5, 18, 19, 22, 25, 26, 28 ; viii. 1, 6, 11, 13 ; ix. 1, 10, 11, 15, 28 ; x. 5, 39 ; xi. 7, 11, 13, 19, 35, 37 ; xii. 1, 4, 10, 12, 22, 23, 27; xiii. 1, 5, 9, 10, 14, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25. In former times, some thought that Barnabas, or Luke, or Clemens Romanus was the author : in fact, because every one of them had this epistle without the author's name in his hands, each of them was con sidered as the author himself. But why did not Paul prefix to this one epistle his name, which, from ch. xiii. 1 9, was evidently dear to those to whom he was writing ? He did not prefix it, because he did not use an inscription ; for men in former times did not always use it in accordance with primitive simplicity. Comp. 2 Kings v. 6, x. 2, 6, where the word 1E&6, placed before them, scarcely permits us to believe that excerpts are given rather than the epistles themselves. And also the ardour of spirit in this epistle, alike as in the First Epistle of John, burst ing forth at once into the subject, the more effectively strikes the hearers : but he compensates at the conclusion of the epistle for the absence of salutation and thanksgiving, which were usually placed by Paul at the beginning of the other epistles. This epistle of Paul, and the two of Peter (to which may be added those of James and Jude, which are very similar), were written to the same believing Israelites, scattered abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, and much about the same time. Three years before the destruction of Jerusalem, Paul and Peter were put to death at Rome ; there fore this epistle was also written to them when the temple was standing, ch. viii. 5. Peter wrote both of his epistles a little before his martyrdom ; and in the second, praises the epistles of Paul — this one by name (expressly), which was then new (recently sent), many of the first hearers of the Lord being by this time dead ; Heb. ii. 3.
As Peter, James, Jude, wrote in Greek, not in Hebrew, so Paul did the same here ; for he quotes the Greek translation of Moses and the Psalms, where the reading is different from that of the Hebrew, ch. i. 6, x. 5. He comprehends in one Greek word, xara-/rau<T/£, the meaning of the two Hebrew words, mt? and nn\DD, ch. iv. 4, 5. He translates the Hebrew words into Greek, ch. vii. 2 ; and insists upon the proper idea attached to the Greek word diaQyxy ch. ix. 16.