the actual crowning. The apostle takes away from tlie Jews the offensive scandal (stumbling-block) of the cross : and so refutes the argument, which might be drawn from the sufferings of Christ against His glory, and that glory the source of glory to us also, as that he even inverts it [turns it into an argument for, instead of against Christ]. He shows that the suffering of death is so far from obstructing the glory and honour of the Messiah, that it rather confirms them to us. Whence he infers, that the fact of Jesus being " made lower than the angels," which was only for a little, did not refer to the circumstance that He should continue under the power of death, but that, after He had once suffered death to the utmost, He should have everything made subject to Him. It is Jesus to whom the humbling and crown ing, as described in the psalm, apply. It is therefore the same Person, to whom also the power over all appropriately belongs, which (power) follows close after, in the gradation of the psalm,
— {Spayjj n, for some little time [a little]) Some hours on the cross, days of suffering, years of toils, how little are they all, when compared with eternity ! — tap ayyt'/.w$, than the angels) who are incapable of suffering and dying. — ^XarT-uyxsi/ov) made loiver, less, a worm : comp. Luke xxii. 43. The participle implies, that Jesus of Himself, and for His own sake, might have entered upon glory without suffering ; but the good of His brethren was likewise to be regarded. — /SXscro//^, ive perceive) The act of looking, saith he, speaks (of itself). The same word occurs, ch. iii. 19, x. 25. The fact and the issue agree with the faith of
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the previous testimony ; ver. 6, at the beginning. — TO cra^aa ro\j Qavdrov, the suffering of death) The suffering of death is the main feature [in His sufferings, and so is put for all the rest] : ch. v. 1.
— 3og»j -/.at TI/J^J with glory and honour) becoming the Son of God. [Glory presupposes death ; honour, suffering.— -V. g.] — sorspavu- [j/tvov, crowned) after death. — 6Vws, that) This ought to be con nected with being made lower, and therefore denotes the end (the final cause). — y^pin 0soD, by the grace of God) Some formerly read ^upis1 ©go-j, except God. Both readings give a good sense ; let us look at each. The clause with %upi$, except, stands thus :
1 ABCD(A)/Vu]g;. read %*otTt. Grig. 4Alc, 3926, 393c, 4506, reads
: but in the two first places quoted be mentions the reading but evidently not as the generally received one. — ED.