Kal duinvodpevos, “et pertingens,” “et pertinget.” Syr., S289}, “ et ingredi- tur,”—* and entereth,” “reacheth unto,” “ cometh into,” “ pierceth into.”
"Axps weptonov puxns re noel xvedmaros, *usque ad divisionem anime et spiri- tus.” Beza, “anime simul ac spiritus,” “ both of soul and spirit;” expressing the particle re, which yet in some copies is wanting.
“Apuay re xal wera, * compagumque et medullarum,” “ of the joints and mar- row.” The Syriac adds N27, “and of the bones.” Ethiopie, “ et discernit ani- mam ab anima, et quod noctescit a nocte; “ discerneth one soul from another, and that which is dark from night,”—that is, the most secret things.
Kal xpirixds, “et discretor.” Vulg. Lat., “et judicat,” “et dijudicat ;” “judgeth,” “discerneth.” “Judex,” “ criticus,” “and is a discerner;” that is, one that discerneth by making a right judgment of things.
Evduujosay, “ cogitationum.” Ethiopic, “ cogitationum desiderabilium,” “ de- sirable thoughts;” not without reason, as we shall see.
Kal tvvoray xapdies. Vulg. Lat., Ari., Eras., “intentionum cordis,” “of the intentions of the heart.” Beza, “conceptuum,” “ conceptions.” Ours, “ intents,” —a word of a deeper sense. There may be “conceptus” where there is not
’“intentio” or “ propositum.” Syr., “the will of the heart.” See Eph. ii. 3.
Kel ovx ¢ors xriots, “ et non est creatura,” “and thereis not acreature.” Beza, “et nulla est res creata,” “and there is no created thing;” more proper in Latin, but a “creature” is common with us.
*AQavyc. Beza, “non manifesta.” Ours, “that is not manifest.” Vulg. Lat., “invisibilis.” And the Rhem., “ invisible,” not properly ; “ not manifestly apparent.” Syr., “ that is hid.”
Tlavre dé yuuvd. Beza, “imo omnia nuda,” “ yea, all things are naked.” Ours, “but all things are naked.”
Kal rerpaxnrropeve. Vulg. Lat., “aperta,’ “open.” Beza, “ intime paten- tia,” “inwardly open.” Erasm., “ resupinata,” “laid on their backs,” ‘ open.” Syr., NP, “and manifest,” or “ revealed.”
II pes ov nuiv 6 Adyos. Beza, “ quo cum nobis est negotium;” which ours ren- der, “ with whom we have to do.” Vulg. Lat., “ad quem nobis sermo.” Rhem., “to whom our speech is.” Syr., “ to whom they give account.” And the Arabic to the same purpose, ‘* before whom our trial or excuse must be.” What help we may have in the understanding of the words from these various translations of them, we shall see in our consideration of the particulars of the text. The diffi-
VER. 12, 18.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 349
culty of the place hath caused me to inquire the more diligently into the sense of translators upon the words themselves. '
Ver, 12, 13.—For the word of God is living and power- ful [or effectual], and sharper [more cutting, or cutting more| than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner | a discerning judge| of the thoughts and in- tents [conceptions] of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not [apparently] manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do, [or to whom we must give an account. |
The whole exposition of these words depends on the subject spoken of, verse 12; that, therefore, we must diligently inquire into. This being rightly stated, the things spoken must be duly accommodated unto it; and in these two things doth the due exposition of these words consist. Now this subject is 6 Aéyog rod @sod,“the | word of God.” It is known that this name some- iB le ila times in the Scripture denotes the essential Word of God, sometimes the word spoken by him: or, dAéyos Oeod is either odowdyc, that is, the eternal Son of God; or mpogopixéc, his enuncia- tive word, the word of his will, his declared, written word. And the confounding of these is that which so entangleth the Quakers amongst us; or rather, is that whereby they endeavour to entangle others, and seduce “ unlearned and unstable souls.” But all sorts of expositors are divided in judgment about which of these it is that is here intended. Amongst the ancients, Ambrose, with many others, contends that it is the essential and eternal Word of God which is spoken of. Chrysostom seems rather to incline to the written word. The expositors of the Roman church are here also divided. Lyra, Cajetan, Carthusianus, 4 Lapide, Ribera, with sundry others, pleaded for the essential Word. Gatenus, Adamus, Hessetius, Estius, for the word written. So do the Rhemists in their annotations, and parti-
1 Exposition.—Three questions are raised by the use of the term Adyos in this :—1. Does it refer to the personal or written Word? That the former is the correct exegesis is the opinion of Clericus, Seb. Schmid, Spener, Heinsius, Cramer, Alting, Olshausen, and Tholuck; while the latter view is held by Bengel, M‘Knight, M‘Lean, Bloomfield, Stuart, Scholefield, Turner, and Ebrard. 2. Do both the 12th and 13th verses apply to the written word? Most of those who hold by the latter of the two views just mentioned, with some exceptions, such as srard, conceive that there isa transition in the 13th verse to God himself,—the pronoun airod referring to the same person to whom our account is to be ren- dered. 3. Opposed to the view that the personal Word is meant, three opinions are held:—(1.) Some writers conceiving “the word” to mean Old Testament threatenings, such as Stuart; (2.) Others, such as Ebrard, New Testament revela- tion; while (3.) Conybeare and Howson understand by it the revelation of God’s judgment to the conscience.—Ep.