Firm unto the end (éxype tédous BeBalav). Textually, there is some doubt about these words. Westcott and Hort bracket them. ‘Tischendorf retains, and Weiss rejects them. The latter part of this verse marks the transition to the lesson of the wilderness-life of the exodus; the writer fear- ing that the fate of the exodus-generation may be repeated in the experience of his readers. We are God’s house if we steadfastly hold fast our Christian hope, and do not lose our faith as Israel did in the wilderness. The exhortation to faith is thrown into the form of warning against unbelief.
Ca. III] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 415
Faith is the condition of realising the divine promise. The section is introduced by a citation from Ps. xcv. 7, 8.
T. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith (616 caOas Aéyer 7d mvedpma TO dylov). See onch. i. 6. The formula the Spirit the holy (Spirit) is common in the N. T. with the exception of the Catholic Epistles, where it does not occur. The construc- tion of the passage is as follows: Av wherefore is connected with Bnrérere take heed, ver. 12. The point is the wrtter’s warning, not the warning of the citation. The whole citation including the introductory formula, down to rest, ver. 11, is parenthetical.
To-day if ye will hear his voice (o7npepov éav tis hovis avTov axovonte). The Hebrew reads, O that you would hear his voice to-day. To-day is prophetically interpreted by the writer as referring to the Christian present, the time of salvation inaugurated by the appearance of Christ.
8. Harden not (47) cxrAnpivnte). In N. T. mostly in this epistle. Comp. Acts xix. 9; Rom. ix. 18, see note. The group of kindred words consists of oxAnpds hard (see on Matt. xxv. 24; Jude 14); cxrnpdrns hardness (Rom. ii. 5); oxdnptvev to harden (Acts xix. 9; Rom. ix. 18); and the compounds oxAnpoxapdia hardness of heart (Matt. xix. 8; Mk. x. 5), and cxdrnpotpdynros stiff-necked (Acts vii. 5). All occur in LXX, with the addition of cxrnpas hardly, painfully (not in N. T.).
_ In the provocation (év t@ wrapatixpacu@). Only here and
ver. 15. In LXX only Ps. xciv. 8. The verb wapamixpaivew to provoke, only in ver. 16. Often in LXX. The simple verb mixpatvev to make bitter, Col. iii. 19; Apoc. viii. 11; x. 9, 10. From mixpds bitter, pungent: hence to stir up to bitterness, to irritate. Comp. LXX Ezek. ii. 4.
In the day (xara thy juépav). Kara in a temporal sense, as Acts xii. 1; xix. 23; xxvii. 27. Comp. «ar apyds in the beginning, ch. i. 10.
416 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cz. III.
Of temptation (rod wepacyod). Rend. “of the tempta- tion,” referring to a definite event, the murmuring against Moses at Rephidim on account of the lack of water, Ex. xvii. 1-7. In that passage the LXX gives for the two proper names Massah and Meribah, reipacpos temptation, which is correct, and Aoddpyars railing or reviling, which is loose, since Meribah signifies strife.* In Ps. xciv, LX X renders Meribah Tapamixpac os provocation, which is inexact, and Massah re.- paopos temptation, which is correct.
9, When (0). Rend. where. See ob after epnuos wilder- ness, Deut. viii. 15.
Tempted me, proved me (ézre(pacay év Soxipacia). Lit. tried (me) in proving. The text differs from LXX, which reads érre(pacav, édoxiuacav tempted, proved, as A.V. The phrase here means tempted by putting to the test. Comp. éxtrecpatelv to tempt or try with a view to seeing how far one can go. See on | Cor. x. 9.
And saw my works («ai eZéov ra épya pov). Some construe my works with both verbs: tried’ and saw my works: but it is better to supply me after ére/pacav tempted, to take works with saw only, and to give «al the force of and yet (see on L. xviii. 7). “They tempted and yet saw my works; ” although they saw my works. The Hebrew is “tried me, proved me, yea saw my works.”