2. NW is another word that may be intended; and this denotes a bearing like a prince in government, as \'¥2. And in this sense the word ought to be referred unto Christ as mediator, intrusted with power and rule by the Father. But neither the words nor context will well bear this sense: for,—(1.) It is mentioned before, where it is said that he is “appointed heir of all;” and it is not likely that the _ apostle, in this summary description of the person and offices of the Messiah, would twice mention the same thing under different expres- sions. (2.) The particle rs added unto gépwy refers us to the begin- ning of this verse, "Og dy,..... gipav re,—“ Who being the bright- ness of glory,..... and bearing all things.” So that these things must necessarily be spoken of him in the same respect: and the former, as we have showed, relateth unto his person in respect of his divine nature; so therefore doth the latter, and his acting therein.
3. There is yet another word, which I suppose the apostle had a principal aim to express, and this is 237. 3) is properly “to ride, to be carried, to be carried over;” and it is frequently, though meta- phorically, used concerning God himself: as Deut. xxxiii, 26, 235 DN, “riding on the heavens;” “on the clouds,” Isa. xix. 1; “on the wings of the wind,” Ps. xviii. 10, and Ps. Ixviii. 5; whereby his majesty, authority, and government are shadowed out unto us, And
VER. 8.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 103
hence also the word signifies “to administer, dispose, govern or pre- side in and over things,”
Thus in Ezekiel’s vision of the glorious providence of God in ruling the whole creation, it is represented by a chariot (72279) of cherubim (9°23), The 523, “ cherubim,” with their wheels, made that chariot, over which sat the God of Israel, in his disposing and ruling of all things. And the words themselves have that affinity in signification which is frequently seen among the Hebrew roots, differing only in the transposition of one letter. And the description of Him who sat above the chariot of providence, Hzek. i, is the same with that of John, Rev. iv. Now, God in that vision is placed 225, ag governing, ruling, influencing all second causes, as to the orderly production of their effects, by the commu- nication of life, motion, and guidance unto them. And though this divine administration of all things be dreadful to consider, the rings of the wheels being high and dreadful, chap. i. 18, and the living creatures “ran as the appearance of a flash of lightning,” verse 14; as also full of entanglements, there being to appearance cross wheels, or wheels within wheels, verse 16, which are all said to be rolling, chap. x. 13; yet it is carried on in an unspeakable order, without the least confusion, chap. 1. 17, and with a marvellous facility, —by a mere intimation of the mind and will of Him who guides the whole; and that because there was a living, powerful spirit passing through all, both living creatures and wheels, that moved them speedily, regu- larly, and effectually, as he pleased; that is, the energetical power of divine Providence, animating, guiding, and disposing the whole as seemed good unto him,
Now, all this is excellently expressed by the apostle in these words. For as that power which is in Him that sits over the chariot, influ- encing and giving existence, life, motion, and surance unto all things, is clearly expressed by géewy r& mévra, “upholding and disposing of all things,’—that is, 22-29 334; so is the exercise and issuing of it forth by the spirit of life in all things, to guide them certainly and regularly, by these words, r@ pjwars rig duvdwews, “ by the word of his power:” both denoting the unspeakable facility of omnipotent power in its operations. And Kimchi on the 6th of Isaiah affirms that the vision which the prophet had was of “the glory of God, that glory which Ezekiel saw in the likeness of a man ;” which we find applied unto the Lord Christ, John xii. 41.
I shall only add, that in Ezekiel’s vision the voice of the quad- riga, of the living creatures, in its motion, was as the voice WY, “‘omnipotentis,” «preepotentis, ” «Sibi snttroien ti, ” of “the Almighty,” “the powerful,” “the all-” or “self-sufficient ; » which is also fully expressed in this of the apostle, “ bearing . upholding, disposing of all things.”
104 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. I.
Our next inquiry is after the manner whereby the Son thus up- holdeth and disposeth of all things. He doth it “by the word of his power,”’—r@ pawars rig durdémews. ‘PHuo in the New Testament is used in the same latitude and extent with 724 in the Old. Some- times it denotes any matter or thing, be it good or evil, as Matt. v. 11, xii. 36, xviii. 16; Mark ix. 32; Luke i. 37, ii. 15, xviii. 34;—a word of blessing by Providence, Matt. iv. 4;—any word spoken, Matt. xxvi. 75, xxvii. 14; Luke ix. 45;—of promise, Luke 1. 38;—and piware BrA&oonwa, “ blasphemous words,” Acts vi. 11;—the word of God, the word of prophecy, Luke iii. 2; Rom. x. 17; Eph. v. 26, vi. 17; 1 Pet. 1. 25;—an authoritative command, Luke v. 5. In this epistle it is used variously. In this only it differs from Aéyos, that it never denotes the eternal or essential Word of God. That which in this place is denoted by it, with its adjunct of rig durdémewe, is the Adyog évdséderog, or the divine power, executing the counsels of the will and wisdom of God, or the efficacy of God’s providence, whereby he worketh and effecteth all things according to the counsel of his will. See Gen. i. 3; Ps. cxlvii. 15, 18, exlviii. 8; Isa. xxx.31. And this is indifferently expressed by pyua and Aéyos. Hence the same thing which Paul expresseth by the one of them, Heb. xi. 3, Mires voodmey xarnpricdas rods aidvas pyuwar: Ozov, “ By faith we know that the worlds were made by the word of God,” Peter doth by the other, 2 Pet. i. 5, Buvecrdiow ri rod Oecd Adyw.