INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 12 In this chapter the apostle presses to a constant exercise of faith and patience, amidst the various afflictions the saints are exercised with; delivers out several exhortations useful in the Christian life; and shows the difference between the legal and Gospel dispensati... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE, SEEING WE ALSO ARE COMPASSED ABOUT,...., As the Israelites were encompassed with the pillar of cloud, or with the clouds of glory in the wilderness, as the Jews say; 1 Corinthians 10:1, to which there may be an allusion, here, since it follows, WITH SO GREAT A CLOUD OF WITNESSES; or "mar... [ Continue Reading ]
LOOKING UNTO JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH,.... Not with bodily eyes, for at present he is not to be looked upon in this manner, but with the eye of the understanding, or with the eye of faith; for faith is a seeing of the Son; it is a spiritual sight of Christ, which is at first but g... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR CONSIDER HIM,.... In the greatness of his person, as God, the Son of God, the heir of all things; and in his offices of prophet, priest, and King, as the Saviour of lost sinners, the Leader and Commander of the people, as the apostle and high priest of our profession: consider him in his human n... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAVE NOT YET RESISTED UNTO BLOOD,.... They had resisted sin, and Satan, and the world, the men of it, and the lusts of it, and its frowns and flatteries, and also false teachers, even every adversary of Christ, and their souls; but they had not, as yet, resisted unto blood, or to the shedding of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE HAVE FORGOTTEN THE EXHORTATION,.... Or consolation, the consolatory word or doctrine, in Proverbs 3:11. This, by their conduct, the apostle feared they had forgotten, and therefore puts them in mind of it; or it may be read by way of question, "and have ye forgotten?", c. do not ye remember?... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHOM THE LORD LOVETH HE CHASTENETH,.... All men are not the objects of God's love, only a special people, whom he has chosen in Christ; for whom he has given his Son, when they were sinners and enemies; whom he quickens and calls by his grace, justifies, pardons, and accepts in Christ; and whom... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE ENDURE CHASTENING,.... In faith, with patience, with courage and constancy, with humility and reverence: there are many things which may encourage and animate the saints to endure it in such a manner; as that it is but a chastening, and the chastening of a father; it should be considered from... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF YE BE WITHOUT CHASTISEMENT,.... Or have no affliction: WHEREOF ALL ARE PARTAKERS; that is, all the children of God; they are all alike children; they are all in a state of imperfection, and prone to sin; God has an impartial respect unto them: and though they are not all alike chastened, nor... [ Continue Reading ]
FURTHERMORE, WE HAVE HAD FATHERS OF OUR FLESH,.... Earthly parents; who are so called, because they are the immediate causes and instruments of the generation of their children, and of their fleshly bodies and worldly beings; and to distinguish them from the Father of spirits: and this shows, that t... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY VERILY FOR A FEW DAYS CHASTENED US,.... Which respects not the minority of children, during which time they are under the correction of parents, and which is but a few days; nor the short life of parents; but rather the end which parents have in chastening their children, which is their tem... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW NO CHASTENING FOR THE PRESENT SEEMETH TO BE JOYOUS,.... These words anticipate an objection, taken from the grief and sorrow that comes by afflictions; and therefore how should they be for profit and advantage? The apostle answers, by granting that no affliction "seemeth" to be joyous, in outwar... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 12 WHEREFORE LIFT UP THE HANDS WHICH HANG DOWN,.... These words may be considered as spoken to the Hebrews, with respect to themselves; accordingly, the Syriac version reads, "your hands", and "your knees"; who were sluggish, and inactive in prayer, in hearing the word, in attendance on ordinan... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MAKE STRAIGHT PATHS FOR YOUR FEET,.... By "feet" are meant the walk and conversation of the saints, both in the church, and in the world, Song of Solomon 7:1 and there are paths made ready for these feet to walk in; as the good old paths of truth, of the word and worship of God, of faith and hol... [ Continue Reading ]
FOLLOW PEACE WITH ALL MEN,.... That are in a natural and domestic relation to one another, being of the same family; and that are in a civil and political one, being of the same nation, city, or society; and that are in a spiritual one, being members of the same church; or, if not, yet being saints,... [ Continue Reading ]
LOOKING DILIGENTLY,.... Acting the part of bishops, or overseers, as the word signifies; and so this exhortation either respects officers of the church of the Hebrews, whose business it was more especially to inspect into the principles and practices of the members of it, and take care that they did... [ Continue Reading ]
LEST THERE BE ANY FORNICATOR OR PROFANE PERSON,.... The first of these is guilty of a sin against the second table of the law, as well as against his own body; and which is opposed to the holiness the apostle had before exhorted to; such who are guilty of it, are not to be continued in the communion... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR YE KNOW HOW THAT AFTERWARDS,.... After he had had his pottage; after he had sold his birthright for it, and the blessing with it; after his father had blessed Jacob: this the apostle relates to the Hebrews, as a thing well known to them; they having read the books of Moses, and being conversant... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR YE ARE NOT COME UNTO THE MOUNT THAT MIGHT BE TOUCHED,.... The design of the apostle in the following words is, in general, to engage the Hebrews to adhere closely to the Gospel, from the consideration of the superior excellency of it to the law; and in particular, to enforce his former exhortati... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SOUND OF A TRUMPET,.... Exodus 19:16, which made it still more awful, as the sound of the trumpet will at the last day: AND THE VOICE OF WORDS; of the ten words, or decalogue; which was as an articulate voice, formed by angels; and, therefore, the law is called the word spoken by angels, He... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY COULD NOT ENDURE THAT WHICH WAS COMMANDED,.... In the law; not that they disliked and despised the law, as unregenerate men do; but they could not endure it, or bear it, as a yoke, it being a yoke of bondage; nor as a covenant of works, it requiring perfect obedience, but giving no strength... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SO TERRIBLE WAS THE SIGHT,.... Of the smoke, fire, and lightnings; or of God himself, who descended on the mount; with which agrees the Arabic version, which renders the words, "and so terrible was he who vouchsafed himself to be seen"; not in the bush burning with fire; at which time Moses was... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE ARE COME UNTO MOUNT SION,.... The Alexandrian copy reads, as in Hebrews 12:18 "for ye are not come"; which may seem to favour that interpretation of this passage, which refers it to the heavenly state; to which saints, in this present life, are not, as yet, come: but, by "Mount Sion", and the... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,.... A "panegyris", the word here used, was a public and solemn assembly of the Greeks, either at their games, or feasts, or fairs, or on religious accounts; and signifies a large collection and convention of men; and sometimes the place where they met togethers i; and is her... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TO JESUS, THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT,.... Of the new covenant, and, of Christ's being the Mediator of it, Hebrews 8:6. Hebrews 8:8. Coming to Christ is by faith; and is different from a corporeal coming to him in the days of his flesh; and from an outward attendance on ordinances; it is... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE THAT YE REFUSE NOT HIM THAT SPEAKETH,.... Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, whose blood speaks better things than Abel, or than his blood and sacrifice: he was the speaker in the council and covenant of grace, that spoke for the elect; in the creation of all things out of nothing, that sa... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSE VOICE THEN SHOOK THE EARTH,.... That is, at the giving of the law on Mount Sinai: Christ was then present; his voice was then heard; which was either the voice of thunder, or the voice of the trumpet, or rather the voice of words: this shook the earth, Sinai, and the land about it, and the peo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS WORD YET ONCE MORE,.... Or as it is in Haggai 2:6 "yet once it is a little while"; which suggests, that as something had been done already, so in a very little time, and at once, something very marvellous and surprising would be effected: and it SIGNIFIETH THE REMOVING OF THOSE THINGS THAT... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE WE RECEIVING A KINGDOM WHICH CANNOT BE MOVED,.... Not the kingdom of glory; eternal glory is a kingdom, and it is an immovable one; and is a free gift of God, and may be said to be now received; God's people are called unto it, and are made meet for it, and have a right unto it, and have i... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE. Either God personally considered, God in the person of Christ; so the Shechinah, with the Jews, is called a consuming fire n. Christ is truly God, and he is our God and Lord; and though he is full of grace and mercy, yet he will appear in great wrath to his enemies,... [ Continue Reading ]