VERSES 5-9.
_ The apostle in these verses proceeds in the pursuit of his former design. From the doctrine of the first chapter, he presseth the exhortation at the beginning of this, which we have passed through. The foundation of that exhortation was the pre-eminence of the Lord Christ, the author of the gospel, above the angels by whom the law was spoken and delivered. This he now further confirms, and that by an instance suited to his present purpose, and not as yet by him insisted on, And he doth it the rather because, by the
320 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IT.
testimonies wherewith he proves his assertion, he is led to the con- sideration of other concernments of the mediation of Christ, which he thought meet to declare unto these Hebrews also. And this method he is constant unto throughout this whole epistle. In the midst of his reasonings and testimonies for the explanation or con- firmation of what he delivers dogmatically, he lays hold on some occasion or other to press his exhortations unto faith, obedience, with constancy and perseverance in the profession of the gospel. And in the arguments which he interweaveth, and testimonies which he produceth for the enforcement of his exhortations, something still offers itself, which accordingly he lays hold upon, leading him to some further explication of the doctrine which he had in hand; so insensibly passing from one thing unto another, that he might at the same time inform the minds and work upon the affections of them with whom he dealt. All which will appear in our ensuing exposition of these verses.
Ver. 5.—Od yap ayyétrorg ixtrake rhv oinovumévyy rhv mEAAovouv, rep! HS AaAovwev
‘Yrerage, “ subjecit,” “in ordinem coegit,” “put into subjection,” “brought into order, under rule.” Ty oixovpeéuny ryv werArovoxy, Vul., “ orbem terre futu- rum,” “the habitable earth to come;” Arias, “ habitatam futuram,” to the same purpose, improperly; Syr., 7727 N09, “mundum,” or “seculum futurum,” “the world” (or “ age”) “to come;” Beza, “mundum illum futurum,” “that world to come.” And indeed the repetition of the article, with the words following, ‘concerning which we speak,” requires that it be so expressed, “ That world to come,” or “ the world that is to come.” Oixovuéyn, Heb., ban. So most com- monly expressed by the LXX. ; as sometimes, though seldom, by 1%, “the earth ;” and sometimes by r@ tx0 obpavay, “the things under the heavens.” ‘The apostle useth this word from Ps. viii., where it denotes a mixture of inhabitants, there described. ep! ms AwAoduev, that is, dsereyoucdx, “ concerning which we treat,” “about which we reason.” The Vulgar Latin adds “ Deus” to the text: “ Deus non subjecit,” “ God hath not put in subjection ;” needlessly, as is acknowledged. * De quo Christo,” saith the interlinear gloss; but Ilo! 45 is not “ of Christ.”
Ver. 5.—¥For unto the angels hath he not made subject that world to come whereof we speak [concerning which we treat |.
Ul 4 \ 2 5 , oe) y+ wv , q Ver. 6. Alsaproparo 0é Neel had ns yal Ti cory avdpuros, OT MA LYHCKH abrov; 4 vide avOpuimov, bri erionerrn avroy;
Syr., M28) SAND “Ow PS NPN, “ But as the Scripture witnesseth and saith ;” needlessly limiting what was spoken indefinitely by the apostle, the words them. selves declaring who spake them and where. Ilov, Vul., “in quodam loco,” “i acertain place ;” Beza, “alicubi,” “ somewhere,” that is, Ps, vill. 5, Té gorey dy. bparros; whon-m, « quid homo mortalis?”—porés, Bpords cévyo, “ frail, mortal man,” or “the son of man.” 578 32, “ filius hominis terreni;” ynysvds, “ @ terra editus,”—* man of the earth,” or “ an earthy man.
VER, 5-9.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. $21
Ver. 6.—But one [a certain man] testified [Aath wit- nessed|, in a certain place [somewhere, that is, in the Scripture, from whence he is arguing], saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
> \ ~ Ver. 7.—Brdrrwcag adriy Bpaxd r+ wap’ ayyérous 06&q nal riey
2 A 4 ey ~ ~ EOTEDAVWOUG WUTIY, Kui KarEornous ary eal Te epya roy yeIpav cov, wdyT
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istracas imondrw rv rodav adrod.
The latter words, which are commonly placed at the beginning of the eighth verse, I have added unto this seventh, the sense and Hebrew text so requiring it.
“Hadrrasus aizov. So the apostle renders *7729" in the psalmist, and that properly. WVul., “ minuisti;” which is not “thou hast made less,” but “thou hast lessened,” erick hath another sense than that here intended. Syr., “79228, “ depressiti,” “‘thou hast depressed,” or “made him less,” or “lower than HG was.” Beza, “fecisti eum inferiorem,” “thou hast made him lower;” and so ours. Rhemists, “ thou didst minish him a little less;” obscurely. °Eaarréw is “imminuo,” * diminuo,” “ to make less,” “to take from,” as to state and condi- tion. So in Isocrates, cawrrovy ryy réaw is to lessen the dignity, state, and con- dition of the people; as in Latin, “ capitis diminutio” is lessening of state or dig- nity, as by loss of liberty. For when one was made a captive by the’enemy he lost his dignity, until he recovered it “jure postliminii;” so Regulus is termed by the poet, “ capitis minor,” when a prisoner to the Carthaginians: or by change of family, as when Clodius, a patrician, was adopted by a plebeian: or by banish- ment. All such are 7Axrrovuevor, lessened in state or dignity. “S4, the word used. by the psalmist, hath the same signification; and though it be variously rendered by the L.XX., yet they never much depart from its native signification. *Eaarrovéo, “to minish,” “make less,” “take from;” ¢Aurréw, the same; évdeys yivowos, “to become indigent ;” évdgouas, “to bein want ;” exiouces, rpoodeoert, _arope, all to the same purpose; atepioxa, “to deprive ;” vorepéo, * to want,” “ to be indigent,” “to come short;” and orzpéw, and xevev xoiew, “to make empty ;” that is, xzvew, the word used Phil. ii. 7. I observe this various rendering of the word by the LXX. only to show that it doth constantly denote a diminution of state and condition, with an addition of indigency; which will give us light into the interpretation of the place.