instance in Hebrews. In the local sense it would mean From the dead.
Also he received him in a figure (adrov cal év trapaBonrg éxouicato). Kat marks the receiving as answering to the faith. As Abraham believed in God’s power to restore Isaac, so, because of his faith, he also received him. For exopicato received see on ch. x. 86. “Ev mapaBony in a para- ble. Since the sacrifice did not take place as a literal slaugh- ter, there could not be a literal restoration from death. There was a real offering in Abraham’s will, but not a real death of Isaac. Isaac’s death took place symbolically, in the sacrifice of the ram: correspondingly, the restoration was only a symbolic restoration from the dead. Some expositors, among whom is Westcott, explain thus: Abraham accounted that God was able to raise Isaac from the dead, from which he received him at birth, in that Isaac sprung from one dead (vevexpwpevov, ver. 12). This is extremely laboured and artificial.*
* The varieties of interpretation are endless. A list of the principal ones may be found in Westcott. One should be noticed, according to which ép
Ca. XI] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 525 20. Blessed (edAcyncev). See on J. xii. 13.
Concerning things to come (kal zrepl weddovTov). A.V, omits «al which gives an emphasis to the following words. Isaac pronounced a blessing, and that concerning things to come; things beyond the lifetime of Jacob and Esau. See Gen. xxvii. 29,39. The blessing was an act of faith. Isaac’s confidence in the power of his blessing to convey the good which it promised was “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” founded on the promise of Gen. xvii. 5.
21. When he died (azro@vjccwv). Rend. “when dying.” It is quite superfluous to explain this as emphasising the strength in contrast with the weakness of approaching death ; or that, in the birth of Joseph’s two sons before Jacob’s death, Jacob discerned a monition to adopt them into the direct line of his own sons. The meaning is simply that these events took place in Jacob’s last hours.
Blessed each (éxactopv evrAdynoev). See Gen. xviii. 17-20. Each son received a separate and distinct blessing, although Joseph had expected only one common blessing for both. Jacob’s discernment of faith appeared in this, as in the pre- cedence assigned to the younger son.
And worshipped leaning on the top of his staff («ai mTpocexvynoey ert TO axpov THs paBdov avtov). From the LXX of Gen. xlvii. 31. It seems to have been loosely included by our writer among the incidents of Jacob’s last hours (a7o6- vncKov), although it belongs to a different part of the nar-
mapaBodn is explained in venture or risk, from rapaBda)relv to throw beside, to expose. The verb sometimes has this meaning in Class., and once in LXX, 2 Macc. iv. 38; but there is no instance of the nown rapaBody in that sense, either in N. T., LXX, or Class. Thayer cites one or two doubtful cases in later Greek. According to this interpretation the clause would read, ‘‘ from whence he received him in risking him.’’ Liinemann explains: ‘‘on which account he received him on the ground of the giving up,’’ taking rapaBody in the sense of surrender.
526 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. XI.
rative. The promise given by Joseph to remove his father’s remains to the family sepulchre may have been regarded as preparatory to the blessing, or introduced in order to emphasise the devotional character of the entire proceeding. The words upon the head of his staff are from the LXX; the Hebrew being “Jacob bowed himself upon the head of the bed.” Comp. 1K.i.47. According to its vowel-points the same Hebrew word signifies either staff or bed. The LXX has chosen the former, and renders by paf6dos staff. According to the Hebrew, the meaning is that Jacob, having been sitting during the conversation, lay down when it was finished, probably overcome by weakness, and breathing a prayer as he fell back on his pillow.*