The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 315

for whnt might seem ami~e in her are VRlid. and prophets. The deeds enumrrated in Ilnt the main point to be ohserYed is this- the following verses need not be appropri- 1h:it, whatever her enlightenment, as a ated exclusively to particular heroes, but heathen, in principles of morality fami.linr mRy be rnther ta.ken ns denoting generally tn us Christians, ~he ete.nds out in the sncred the kind of exploits by which fo,ith waa rPOOrd as ha\·ing been snved and admitted evidenced throughout the history. Some, into Israel on ncoount of her faith in the however, seem to have special references, one true God, nnd action in accordance as the stopping of lions' mouths, and with her faith. What ie said of Jael (Dr. quenching the power of fire, to the inoidentli Arnold's '::-ermons on Interpretation of recorded in I.he Ilook of Doniel. "Escnpod Scripture') may be still more said of her: the edge of the sword," though peouliol'ly "They who serve him honestly up to the applicable to Elijah (cf. l Kiugs xix. 10, nwnsure of their knowledge are aooording H, " have slain thy prophets with the to the general cour8e of his proYidence sword, and I, even I, only nm left," cte.), encouraged and blessed ; they whose eyes has, of course, many other applications, and hearts e.re still fixed upwards, on duty, Some see in " out of weakness were made not on Eelf, are precisely thn,t sruoking flax strong" a special allusion to Samson's re• wl,ich he will not quench, lmt cherish covery of his strength, but it is better le.ken ratl,er, till the smoke bo blown into a iu general reference to the frequent in- flame." Be it observed, however, that stances of the weak things of this world Jael's murderous deed-much less easily being enabled through faith to confound defensible than Ralinb's conduct-is no- the strong, and the few to prevail against where adduced in the New Testament as ihe ml\ny. Numerous expressions to this nn insta.nce of faith. Amon~ the names eil'eet in the Psa.lms, when the psalmist that follow here Barak is mentioned, but not rises out of the depths of humiliation and Jael. The only ground for supposing her weakness into confident reliance on Divine to be appr,wed in Scripture is her being aid, will suggest themselves e.t once ; and called "blessed" in Deborah's triumphal the inotances of Gideon, Jonathan, David, song, ultered in the flush of victory. But and others, will occur readily to the mind. we are not bound to accept that " prophet- In the four concluding clauses of ver. 34 ess." however inspired for her peculiar Delitzsch supposes t,he Mo.coabee.n heroes mission, a.s an oracle on questions of to be specifically alluded to-partly because morality. of the word 1rr,,p•JLao"'-i/ being used here, BB Y ers. 32-34.-.4.nd what shllll I mo.e say 1 it is also frequently in 1 MR.Ccabees, in the for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, sense of "encamped army," instead of its and of Barak and Samson and 1 ephthah ; proper and usual one of " camp " as in ob. and of David and Samuel and the prophets: xiii. 11, 13 (cf. Acts xxi. 10; xxiii. 10). who through faith B11bdued kingdoms, This coincidence of usage does e.dd to the wrought righteousness, obtained promises, probability that the Mace,ibean history, t.o stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the which all the expressions art1 very suitable, power (llwiiJLw) of fire, escsped the edge of the was nt any rate included in the writer's sword, out of weakness were made strong, view. But in the history of Gideon too waxed valiant in fight (literallv, were made (Judg. vii. 2) the LXX. has 1ra.p•JLao"'-i/ for atrcmg in war), turned to filghi armies of the host encamped; ,.,.1 l"6pa.JL•" ,riirra. ,f .,,,.. aliens. The names thus mentioned are p•JLao"'-ii• A.IIUBion to Macce.bees is more weant a.s prom.inent specimens of the long distinctly evident in ver. 35, as will be seen, array of Israel's heroes to the end of tne The expression, "obtained promises (lorE• sacred history, though, for the avoidance of 'Tuxov briin•"'-•wv)," surely expresses having prolixity, the list is not coutinued beyond promises fulfilled to them, not merely having the foundation of the kingdom under David promise mode to them. " Promises" beiDg and Samuel. Among the judges, Gideon is in the plural, aud without an article, so a.a mentioned first, though he came after Barak, to iDelude all prophetic promises even of a probably as being the most famous hero, temporal character, such as that to David as well as more remarkable in the bis- that he should reign instead of Se.ul,-there wry for faith aud heroism. "The day of is no need here to reconcile the a"-8ertion with Jlliu.i.Jl.n" is referre<l to by Isaiah (ix. 4; x. that of ver. 39, "received not tlie promise 2G) 1a1 the mewoni.ble trilllllph of ancient (ovK iKoJLirra11To T~v '""'YY•"'-iiiv);" on which days. Hence (the e.rrangement of the,,.,, expression, however, see bolo1v. und Kiil's of the Textus Receptus being re- Ver. 35.-Women received their dead taim,d) Gideon is first mentioned siugly, raised to life again (literally,/rom, or, out of und is succeeded by two groups-viz. Barak, resurrection. 'fhe A.V. gives the seus11 in Samson, and Jephthah, representing the good English ; only the force of the repe- period of the judgca ge11erully; then David tition of tbe word "resuneetion" ot the ,rnd r.:a1011el, representiug thut of the kings end of the verse is loft); and othero wore OH, XI. 1-40.] 'fHE EPISTLE TO THE HEBRb:WS. 807