Hebrews 3:6

But Christ. Replacing the human name Jesus, and being the official name which marks his position over the house.

As a son [ω ς υ ι ο ς]. The fidelity of Moses and the fidelity of Christ are exhibited in different spheres : of Moses in that of servant; of Christ in that of son.

Over his own house [ε π ι τ ο ν ο ι κ ο ν α υ τ ο υ]. Comp. ch. Hebrews 10:21, and notice ejpi over his house, and ejn in all his house, of Moses. For "his own house" rend. "his house," referring to God. Reference to Christ would destroy the parallel. It is said by some that the matter of respective positions is irrelevant : that the main point is fidelity, and that therefore it does not matter whether Moses was a son or a servant, provided he was faithful. But the writer evidently feels that Christ's position as a son enhanced his fidelity. Comp. ch. Hebrews 5:8. The implication is that Christ's position involved peculiar difficulties and temptations.

Whose house [ο υ]. God's house. The church is nowhere called the house of Christ.

We [η μ ε ι ς]. Even as was the house in which Moses served. The Christian community is thus emphatically designated as the house of God, implying the transitoriness of the Mosaic system. Comp. 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 3:17; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:22; 1 Peter 4:17.

Hold fast [κ α τ α σ ξ ω μ ε ν]. The verb is used in N. T. as here, 1 Thessalonians 5:21; Philippians 1:13; of restraining or preventing, Luke 4:42; of holding back or holding down with an evil purpose, Romans 1:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:7; of holding one's course toward, bearing down for, Acts 27:40.

The confidence and the rejoicing of the hope [τ η ν π α ρ ρ η σ ι α ν κ α ι τ ο κ α υ χ η μ α τ η ς ε λ π ι δ ο ς]. The combination confidence and rejoicing N. T. o. Rejoicing or boasting of hope N. T. o, but comp. 1 Thessalonians 2:19. For parrhsia confidence see on 1 Timothy 3:13. The entire group of words, kauchma ground of glorying, kauchsiv act of glorying, and kaucasqai to glory, is peculiarly Pauline. Outside of the Pauline letters kaucasqai occurs only James 1:9; James 4:16; kauchsiv only James 4:16; and kauchma only here. The thought here is that the condition of being and continuing the house of God is the holding fast of the hope in Christ (ejlpidov of the object of hope) and in the consummation of God's kingdom in him; making these the ground of boasting, exultantly confessing and proclaiming this hope. There must be, not only confidence, but joyful confidence. Comp. Romans 5:3; Ephesians 3:12; Ephesians 3:13; Philippians 3:3. Firm unto the end [μ ε χ ρ ι τ ε λ ο υ ς β ε β α ι α ν]. Textually, there is some doubt about these words. Westcott and Hort bracket them. Tischendorf retains, and Weiss rejects them. The latter part of this verse marks the transition to the lesson of the wilderness - life of the exodus; the writer fearing that the fate of the exodus - generation may be repeated in the experience of his readers. We are God's house if we steadfastly hold fast our Christian hope, and do not lose our faith as Israel did in the wilderness. The exhortation to faith is thrown into the form of warning against unbelief. Faith is the condition of realizing the divine promise. The section is introduced by a citation from Psalms 95:7; Psalms 95:8.