Three things the apostle hath stated in his preceding arguing and exhortation:—First, The evil which he would have the He- brews carefully to avoid under the preaching of the gospel unto them, or their hearing of the voice of God; and that is the “ hard- ening of their hearts.” Secondly, The cause hereof, which he per- suades them diligently to obviate; which is the “deceitfulness of sin.” Thirdly, The effect and consequent of that evil; which is apostasy, or a “departing from the living God.” Hereunto he sub- joins one special means for the prevention of this evil in its causes and consequents; and that is mutual exhortation. Now, whereas he had drawn all the parts of his discourse from an example re- corded in Moses, and resumed by David in the Psalms, with an intimation that it was by the Holy Ghost in him put over unto the use of the church under the gospel, and therein in an especial
VER. 15-19.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 161
manner of the present Hebrews, he returns to show, that his dis- course was fully warranted from that example as recorded originally by Moses, and repeated by the Holy Ghost in the Psalms. More- over, there were yet remaining some circumstances of the example insisted on, which the Holy Ghost would have us observe for our , instruction, which lay not in the way of his former discourse to col- lect and observe. These here he gathereth up, and in them gives a great confirmation to the grounds and reasons of his exhorta- tion, This is his general design. The parts of his discourse are as followeth :—
1. He calls over the example and his own improvement of it summarily again, to lay it as a foundation of what he had further to infer from it, verse 15.
2. He makes a tacit comparison between them who came out of Egypt under the conduct of Moses, which part of it is expressed, and those who were then called to the profession of the gospel, which is implied, verse 16.
3. The former sort he expressly distributes into two kinds. The first whereof he describes, (1.) By their sin:—[1.] In general, they hardened their hearts and provoked God, verse 16. [2.] In particular, this their sin was their unbelief, verses 18, 19. (2.) By the respect that God had towards them, which also is twofold:— [1.] That he was “grieved” with them. [2.] That he “sware in his wrath” against them, verses 17,18. (3.) By their punishment, which in like manner is expressed two ways:—[1.] Positively, that “their carcasses fell in the wilderness,” verse 17. [2.] Negatively, that “they did not enter into God’s rest,” verses 18, 19. By all which instances the apostle manifests that his exhortation of them from this example was well founded therein, especially seeing the psalmist had in a spirit of prophecy prepared it for the use of those days and these; for justly ought they to be jealous over themselves, lest any of them should fall into the like sin, and fall by the same punishment.
4, He manifests that he doth not insist only on the danger of the sin dehorted from, and the penalty annexed unto it, as though the nature of this example were merely comminatory or threaten- ing; but he declares also, partly expressly and partly by just conse- quence, the blessed success which they obtained who fell not into the sins of infidelity and apostasy from God; and so strengthens his exhortation from the promises of God and his faithfulness in them. This he doth in these words, “ Howbeit not all that came out of Egypt,” verse 16; that is, [all] did not provoke God; which is but one head of the antithesis between the two several sorts mentioned, which is to be understood and preserved in all the other instances. As if he should have said, ‘Some on the other side “hardened not
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162 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IIL.
their hearts,” “provoked not God,” but believed and obeyed his voice; hence God was “not angry with them,” “sware not against them,” their “carcasses fell not in the wilderness,” but they “entered into the rest of God.” And thus will it be with them who shall continue to believe and obey the gospel.’
5. He adds a general conclusion, as the sum of what he had evinced out of the words of the psalm; which also he intended further to improve, as he doth in the next chapter, verse 19.
Ver. 15-19.—"Ev +® Aéyeobass Biwepov, dv rH¢ Qwrvag adrod anovonre’ (uh OxAnpuvnre ras napdias tuay, ws ev TH Tupuminpaowd. Twig yap dnotouvres waperinpuvav, &AN ob mdvreg of eFeAbivreg £& Al- yirrov i Mavotws. Tics 0 rpocdix dics recoupunbyra ern; ody) rors &uap- THOUOW, Ov Te KA emeoov ev TH Epriuw; Tio dz docs wn Eeloeredocodas eis rhy xardaavow avrov, ei un rors arebjouor; Kal PAéwouev, bri obx ZOvvgbnoay ciceAbeiv OF amioriay.
Some few differences there are amongst translations; such as may, some of them, give light into the sense of the words may be remarked.
Ver. 15.— Ey ra aégyecbas, Beza, “interim dum dicitur,”—“in the mean- time, while it is said.” ‘Interim dum,” are not amiss supplied, if that be the sense of the words, which generally is supposed so to be. Erasmus, “in hoe quod dicitur,”—* in this that is said,” or, “ whereas it is said;’” which is suited unto the trajection of the words supposed by the Greeks before men- tioned. Syriac, 87 N28, “ sicut dictum est,”—‘‘as it is said,” respecting a repetition of the testimony, “again.” Arias, “in dici,” that is, “in dicendo,”— “in saying;” so the Arabic, Vulgar Lat., “dum dicitur;” and so we, “while it is said.” I had rather, for reasons after to be mentioned, render the words, “ whereas it is said;”” which also is the proper sense of éy r@ Agysobes,—the infi- nitive with a preposition being often to be construed by the subjunctive mood.