Svyrabjoos. I have showed how variously this word is translated, —“to suffer,” “to suffer with,” “to have compassion,” “to be touched with a feeling,” “to be affected with a sense,” “to condole” or “ be- wail.” The word is once more used by our apostle in this epistle, and nowhere else in the New Testament, chap. x. 34, Tog decors mov cvveradioure, where we render it by “having compassion:” “Ye had compassion of me in my bonds;” though I should rather say, “Ye suffered with me in my bonds.” 1 Pet. iii. 8, the noun ovu- waby¢ occurs, where we render it again “having compassion.” And, indeed, the origination of that word “compassion” is comprehensive
My duvdwevov.
4.20 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IV.
of its whole sense; but its common use for “pity” is not. Suyra- 9e% is more fully rendered in that place by Beza, “mutuo moles- tiarum sensu affecti,’— “affected with a mutual sense of the troubles of each other.”
First, Svuradéw includes a concern in the troubles, or suffer- ings, or evils of others, upon the account of concernment in any common interest wherein persons are united, as it is in the natural body. Sometimes some part is affected with a disease, which hath seized on it. Another part of the body is affected with it, although nothing of the disease hath really seized on it. That part thereof cannot be said to be absolutely sick or ill-affected, for no part of the disease is init; but it may be said ovuwrdéoyew,—that is, not to be free from being affected, though not upon its own account, Galen, de Locis Affectis, lib. i. This suffering is by the consent or har- mony that is in the same nature branched into its individuals. So we have a sense of the suffering of humanity or of human nature, wherein we are interested, in other men, in any man whatever.
Secondly, It includes a propensity to relieve them in whose troubles or sufferings we are concerned, and that whether we have power to effect that relief or no. So David, in the deep sense that he had of the death of Absalom, wished that he had died for him, or relieved him from suffering by dying in his stead. And where this is not in some measure, there is no sympathy. We may not be able, in some eases where we are concerned, to relieve; it may not be law- ful for us, in some cases, to give that help and succour which our compassion would incline us unto; but if there be no such inclina- tion there is no sympathy.
Thirdly, Properly it contains in it a commotion of affections, which we express by “ condolentia;” whence the Arabic renders the word “who can mourn with us.” So is the Hebrew 139 used, Ps. Ixix. 21: 732? MPS; LXX., ‘Yxréweve ovrArAvrobuevovr—* T looked for any to be grieved with me;” “to be affected with sorrow on my behalf ;” “to take pity,” say we; “to lament with me,” by a motion or agita- tion of their affections, as the word signifies. And those intended are joined with 5°2N2), “comforters.” This belongs*to this sym- pathy, to have a moving of affection in ourselves upon the sufferings of others.
And these things are here ascribed unto our high priest on the account of his union with us, both in the participation of our nature and the communication of a new nature unto us, whereby we be- come “members of his body,” one with him. He is deeply con- cerned in all our infirmities, sorrows, and sufferings. This is attended with an inclination and propensity to relieve us, according to the rule, measure, and tenor of the covenant; and herewithal, during the time of our trials, he hath a real motion of affections in his holy
VER. 15.) — EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 421
nature, which he received or took on him for that very end and pur- pose, chap. ii. 16-18.
In this sense of the word, cvyraéjoos, “ to be affected with a sense,” ascribes this ability in a moral and natural sense unto the Lord Christ, our high priest, as he is man, in contradistinction unto God absolutely, whose nature is incapable of the compassion intended. There are, indeed, in the Scripture assignations of such kind of affections unto God; as Isa. lxiii. 9, 7¥ N? ony 223, For xd, “ not,” the reading is i$, “to him;” and accordingly we translate it, “In all their afflictions he was afflicted ;” or, “there was straitening, afflic- tion unto him,’—he was afflicted with their straits and afflictions. But there is an anthropopathy allowed in these expressions. These things are assigned unto God after the manner of men. And the true reason of such ascriptions, is not merely to assist our weakness and help our understandings in the things themselves, but to show really what God doth and will do in the human nature which he hath assumed, and intended to do so from of old; on which purpose the superstructure of his dealing with us in the Scripture is founded and built. And thus it is said of our high priest that “he is able to be affected with a sense of our infirmities,’ because in his human nature he is capable of such affections, and, as he is our high priest, is graciously inclined to act according to them.