Hebrews 12:2

Looking [α φ ο ρ ω ν τ ε ς]. Only here and Philippians 2:28. In LXX see 4 Macc. 17 10. Looking away from everything which may distract. Comp. Philippians 3:13; Philippians 3:14, and ajpeblepen he had respect, lit. looked away, Hebrews 11:26. Wetstein cites Arrian, Epictet. 2 19, 29 eijv ton Qeon ajforwntev ejn panti mikrw kai megalw looking away unto God in everything small and great.

Jesus. Having presented a long catalogue of witnesses under the old covenant, he now presents Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and the supreme witness. See Revelation 1:5; Revelation 3:14; 1 Timothy 6:13. The author and finisher of our faith [τ ο ν τ η ς π ι σ τ ε ω ς α ρ χ η γ ο ν κ α ι τ ε λ ε ι ω τ η ν]. The A. V. is misleading, and narrows the scope of the passage. For author, rend. leader or captain, and see on ch. Hebrews 2:10. For finisher, rend. perfecter. For our faith, rend. faith or the faith. Not our Christian faith, but faith absolutely, as exhibited in the whole range of believers from Abel to Christ. Christ cannot be called the author or originator of faith, since the faith here treated existed and worked before Christ. Christ is the leader or captain of faith, in that he is the perfecter of faith. In himself he furnished the perfect development, the supreme example of faith, and in virtue of this he is the leader of the whole believing host in all time. Notice the recurrence of the favorite idea of perfecting. Comp. ch. Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 5:9; Hebrews 6:1; Hebrews 7:11; Hebrews 7:19; Hebrews 7:28; Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 10:1; Hebrews 10:14; Hebrews 11:40. Teleiwthv perfecter, N. T. o, ?LXX, o Class.

For the joy that was set before him [α ν τ ι τ η ς π ρ ο κ ε ι μ ε ν η ς α υ τ ω χ α ρ α ς]. Anti in its usual sense, in exchange for. Prokeimenhv lying before, present. The joy was the full, divine beatitude of his preincarnate life in the bosom of the Father; the glory which he had with God before the world was. In exchange for this he accepted the cross and the blame. The contrast is designed between the struggle which, for the present, is alone set before the readers (ver. 1), and the joy which was already present to Christ. The heroic character of his faith appears in his renouncing a joy already in possession in exchange for shame and death. The passage thus falls in with Philippians 2:6-8.

The cross [σ τ α υ ρ ο ν]. Comp. Philippians 2:8. o LXX Originally an upright stake or pale. Stauroun to drive down a stake; to crucify. Comp. the use of xulon wood or tree for the cross, Acts 5:30; Acts 10:39; 1 Peter 2:24. See on Luke 23:31.

The shame [α ι σ χ υ ν η ς]. Attendant upon a malefactor's death.

Is set down, etc. See ch : Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 1:13; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 10:12. Notice the tenses : endured, aorist, completed : hath sat down, perfect, he remains seated and reigning.