Hebrews 2:2

For An argument a minori ad majus, of which indeed the whole Epistle is a specimen. It was the commonest form assumed by the Rabbinic interpretation of Scripture, and was the first of the seven exegetic rules of Hillel, who called it "light and heavy."

the word spoken by angels The "by" is not ὑπό but διἀ, i.e. "by means of," "through the instrumentality of." The presence of Angels at Sinai is but slightly alluded to in the O. T. in Deuteronomy 33:2; Psalms 68:17; but these allusions had been greatly expanded, and were prominently dwelt upon in Rabbinic teaching the Talmud, Targums, Midrashim, &c. until, at last, we find in the tract Maccoth that God was only supposed to have uttered the First Commandment, while all the rest of the Law was delivered by Angels. This notion was at least as old as Josephus, who makes Herod say that the Jews "had learned of God through Angels" the most sacred part of their laws (Jos. Antt.xv. 5 § 3). The Alexandrian theology especially, impressed with the truth that "no man hath seen God at any time (comp. Exodus 33:20) eagerly seized on the allusions to Angels as proving that every theophany was only indirect, and that God could only be seen through the medium of Angelic appearances. Hence the Jews frequently referred to Psalms 104:4, and regarded the fire, and smoke, and storm of Sinai as being Angelic vehicles of the divine manifestation. And besides this, their boast of the Angelic ministry of the Law was founded on the allusions to the "Angel of the Presence" (Exodus 32:34; Exodus 33:14; Joshua 5:14; Isaiah 63:9). In the N. T. the only two other passages which allude to the work of Angels in delivering the Law are Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19 (see my Life of St Paul, ii. 149). Clearly the Hebrew Christians had to be delivered from the notion that Christ, by being "made under the Law," had subjected Himselfto the loftier position of the Angels who had ministered the Law.

was stedfast Rather, "became" or "proved" steadfast. The Law was no brutum julmen;no inoperative dead-letter, but effective to vindicate its own majesty, and punish its own violation. Philo uses the very same word (βέβαια) of the institutions of Moses; but the difference of standpoint between him and the writer is illustrated by the fact that Philo also calls them ἀσάλευτα, "not to be shaken" which this writer would not have done (Hebrews 12:27).

every transgression and disobedience i.e. all sins against it, whether of commission or of omission. Parabasisis "transgression;" parakoçis "mishearing" and neglect (Matthew 18:17; Romans 5:19).

just This form of the word (endikos) occurs only here and in Romans 3:8.

received a just recompence of reward The word misthos, "wage" or "pay" which is used of punishment as well as of reward would have expressed the same thought; but the writer likes the more sonorous misthapodosia(Hebrews 10:35; Hebrews 11:26). This remorseless self-vindication by the Law ("without mercy"), the certainty that it could not be broken with impunity, is alluded to in Hebrews 10:28. The Israelites found even in the wilderness (Leviticus 10:1-2; Numbers 15:32; Numbers 15:36; Deuteronomy 4:3, &c.), that such stern warnings as that of Numbers 15:30 threatening excision to offenders were terribly real, and applied alike to individuals and to the nation.