29 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. CHAPTER III VERSES 7-11. HAVING demonstrated the pre-eminence of the Lord Christ above Moses in their respective ministries about the house of God, the apostle, according unto his design and method, proceeds unto the application of the truth he had evinced, in an exhortation unto stability and constancy in faith and obedience. And this he doth in a way that adds a double force to his inference and exhortation; -first, in that he presseth them with the words, testimonies, and examples recorded in the Old Testament, unto which they owned an especial reverence and subjection; and then the nature of the examples which he insists upon is such as supplies him with a new argument unto his purpose. Now this is taken from the dealing of God with them who were disobedient under the ministry and rule of Moses; which he further explains,, verses 15-19. For if God dealt in severity with them who were unbelieving and disobedient with respect unto him and his work who was but a servant in the house, they might easily understand what his dispensation towards them would be who should be so with respect unto the Son and his work, who is Lord over the whole house, and "whose house are we." Ver. 7-11. Διό, καθὼς λέγει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον Σήμερον, ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐν τῷ παρα πικρασμῷ, κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οὗ ἐπείρασάν με οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν, ἐδοκίμασάν με, καὶ εἶδον τὰ ἔργα μου, τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη. Διὸ προσώχθισα τη γενεᾷ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ εἶπον· ̓Αεὶ πλανῶνται τῇ καρδίᾳ· αὐτοὶ δὲ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὰς ὁδούς μου. Ως ὤμοσα ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου· Εἰ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου. The University of lowa There are some little varieties in some words and letters observed in some old manuscripts, but of no importance or use, and for the most part mere mistakes; as ἐνδοκίμασαν for ἐδοκίμασαν, ταύτῃ for ἐκείνῃ, εἶπα for εἶπον; as many such differences occur, where some have tampered to make the apostle's words and the translation of the LXX. in all things to agree. Kalas, "sicut," the Syriac and Arabic translations omit this word. "Wherefore the Holy Ghost saith.” 'Ng iv тy πаραπıxρаopy. So the LXX. in the psalm, "sicut in exacerbatione," "in irritatione,"-" in the provocation." Syr., "ut ad iram eum provocetis tanquam exacerbatores," both in the psalm and here also, departing both from the Hebrew text and the apostolical version,-"that you stir him not up to anger as provokers.” Κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ. So the LXX. in the psalm. Vulg., "secundum diem tentationis,"—" according to the day of temptation;" that is, as those others, the fathers of the people, did in the day of temptation: so also in this place following the LXX. in the psalm, though not only the original but that version also might more properly be rendered, "sicut in die tentationis," "as in the day of temptation." O Teiparav. The translator of the Syriac version in the psalm, "qua tentarunt," that is, "qua die;" referring it unto the time of the temptation, "the day wherein." Here "quum," ," "when," to the same purpose. Neither was there any need of the variety of expression, the word used by that translator in both places being the same, referring unto time, not place, the day of temptation, not the wilderness wherein it was. Vulg., "ubi," properly "where;" as the Arabic, "in quo,” “in which," "desert," the next antecedent. Ethiop, "Eo quod tentarunt eum patres vestri, tentarunt me," "Whereas your fathers tempted him, they tempted me." For it was Christ who was tempted in the wilderness, 1 Cor. x. 9. "Saw my works тeσσαрáxovтα čτn,"-" forty years." Here the apostle completes the sense; for although sundry editions of the New Testament, as one by Stephen, and one by Plantin, out of one especial copy, place the period at py μov, "my works," yet the insertion of dió after recapάxovra τn by the apostle, proves the sense by him there to be concluded. So is it likewise by the Syriac in the psalm, and by all translations in this place. However, the Ethiopic, omitting dió, seems to intend another sense. The LXX. and Vulgar Latin in the psalm follow the original; though some copies of the LXX. have been tampered withal, to bring them to conformity with the apostle here, as usually it hath fallen out. And there is no doubt but that the order of the words in the Syriac version on the psalm came from this place. IIporaxioa, "offensus fui," "incensus fui;" Arab., cursed this generation." "6 exsecratus sum,”—“ I 'Ael #havwvtal. The original in the psalm,,1 "this people," which in the psalm is followed by the Syriac; and, contrary to the apostle, the same expression is retained in that version on this place. The LXX. in the psalm have taken in these words of the apostle, and left out those of the original; wherein they are (as almost constantly in the Psalms) followed by the Vulgar Latin. Aió, "wherefore." It expresseth an inference from what was spoken before, manifesting the ensuing exhortation to be deduced from thence. And it hath respect unto the exhortation itself which the apostle directly enters upon, verse 12, “Take heed, brethren,”— Wherefore take heed, brethren.' There is therefore a hyperbaton in the discourse, the words that agree in sense being separated by an interposition of other things; and there is between them a digression to an example or argument for the better enforcement of the exhortation itself. Καθὼς λέγει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, " as the Holy Ghost saith ;”or, that I may use the words of the Holy Ghost.' There is an emphasis in the manner of the expression,—τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, " that Holy Spirit;” so called κατ' ἐξοχήν, by 1 The Hebrew in the psalm is in reality.-Ed. |