The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 277

both have the same real mee.ning, which is (see note on oh. ix. 27), and is immediately further confirmod by comparing them to- e11ggeste~ he'! by -r,)v .;,,.tpa.v of ver. 25. gether. The purport of both is the hope- Tbefire in which that day ie to bo reve!Lled leesness of a state of aposte.sy from the faith is a prominent figure both in tho Old af~e'. full lniowlodge and full enjoyment of Testament. and the New; regarded !LS both pm:ilege; ~,oth are led up to by cautions an a_.~s11ying and a consuming fire (of. ag,nnst ren11ssness, of which the final issno espe~mlly 1 Cor. iii. 13-16). The ex• might be such apostasy; both are followed press10~, ,ropos (ijAos (" zeal, or indignation, by the e:i.:pression of a confident hope, of fire ), not only expresses the vehemence founded on pBSt fe.ithfulness thnt no such of th~ flame, but also implies the idea of the apostasy will really follow. The stato con- fire itself being instinct with the Divine !°mplated is here express11d by /1<oucrlws wrath. or jealousy (as (ijAos, equivalent to ,.,.ap.,.av&..,-,.,,,, a phrase which in itself might at first sight seem to support one of il~lP, 1s usually translated when attributed the erroneous views of the drift of the to ~od), of which it ieJ the symbol (cf. Ps. pasBBge, viz. that all wilful sin after bap- lxx1x. 5, 'E1<1<a.u8~1T•.,."' &s ,rvp cl (,jAos )Loo: tism or grace received is unpardonable. ~ze~. xuviii. 19, 'O t,iAos µ.au lv ,rupl .,.;;s But it is first to be observed that the op;,71~ p.ov : Zep~ .. i. 18, 'Ev ,rupl (;iAou a.u-roii: participle ;,.,.ap.,.a.v&v.,.,,w is not norist, but and tnfra, eh. xn. 29, "Our God ie a con- present, expressing a persistent habit; also suming fire"). (For lcr8lE<v p.tAAo,,.,.os -ro/Js that the whole conte:i.:t is sufficient to inr•va.,,.,.lous, cf. Isa.. xxvi. 11, ZijAos J,."lf,[,•-ra. 1 denote the kind of sin intended. For (1) Aa.ov d,ra.lllEl/'TOV, ""l I/VII ,rvp -rous V'lrEVClV'rlous the preceding verses have pointed to laxity fll.,·a.,.) of allegiance to Christ, which might have Ver. 28.-0ne that hath despised (rather, further consequences; (2) the illustration set at naught) Moses' Law dieth without mercy of what is meant, adduced in ver. 28 from 11I1der (i.e. at the word of) two or three the Mosaic Law, is (as will appee.r under witnesses. The reference ie to Deut. :uii. that verse) a. case of entire apostasy-a sin 2-7, as shown by the mention of the" two not to be atoned for by any sacrifice, but or three witnesses" (ver. 6). The sin there ,ieited by "cutting off; " (3) the description spoken of is that of one who "bath wrought in ver. 2~ of the sin intended implies total wickedness in the sight of the LOBD in repudiation of Christ. Observe, on i1<ou- transgressing his covenant, and ha.th gone ufo,s, the contrast to U,covulc,,s Cl.µ.ap-r&.v€u, and served other gods, and worshipped (Lev. fr. 2, 27; v. 15, al.), e:i.:pressive of sins them, either the sun, or the moon, or any of ignorance or infirmity. Not such sins, of the host of heaven." The significance but deliberate sin with a high hand, is of this in its bee.ring on the meaning of here intended; and further, for the reasons a.,.a.p.,."v&,,.,.,,,,, in ver. 26 has been already above given, one of this nature so heinous noted. as to be beyond the reach of sacrifice. Vere. 29, 30.-0f how muoh sorer punish- From all such considerations it appears ment, suppose ye, shall he be thought that <1<oucriws a.,u,.(YTa.vo..rwv here expresses worthy, who bath trodden underfoot the the same idea BB ,ra.pa.ntT&,,.,.a.s (eh. vi. 6) Son of God, and hath co11I1ted the blood of aud a,rocr-rijva.1 a,rl, 0eoii (iii,,.,.os ( eh. iii. 12), the cove11Bnt, wherewith he was nncti.B.ed, viz. final obdurate defection from the an unholy thing (1<0111011, a word commonly L.ith. FurtLer, the previous conditions denoting things unclean; cf. Mark vii. 2; fer the possibility of arriving at such a Acts x. 14, 28; xi. 8; Rom. xiv. 14; and hopeless state, set forth more at length in supra, eh. ix. 13 ; and so probe.bly here, vers. 4, 5 of eh. vi., are here shortly meaning more than common, i.e. ordinary expressed by ,.•.,.i,. .,-1, Aa.{3iiv .,.,),, l1rl-y11co1TLV human blood. If vilified by denial of its 'Tijs ci.J...118•/a.s, which is to be interpreted in a.toning efficacy, it wae relegated into the the light of the other passage (see note class of unclean things themselves requiring thereon). The consequences of such falling purification. The word is used in opposition a.way are differently stated in the two to 1J')'ta.1T871), and hath done despite 11I1to the passages. In eh. vi. it was the impossibility Spirit of grace t It bas beeu e.lready re- of renewal unto repentance; here it is the marked how these very strong expressions absence of any further atoning sacrifice; (answering to those in eh. vi. 6) further and this in keeping with what has been denote the kind of sin intended by a.}La.p-r"• now proved of the sacrifice of Christ having vov-rwv in ver. 26. Three characteristics of superseded all others and been "once for it ere given: (1) contumelious repudiation all." The drift is that, if this is deliberately of Christ; (2) vilification of his atonement: rejected after full koowledge of it, no other (3) despite to the Holy Spirit that has been is left to have recourse to. 'l'hen the given and enjoyed. Citations from the Old immbdin.te mention of "judgment" is in Testa.went follow, according to the general keel)ing also with the conclusion of eh. iL plan of the Epistle, to sbow the.t there is a CH, X, ]-39.] THE EPISTLE TO 'l'HE HEBREWS. 269