Hebrews 6:18

Hebrews 6:18. That by means of two immutable things, two distinct acts, things really done. Most understand by these two things the promise and the oath to Abraham; but the immutability He is said to show by the oath (Hebrews 6:17); though no doubt He was also immutable in His promise, That quality, however, was not so clearly shown to our apprehension. It is therefore better to regard the oath to Abraham as one, and the oath concerning Melchisedec (the typical priest) as another (Psalms 110:4, quoted in chap. Hebrews 5:6 and Hebrews 7:21).

In neither of which is it possible that God ever lies (the force of the tense denying the possibility in a single case). The emphasis is on lying and the impossibility, while the absence of the Greek article before ‘God' calls attention to His nature. In the case of Him who is God, lying can really have no place (Titus 1:2), only He needs to meet human infirmity.

That we may have strong encouragement who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us (as the goal of our race or the reward of our conflict). On the whole, this is the more probable meaning. Those who connect ‘strong encouragement' with ‘to lay hold of the hope,' etc., leave ‘have fled for refuge' without an object, and represent Christians as fleeing somewhere for refuge, and then laying hold of their hope. What they need is ‘strong encouragement,' having already fled for refuge to their hope. We have laid hold of the promise set before us in the double oath of God, Christ, the Desire of all nations, and the great High Priest, and it is a mighty encouragement to keep hold of that on which we have laid hold (the word means both), to know that God Himself has solemnly assured and reassured us of His loving purpose on our behalf. ‘Encouragement,' translated ‘consolation,' has a wide meaning; it includes the help and blessing which men call in for emergencies. The meanings vary between ‘strength' and ‘consolation,' the old English word ‘comfort' representing both the first etymologically (through fortis) and the second from usage.