CHAP. 3. Having set forth the dignity of the person of Christ and the greatness of His condescension in taking our nature, the author exhorts the Hebrews to an earnest consideration (Gr.) of Jesus, the Apostle and Priest of the new economy, whom they, moreover, had accepted as their Apostle and Prie... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:1. HOLY BRETHREN. No mere complimentary title, but descriptive of the blessed brotherhood to which Christ and all who believe belong. PARTAKERS OF, partners in a ‘calling' that comes from heaven and leads to it, besides giving the tastes and spirit appropriate to our destiny (John 3:31;... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:2. WHO WAS FAITHFUL; rather, consider Him, he being faithful in that He is faithful. His faithfulness is the quality we are to contemplate, a fresh reason why we should trust Him and be faithful too.... The sphere of the service of Moses was a restricted economy the house of Israel. Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:3. BUILDED. The word implies gathering or making the materials, putting them together, and furnishing the whole, even appointing the servants doing all that is necessary for completing ‘the house' as a home. Even Moses, therefore, is regarded as part of the house which God prepared.... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:5. IN ALL HIS HOUSE, _i.e_ God's house. FOX A TESTIMONY, _i.e_ his work was preparatory, testifying as He did to things that were afterwards to be revealed (chap. Hebrews 1:2). AS A SERVANT. The word for servant in this verse, which is often applied in O. T. to Moses, includes all the... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:6. HIS OWN HOUSE; rather, perhaps, His, _i.e_ God's house, the contrast being between a servant ‘in the house' and a son ‘ _over_ it.' The Greek, however, may mean that while the house is God's, it is also emphatically ‘the Son's,' whereas _over_ His (_i.e_ God's) house means that it is Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:7. WHEREFORE. Since it is only the giving up of your hope that can rob you of this blessedness,... beware of unbelief (a connection that unites the ‘wherefore' with Hebrews 3:12); or lest you harden your hearts (a connection that unites the ‘wherefore' with Hebrews 3:8). The former explana... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:8. AS IN THE DAY OF PROVOCATION; LIKE AS IN THE DAY OF TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS. These clauses probably refer to two distinct occasions. The two words which are here translated ‘provocation' and ‘temptation' are in the Hebrew proper names, ‘Meribah' (strife) and ‘Massah' (temptation).... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:9. WHEN; rather ‘where,' a common meaning of the Greek word. TEMPTED ME, PROVED ME. The true reading is, ‘tempted me in' (or by) ‘proving' [me]. Strong passion is some excuse for sin. When men tempt God to try how far they may go, and how much He will bear, there is a shamelessness in th... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:10. I WAS GRIEVED is somewhat feeble; displeased, offended, deeply pained, is nearer the thought. The word means properly what is a burden, physical or mental, ‘grieved' being etymologically good (comp. ‘it lay heavy on Him'). In some forms of the word it means what presses into the flesh... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:11. So; rather ‘as,' though without much difference in meaning: the acts corresponded to the punishment is the meaning of ‘as;' the punishment corresponded to the acts is the meaning of so. The former is the common meaning of the Greek.... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:12. LEST THERE BE. The peculiar expression of the original implies that the writer's fear lest there should be, is blended with the feeling that there will somehow be, an evil heart of unbelief. His interest in them, and what he knows of their tendencies, make his fear preponderate, and it... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:13. EXHORT ONE ANOTHER. The verb is very frequent in the Acts and in Paul's Epistles, and occurs four times in this Epistle. Both here and in Hebrews 13:16 (where it is said in the Authorised Version that Christians are to exhort one another in psalms and hymns) mutual exhortation is impli... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:14. WE ARE MADE PARTAKEN; rather, ‘we are become,' _i.e_ we are now what we were not originally. The words describe a _present_ character and an _acquired_ character. IF, THAT IS, WE HOLD FAST THE BEGINNING OF OUR CONFIDENCE the confidence we have begun to exercise FIRM UNTO THE END; no... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:15. WHILE IT IS SAID. The connection of this verse with the preceding is difficult. Out of many interpretations the most consistent is that adopted by Ebrard, Alford, and others. We must hold fast if we would be partakers of Christ, _as is implied in the warning_ (in that it is said): TODA... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:16-19. The argument of these verses has been variously interpreted, and the varieties are seen in the difference of the translation. The Authorised Version translates ‘ SOME... HOWBEIT NOT ALL;' the Revised translates ‘ WHO... ? NAY, DID NOT ALL.' Most of the ancient commentators, and many... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:18. BELIEVED NOT, or disbelieved, is the sense rather than disobeyed. The word ‘unbelief,' in Hebrews 3:19, may be used alike of those who have or have not heard the truth; the word, in Hebrews 3:18, of those only who have heard the Gospel and will not be persuaded to accept. The word in H... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 3:19. SO; literally ‘And' [we see], _i.e_ from these facts.... [ Continue Reading ]