468 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. V.
of our minds,—are things known and confessed. And with respect hereunto, namely, that efficacious influence which our ignorance hath into our frequent surprisals into sin, it is principally that we have relief from the compassion of our high priest.
Obs. V. Sin is a wandering from the way. See on chap. iii. 10.
Obs. VI. No sort of sinners is excluded from an interest in the care and love of our compassionate high priest, but only those who exclude themselves by their unbelief. Our apostle useth these two expressions to comprise all sorts of sinners, as they did under the law, unless they were such presumptuous sinners as had no relief provided for them in the institutions thereof. Of this nature is final unbelief alone under the gospel; therefore on all others our high priest is able to have compassion, and will especially exercise it towards poor, dark, ignorant wanderers. And I would not forbear to manage from hence some encouragements unto believing, as also to declare the aggravations of unbelief, but that these discourses must not be drawn out unto a greater length. Wherefore I shall only add on this verse,—
Obs. VII. It is well for us, and enough for us, that the Lord Christ was encompassed with the sinless infirmities of our nature.
Obs. VIII. God can teach a sanctified use of sinful infirmities, as he did in and unto the priests under the law.
VERSE 3.
In the third verse the apostle illustrates what he had asserted concerning the high priest, as to his being “compassed with in- firmity,” from a necessary consequent thereof: he was to offer sacrifices for his own sins. Before, he had declared in general that the end of his office was to “offer gifts and sacrifices to God,”— that is, for the sins of the people; but proceeding in his description of him, he mentions his own frailty, infirmity, and obnoxiousness unto sin. And this he did, that he might give an account of those known institutions of the law wherein he was appointed to offer sacrifices for his own sins also.
Ver. 3.— Kal did ravrny dpetres, xadds aep) rod Aaod, ovrw nal sep? EaurTou, Tpoopépeny UrEp Kapri.
For o:& ravryy one manuscript has 0/ air4v,—that is, éobéverav, “ because of which infirmity.” Vulg. Lat., “ propterea debet ;” “ wherefore,” or for which cause he ought.” Or, as we, “and by reason hereof.” Syr., “so also for him . self to offer for his own sins.”
Ver, 3.—And by reason hereof he ought, as for she people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
VER. 3.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 469
Ka) di rabrqv: that is, say some, for &a& rotro, the feminine put for the neuter, by a Hebraism. Hence it is ren- dered by some “propterea.” But ratrqy plainly and immediately refers unto dodéveray, “propter hance,” or “istam infirmita- tem.” Had the high priest under the law been dvaudéprarog, without any sin, or sinful infirmity, as the Lord Christ was, he should have had nothing to do but to offer sacrifice for the sins of the people. But it was otherwise with him, seeing he himself also, as well as they, was encompassed with sinful infirmities.
*Opeirer, “he ought.” He ought to offer for his own sins, and that on a double account, whereinto this duty or neces- sity is resolved:—1. The nature of the things them- selves, or the condition wherein he was. For seeing he was infirm and obnoxious unto sin, and seeing he did, as other men, sin actually in many things, he must have been ruined by his office if he might not have offered sacrifice for himself, It was indispensably neces- sary that sacrifices should be offered for him and his sin, and yet this no other could do for him; he ought therefore to do it himself. 2. The command of God. He ought so to do, because God had so appointed and ordained that he should. To this purpose there are sundry express legal institutions, as we shall see immediately.
Kadag wepi rod Axod, “in like manner as for the people;” that is, either the whole people collectively, or all the people distributively, as their occasions did require. In the first way the great anniversary sacrifice which he celebrated in hig own person for the whole body of the people is principally intended, Ley. xvi. 16, 24. Add hereunto the daily sacrifice belonging unto the constant service of the temple,—which is therefore used synec- dochieally for the whole worship thereof, Dan. viii. 11, 12,—for herein also was the whole church equally concerned. In the latter way, it respects all those occasional sacrifices, whether for sin or trespasses, or in free-will offerings, which were continually to be offered, and.that by the priests alone.
Otrw xai wep! tavrod, “so for himself;” in like manner, on the same grounds and for the same reasons that he offered for * k the people. He had a common interest with them , 0’ *# 74! in the daily sacrifice, which was the public worship of the whole church; and therein he offered sacrifice for himself also, together and with the people. But besides this there were three sorts of offerings that were peculiar unto him, wherein he offered for himself distinctly or separately :—
1. The solemn offering that ensued immediately on his inaugura- tion: Ley. ix. 2, “And he said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lorp.” This was for himself, as it is