464 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IL
nt 52 02), “and shall give thee tender mercy” (“ bowels of compassion ”), is i Rn by Ben Uzziel, pba arom qann ysby 2", “and shall wax hot towards you with compassion, and shall have compassion on you,”—*‘ He shall be warmed and moved with compassion towards you.’ In like manner is the word used, Ps. Ixxvii. 10. With respect unto this heat of affection and abundant compassion, the word may well be applied unto the Lord Christ, our high priest.
Ta xpos tov Ocov. V., “ad Deum,” “pontifex ad Deum,” “an high priest towards God;” very defectively. Eras., “ in his quae apud Deum forent agenda,” “in the things that were to be done before God:” so also Beza, noting “ forent agenda,” as a supplement unto the text. So Vatablus and others. Syr., STONTS | “in the things of God.” ‘The apostle explains his own meaning, Heb. v. 1 where he tells us, that “every high priest <«dlorara: ra xpos rev Ocov, iver mpoo- Qépn,”—* is set over the things appertaining unto God, that he may offer sacrifice.” “In things appertaining unto God,”—what he hath to do with God in their be- half for whom he ministers in his office before him. Arab., “res nostras apud Deum peragens.”
Bis 70 iAcoxeobou rads c&uaptins rod Acov. V., “ut repropitiaret delicta po- puli;” aiming to express the sense of the original, it falls upon a barbarous word, yielding no tolerable sense, though that which seems to be intended in it is, to make propitiation or atonement. Ar., Vatab., Eras., Bez., “ad expiandum. ” Syr., Som wan't "mun by , “expians super peccata popalty” so the word is constantly trans- lated, though it rather signifies to show mercy or pity. “IAdoxoyas is com- monly used actively for “ propitium facio,” or “ propitio,” “ to please,” “ appease,” “atone,” “turn away anger ;” and when it is taken in a passive or neuter sense, it signifies “ to be merciful,” “ appeased,” “ reconciled,” as Luke xviii. 13, °O @s0s, ircobnrl wor rd &waprors,—* God be merciful unto me a sinner.” I much doubt whether any instance can be given of its signifying “ to expiate,” though, because of the construction of it in this place, it be generally so rendered. If it be taken in its first proper sense, then sin cannot be the next object of the act denoted by it. Ours, “to make reconciliation for the sins of the people;”_ of the sense whereof we shall deal afterwards at large.
"Ey @ yap. V., “in eo enim,” “for in that;” Eras., “nam ex hoe,” “ for from hence;” Beza, “nam ex eo;” Vat., “ex eo;” “ ob id;” ours, “ for in that,” —that is, “inasmuch;” not, “in that thing wherein he was tempted,” but, “* whereas,” ¢ ieee: ” © seeing that; Arab., “for from those things which happened unto him when he was ternipted: 7
Iléwovdev aires aeipaodeis. V., * passus est ipse tentatus, in which himself suf- fered and was tempted.” “ Et, ” Erasmus tells us, is not in many ancient copies. Ar., “in quo passus est ipse tentatus,” “in that he suffered himself being tempted.” Bez., “ex eo quod perpessus ipse fuit, quum est tentatus,” “ for that which he suf- fered when he was tempted.” But the words rather signify his sufferings by being tempted, or from his temptations, than his suffering on other accounts when he was tempted. Syr., “ for in that he suffered and was tempted ;” as the Vul., Eras., “ quod ipsi contigit tentatum esse,” “ that it befell him to be tempted,” laying the whole upon temptation, because in the latter clause mention is made of “them that are tempted,” without any addition of sufferings. It is not certain whether xérovda be from xéoxo or from xovéw, from whose active, rexdvyxe, the middle significa- tion in xérove is formed, and zéxovda by a usual pleonasm of theta; and if so, not his suffering, but his labowring under temptation, is intended. If, as it is eommonly thought, it be from xéox, I confess that word is sometimes used as it is here rendered by Erasmus, “ accidit,” “contigit,’ “usu venit,” “it hap- pened,” “ it befell ;” but it is but rarely, and that not without regard unto suffer- ing. But it being evident that the suffering of Christ is here intended, his temptation being mentioned only as an instance of that whereby he suffered, that
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VER. 17, 18.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 465
is not to be passed over, ang the sense carried on unto his temptation only: * He suffered being tempted.” Ilespaw is in itself but to make a trial or expe- riment ; but this being done from various principles, by sundry means, for dif- ferent ends, and upon diverse subjects, there is a great difference in such trials, and great variety in the nature of temptations. How the Lord Christ was tempted, by whom, and of what sort his temptations were, we shall consider afterwards. The Ethiop. reads, “when he tempted him and.afflicted him;” that is, God.
Avyarcs Bonbjoot. V., “ potens est et eis qui tentantur auxiliari.” “Et” again is added, but retained by Beza, as not copulative, but emphatical, “ potest et eis qui tentantur succurrere,”—“ he can” (or “is able to”) “help,” relieve,” ‘ suc- cour.” Boyééw is properly éx! Gov Séw, “to run in to the cry of any one;” that is, to help and relieve him in his distress, to come speedily, and as it were in haste, to the help of him that crieth out in danger. So Thucydides: Obras 02 rats” Adnuactots eGeCondyxeouyv,—* These came in to the help of the Athenians” [in their distress]. And this is the direct sense of the word in this place, as it respects them that are distressed under the power of temptation, crying out for help. And it is plainly expressed in the Latin “succurrere,” and our “succour,”’ taken from thence. So Chrysostom interprets these words, Avyara: Bondjour pst worxrys mpobv- Hias cpezer xeipw,—* He gives out his hand unto them with all readiness.”