The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 119

be intimo.tcd: it ho.cl contiuucd open poten- first division '(eh. ii.) the conrso of thou"ht tio.lly to mo.n. was-Dominion over creation has b~en Vera. 1, 5.-l!'or he ha.th ea.id somewhere nssigncd to man: man has not attained it: (,rou: cf. eh. ii. 6) of the seventh day on Jesus has; and in Jesus man fulfils his this wise, And God rested the seventh day destiny. In this eecond division the corre- from all his worko ; and in this place age.in, sponding course of thought is-God's rest If they shall enter into my rest. Here the has been offered to man: man has not at- argument is carried out. The first passage taine~ it: Jesus has; e.ncl in Jesus man may quoted shows what must be unclerstood by enter it. And thus (as ha.~ been explained the "rest of God ; " the second shows that above1 the conclusion that Jesus is the Hi"h it still remains open, that " it remaineth Priest of humanity is led up to by t~o that some should enter thereinto." '£his parallel lines of argument. Ilut the tbir<l being the case- of the propositions of the second line of Vers. 6, 7.-Sinoe therefore it remains argument (corresponding to eh. ii. 9 in the tha.t some should enter iuto it, and they to first) is not distinctly expressed unless it be whom the good tidings were before preaohed in the verse before us ; and therefore this entored not in because of disobedience, he verse, on this ground as well as that of the again deflneth a oertaiu day, saying in Da.vid, use of the aorist, is taken to refer to Christ. nftcr so long a time, To-day ; as it hath been On the other hand, it is argued (Bicek, De before said, To-da.y, if ye will hear his voice, Wette, Delitzsch, etc.) that, if a specific etc. The continued openness of the rest, reference to Christ had been intended, he and the failure of the Israelites of old to would have been mentionecl, so as to mo.ke enter it, are the reasons why a further day the meaning clear; and secondly, that the for entering was defined in the psalm. But aorist KaTE,rautrt is legitimate, though the here the thought is suggested that the Israel- proposition be a general one. Delitzsch ites ho.d 110t finally foiled, for that, though explaius it thus: "The author might have those under Moses di<l so, the next gene- written KaTa,rauu or (more classicully) ration under Joshua did atto.in the promised 1<aTa,rl,rauTa1: but he hns tnken up into tho land. No, it is replied; the rest of the main proposition the KaTe,raua,v, which promised la.nd was but a type after all; it properly belongs (f\ccording to Gon. ii. 2) was not the true rest of God : otherwise the to the clause of comparison: whosoever hos psalmist couhl not ho.Ye still assigned 11 day entered God's rest, of him the 1<aTe,raua<v for entering it so long after the o.rriva.l ut &,rl, ,,..,,, (p-ywv a/n-oii holds good in the so.me Shiloh;- mo.nner es of God." And, furthrr, it is to Vers. 8, D.-l!'or if Joshno. had given them be observed that the Greek aorist mo.y rest, he would not ha.ve spoken a~erwe.rd of sometimes be put for the present," to express another day. The conclusion is now drawn: o.n action completely determined, every There remaineth therefore a so.bbath rest for doubt o.s to its truth f\nd uue.ltero.blencss the people of God; the true nature of the rest being removed" (Matthiro, 'Gr. Gro.m.,' § intended being ben.utifully denoted by the 506). In this instiiuce the idea might be- word ,rafJ{JaT1trµos, which refers to the Divine he that ho.s entered into God's rest restet.l, rest "from the fouudn.tion of the world," when he so entoro,I, from all his works, etc. while the offer of it to true believers e.lwuys, On the whole, it appears thut specific refer- nnd not to the Isrnelites only, is intimo.ted ence to Christ is 11ot nppo.rcnt from the im- by the phrn.so, "the people of God." medio.te context, or required by tho mero Ver.10.-For he that is entered into his rest lunguo.ge used. Still, in considero.tion of tho (God's, as beforo) ha.th himself also rested general argument, we may tako the writer from his works, u from his own God. There to have mee.nt his reo.dcrs to uutlerst110d o.ro two wo.ys of understo.nding this verso. th11t it was Christ who had so entered the Its general intention is, indeed, clear. It ac- rest of God, so as to lead God's ponplo counts for the use of the word traf!fJaT1trµbs into it. Tho.t this is so appco.re from which preoedcs, expressing tho.t the true Ver. 14, "ExovTES o~v iipx1Fp;a µe-yav, ~1<- meo.ning of "God's rest" is not satisfied by /l.11/l.u81ha Tolis o~pavolis, which seems to nny ea.rthly rest, but only by one like his. require tha.t preceding link of thought.- The question is whether the verse is to ho Among man's deopost feelings is o. longing taken aa e. general proposition or o.s refor- for rest. H11ply in the frr.shness and o.rdour ring specifically to Christ. In favour of the of eo.rly life not deeply felt, it recurs from lrltter view is the aorist KaT,,rauaw. 'l'he time to timo, and grows stronger with literal transblion woulll be "He tlmt advo.ncing yenrs. Nothing in life fully entered . . . himself also rested." Ebrard, so.tisfies this longing. Lo.hours, distressos, on this ground, strenuously defencls the disappoiutments, 11nxieties, never allow the reference to Christ ; and o.lso on the ground desired repose. Few there o.re whose hearts of pe.re.llelism with eh. ii. 9 in the first he.ve not sometimea echoed the pso.lmist's division of the genernl nrgumcnt. In the words, "Oh that I had _wings like a dove I for  110 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [cu. 1v. 1-16.