to Hebrews 12:3. That the Hebrews may still further be encouraged to persevere in maintaining faith the writer exhibits in detail its victories in the past history of their people and especially in the life of Jesus. (_Cf._ _Sirach, 44-50_.)... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἔστιν δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις … “Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof [manifestation] of things not seen”. When ἔστι stands first in a sentence it sometimes means “there exists,” as in John 5:2; 1 Corinthians 15:44. But it has not necessarily and always this significance, _cf._... [ Continue Reading ]
πίστει πλείονα θυσίαν.… “By faith Abel offered to God a more adequate sacrifice than Cain.” πλείονα literally “more,” but frequently used to express “higher in value” “greater in worth,” as in Matthew 12:41-42. πλεῖον Ἰωνᾶ ὧδε, Luke 12:23; Revelation 2:19. Does the writer mean that faith prompted Ab... [ Continue Reading ]
Πίστει Ἐνὼχ μετετέθη.… “By faith Enoch was translated so that he did not see death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For before his translation he had witness borne to him that he had pleased God well; but without faith it is impossible to please Him well.” In the dry catalogue... [ Continue Reading ]
Πίστει χρηματισθεὶς Νῶε.… “By faith Noah, on being divinely warned of things not as yet seen, with reverential heed prepared an ark to save his household.” Both here and in Matthew 2:12; Matthew 2:22 χρηματ. is translated “warned of God,” although “divinely instructed” as in Hebrews 8:5 is admissibl... [ Continue Reading ]
Πίστει καλούμενος Ἀβραὰμ.… “By faith Abraham on being called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went out not knowing whither he was going.” καλούμενος, as in Mark 1:20 and Isaiah 51:2, ἐμβλέψατε Ἀβραὰμ … ὅτι εἷς ἦν, καὶ ἐκάλεσα αὐτόν. The present, not κληθεὶς,... [ Continue Reading ]
Πίστει καὶ αὐτὴ Σάρρα.… “By faith Sarah herself also received power to become a mother even when past the age, since she counted Him faithful who had promised.” καὶ αὐτὴ Σάρρα is rendered by Vaughan, Sarah “in her place” as [Abraham] in his; she on her part. The reference of αὐτὴ is disputed; it has... [ Continue Reading ]
Not only in life was the faith of the patriarchs manifested, it stood the test of death, κατὰ πίστιν ἀπέθανον οὗτοι πάντες, in keeping with their faith (see Winer, p. 502) these all (that is Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Jacob) died, and the strength of their faith was seen in this that although they ha... [ Continue Reading ]
Πίστει προσενήνοχεν Ἀβραὰμ.… “By faith Abraham when tried offered up Isaac, yea he who had accepted the promises, to whom it had been said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called, offered his only son.” The perfect προσενήνοχεν, Blass (_Gram._, 200) says “can only be understood as referring to the abidin... [ Continue Reading ]
Πίστει περὶ μελλόντων.… “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to things future,” as is recorded in the well-known passage, Genesis 27. Isaac thus in his turn exhibited a faith which could be described as ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις. “By faith Jacob when dying (ἀποθνήσκων _cf._ καλούμενος, Hebre... [ Continue Reading ]
Similarly Joseph when he in his turn came to the close of his life (τελευτῶν, from Genesis 50:16, καὶ ἐτελεύτησεν Ἰωσὴφ) made mention of the exodus of the children of Israel (“God will surely visit you and will bring you out of this land to the land concerning which God sware to our fathers,” Genesi... [ Continue Reading ]
The writer passes from the patriarchal age to the times of Moses and the Judges. First the faith of the parents of Moses (τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ, in Stephanus' _Thesaur_, several examples are given of the use of πατέρες for “father and mother,” parents; and consider Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians 3:21) is... [ Continue Reading ]
At this point the writer sees that he cannot pursue the method he has been following and give in detail all the signal manifestations of faith, which are recorded in the annals of his people. τί ἔτι λέγω, “what shall I further say?” deliberative subjunctive (_cf._ Romans 1:15, etc.) the writer quest... [ Continue Reading ]
Summary of the achievements of faith in the times subsequent to Joshua.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔλαβον γυναῖκες.… “Women received their dead by resurrection,” as is narrated of the widow of Sarepta, 1 Kings 17:17-24, and the Shunamite, 2 Kings 4:34. ἄλλοι δὲ ἐτυμπανίσθησαν … “others were beaten to death”. τύμπανον (sc. τύπανον from τύπ. strike) a drum, τυμπανίζω, I beat. From the expression in... [ Continue Reading ]
ἕτεροι δέ … introducing a different class of victories achieved by faith, although ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων, “mockings and scourgings” were endured by the martyrs who have just been mentioned (2Ma 7:7; 2Ma 7:1). πεῖραν ἔλαβον, see Hebrews 11:29. ἔτι δὲ δεσμῶν … “yea, moreover of bonds and prison”; as... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ οὗτοι πάντες, “And these all,” that is, those who have been named in this chapter, “although they had witness borne to them through their faith,” as has been recorded (Hebrews 11:2-38), “did not receive the promise,” that is, as already said in Hebrews 11:13, they only foresaw that it would be f... [ Continue Reading ]