re-
pentance, for those—"in the case of those." once eiiHgl»tei»e<l—once for all illuminated by the word of God taught in connection with "baptism" (to which, in f. 2, BS once for all done, " once enlightened" here answers),
cf. Ephesiaus 5. 26. This passage probabljoriginated the *pplication of the term "illumination" to baptism in subsequent times. Illuminalion, however, was not supposed to be the inseparable accompaniment of baptism: thus Chrysostom says, "Heretics htive bajilism, not illu-
if He were a malefactor suspended on a tree. What the carnal Israel did outwardly, those who fall away from light do inwardly, they virtually crucify again the .Son of God; "they tear him out of the recesses of their hearts where He had fixed His abode, and exhii)it Him to the open scoffs of the world as something powerless and common.'' IBleek in Alford.] The Montanists and Novatians used this passage to justif3' the lasting exclusion from the Church of those who had once lapsed. The Catholic Church always opposed this view, and readmitted the lapsed on their repentance, but did not rebaptize them. This passage implies that persons may be in some sense "renewed,'' and yet fall away finally; for the words, "renew again,'' imply that they have been, in some sen.se, not the full sense, oac*^ renewed by the Holy Ghost; but certainly not that they are " the elect," for these can never fall away, being chosen unto everlasting
viination: they are baptized in body, but not enlightened in soul: as Simon Magus was baptized, but not illuminated." That "enlightened" here means knowledge of the word of truth, appears from comparing the same Greek word " illuminated," ch. 10. 32, with 26, where " knowledge of the truth" answers to it. tasted of the heaveikly gilt—tasted for themselves. As " enlightened" refers to the sense of sight: so here taste follows. "The heavenly
giff.:" Christ given by the Father, and revealed by the enlightening word preaclied and written: as conferring peace in the remission of sins; and as the Bestower of tlie
gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8. 19, 20). made partakers of the Holy Ghost—Specified as distinct from, thougli so inseparably connected with, "enlightened," and "tasted of the heavenly gift," Christ, as answering to " laying on of liaiids" after baptism, which was then generally accompanied with the irapartation of the Holy Ghost in miraculous gifts. 5. tasted the good ^vord of Ciod—Distinct from "tasted OF (genitive) the heavenly gift:" we do not yet enjoy all the fulness of Christ, but only have a taste of Him, the heavenly gift now; but believers may taste the whole word (accusative) of God already, viz., God's "good word" 0/ promise. The Old Testament promise of Canaan
life (John 10. 28). The elect abide in Christ, hear and continuously obey His voice, and do not fall away. He who abides not in Christ, is cast forth as a witliered branch; but he who abides in Him becomes more and more free from sin; the wicked one cannot touch him; and he by faith overcomes the world. A temporary faith is possible, without one thereby being constituted one of the elect (Mark 4. 16, 17). At the same lime it does not limit God's grace, as if it were " impossible"/oj' God to reclaim even such a hardened rebel so as yet to look on Him whom lie
lias pierced. The impossibUity rests in their having known in themselves once the power of Christ's sacrifice, and yet now rejecting it; there cannot possibly be any new means devised for their renewal afresh, and the means provided by God's love they now, after experience of them, deliberately and continuously reject; their conscience being seared, and they " twice dead" (Jude 12), are now past hope, except by a miracle of God's grace. "It
to Israel typified " the good word of God's" promise of the heavenly rest(ch. 4). Therefore, there Immediately follows the clause, "the powers of the world to come." As "enlightening" and " tasting of the heavenly gift," Christ, the Bread of Life, answers to faith: so "made partakers of the Holy Ghost," to charity, which Is the first fruit of the Spirit: and "tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come," to hope. Thus the triad of privileges answers to tlie Trinity, the Father, Son, and Spirit, in their respective woiTis toward us. "The world to come," is the Christian dispensation, viewed especially in its future glories, though already begun in grace here. The UJorW to come thus stands in contrast to course of this world, altogether disorganized because God is not its spring of action and end. By faith. Christians make the world to come a present reality, though but a foretaste of the perfect future. The powers of this new spiritual world, partly exhibited In outward miracles at that time, and tlien, as now, especially consisting in the Spirit's Inward quickening influences, are the earnest of the coming Inheritance above, and lead the believer who gives himself up to the Spirit to se^k to live as the angels, to sit with Christ in heavenly places, to set tlie affections on things above, and not on things on earth, and to look for Christ'scoraing and the full manifestation of the world to come. This "world to come," in its future aspect, thus corresponds to " resurrection of the dead and eternal life" (v. 2), thefirst Christian principles which the Hebrew believers had been taught, by the Christian light being thrown back on their Old Testament for their instruction (Note, 1, 2). "The world to come," wliich, as to
is the curse of evil eternally to propagate evil." [ThoLUCK.] "He who is led into the whole ('?) compass of Christian experiences, may yet cease to abide in them ; he who abides not In them, was, at the very time when he had those objective experiences, not subjectively true to them; otherwise there would have been fulfilled in him,
' Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance' (Matthew 13. 12), so that he would li.ive abided in them and not have fallen away." [Tholuck.] Such a one was never truly a Spirit-led disciple of Christ (Romans 8. 14-17). The sin against the Holy Ghost, though somewhat similar, is not identical with this sin; for that sin may be committed by those outside the Church (as in
Matthew 12.24,31,32); this, only by those inside. 7. the earth—rather as Greet (no article), "land." which drinkethln— Gj'eeA:,"whichAasdrunkin;" notmerely receiving?
1 1 on the surface. Answering to those who have enjoyed tho privilege of Christian experiences, being in some sense renewed by the Holy Ghost; truealikeof those who persevere and those who " fall away." the rain that comcth oft upon It—not merely falling over it, or towards it, but falling and resting upon it so as to cover it (the Greek genitive, not the accusative). The "oft" implies, on God's part, the riches of His abounding grace ("coming" spontaneously, and often); and, on the apostate's part, the wilful j)erversity whereby he has donecontinual despite to the oft -repeated motions of the Spirit. Cf. "How often,'" Matthew 23.37. The rain of heaven falls both on the elect and the apos-
its "powers," exists already in the redeemed, will pass Into a fully realized fact at Christ's coming (Comssians 3.
4). 6. It— Greek, "And (yet) have fallen away;" cf. a less extreme falling or declension, Galatlans 5. 4, " Ye are fallen from grace." Here an entire and wilful apostasy is meant; the Hebrews had not yet so fallen away ; but he warns them that such would be the final result of retrogresi||on. If, Instead of "going on to perfection," they should need to learn again the first principles of Christianity («. 1). to renew them again—they have bean "once'' («. 4) already renewed, or made anew, and now they
tates, bringeth forth—as t\\e natural result of "having drunfc iw the rain." See above, herbs—provender, meet
—fit. Such as the master of the soil wishes. The opposite of " rejected," v. 8. by whom—rather as Greek, "for (i. «., on account of) whom," viz., the lords of the soil ; not the labourers, as English Version, viz., God and His Christ (1
Tht Chiill and Danger of Apostasy. HEBREWS VI. JExJtortations to Diligence and Patience.
Coriuthlaus 3. 9). The heart of man is the earth ; man is the dresser; herbs are brouglit forth meet, not for tlie dresser, by whom, but for God, the owner of the soil, /or whom it is dressed. Tlie plural is general, ^/te owners whoever they may be; here God. receivetU—"partaketh of." blessing—fruitfulness. Contrast God's curse causing unfruitfuUiess, Genesis 3, 17, 18; also spiritually (Jeremiah
the end. They needed, besides love, patient perseverance, resting on hope and faith (ch. 10. 3d; 13. 7). Cf. "the full assurance of faith," ch. 10. 22; Romans 4. 21 ; 1 Thes- .salonians 1. 5. unto the end—the coming of Christ. \%. be not Greek, "become not." In ch. 5. 11, he said, "Ye have become dull (Greek, slothful) of hearing;" here he warns them not to become "slothful" absolutely, viz., also in mind and deed. He will not become slothful who keeps always </ie; enrf in view; hope\s the means of ensuring this, followers— (JreeA:, " imitators ;" so In Ephesiaua
17. 5-8). from God—Man's use of means is vain unless God bless {1 Corinthians 3. 6, 7). 8. tlint wlkicli—rather as Oreek (no article), " But if it (the ' land' v. 7} hear ," not so favourable a word as"briugeth forth," t>. 7, said of the good soil, briers Greek, "thistles." rejected — after having been tested; so the Greek implies. Meprobate . .-
5. 1, Greek ; 1 Corinthians 11. 1. patience Greek, " long-suffering endurance." There is the long-suffering patience, or endurance of love, 1 Corinthians 13. 4, and that of faith, v.
lr>. tiiem who . . Inherit tlie promises Greek, ". . , . who are inhcritiiij," &c.; to whom the promises are their inheritance. Not that they ?tave actually entered on the perfect inheritance, which ch. 11. 13, 39, 40 explicitly denies, though doubtless the dead in Christ have, in the disembodied soul, a foretaste of it; but " them (enumerated in ch. 11) who in every age have been, are, or shall be, tnheritors of the promises;" of whom Abraham is an illustrious example (u. 13). 13. For—Contirming the reasonableness of resting on "the promises" as infalliblj' sure, resting as they do on God's oath, by the instance of Abraham. "He now gives consolation, by the oath of God'g grace, to those whom, in chs. 3. and 4., he had warned by the oatli of God's ' wrath.' The oath of wrath did not primarily extend its force beyond the wilderness; but the oath of grace is in force for ever." [Bengel.] 14. multiplying . . . multiply — Hebraism for superabundantly niultiply. thee—Tlie increase of Abi'aham's seed is virtually an increase oi' himself. The argument here refers to Abraham himself as an example ; therefore Paul quotes Genesis 22. 17, "thee," instead of "thy seed." 15. so thus relying on the promise. 16. for conflrmation—not to be joined, as English Version, to " an oath ;" but to " an end." [Alford.] I prefer, "The oath is to them, in respect to confirmation (of one's solemn promise or covenant; as here, God's), an end of all contradiction" (so the Greek is <rans/a^e(Z, ch. 12. 3), or "gainsaying." This passage shows, (1.) an oath is sanctioned even in the Christian dispensation as lawful; (2.) that the limits to its use are, that it only be employed where it can put an end to contradiction in disputes, and for confirmation of a solemn promise. 17. Wherein i. e., Which, being the case among men, God, in accommodation to their manner of confirming covenants, superadded to His sure word His oalh ; the "TWO immutable things" (v. 18). willing . . counsel— Greek, "willing . . . will;" words akin. Expressing the utmost benignity. [Benoel.J more aljuudantly—than had He not sworn. His word would have been amply enough ; but, to make assurance doubly sure. He " interposed with an oath'' (so the Greek). Lit., He acted as Mediator, coming between Himself and us; as if He were
rejected by the Lord, nigh unto cursing—»on the verge of being given up to its own barrenness by the just curse of God. This " nigh" softens the severity of the previous " it is impossible," &c. (v. 4, 6). The ground is not yet actually cursed, whose—"of which (land) the end is unto burning," viz., with the consuming fire of the last judgment; as the land of Sodom was given to "brimstone,
salt, and burnin*/" (Deuteronomy 29. 23); so as to the ungodly (Matthew 3. 10, 12; 7. 19; 13. 30; John 15. 6; 2 Peter 3.
10). Jerusalem, which had so resisted the grace of Christ, was then nigh unto cursing, and in a few years was burned. Cf. Matthew 22. 7, "Burned up their citj';" an earnest of a like fate to all wilful abusers of God s grace
(eh. 10.26,27). 9. we are persuaded—on good grounds; the result of proof. Cf. Romans 15. 11, "I myself am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye are full of (yoodness."
A. confirmation of the Pauline authorship of this Epistle, beloved — Appositely here introduced; love to you prompts me in the strong warnings I have just given, not that I entertain unfavourable thoughts of you; nay, I anticipate better tilings of you, Greek, "the things which are better;" that ye are not thorn-bearing, or nigh unto cursing, and doomed unto burning, but heirs of salvation in accordance with God's faithlulness (ch. 6. 10). things tliat accompany Greek, "things that hold l)y," i. e., are close unto "salvation." Things that are linked unto salvation
(cf. V. 19). In opposition to "nigh unto cuising." though —Greek, "it even we thus speak." "For it is better to Jinake you afraid with words, that ye may not sutt'er in
fact." 10. not unrigltteotis—not unfaithful to His own gracious promise. Not that we have any inherent right
to claim reward; for (1.) a servant has no merit, as he only does that which is his bounden duty; (2.) our best performances bear no proportion to what we leave undone; (3.)all strength comes from God; bulGod hixs prom-
ised of His own grace to reward the good works of His people (already accepted through faith in Christ); it is His
jyromise, not our merits, which would make it iinrighleous were He not to reward His people's works. God will be no man's debtor, your worit—your whole Christian life of active obedience, labour of love — The oldest M.S.S. omit "labour of," which probably crojjt in from 1 Tliessalonians 1. 3. As "love" occurs here, so "hope," v. 11, "faith," V. 12; as In 1 Corinthians 13. 13: the PaiiUne triad. By their love he sharpens their hope and faith.
less, while He swears, than Himself by whom He swears
[for the less among men usually swear by the greater]. Dost thou not yet believe, thou that hearest the pronilsef [Hknoki,.] heirs ofpromise—notonly Abraham's literal, but also his spiritual, seed (Galatians 3. 29). 18. Immutable—Zrrt««/a^f, as in V. 17, " unchangeable." inipoMslble
j-e have showed—(Cf. ch. 10. 3'2-3-l.) toward ltl» name your acts of love to the saints were done for His name's sake. The distressed condition of the Palestinian Christians appears from the collection for them. Though receiving bounty from other churclies, and Iherelore not able to minister much hy pecuniary help, yet those somewhat better off could minister to the greatest suH'<-rers in their Church in various other ways (cf. 2 Timothy 1. IS).
. . . to lie "ever to lie;" this Is the force of the Greek aorist [Ai.FORDj. His not being able to deny Himself Is a
l)roof, not of weakness, but of strength incomiiarable. consolatioik—under doubts and fears, and so "encouragement," lU., exhortation, fled for refuge—as if from a shipwreck. Or, as one lleeing to one of the six cities of n-luge. Kadesh, t. e., /io<y, implies the holiness of Jesus, our Ucfi^e. Shcchem, i.e., shoulder, the government lb upon his shoulder (Isaiah 9.0). Hebron, t. e., /eHoics/uji), believers art! called Into tlie fellowship of Christ. Bezor,
St. Paul, as elsewhere, gives them the utmost credit lor their graces, whilst delicately hinting the need of per.severance, a lack of which had probably somewhnt begun to show Itsi.'lf. 11. A.nA— Greek, "But." desire —O'rcffc, "earnestly desire." The language of fatherly allecUlon, rather than command, every €»ne of you — Imply ing that all in the Palestinian cliurches had not shown the same diligence as some of those whom he praises In e. 10, " He cares alike for great and small, and overlooks none." " Every one of them," even those diligent In acts of i>ovK
1. f'., «/or6c«s, Christ Is so toall who trust In Hini. Rainolh,
1. p., high, for Him hath (Jod exalted with Ills right hand (Acts 5. 31). Ciolan, i.e., joy, for in lllni ail the saints are
Jiistitled and sliall glory, lay hold upon the liope—i.e., the object of our hope, as upon a preservative from^lnking. set l»efore us—as a prize for which we strive; a new
iViiage, viz., the race-courso (ch. 12. 1, 2). 10. Hope Is found rejinsented on coins by an anchor, sure and steadfast--
V 10), needed to be stimulated to persevere in the same
(llllgeuce with a view to the full assurance of iioi-ic unto 454
Chi isi a Priest afler lie Order of Melchisedec, HEBREWS VII. and so, fur more Excellent than Aaron.
raphel, and Tidal, were slain, though Arioch survived "slaugluer of the kings" would be correct, blessed hlni—
ture ill respect to us; steadfast, or "firm" [Al-roRD], in it-
*elf. Not sucli RU anchor as will not keep the vessel from
fts priest he first blessed Abraham on God's part, next be blessed God on Abraham's part: a reciprocal blessing. Not a mere wish, but an authoritative and efficacious in« tercession as a priest. The Most High God's prerogative as "Possessor of heaven and earth," Is made over to Abraham; and Abraham's glory, from his victory over the foe, is made over to God. A blessed exchange for Abraham (Genesis 14. 19, 20). a. gave— Greek, "apportioned :" assigned as his portion, tenth ... of all—t>iz., the booty taken. The titlies given are closely associated with the priesthood: the mediating priest received ttiem as a pledge Af the giver's whole property being God's; and as he conveyed God's gifts to man (v. I, "blessed him"), so also man's gifts to God. Melciiisedec is a sample of how God preserves, amidst general apostasy, an
tossing, or an anchor unsound or too light. [TheophyLACT.] which eutcreth Into that [i. c, the place] within the veil—Two images heautifully combined : I. The soul
is the ship ; the world the sea; the bliss beyond the world,
the distant coast; the /tope resting on faith, the anchor which prevents the vessel being tossed to and fro ; the encouraging consolation through the promise and oaih of God, tlie cable connecting the ship and anchor. II. The world is the fore-court; heaven, the Holy of holies; Christ, the High Priest going before us, so as to enable us, after Him, and tlirough Him, to ent«r within the veil. EsTitrs explains. As the anchor does not stay in the waters, but en-