INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 2 In this chapter the apostle, from the superior excellency of Christ, by whom the Gospel revelation is come, discoursed of in the preceding, urges the believers he writes to, to a more diligent attention to the Gospel, and the doctrines of it; to which he adds another motiv... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE WE OUGHT TO GIVE THE MORE EARNEST HEED,.... This is an inference from the apostle's discourse in the preceding chapter; since he, by whom God has spoke in these last days, is his Son, who is infinitely above the angels, they being his creatures, and worshippers of him, and ministers to him... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF THE WORD SPOKEN BY ANGELS WAS STEADFAST,.... This is a description of the law, from whence the apostle argues to a stricter regard to the Gospel, as from the lesser to the greater: this is called "the word", and a terrible one it was; it was a voice of words, which they that heard entreated t... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE,.... The righteous judgment of God, and eternal punishment: IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION? as the Gospel is, which is called salvation; in opposition to the law, which is the ministration of condemnation; and because it is a declaration of salvation by Christ; and is the mean... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD ALSO BEARING THEM WITNESS,.... The apostles of Christ; God testifying to their mission and commission, and the truth of the doctrine they preached: BOTH WITH SIGNS AND WONDERS, AND WITH DIVERS MIRACLES; such as taking up serpents without hurt, healing the sick, causing the lame to walk, and rai... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR UNTO THE ANGELS,.... Though angels were concerned in the giving of the law, and were frequently employed under the former dispensation, in messages to men, and in making revelations of God's mind and will to them, yet to them HATH HE NOT PUT IN SUBJECTION THE WORLD TO COME, WHEREOF WE SPEAK: by... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT ONE IN A CERTAIN PLACE TESTIFIED,.... That is, David, for he is the penman of the psalm, out of which the following words are taken; and though his name is not mentioned by the apostle, nor the particular place, or the psalm pointed at, as in Acts 13:33 yet this was not through ignorance of eith... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU MADEST HIM A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS,.... In the Hebrew text it is, "than Elohim", which some render, "than God"; but it is rightly rendered by the apostle, "than angels"; and so the Targum, Jarchi, Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, interpret it. Christ was made a little lower than the an... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET,.... Good angels, men and devils, all things in heaven, earth, and sea; see 1 Peter 3:22 FOR IN THAT HE PUT ALL IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIM, HE LEFT NOTHING THAT IS NOT PUT UNDER HIM; there is no one person or thing that is not subject to Christ; th... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WE SEE JESUS,.... Not with bodily eyes, but with the eyes of the mind, and understanding; that he is Jesus, as the Syriac version reads; and that he is designed in the above words; and that he has all things made subject unto him; and that he was humbled, and now exalted, as follows: WHO WAS MA... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT BECAME HIM, FOR WHOM ARE ALL THINGS,.... This is not a periphrasis of Christ, who died, but of God the Father, who delivered him to death; and who is the final cause of all things, in nature, and in grace, all things being made for his pleasure and for his glory; and he is the efficient cause... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR BOTH HE THAT SANCTIFIETH,.... Not himself, though this is said of him, John 17:19 nor his Father, though this also is true of him, Isaiah 8:13 but his people, the sons brought to glory, whose salvation he is the Captain of; they are sanctified in him, he being made sanctification to them; and th... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING, I WILL DECLARE THY NAME UNTO MY BRETHREN,.... These words, with the following clause, are cited from Psalms 22:22 as a proof of what the apostle had before asserted; and that this psalm is to be understood, not of the Jewish nation, or people of Israel, nor of Esther, nor of David, but of th... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 13 AND AGAIN, I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM,.... These words are taken not from Isaiah 8:17 where, in the Septuagint version, is a like phrase; for they are not the words of the Messiah there, but of the prophet; and besides, the apostle disjoins them from the following words, which stand there, b... [ Continue Reading ]
FORASMUCH THEN AS THE CHILDREN ARE PARTAKERS OF FLESH AND BLOOD,.... By the children are meant, not the children of this world, or the men of it; nor the children of the flesh, or Abraham's natural seed; nor visible professors of religion; nor the apostles of Christ only; but all the children of God... [ Continue Reading ]
AND DELIVER THEM, WHO THROUGH FEAR OF DEATH,.... This is another end of Christ's assuming human nature, and dying in it, and thereby destroying Satan, that he might save some out of his hands: [WHO] WERE ALL THEIR LIFETIME SUBJECT TO BONDAGE; meaning chiefly God's elect among the Jews; for though a... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR VERILY HE TOOK NOT ON HIM THE NATURE OF ANGELS,.... Good angels; for they are all along spoken of in this book; and it would have been impertinent to have said this of evil angels: and this is to be understood not of a denying help and assistance to the angels; for though they have not redemptio... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE IN ALL THINGS IT BEHOVED HIM TO BE MADE LIKE UNTO HIS BRETHREN,.... The adopted sons of God, who were brethren before Christ's incarnation, being from all eternity predestinated to the adoption of children: Christ's incarnation was in time, and after that many of the brethren existed; and... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IN THAT HE HIMSELF HATH SUFFERED BEING TEMPTED,.... By Satan, at his entrance on his public ministry, and a little before his death; which was done, not by stirring up sin in him, for he had none, nor by putting any into him, which could not be done, nor could Satan get any advantage over him; h... [ Continue Reading ]