Superiority of Christ to Moses (1 6). Exhortation against hardening the heart (7 19) There is a remarkable parallelism between the structure of this and the next chapter, and that of the first and second Chapter s. Christ higher than angels (Hebrews 1:5-14) Christ higher than Moses (Hebrews 3:1-6... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore_ The same word (ὅθεν) as in Hebrews 2:17, where see the note. It is an inference from the grandeur of Christ's position and the blessedness of His work as set forth in the previous Chapter s. _holy brethren_ This form of address is never used by St Paul. It assumes that they answered to... [ Continue Reading ]
_who was faithful_ Lit., "Being faithful," i.e. as Cranmer excellently rendered it, "how that he is faithful." The word is suggested by the following contrast between Christ and Moses, of whom it had been said "My servant Moses is not so, who was _faithful_in all mine house," Numbers 12:7. _to him t... [ Continue Reading ]
_For this man_ Rather, "For _He_," i.e. Christ. The "for" depends on the "Consider." _was counted worthy_ Rather, "hath been deemed worthy," namely, by God. _more glory_ Rather, "a fuller glory" (_amplioris gloriae_, Vulg.). _of more glory than Moses_ Eagerly as the writer is pressing forwards to... [ Continue Reading ]
_For every house is builded by some man_ The real meaning would perhaps be better expressed by "Every _household_is _established_by some one." The establisher of the Old Dispensation as well as of the New was Christ, but yet, in some sense (as an instrument and minister) Moses might be regarded as t... [ Continue Reading ]
_in all his house_ i.e. in all God's house. Two "houses" are contemplated, Mosaism and Christianity, the Law and the Gospel. Both were established by God. In the household of the Law, Moses was the faithful minister; in the household of the Gospel, Christ took on Him, indeed, "the form of a slave,... [ Continue Reading ]
_as a Son over his own house_ Rather, "over His (i.e. God's) house." In the words "Servant" and "Son "we again (as in Hebrews 1:5; Hebrews 1:8) reach the central point of Christ's superiority to Moses. The proof of this superiority did not require more than a brief treatment because it was implicitl... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore_ The verb which depends on this conjunction is delayed by the quotation, but is practically found in Hebrews 3:12, "Take heed." Christ was faithful: therefore take heed that ye be not unfaithful. _as the Holy Ghost saith_ For this form of quotation see Mark 12:36; Acts 1:16; 2 Peter 1:21... [ Continue Reading ]
A solemn warning against hardening the heart [This constant interweaving of warning and exhortation with argument is characteristic of this Epistle. These passages (Hebrews 2:1-4; Hebrews 3:7-19; Hebrews 4:1-14; Hebrews 6:1-9; Hebrews 10:19-39) cannot, however, be called digressions, because they b... [ Continue Reading ]
_harden not your hearts_ Comp. Acts 19:9. Usually _God_is said to harden man's heart (Exodus 7:3, &c.; Isaiah 63:17; Romans 9:18) an anthropomorphic way of expressing the inevitable results of neglect and of evil habit. But that this is man's own doing and choice is always recognised (Deuteronomy 10... [ Continue Reading ]
_when_ Rather, "where," i.e. at Massah, or in the wilderness. The rendering "wherewith" or "with which temptation," would have been more naturally expressed in other ways. _proved me_ The better reading is "by proving me." _saw my works forty years_ The "forty years" is purposely transferred from t... [ Continue Reading ]
_I was grieved_ Rather, "I was indignant." The Greek word is derived from the dashing of waves against a bank. It only occurs in the N. T. here and in Hebrews 3:17, but is common in the LXX. _with that generation_ The better reading is "with _this_generation," and it is at least possible that the w... [ Continue Reading ]
_So I sware in my wrath_ The reference is to Numbers 14:28-30; Numbers 33:13. _They shall not enter_ This is the correct rendering of the idiom (here used by a Hebraism) "_if_they shall enter." _my rest_ The writer proceeds to argue that this expression could not refer to the past Sabbath-rest of... [ Continue Reading ]
_Take heed, brethren, lest there be …_ It is evident that deep anxiety mixes with the warning. _in any of you_ The warning is expressed indefinitely; but if the Epistle was addressed to a small Hebrew community the writer may have had in view some special person who was in danger (comp. Hebrews 10:... [ Continue Reading ]
_exhort one another_ The verb implies the mutually _strengthening_intercourse of consolation and moral appeal. It is the verb from which comes the word _Paraclete_, i.e. the Comforter or Strengthened The literal rendering is "exhort _yourselves_," but this is only an _idiom_which extends reciprocity... [ Continue Reading ]
_we are made_ Rather, "we are become." _partakers of Christ_ Rather, "partakers _with_Christ," for the thought of mystical union with Christ extending into spiritual unity and identity, which makes the words "in Christ" the "monogram" of St Paul, is scarcely alluded to by this writer. His thoughts... [ Continue Reading ]
_some, when they had heard, did provoke_ Rattier, "Who (τίνες) when they heard, embittered (Him)"? This is the reading of the Peshito. It would have been absurd to use the word "some" of 600,000 with only two exceptions, Numbers 14:38; Joshua 14:8-9. _howbeit not all_ Rather, "Nay! was it not all?... [ Continue Reading ]
_grieved_ Rather "indignant." See Hebrews 3:10. _whose carcases_ To us the words read as though there were a deep and awful irony in this term (κῶλα), as though, "dying as it were gradually during their bodily life, they became _walking_corpses" (Delitzsch). It is doubtful, however, whether any suc... [ Continue Reading ]
_to them that believed not_ Rather, "that _disobeyed_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_So we see_ Lit. "_and_we observe." The translators of the A. V. seem by their version to regard the words as a logical inference from the previous reasoning. It is better, however, to regard them as the statement of a fact "we see by the argument," or _ex historia cognoscimus_. Grotius. See Psalms... [ Continue Reading ]