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Cu. LJ THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 889
never by Paul) describes the unique relation of the Son to the Father in his divine nature: mpwtdtoxos first-begotten describes the relation of the risen Christ in his glorified humanity to man. The comparison implied in the word is not limited to angels. He is the first-born in relation to the creation, the dead, the new manhood, etc. See Col. i. 15, 18. The rabbinical writers applied the title first-born even to God. Philo (De Confus. Ling. § 14) speaks of the Logos as TpaToyovos or mpecBUTatos vids the first-born or eldest son.
And let all the angels of God worship him («al zpoc- KUynTaT@CaY avT@ TavTes dyyerot Geod). Lpockvvety to wor- ship mostly in the Gospels, Acts, and Apocrypha. In Paul only 1 Cor. xiv. 25. Very often in LXX. Originally, to kiss the hand to: thence, to do homage to. Not necessarily of an act of religious reverence (see Matt. ix. 18; xx. 20), but often in N. T. in that sense. Usually translated worship, whether a religious sense is intended or not: see on Acts x. 25. The quotation is not found in the Hebrew of the O. T., but is cited literally from LXX, Deut. xxxii. 43. It appears substantially in Ps. xcevi. 7. For the writer of Hebrews the LXX was Scripture, and is quoted throughout without regard to its correspondence with the Hebrew.
7. Fourth quotation, Ps. ciii. 4, varies slightly from LXX in substituting a flame of fire for flaming fire.
Who maketh his angels spirits (0 woi@v rovs ayyéXous avTov mvevuata). For spirits rend. winds.* This meaning is supported by the context of the Psalm, and by J. iii. 8. II vedua often in this sense in Class. In LXX, 1K. xviii. 45; xix tts 2 Koi. 10s Joba 19. Of bréath in NT: 2) Th. ii. 8; Apoc. xi. 11. In Hebrew, spirit and wind are synony- mous. The thought is according to the rabbinical idea of
* Bleek, Ebrard, Liinemann, Toy, rend. ‘‘ who maketh winds his mess- engers and flames of fire his servants.’’ This is defended on the ground of the previous ‘‘ who maketh clouds his chariots.” But in the Hebrew the order of our passage is transposed ; and according to this rendering there would be no allusion to angels.
390 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Cu. L
the variableness of the angelic nature. Angels were sup- posed to live only as they ministered. Thus it was said: “God does with his angels whatever he will. When he wishes he makes them sitting: sometimes he makes them standing: sometimes he makes them winds, sometimes fire.” “The subjection of the angels is such that they must submit even to be changed into elements.” ‘The angel said to Manoah, ‘I know not to the image of what Iam made; for God changes us each hour: wherefore then dost thou ask my name? Sometimes he makes us fire, sometimes wind.’ ” The emphasis, therefore, is not on the fact that the angels are merely servants, but that their being is such that they are only what God makes them according to the needs of their service, and are, therefore, changeable, in contrast with the Son, who is ruler and unchangeable. There would be no pertinency in the statement that God makes his angels spirits, which goes without saying. The Rabbis conceived the angels as perishable. One of them is cited as saying, “Day by day the angels of service are created out of the fire- stream, and sing a song, and disappear, as is said in Lam. iii. 23, ‘they are new every morning.’” For Xectoupyovs ministers, see on ministration, L. i. 23, and ministered, Acts xiii. 2.
8. Fifth quotation, Ps. xlv. 7,8. A nuptial ode addressed to an Israelitish king. The general sense is that the Messiah’s kingdom is eternal and righteously administered.