INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 1 The intention of this epistle being to demonstrate the superior excellency of the Gospel revelation to the legal one, the apostle begins with the divine author of it, in which they both agree, and observes that in other things they differ. The revelation under the law was... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD, WHO AT SUNDRY TIMES AND IN DIVERS MANNERS,.... The apostle begins the epistle with an account of the revelation God has made of his mind and will in former times: the author of this revelation is God, not essentially, but personally considered, even God the Father, as distinguished from his Son... [ Continue Reading ]
HATH IN THESE LAST DAYS SPOKEN UNTO US BY HIS SON,.... This is the Gospel revelation, or the revelation in the Gospel dispensation; which though it comes from the same author the other does, yet in many things differs from it, and is preferable to it; and indeed the general design of this epistle is... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO BEING THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY,.... Or "of glory"; of God the Father, the God of glory, and who is glory itself; so called on account of his glorious nature and perfections and because of the glorious manifestations of them in his works of creation and providence, and in the various dispensat... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING MADE SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE ANGELS,.... Christ is so much better than the angels, as the Creator, than the creature; as an independent being, than a dependent one; as he that blesses, than he that is blessed; as he that is worshipped, than he that worships: as a king, than his subjects; as a... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR UNTO WHICH OF THE ANGELS SAID HE AT ANY TIME,.... That is, he never said to any of the angels what he has said to Christ; namely, what follows, THOU ART MY SON, THIS DAY HAVE I BEGOTTEN THEE for though angels are called the sons of God, Job 1:6 yet are never said to be begotten by him; or, with... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AGAIN, WHEN HE BRINGETH THE FIRST BEGOTTEN INTO THE WORLD;.... By "the first begotten" is meant Christ. This is a name given him in the Old Testament, and is what the Hebrews were acquainted with, and therefore the apostle uses it; it is in Psalms 89:27 from whence it seems to be taken here, an... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 7 AND OF THE ANGELS HE SAITH,.... Or "to the angels", as in the following verse, "to the Son", which stands opposed to this; and the words said to them, or of them, are found in Psalms 104:4 WHO MAKETH HIS ANGELS SPIRITS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE: this cannot be understood of the wind... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT UNTO THE SON, HE SAITH,.... What he does not to angels, and which sets him infinitely above them; which shows him to be a Prince and King, and not a servant, or minister; and which even ascribes deity to him: THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOR EVER AND EVER: this, with what follows in this verse, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HATED INIQUITY,.... Christ loves righteous persons and righteous works, faithfulness and integrity, and a just administration of government, everything that is holy, just, and good; which has appeared in the whole course of his life on earth, in working out a right... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU LORD, IN THE BEGINNING HAST LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH,.... The person here addressed, as the Lord or Jehovah, and as the Maker of the heavens and the earth, is the same with the Son spoken to, and of, before; for the words are a continuation of the speech to him, though they are take... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL PERISH,.... That is, the heavens and the earth; not as to the substance of them, but as to the quality of them; the present form and fashion of them shall pass away; the curse will be removed from them, and they will be renewed and purified, but the substance of them will continue; otherw... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS A VESTURE SHALT THOU FOLD THEM UP,.... In order to lay them aside, and make no use of them in the manner they now are; just as clothes, when they are grown old, or out of fashion, are folded up, and laid aside from use at present, or are put into another form. In the Hebrew text it is, "as a... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT TO WHICH OF THE ANGELS SAID HE AT ANY TIME,.... That is, he never said to any of them in his council, or covenant; he never designed to give them any such honour, as hereafter expressed; he never promised it to them, or bestowed it on them; he never called up any of them to so high a place, or t... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE THEY NOT ALL MINISTERING SPIRITS,.... Servants to God, to Christ, and to his people, and therefore must be inferior to the Son of God. The phrase is Rabbinical; frequent mention is made in Jewish writings a of מלאכי השרת, "the angels of ministry", or "the ministering angels"; this is their commo... [ Continue Reading ]