VI. The Lord Jesus Christ in his death did undergo the penal sentence of the law, in the room and stead of them for whom he died.
Death was that which, by the sentence of the law, was due unto sin and sinners. For them did Christ die, and therein tasted of the bitterness of that death which they were to have undergone, or else the fruit of it could not have redounded unto them; for what was it towards their discharge, if that which they had deserved was not suffered, but somewhat else, wherein the least part of their concern- ment did lie? But this being done, certain deliverance and salva- tion will be the lot and portion of them, of all them, for whom he died; and that upon the rules of justice and righteousness on the part of Christ, though on theirs, of mere mercy and grace,
374 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IL.
VERSE 10.
The apostle in the verses foregoing made mention of that which, of all other things, the Jews generally were most offended at, and which was of the greatest importance to be believed, namely, the sufferings of the Messiah, wherein a great part of the discharge of his sacerdotal office, whereunto he here makes a transition, did con- sist. This his own disciples were slow in the belief of, Matt. xvi. 21, 22, xvii. 22, 23; Luke xxiv. 25, 26, and the Jews generally stumbled at. They thought it strange that the Messiah, the Son of God, the Saviour of his people, and Captain of their salvation, concerning whom so great and glorious things were promised and foretold, should be brought into a low despised condition, and therein to suffer and die. Hence they cried unto him on the cross, “ If thou be the Christ, come down and save thyself;” intimating that by his suffering he was assuredly proved not to be so, for why any one should suffer that could deliver himself they saw no reason.
Besides, they had inveterate prejudices about the salvation pro- ~ mised by the Messiah, and the way whereby it was to be wrought, arising from their love and over-valuation of temporal or carnal things, with their contempt of things spiritual and eternal. They expected a deliverance outward, glorious, and kingly, in this world, and that to be wrought with arms, power, and a mighty hand. And what should they expect from a Messiah that suffered and died? Wherefore the apostle, having asserted the sufferings of Christ, saw it necessary to proceed unto a full confirmation of it, with a declara- tion of the reasons, causes, and ends of it; partly to evert that false persuasion which prevailed amongst them about the nature of the salvation to be wrought by Christ; partly to show that nothing would thence ensue derogatory unto what he had before delivered about his pre-eminence above angels; but principally to instruct them in the sacerdotal office of the Messiah, the redemption which he wrought, and the means whereby he accomplished it,—which was the great business that he had designed to treat with them about. [As] for the salvation itself, he declares that it was not to be of the same kind © with that which they had of old, when they were brought out of Egypt and settled in the land of Canaan under the conduct of Joshua, but spiritual and heavenly, in a deliverance from sin, Satan, death, and hell, with a manuduction into life and blessedness eter- nal. He informs them that the way whereby this was to be wrought, was by the sufferings and death of the Messiah, and that no other way it could be accomplished ; on which account they were indispensably necessary. And the first reason hereof he expresseth in this tenth verse.
Ver. 10.—Expeme yap abra, Of by ra mdvra nal ds” of rh wdvra, Tor
VER. 10.] . EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. $75
Rods viodg sig O6Eav dyuysvra, roy dpynydy ris cwrnpiag adrav dich wudn- Paroy TeAEInCu.
One or two copies read, di radywaros airov rerciovedat, against the sense and design of the place. Adroy is needlessly repeated, unless put for gavrev, and then it disturbs the whole meaning of the verse, and is inconsistent with the passive verb following in this reading. Ilw#4cros, in the singular number, relates only unto death, expressed in the verse foregoing by 7edyue Saveérov; but here all the sufferings of Christ, as well those antecedent unto death as death itself, are in- tended. TeAesovoes, in the passive, is followed by some copies of the Vulgar trans- lation, reading “ consummari;” both inconsistent with the sense of the place, as we shall see.
Translations differ but little about these words, "Expers yap wird. Most, “decebat enim eum,” “for it became him;” Beza, “decebat enim ut iste,” “for it was meet that he,” to make the following words flow regularly. A¢ ov Th revere, “propter quem omnia;” Syr., DT m a>, “cui omnia,” “ for whom are all things;” Beza, “ propter quem sunt hzee ieanibaslt expressing the article as restrictive to the things spoken of, “ for whom are all these things.” One Syriac copy adds, 77°83, “in his hand;” which somewhat corrupts the sense. Kal 0/ od Te revere, “et per quem omnia,” “ by whom are all things;” Beza, “ hac omnia,” as before, without cause; for the article is frequently prefixed unto saévre, where all things absolutely are intended; as Eph. i. 11. Tloanovg viods sis do&eev ayeyore. Vulg., “qui multos filios ad gloriam adduxerat,” “who had brought many sons unto glory;” Arias, “multos filios ad gloriam adducentem;” Beza, “adducendo,” “bringing many sons unto glory ;” Syr., “adduxerat in gloriam suam,”’ “had brought many sons into his glory.” Tov dpynyev. Vulg., “ aucto- rem,” “the author;” Beza, “ principem;” Syr., 827, “the head” (or “ prince”) “of their salvation.” Asa radnuarov rerciaoes, © ie passionem consummare,” “to consummate” (or “complete”) “ by suffering;” Beza, “ per perpéssiones,” “by suffer- ings;” Syr., “perficere,” “ perfectum reddere,” “to perfect,” “to make perfect.”