"Ey +@ raparixpacuo. Beza and the Vulg. Lat., “quemadmodum in illa exacerbatione,”—* as in that provocation;” expressing the article, which Erasmus and most translators omit; neither is it needful to be expressed, it being a mere repetition of the words, and not a reference unto them, that the apostle hath in hand. Syriac, “harden not your hearts, to provoke him,” or “that you should provoke him,” “to anger,” “exasperate him;” respecting the sin feared in them, when it is the past sin of their forefathers that is intended. Ethiopic, “Because he saith, To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, for they pro- voked him who heard.”
Ver. 16.—Tivts yap dnotouvres roperlxpavav. The Syriac begins here the in- terrogatory part of this discourse: “For who are they that when they have heard provoked him?” But rié¢ is indefinite, and not interrogative, as the following words manifest, for the process is not by a redditive pronoun, but an exceptive adverb. ;
Aid Mavotas, "0% 73,“ By the hands of Moses;” a frequent Hebraism for guidance or conduct.
Ver. 17.—Tics 08 rpociybice; Beza, “quibus infensus fuit?”—* with whom was he angry,” or “provoked?” Vulg. Lat., “infensus est,” in the present tense; which is blamed by Erasmus, and corrected by Vatablus and Arias, as that which re- gards what was long since past. Arabic, as before, “ whom did he curse?” Syr., “who were a weariness to him?” Of the ground of which variety we spake before, on verse 10,
VER. 15-19.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 163
“Qv r@ zddre exeoov. Beza, “quorum artus conciderant,”—“ whose members fell’ Vulg. Lat., “quorum cadavera prostrata sunt,’— whose carcasses were east down;” Erasmus, “ quorum membra;” Syr., }77=73!,—“ and their bones:” whose members, bodies, bones, carcasses, fell in the wilderness. Of the proper signification of the word I shall speak afterwards.
Ver. 18.—Ei pi trois dxeibyouos. Beza and Erasmus, “ nisi iis qui non obe- dierunt,”—* but unto them who obeyed not,” Arias, “si non incredulis,’—* if not unto the unbelievers.” Vulg. Lat., “iis cui increduli fuerunt;” which our Rhemists render, “ but unto them which were incredulous.” Syr., "08 NOT “qui non acquieverunt,’” “qui assensum non prebuerunt,’”—*“who gave not assent,” that is, to the word or voice of God which they heard.?
Ver. 15.—Whereas it is said, To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
The introduction unto the ensuing discourse is in these first words, "Ey rH Aeyeodas, “ Whilst it is said ;” so we, after the Vulgar Latin, and sundry other interpreters, “dum dicitur,” or 9 to that purpose, as was observed. Thus these words are a reintroduction of the former exhortation; and therefore some supply $7 or jv unto them, “to you,” or “to us,’—*“ Whilst it is said to you” (or “ us”), “ To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts:” and so this exhortation is enforced, with new con- siderations, unto the end of the chapter. But this seems not to be the meaning of the apostle, and so not the due connection or con- struction of the words. For the same exhortation being before laid down from the psalmist, and applied unto the Hebrews, verses 7, 8, _ with a full improvement of it in the verses following, it is not rea- sonable to think that he should immediately again repeat it, and that in the same words, only somewhat more obscurely expressed. For in this way the meaning of the words must be, ‘ While it is day with you, while you enjoy the season that is so called, harden not your hearts.’ But this is far more clearly expressed, verse 13,— “ Exhort one another DAILY, while it is called To-day,” with respect to what was before spoken, verses 7, 8. Others, therefore, as Eras- mus, render the words by “In hoc quod dicitur,”—“ In this that,”
> ~ Z Ey rq Atyeo- ah.
» Various Reapines.—It is evident, even from the train of thought, that the true reading is rivec, ric, and not, with Gicum., Theoph., Luther, Calvin, Grotius, ete., tives, ria, “ only some.” The author could infer only from the universality of sin in the time of Moses that the Israelites entered not into their rest, and therefore that the promise still awaited its fulfilment; he could not have inferred this from the fact that “only some had sinned at that time, and had been punished.” So far Ebrard; in which view he agrees with Griesbach and Tis- chendorf, who both point these clauses interrogatively.
Exposition.— Aaa, in a series of questions, and standing at the head of a question, means vero, porro. It serves to connect and give intensity to the in- terrogation. So here; dard, truly, indeed, cert. The meaning is, ‘Might I not ask, Did not all who came out of Egypt rebel ?’—Stuart.
TRANSLATIONS.— Aze:é. Disobedient.—Conybeare and Howson. Kul Batro- ev. We see then, or, thus we see.—Stuart, Turner,—Ep.
164 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. III.
or, “ Whereas it is said.” And so a new exhortation should be in- tended, whose application, after a digression in a long hyperbaton unto the end of this chapter, is laid down in the first verses of the next. But this serise also we rejected in opening the general design of these verses. The words, therefore, are to be taken simply and absolutely, so as to indicate a repetition of the former testimony, and its improvement unto some further ends and purposes. °Ey r@ Aeyecbas, YONI, “Whereas it is said,’—‘ Whereas these words are used in the psalmist, and are recorded for our instruction.’ And herein the apostle intends,—1. Not only the repetition of the precise words here mentioned, but by them calls over again the whole story that depends upon them, which is usual in such quotations. Out of the whole he intends now to take new observations unto his purpose in hand; for there are yet remaining some particular circumstances of the matter of fact insisted on of great importance, and much con- ducing unto his design, and to the establishment of the conclusion that he lays down, verse 19, which the apostle, in his first view of the words, had not yet considered or improved, as not lying in the way of his discourse then in hand. For their sakes doth he give this review unto the whole. 2. As of the story, so of his own exhor- tation upon it, the apostle lays down these words as a recapitulation, which gives influence unto the process of his discourse,—“ For some,” saith he, “ when they had heard, did provoke,” verse 16. As if he had said, ‘ Consider what hath been spoken, that the same befall not you as did them who provoked and perished.’ And we may see hence,—