Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Hebrews 11:7

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 admissible in all the passages. πίστει must be construed with εὐλαβηθεὶς κατεσκεύασεν and these words must be kept together, although some join εὐλαβηθεὶς with the preceding words. τῶν μηδέπω βλεπ, i.e., the flood; cf. Genesis 6:14. εὐλαβηθεὶς here used in preference to φοβηθεὶς because it is not a timorous dread of the catastrophe that is signified, but a commendable caution springing from regard to God's word. In obedience to this feeling he prepared an ark [κιβωτὸν used of the ark of the covenant in Hebrews 9:4, and of Noah's ship in Genesis 6:15, because it was shaped like a box with a roof. In Wis 10:4 it is spoken of as “worthless timber,” to magnify the salvation accomplished by its means. διʼ εὐτελοῦς ξὐλου τὸν δίκαιον (Σοφία) κυβερνήσασα and in Wis 14:7 it is ξύλον διʼ οὗ γίνεται δικαιοσύνη.] This ark he built for the saving of his family; as in Genesis 7:1 God says to Noah, εἴσελθε σὺ καὶ πᾶς ὁ οἶκός σου. By this faith [διʼ ἧς] and its manifestation in preparing the ark, “he condemned the world”; of which the most obvious meaning is that Noah's faith threw into relief the unbelief of those about him. Cf. Matthew 12:41. But to this, Weiss objects that in Hebrews κόσμος is not used to denote the world of men. He therefore concludes that what is meant is that Noah by building the ark for his own rescue showed that he considered the world doomed, thus passing judgment upon it. Certainly the former meaning is the more natural and the objection of Weiss has little weight. A second result of his faith was that “he entered into possession of the righteousness which faith carries with it”. The original significance of κληρονόμος is here, as often elsewhere, left behind. It means little more than “owner”. But no doubt underneath the word there lies the idea, familiar to the Jewish mind, that spiritual blessings are a heritage bestowed by God. ἡ κατὰ f1πίστιν δικαιοσύνη is rendered by Winer (p. 502) “the righteousness which is in consequence of faith” and he instructively compares Matthew 19:3, ἀπολῦσαι τὴν γυναῖκα κατὰ πᾶσαν αἰτίαν, and Acts 3:17, κατʼ ἄγνοιαν ἐπράξατε. The first statement in the history of Noah (Genesis 6:10) is, Νῶε ἄνθρωπος δίκαιος, τέλειος ὢν ἐν τῆ γενεᾷ αὐτοῦ, τῷ θεῷ εὐηρέστησε Νῶε. Cf. Wis 10:4. In Genesis the warning of God is communicated to Noah because he was already righteous; in Hebrews a somewhat different aspect is presented, Noah “became” righteous by building the ark in faith. He was one of those who διὰ πίστεως ἠργάσατο δικαιοσύνην, Hebrews 11:33.

From Hebrews 11:8 to Hebrews 11:22 the faith of the patriarchs is exhibited, cf. Sir 44:19.

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Hebrews 11:7

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