This that hath been spoken may serve, as for the reproof of some, so for the direction of others. Whence is it that some receive so little benefit by their studying of the Scripture, at least in their pretending soto do? Alas! their manifold miscarriages are manifest unto all, Without diligence, without humility, without watching unto prayer, they go in the confidence of their own strength and abilities to search and expound it; which is to attempt the opening of brazen doors without a key, and the digging of mines for hid treasures with men’s nails and fingers. It is true there are sundry things that are common to the Scripture, as it is a writing consisting of propositions and reasonings, with all other writings; an apprehension and under- standing of many of these lieth obvious to every superficiary reader: but to come to a clear understanding of the secrets of the mind of God, and mysteries of his will, this is not to be attained without the sedulous, diligent use of the means before mentioned. And what guidance lies in them, and other particular rules to the same pur- pose, is, though in great weakness, looked after in this Exposition.
VERSE 8.
In this verse the apostle gives a further confirmation unto his argument by a particular application of it unto the especial matter in hand. Herewithal he removeth or preventeth an objection that might probably be raised against one part of his discourse. And the preventing of such objections as whereunto what we affirm and teach is at first view liable, is as needful as the raising of objections which possibly would never come to the minds of our hearers or readers is needless and foolish.
Ver. 8.—Ei yap aibrods "Inoods xartmaveev, oln dy repl ddAdns eAcre pare radra huepas.
Ei yp, “for if;” wirovs, that is, the people of old, those of whom he hath treated, particularly the new generation that entered Canaan.
318 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IV.
Kaztvevcev. The apostle in this chapter useth this word both ina neutral and active signification. Verse 4, Kariwauoey 6 Oeds, “God rested;” here, ‘caused them to rest,” “given them rest.” Beza, “in requiem collocasset ;” Arias, “requiem prestitisset.” The word properly, and usually in other authors, signi- fies “finem imponere,” “ cessare facere;” “to put an end,” or “to make to cease,” as rest puts an end to labour. So the word is used, verse 10, Karémavocy aro ray epywv, “Hath ceased from his works.” Incovs, “ Jesus,”—that is, Joshua ; and by so calling him, the apostle also declares what was the true Hebrew name of Jesus Christ, which the Greeks express by “Jesus.” His name was originally yun, « Hoshea;” the same with that of Hosea the prophet, chap. i. 1. Then when he went to espy out the land his name was changed by Moses into 22°, “ Jehoshuah,” Num. xiii. 16, It is true, in the writing over the story of those times he is called Jehoshua before, as Exod. xvii. 9; but it is most probable that Moses now, by divine direction, changed his name, when he went to view that land whither he was to conduct the people, and writing the story of these things afterwards, he used the name whereby he was then called. Some of those who bad most imbibed the Chaldee dialect or tongue during the captivity changed this name into >, “ Jeshua,” Ezra ii. 2, Neh. iii. 19; though the prophets Haggai and Zechariah retain the name of Jehoshua, Hag. i. 1, ii. 2,4, Zech. iii. 1, Now all these names are from the same root, and of the same signification. From wT in Hiphil (for in Kal the verb is not found), is vm", © Jesha,” salus,”— “health,” “help,” salvation.” Thence are 27, “ Hoshea;” vom, “Jehoshua;” and 2%, “Jeshua;”—*that is, cwr4p, “ salvator,” “ sospitator,” “ liberator ;” though Cicero affirms that the Greek word cannot be expressed by any one pro- per Latin word. “Salvator” is coined for that purpose,—“ a saviour.” Now, as persons on great occasions had their names as to their signification wholly changed, as when in the Old Testament Jacob was called Israel, and Solomon, Jedidiah; and in the New Testament Simon was called Peter, and Saul was called Paul; and divers had double names occasionally given them, as Esther and Hadassah, Daniel and Belteshazzar : so God was pleased sometimes to change one letter in a name (not without a mystical signification): so the name of Abram was changed into Abraham, by the interposition of one letter of the name of God; and that of Sarai into Sarah, by an addition of the same, Gen. xvii. 5, 15: so here the name of Hoshea is changed into Jehoshua, by the addition of one of the letters of the name of God, increasing the signification; and this name was given him as he was a type of Christ, and the typical saviour or deliverer of the people.
The name of 2"%, “ Jeshua,” from the Chaldee dialect, prevailed at length in common use, being of the same signification with the other, namely, “a saviour,” “one that saveth.” Hence, when they came to converse with the Greeks, came the name of ’Iysovc, or “ Jesus.” For the Greeks called Hoshea, Ausis, and Nun his father, Naue, greatly corrupting the original names. But Hoshea and Jehoshua and Jeshua they called Jesus. In 212, “ Jeshua,” they rejected the guttural », as not knowing its right pronunciation, whereon 1¥, “ Jesu,” remained; and then in their accustomed way they added the terminative sigma, and so framed” Iyjcov¢,— as of 1°22, “ Messiach,” by the rejection of and the supplement of <, they made Meoclus, “ Messias.” Hence the name Jeshua being in common use for and of the same signification with Jehoshua, and that in the Greek pronunciation being turned into Jesus, that was the name whereby the Lord Christ was called: Matt. i, 21, Kaadosis 10 dvome abrov’ Iyoody' aires yap oboe rev Andy adrov dre ray abuoep~ tiayv avrav'—* Thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall saye his people from their sins.” It is plain that the reason of the name is taken from its signification of saving,—* he shall save,” be their saviour; so that all the attempts that some have made to derive it from other words are vain and frivolous, And so also are theirs who would deduce the Greek name ’Iya0vs from ida, iéew, “to heal: for