The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 96

house, or household, thus esta.blishcd. 01Kos, premisses have been established, and the it is to be observed, mny include in its conclusion follows; the relation of Obrist to meaning the familia, e.s well a.s the house the Builder of the house has been set forth itself, a.s KaTa<rK<t,cl(rn, ma.y include the idea in the preceding chapter, and may be now of constituting the whole establishment (of. assumed ; that of Moses is suffioiently infra, "whose house we a.re"). Among shown by the quotation from the Penta- modems, Hofmann a.nd Delitzsch deny this teuch. Thus also vers. 5 and 6 are found identifica.tion of 6 1<aTa<rK<t1clcras with olhos: to carry out naturally the idea here intro• against which there are the following reasons: duced, instead of unexpectedly starting a (1) The SoN ha.s not been represented so different one. far in the Epistle as the originator of the Ver. 4.-For every house is builded (or, economy of ,edemption. Notwithstanding established) by some one ; but he that built distinct intimations of his eternal pre-exist- (or, established) all things is God. Of the ent Deity (as in eh. i. I. 2, 10), it has been second clause of this verse " God " is rightly as the Messiah, the Apostle and High Priest, taken by modern commentators e.s the sub- manifested in time, and passing through ject, not the predicate, though the ~'athers humanity to glory, that he has been regarded generally take it otherwise. Thus Theo- in the preceding argument. Nor is there doret, regarding 6 ,,,dvTa KaTc&<TKeu&cras as e. nny proof here adduced of his being tile designation of Christ, views this clause as Bui'l<ler of the " house," so as to j nstify the an assertion of his Deity on the ground of conclusion on this ground of his glory being his being the Founder of all things. But greater than tilat of Moses. (2) The word this view introduces an idea out of keeping -i1!iwTa, (" has been counted worthy of") sug- with the argument, and especially with the gests (BB has been already remarked) refer- preceding expression, "faithful to him who ence to the glory won by him, "on account appointed him," in which Christ, in his of the suffering of death," rather than to office as the Christ, is distinguished from his pristine glory as the Divine Builder. the Creator of all, who appointed him to (3) Elsewhere in the New Testament, when that office. The verse seems to be interposed tile Church is referred to under the figure of in elucidation of the preceding 6 1<ciTacrKeurl- a house, it is spoken of as God's building 11as ciiJTov, to make it clear that the Founder (cf. eh. x. 21; 1 Tim. iii. 15; 1 Cor. iii. 9, of the house spoken of is God himself, and 16; 2 Cor. vi.16; Eph. ii. 22; 1 Pet. iv. 17; thus to give full effect to the proportionate ii. 5). It is never spoken of as Christ's. 1 glory of Christ in comparison with that of (4) The wording of ver. 3 does not necessi- Moses. Thus: the glory of Christ is tate the identification of 6 1<aTacr1<Euclcras greater than that of Moses by so much as with o~Tor. Ka6' 6crov means "so far as;" it the honour of the founder of o. house is implies only that the glory of Christ is greater than that of the house ;-of tho greater than that of Moses, fo proportion as founder, we say ; for every house has some the honour of the builder is greater than founder : but God is the original Founder of that of the house. (5) The identification all things, and therefore of necessity the increases the difficulty of understanding the Founder of this house of his own in which relevance to the argument of ver. 4, of Moses was e. servant. The verse, thus inter- which more will be said presently. Te.king, preted, seems (e.e intimated above) to fall in then, 6 1<aTacr1<,uclcras to denote God the with the train of thought more naturally Fe.tiler, we may state the argument thus : than it can be shown to do if Christ is God is the Builder, or Founder, of his own regarded o.s the Builder. Possibly " all house. Christ has been already shown to things" may be purposely used to denote be bis SoN, associated with him in dignity the house itself over which Christ, ns Son, and power, and, as such, Lord over bis is Lord. For, though the expression seems Father's house. Moses, on tbo other band, too wide for the limited house in which as appears from Numb. xii. 7, was but e. Moses was a servant, it is not so for the servant in God's house. As, then, the expanded and consummated house over Founder is to the house, so is the Son and which Obrist in glory reigns; cf. eh. i. 2, Lord to a servant in it; the Son partaking "Whom he appointed Heir of all things;" "f the glory of the Founder; tho servant only and eh. ii. 8, "Thou hast put all things in of that of the house in which he serves. subjection under his feet; " the last being According to this view of the argument, the said in especial connection with the "glory and honour" wherewith Obrist "he.e been 1 Our Lord's own words (Matt. xvi. 18), counted worthy" to be crowned. It is not "upon this rock I will build my Church," necessary to confine the meaning of " God's may be quoted ae an exception. But still house " to the Mosaic dispen8ation, or to the fuct remains that elsewhere, when the assign to it (as some havo done) two separate Church iii spoken of as a hmue, the word used meanings in the cases of Moses and of for fh(; huilder ill "God." Christ. It may be regarded as a comprehen· OH. Ill. 1-10.] 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 87