Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, WE ALSO - as well as those, Hebrews 12:11. ARE COMPASSED ABOUT - `have so great... [ Continue Reading ]
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. LOOKING UNTO, [ aforoontes (G872)] - 'from afar' (note, Hebrews 11:26); fixing the eyes upon Jesus seat... [ Continue Reading ]
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. FOR - justifying his exhortation, "Looking unto Jesus." CONSIDER, [ analogisasthe (G357)] - by comparison with yourselves. CONTRADICTION - unbelief: every kind of opposition... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. NOT YET RESISTED UNTO BLOOD - image from pugilism, as from a race; both taken from the national Greek games. Ye have suffered the loss of goods, and been a gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflictions (Hebrews 10:33: ye have not shed... [ Continue Reading ]
And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: FORGOTTEN, [ ekleleesthe (G1585)] - utterly (cf. Hebrews 12:15): some had utterly forgotten God's word. His exhortation oug... [ Continue Reading ]
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (Revelation 3:19) and [ de (G1161)] - 'yea, and: an additional circumstance. SCOURGETH - which draws forth "blood" (Hebrews 12:4). RECEIVETH - accepts as a son "in whom He delighteth" (Proverbs 3:12).... [ Continue Reading ]
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? In Hebrews 12:7 the need of "chastening;" in Hebrews 12:9 the duty of those to whom it is administered. IF. 'Aleph (') A Delta f, Vulgate, read [ eis (G1519) for ei (G1487)] 'With a vi... [ Continue Reading ]
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. IF YE BE WITHOUT, [ chooris (G5565)] - wishing to be removed from it. ALL - all sons: all the worthies in Hebrews 11:1: all the witnesses, Hebrews 12:1. ARE, [ gegonasin (G1096)] - 'have been made... [ Continue Reading ]
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? FATHERS OF OUR FLESH WHICH CORRECTED US, [ tous (G3588) pateras (G3962) paideutas (G3810)] - 'we had the fathers of our fle... [ Continue Reading ]
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Wherein the chastisement of our heavenly Father is preferable to that of earthly fathers. FOR A FEW DAYS, [ pros (G4314) oligas (G3641) heemeras (G2250)] - wi... [ Continue Reading ]
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. JOYOUS, BUT GRIEVOUS - Greek, 'matter of joy ... of grief.' The objection that chastening is grievous is anticipate... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; He addresses them as runners, pugilists, warriors (Chrysostom). WHEREFORE - resumed from Hebrews 12:1. LIFT UP, [ anorthoosate (G461), 'erect']. In Isaiah 35:3, it is, "Strengthen ye the weak hands." The hand is the symbol of... [ Continue Reading ]
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. From Proverbs 4:26, Septuagint, 'Mike straight paths for thy feet;' i:e., a straight road to joy and grace (Hebrews 12:1; Hebrews 12:15). Cease to "halt" (as the "lame") between J... [ Continue Reading ]
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: FOLLOW PEACE WITH ALL - with the brethren especially (Romans 14:19), that so the "lame" among them be not "turned out of the way" (Hebrews 12:13), and that no one of them "fail of the grace of God" (Hebrews 12:15).... [ Continue Reading ]
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; LEST ANY MAN FAIL, [ husteron (G5305)] - 'lest any (namely, through sloth in running) failing (falling short) of the grace of God ... trouble you.' The ima... [ Continue Reading ]
Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. FORNICATOR (Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 10:8). OR PROFANE. Fornication is nearly akin to gluttony, Esau's sin. He profanely cast away his spiritual privilege for the gratification of his pa... [ Continue Reading ]
For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. AFTERWARD, [ kai (G2532)] - 'even afterward.' He despised his birthright; accordingly also he was despised, when he wished to... [ Continue Reading ]
For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, FOR - The fact that we are not under the law, but under the glorious privileges of the Gospel is why especially the Hebrew Christians should 'look diligently,' etc.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: TRUMPET - to rouse attention, and herald God's approach (Exodus 19:16). ENTREATED THAT THE WORD SHOULD NOT BE SPOKEN, [ prostetheenai (G4369)] - 'that... [ Continue Reading ]
(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: THAT WHICH WAS COMMANDED, [ to (G3588) diastellomenon (G1291)] - namely, 'the (stern) interdict.' AND ... - `Even if a beast (much more a man) t... [ Continue Reading ]
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) THE SIGHT, [ to (G3588) fantazomenon (G5324)] - the vision of God's majesty. QUAKE, [ entromos (G1790)] - 'I am in trembling:' "fear" affected his mind; 'trembling' his body. Moses in Exodus does not use these words.... [ Continue Reading ]
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, ARE COME, [ proseleeluthate (G4334)] - 'have come near unto' (cf. Deuteronomy 4:11). Not merely ye shall, but ye have already come. MOUNT SION - antitypical Sio... [ Continue Reading ]
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, WRITTEN IN HEAVEN - enrolled as citizens there. All who at the coming of "God the Judge of all" (which clause naturally follows) shall be fou... [ Continue Reading ]
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. NEW - not the usual [ kainee (G2537)]: the Christian covenant (Hebrews 9:15): new, as different from, and superseding the old; but [ neas (G3501 ] recent, having the fresh... [ Continue Reading ]
See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: REFUSE NOT - through unbelief. As the blood of sprinkling speaks to God for us (Hebrews 12:24), so God also sp... [ Continue Reading ]
Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. THEN SHOOK - when He gave the law. NOW - under the Gospel. PROMISED. His coming to break up the present order of things is to the ungodly a terror, to the godly a PR... [ Continue Reading ]
And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. THIS WORD, YET ONCE MORE - So Paul, by the Spirit, sanctions the Septuagint [ eti (G2089) hapax (G530)] (Haggai 2:6), giving an... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: RECEIVING - as we do, in sure hope, also in possession of the Spirit, the first-fruits (Romans 8:23; Ephesians 1:13). LET US HAVE GRACE, [ echoomen (G2192... [ Continue Reading ]
For our God is a consuming fire. [ Kai (G2532) gar (G1063)] 'For even;' 'For also:' an additional incentive to diligence. From Deuteronomy 4:24. OUR GOD - in whom we hope, is also to be feared. He is love, yet He has also wrath against sin (Hebrews 10:27; Hebrews 10:31).... [ Continue Reading ]