450 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Ca. VI.
Inherit («Anpovouotvrwv). Notice the present participle, are inheriting. Their present faith and perseverance are now making for their final inheritance. Comp. Eph. i. 14.
18. Illustration of the longsuffering of faith by the exam- ple of Abraham. The necessity for emphasising this element of faith lay in the growing discouragement of the Jewish Christians at the long delay of Christ’s second coming. Comp. ch. xi. Abraham became a sojourner in the land of the promise, looking for the heavenly city (ch. xi. 9, 10). All the instances cited in that chapter illustrate the long outlook of faith, involving patient waiting and endurance. The example of Abraham shows, first, that the promise of God is sure.
Because he could swear by no greater (ézrei kar’ ovdevos eiyev welCovos dudoat). Lit. since he had (the power) to swear - by no one greater.
By himself (ca®? éavrod). Comp. Gen. xxii. 16. N. T.°, but see LX X, Am. vi. 8.
14. Surely blessing | will bless thee (ed unv edroyav edro- yjow oe). “Ev pnvas a formula of swearing N.T.°. In LXX, see Num. xiv. 23, 28, 85; Isa. xlv. 28; Ezek. xxxiii. 27; xxxiv. 8. Blessing I will bless is a Hebraism, emphasis- ing the idea contained in the verb. Comp. LXX, Gen. xxii. 17; Num. xxy. 10; Deut. xv. 4.*
15. After he had patiently endured (yaxpoOuyurcas). Pointing back to paxpodvuia longsuffering, ver. 12.
* Bleek holds that the form e/ u#v arose from a confusion of the Hebraistic el wy (comp. Heb. O8) and the Greek 4 wy». Thayer (Lex.) says this must be the explanation unless ef came by itacism from %#. So Winer-Schmiedel, N. T. Gramm. §5, 15. Deissmann, however (Neue Bibelstudien, Pt. IL., p. 83 ff.), gives instances of ef (ei?) wiv from papyri before Christ, a hundred years older than this epistle, and from the same country in which the LKX was prepared. See also Blass, N. ZT. Gramm. Ss. 9, 60, 254.
Cu. VI] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 451
He obtained (érérvyev). The compounded preposition émi has the force of upon: to light or hit upon. The verb indicates that Abraham did not personally receive the entire fulfilment of the promise, but only the germ of its fulfilment. It was partially fulfilled in the birth of Isaac. See Rom. iv S413;
The security of the divine promise illustrated by the ana- logy of human practice.
16. And an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife (cal mdons adtois avrinoylas mépas eis BeBaliwowy o épxos). For “an oath,” rend. “the oath”: generic. Const. for confirmation with end. ‘The oath is final for confirma- tion.” IIépas is the outermost point ; the point beyond which one cannot go. With this exception always in N. T. in the plural, of the ends of the earth. See Matt. xii.42; Rom. x. 18. So often in LXX. ’Avtiroryia, strictly contradiction, only in Hebrews and Jude 11, on which see note.
17. Wherein (év 6). Referring to the whole previous clause. In accordance with this universal human custom.
Willing (SovrAcuevos). Rend. being minded. See on Matt. i. 19.
The immutability (7o duerdGerov). The adjective used substantively. Only here and ver. 18.
Confirmed (éuecirevcev). Rend. interposed or mediated. Comp. pecttns mediator. From pécos midst. Placed himself between himself.and the heritors of the promise.
18. Two immutable things (800 rpayudrav auerabérov). His word and his oath.
Strong consolation (ioyupay rapdxAnaow). ‘loxupos strong implies indwelling strength embodied or put forth either
452 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. VI.
aggressively or as an obstacle to resistance; as an army or a fortress. For consolation rend. encouragement, and see on L. vi. 24; 1 Cor. xiv. 3.
Who have fled for refuge (of catapuydvres). Only here and Acts xiv. 6. The compound verb is well rendered by A. V., since, as distinguished from the simple gevryev to flee, it expresses flight to a definite place or person for safety. Hence often used in connection with an altar or a sanctuary. The distinction between the simple and the compound verb is illustrated in Hdt. iv. 23, where, speaking of the bar- barous tribe of the Iyrcae, he says, “ Whoever flees (hevyov) and betakes himself for refuge (katadivyn) to them, receives wrong from no one.” So Xen., Hellen. 1, 6,16: “Conon fled (€fevye) in swift vessels, and betakes himself for refuge (xatagevyet) to Mitylene.”