Hebrews 12

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“THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS”

Chapter Twelve With the “heroes of faith” like a cloud of witness cheering us on, we are to run the race of faith, looking to Jesus’ example for endurance and to God’ s loving discipline lest we fall short of His grace (Hebrews 12:1-17). Coming not to Mt. Sinai but to glorious Mt. Zion (Hebrews 12:18-24), we are given the sixth warning: not to refuse or defy Him who speaks from heaven (Hebrews 12:25-29).

POINTS TO PONDER

How Jesus was able to endure the cross
The role of discipline in the life of the Christian
The danger of defying Him who speaks from heaven

REVIEW

What are the main points of this chapter?- The need for endurance and discipline - Hebrews 12:1-17- Contrast between Mt. Sinai and Mt. Zion - Hebrews 12:18-24- A warning against defying - Hebrews 12:25-29
How are we to run the race of faith? (Hebrews 12:1-3)- Lay aside every weight (esp. the sin of unbelief), look to Jesus for inspiration
If we experience hostility striving against sin, how should we view it? (Hebrews 12:4-9)- As chastening from a loving Father who knows it is for our good
What can chastening from God accomplish? (Hebrews 12:10-11)- Partaking of His holiness, and the peaceable fruit of righteousness
As we run the race of faith, what should we pursue and how? (Hebrews 12:12-17)- Peace and holiness, careful not to fall short of God’ s grace (like Esau did)
How did Mt. Sinai appear to Moses and the Israelites? (Hebrews 12:18-21)- A terrifying sight, and a terrifying voice
To what have we come? (Hebrews 12:22-24)- Mt. Zion and the heavenly Jerusalem

An innumerable company of angels
General assembly, church of the firstborn
God the Judge of All
Spirits of just men made perfect
Jesus, Mediator of the New Covenant
The blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than Abel

List four reasons we should not refuse Him who speaks from heaven? (Hebrews 12:25-29)- He will one day “shake” and “remove” earth and heaven

We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken
We can have grace by which to serve God with reverence and godly fear
God is a consuming fire HEBREWS CHAPTER TWELVE. Perseverance and the Christian Race. SUMMARY.–How to Run the Christian Race. Enduring Affliction. The Lord’s Chastisement of Children. The Lesson from the Case of Esau. The Terrors of Sinai Contrasted with the Gospel. Paying Heed to the Gospel. 1-4. So great a cloud of witnesses. The vast cloud of witnesses named in chapter 11, who testify by their lives to the power of faith. Let us lay aside every weight. Every hindrance. The figure used is that of the Greek foot races in the games then practiced in every province of the Roman Empire, including Palestine.

Before running the runner laid off every weight. And the sin which doth so easily beset us. Our besetting sin, whatever it may be. In the case of these Hebrew Christians the context shows that the besetting sin was unbelief. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Run the Christian race with steadfast perseverance. 2.

Looking unto Jesus. In running, Jesus should be constantly regarded as the example. Finisher of the faith. Not our faith, but the faith in the Greek. The Gospel, which rests upon faith, is meant rather than the individual faith of the saint. Jesus is its author and perfected it.

He is the exemplar of all who live by faith. Hence we should look to him. For the joy that was set before him. The joy of saving men and of sitting at God’s right hand. Endured the cross. Not only its pain, but its shame.

It was in that age the most ignominious of deaths. Set down at the right hand, etc. In the place of heavenly honor. 3. Consider him. When you become faint and discouraged by persecution, consider what Christ suffered from sinners. 4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood.

Have not been persecuted unto death. 5-11. Ye have forgotten the exhortation, etc. Surely they must have forgotten, or they would bear their tribulations more cheerfully. My son, despise not, etc. This is quoted from Job 5:17-18 . See also 2 Samuel 6:7-10 .

The thought is, Do not murmur at God’s reproofs and chastenings. 6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth. The chastening hand does not show the anger of God but his love. Every child is chastened and reproved for its good. 7. If ye endure chastening. If you are called on to suffer, it shows that God is treating you as his children. 8.

If ye be without chastisement. Instead of that being a fact for congratulation it only shows that God does not regard you as children. You may call yourselves God’s children, but you are not true sons. 9. We have had fathers . . . which corrected us. Every judicious father corrects his children in some way. Shall we not then submit cheerfully to the heavenly Father’s correction?

Father of spirits. Our earthly parents are the parents of our bodies; God is the creator of all spirits, and the author of our spiritual life. When we are born of the Spirit our new life is due to God and we are begotten as his children. 10. They chastened us. For a little while earthly parents corrected as it pleased them, but God ever watches us that we may be made holy. 11. Now no chastening, etc.

It is never pleasant to endure the chastening, but it afterwards benefits by the holier life it insures. In sorrow we naturally cling closer to God. 12, 13. Lift up the hands. See Job 4:3 . The thought is, shake off all weariness, all lameness, and push right on. 14-17. Follow peace with all. Live peaceful lives. And holiness. Pure and sinless lives. Without which no man, etc.

Without a holy life no one shall be in fellowship with God. To see the Lord is to realize his presence with us. See Matthew 5:8 . 15. Looking diligently. Being careful that no one lags behind and falls by the way so as not to reach the final reward. Lest any root of bitterness.

Any bitter opposition, or element of disturbance causing members to sin. 16. Lest there be any fornicator. Of course such a sinner would not live the life of holiness enjoined. Or profane person. A worldly person who profanes holy privileges by placing on them a worldly estimate. Like Esau.

See Genesis 25:27-30 . He illustrates what is meant by a profane person. For a savory meal he bartered away a birthright bestowed by God. So any professing Christian who would sell his heavenly birthright for worldly advantages would be a profane person. 17. When he would have inherited the blessing. See Genesis 27:31-34 .

The spiritual blessing that belonged to the birthright was denied to Esau though he wept over the disappointment. No place of repentance. No way to correct the mistake and to secure the blessing. It was too late for this, since he had forfeited his birthright. The apostle holds up his case as a warning example. 18-21. For ye are not come unto the mount, etc. Ye should be diligent “for,” etc. Mount Sinai and the inauguration of the law are described. It was a mountain that could be touched, a mountain of earth. It burned on that occasion with fire. See Exodus 19:12-19. And the sound of a trumpet . The trumpet blast preceded the giving of the law. The voice of words. The voice of God proclaiming the Ten Commandments. They . . . entreated. Filled with terror at the awful manifestation they entreated that God speak no more directly to them. ( Exodus 20:19 .) 20. For they could not endure. The command and penalty of Exo 19:12 , added to their terror. 21. Moses said. Even Moses was filled with fearful awe . 22-24. Ye are come unto Mount Zion. The law was given at Sinai; the Gospel was to go forth from Mount Zion; that is, from Jerusalem. See Psalms 2:6 Joe 2:32 Revelation 21:2 . It is used as a type or symbol of the kingdom of heaven. The heavenly Jerusalem.

This heavenly city is where our Lord dwells and is our eternal home. In coming to Christ we have come into the covenant which gives us the right to a place in that city. An innumerable company of angels. The angels of heaven. 23. General assembly and church, etc. The universal church of Christ.

The first born son in Israel inherited the birthright, but all the saints have the birthright and hence are called the first born. They are all enrolled, not on earthly registers, but their names are written in heaven. To God the Judge of all, who will inflict judgment in behalf of the persecuted church. The spirits of just men made perfect. To the fellowship of all the sainted dead now perfected above. 24. To Jesus.

To fellowship with Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant as Moses was of the Old. To the blood of sprinkling. To Christ’s atoning blood by which our hearts are “sprinkled from an evil conscience.” That speaketh better things than that of Abel. Abel’s blood cried for vengeance; Christ’s pleads for mercy. 25-29. See that ye refuse not. The whole Old Testament shows that those who refused to listen to God’s message delivered by men did not escape. How can those escape then who refuse to listen to God’s own Son? 26. Whose voice then shook the earth. At Sinai .

But now he hath promised. SeeHaggai 2:6 , which declares the removal of the heavens and earth at Christ’s coming. 27. And this word, Yet once more. This means, says the apostle, that there is only one more shaking after the time of Haggai. It is not a material, but moral and spiritual event. It began when Christ came and will continue until all that is temporal or erroneous be removed and only the eternal remains.

Among the things removed is the covenant of Sinai. 28. Wherefore we, etc. We Christians have received a kingdom which cannot be shaken and which is eternal. Hence should serve God with reverence and godly fear since we are called to so high an estate. 29. For our God is a consuming fire. Because, while God is very merciful and loving, he will not overlook willful disobedience, but will destroy those who despise his commandments. Hebrews 12 Verse 1

װןידבסןῦם. A very strong particle of inference not found elsewhere in the N. T. except in 1 Thessalonians 4:8. ךבὶἡלוῖע ך.פ.כ. “ Let us also, seeing we are compassed with so great a cloud of witnesses … run with patience.” ם�צןע. A classical Greek and Latin, as well as Hebrew, metaphor for a great multitude. Thus Homer speaks of “ a cloud of foot-soldiers.” We have the same metaphor in Isaiah 60:8, “ who are these that fly as clouds?” (Heb.) Here, as Clemens of Alexandria says, the cloud is imagined to be “ holy and translucent.” לבספ‎סשם. The word has not yet fully acquired its sense of “ martyrs.” It here probably means “ witnesses to the sincerity and the reward of faith.” The notion that they are also witnesses of our Christian race lies rather in the word נוסיךו�לוםןם, “ surrounding us on all sides,” like the witnesses in a circus or a theatre (1 Corinthians 4:9). ὄדךןם ἀנןט�לוםןי נ�םפב. Lit., “stripping off at once cumbrance of every kind.” The word “ weight” was used, technically, in the language of athletes, to mean “ superfluous flesh,” to be reduced by training. The training requisite to make the body supple and sinewy was severe and long-continued. Metaphorically the word comes to mean “ pride,” “ inflation.” וὐנוס�ףפבפןם. The six words “ which doth so easily beset us” represent this one Greek word, of which the meaning is uncertain, because it occurs nowhere else. It means literally “ well standing round,” or “ well stood around.” [1] If taken in the latter sense it is interpreted to mean (ב) “ thronged,” “ eagerly encircled,” and so “much admired” or “ much applauded,” and will thus put us on our guard against sins which are popular; or (ג) “ easily avoidable,” with reference to the verb נוסיְףפבףן, “ avoid” (2 Timothy 2:16; Titus 3:9). The objections to these renderings are that the writer is thinking of private sins. More probably it is to be taken in the active sense, as in the A.V. and the R.V., of the sin which either (ב) “ presses closely about us to attack us” ; or (ג) which “ closely clings (tenaciter inhaerens, Erasmus) to us” like an enfolding robe (ףפבפὸע קיפ‏ם). The latter is almost certainly the true meaning, and is suggested by the participle ἀנןט�לוםןי, “ stripping off” (comp.

Ephesians 4:22). As an athlete lays aside every heavy or dragging article of dress, so we must strip away from us and throw aside the clinging robe of familiar sin. The metaphor is the same as that of the word ἀנוךה‎ףבףטבי (Colossians 3:9), which is the parallel to ἀנןט�ןטבי in Ephesians 4:22. The gay garment of sin may at first be lightly put on and lightly laid aside, but it afterwards becomes like the fabled shirt of Nessus, eating into the bones as it were fire. ἁלבספ�בם, “sin,”— all sin, not, as the A. V. would lead us to suppose, some particular besetting sin. היʼ ὑנןלןםῆע. Endurance characterised the faith of all these heroes and patriarchs, and he exhorts us to endure because Christ also endured the cross (ὑנןלו�םבע). ִיὰ with the gen. is used in classical Greek also for the temper of mind. פὸם נסןךו�לוםןם ἡלῖם ἀדῶםב. One of the favourite metaphors of St Paul (Philippians 3:12-14; 1 Corinthians 9:24-25; 2 Timothy 4:7-8). Verses 1-3 1– 3. AN TO PATIENT Verses 1-29 CH. 12. An exhortation to faithful endurance (1– 3) and a reminder that our earthly sufferings are due to the fatherly chastisement of God (4– 13). The need of earnest watchfulness (14– 17). Magnificent concluding appeal founded on the superiority and grandeur of the New Covenant (18– 24), which enhances the guilt and peril of apostasy (25– 29) Verse 2 2. ἀצןסῶםפוע. It is not possible to express in English the thought suggested by this verb, which implies that we must “ look away (from other things) unto Jesus.” It implies “ the concentration of the wandering gaze into a single direction.” Comp. ἀנןגכ�נוים, Hebrews 11:26. נ�ףפושע, “of faith,” rather than “ of our faith.” ἀסקחד�ם. The word is the same as that used in Hebrews 2:10. In Acts 3:15; Acts 5:31 it is rendered “ a Prince,” as in Isaiah 30:4 (LXX.). By His faithfulness (Hebrews 3:2) he became our captain and standard-bearer on the path of faith. פוכוישפ�ם. He leads us to “ the end of our faith,” which is the salvation of our souls (1 Peter 1:9). ὑנ�לויםום ףפבץסὸם בἰףק‎םחע ךבפבצסןם�ףבע. Lit., “ endured a cross, despising shame.” ךוך�טיךום, “hath sat down” (Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 8:1, Hebrews 10:12). The “ is set down” of the A. V. is also a perfect and means the same thing. Verse 3 3. ἀםבכןד�ףבףטו. Lit., “compare yourselves with.” Contrast the comparative immunity from anguish of your lot with the agony of His (John 15:20). פὸם פןיב‎פחם ך.פ.כ. Who hath endured at the hand of sinners such opposition. ἀםפיכןד�בם, “gainsaying” or “ contradiction,” has already occurred in Hebrews 6:16, Hebrews 7:7. Three uncials (א, D, E) read “ against themselves.” Christ was a mark for incessant “ contradiction,”—“ a sign which is spoken against”— (Luke 2:34). ἵםב לὴ ך�לחפו פבῖע רץקבῖע ὑלῶם ἐךכץ�לוםןי. The correction of the R.V., “that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls,” will be reckoned by careless and prejudiced readers among the changes which they regard as meaningless. Yet, as in hundreds of other instances, it brings out much more fully and forcibly the exact meaning of the original. “That ye wax not weary” is substituted for “ lest ye be weary” because the Greek verb, being in the aorist, suggests a sudden or momentary break-down in endurance; on the other hand, “ fainting” is in the present, and suggests the gradual relaxation of nerve and energy which culminates in the sudden relapse. Lastly, the word in the original is “ souls,” not “ minds.” Endurance was one of the most needful Christian virtues in times of waiting and of trial (Galatians 6:9). Verse 4 4. ל�קסיע בἵלבפןע. If this be a metaphor drawn from pugilism, as the last is from “ running a race,” it means that as yet they have not “ had blood drawn.” This would not be impossible, for St Paul adopts pugilistic metaphors (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). More probably however the meaning is that, severe as had been the persecutions which they had undergone (Hebrews 10:32-33), they had not yet— and perhaps a shade of reproach is involved in the expression— resisted up to the point of martyrdom(Revelation 12:11). The Church addressed can scarcely therefore have been either the Church of Rome, which had before this time furnished “ a great multitude” of martyrs (Tac. Ann. XV. 44; Revelation 7:9), or the Church of Jerusalem, in which, beside the martyrdoms of St Stephen, St James the elder, and St James the Lord’ s brother, some had certainly been put to death in the persecution of Saul (Acts 8:1). נסὸע פὴם ἁלבספ�בם ἀםפבדשםיז�לוםןי, “in your struggles against sin.” Some from this expression give a more general meaning to the clause—“ You have not yet put forth your utmost efforts in your moral warfare.” Verses 4-13 4– 13. SHOULD BE ENDURED Verse 5 5. ךבὶἐךכ�כחףטו. “Yet ye have utterly forgotten,” or possibly the words may be intended interrogatively, “ Yet have ye utterly forgotten?” פῆע נבסבךכ�ףושע, “the encouragement,” or “ strengthening consolation.” היבכ�דופבי, “discourseth,” or “ reasoneth.” ױἱ�. The quotation is from Proverbs 3:11-12, and is taken mainly from the LXX. There is a very similar passage in Job 5:17, and Philo de Congr. quaerend. erudit. gr.(Opp. I. 544). לὴὀכיד‏סוי. “Regard not lightly.” נביה�בע. “The training.” לחהὲἐךכ‎ןץ, “nor faint.” In the Hebrew it is “ and loathe not His correction.” ἐכודק�לוםןע, “on being tested,” “ corrected.” Verse 6 6. נביהו‎וי. This blessedness of being “ trained by God” (“ Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law,” Psalms 94:12) is found in many parts of Scripture. “ As many as I love, I test (ἐכ�דקש) and train” (נביהו‎ש), Revelation 3:19; Psalms 119:75; James 1:12. לבףפידןῖ הὲ ך.פ.כ. The writer follows the reading of the LXX., by a slight change in the vowel-points, for “even as a father to a son He is good to him.” Verse 7 7. וἰע נביה�בם ὑנןל�םופו. The true reading is not וἰ, “ if” (which is followed by the A. V., but for which there is hardly any good authority), but וἰע, “ unto.” “ It is for training that ye endure,” or better, “ Endure ye, for training,” i.e. “ regard your trials as a part of the moral training designed for you in love and mercy by your Father in Heaven.” ὑלῖם נסןףצ�סופבי. “In dealing with you.” Here only in the N. T. in this sense. פ�ע דὰס ץἱ�ע. The thought and its application to our relationship towards God are also found in Deuteronomy 8:5; 2 Samuel 7:14; Proverbs 13:24. Verse 8 8. נ�םפוע. He speaks of God’ s blessed and disciplinary chastisement as a gift in which all His sons have their share. ἄסב. See note on Hebrews 4:9. Verse 9 9. ἐםופסונ�לוטב. In classical Greek this verb is found with the gen. but in later Greek with an acc. as here. Comp. Matthew 21:37, ἐםפסבנ�ףןםפבי פὸם ץἱ�ם לןץ, Luke 18:4, ἄםטסשנןם ןὐך ἐםפס�נןלבי. פῷ נבפסὶ פῶם נםוץל�פשם. God might be called “ the Father of the spirits,” as having created Angels and Spirits; but more probably the meaning is “ the Father of our spirits,” as in Numbers 16:22, “ the God of the spirits of all flesh.” God made our bodies and our souls, but our spirits are in a yet closer relation to Him (Job 12:10;Job 32:8; Job 33:4; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Zechariah 12:1; Isaiah 42:5, &c.). If it meant “ the Author of spiritual gifts,” the expression would be far-fetched, and would be no contrast to “ the father of our flesh.” Here and in Hebrews 7:10 theologians have introduced the purely verbal, meaningless, and insoluble dispute about Creationism and Traducianism— i.e. as to whether God separately creates the soul of each one of us, or whether we derive it through our parents by hereditary descent from Adam. Verse 10 10. נסὸע ὀכ�דבע ἡל�סבע. Comp. נסὸע ךביס�ם, Luke 8:13. ךבפὰ פὸ הןךןῦם בὐפןῖע. “ As seemed good to them.” He is contrasting the brief authority of parents, and their liability to error, and even to caprice, with the pure love and eternal justice of God. Verse 11 11. קבסᾶע. “ A matter of joy” ; the gen. of a property, or perhaps of the sphere to which a thing belongs. Winer, p. 244. ὕףפוסןם הὲ ך.פ.כ. The original is expressed in the emphatic and oratorical style of the writer, “ but afterwards it yieldeth a peaceful fruit to those who have been exercised by it— (the fruit) of righteousness.” He means that though the sterner aspect of training is never pleasurable for the time, it results in righteousness— in moral hardihood and serene self-mastery— to all who have been trained in these gymnasia (דודץלםבףל�םןיע). See Romans 5:2-5. Verse 12 12. הי�. The poetic style, and even the metrical form of diction, in these two verses (of which Hebrews 12:13 contains a complete hexameter, ךבὶ פסןקיὰע ὀסטὰע נןי�ףבפו פןῖע נןףὶם ὑלῶםand half an iambic, ἵםב לὴ פὸ קשכὸם ἐךפסבנῇ), reflect the earnestness of the writer, as he gives more and more elaboration to his sentences in approaching the climax of his appeal. It is most unlikely that they are quotations from Hellenistic poets, for the first agrees closely with Proverbs 4:26 (LXX.). On these accidentally metrical expressions see my Early Days of Christianity, I. 464, II. 14. פὰע נבסויל�םבע קוῖסבע ך.פ.כ. Lit., “straighten out the relaxed hands and the palsied knees.” Make one effort to invigorate the flaccid muscles which should be so tense in the struggle in which you are engaged. The writer is thinking of Deu 32:36; Isaiah 35:3; Sir 25:23, and perhaps of the metaphors of the race and the fight which he has just used. Verse 13 13. ἐךפסבנῇ. Lit., “that the lame (i.e. lameness) may not be quite out of joint, but may rather be cured.” The verb ἐךפסבנῆ may mean “ be turned out of the way,” as in 1 Timothy 1:6; 1 Timothy 5:15; 2 Timothy 4:4; but as it is a technical term for “spraining” or “ dislocation” it may have that meaning here, especially as he has used two medical terms in the previous verse, and has the metaphor of “ healing” in his thoughts. The writer may have met with these terms in ordinary life, or in his intercourse with St Luke, with whose language he shews himself familiar throughout the Epistle. Intercourse with the beloved physician is perhaps traceable in some of the medical terms of St Paul’ s later Epistles (see Dean Plumptre’ s papers on this subject in the Expositor, IV. 134 (first series). But פὸ קשכὸם is a natural metaphor for weakness, and may be derived from the curious translation of the LXX. in 1 Kings 18:21, ἕשע נ�פו ὑלוῖע קשכבםוῖפו ἐנὶἀלצןפ�סביע פבῖע ἰדם‎ביע; ἰבטῇ הὲ לᾶככןם. Isaiah 57:17-19. Verse 14 14. לופὰ נ�םפשם. The word “ men” is better omitted, for doubtless the writer is thinking mainly of peace in the bosom of the little Christian community— a peace which, even in these early days, was often disturbed by rival egotisms (Romans 14:19; 2 Timothy 2:22). ךבὶ פὸם ἁדיבףל�ם. “And the sanctification” (Hebrews 9:13, Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 10:29, Hebrews 13:12). ןὗ קשס�ע. We have here in succession two iambics: ןὗ קשסὶע ןὐהוὶע ὄרופבי פὸם ך‎סיןם, ἐניףךןנןῦםפוע ל� פיע ὑףפוסῶם ἀנ�. Verses 14-17 14– 17. NEED OF EARNEST Verse 15 15. ὑףפוסῶם ך.פ.כ. Lit., “whether there be any man who is falling short of” or possibly “ falling back from the grace of God.” We have already noticed that not improbably the writer has in view some one individual instance of a tendency towards apostasy, which might have a fatal influence upon other weary or wavering brethren (comp. Hebrews 3:12). For ὑףפוסוῖם ἀנὸ we find ἐךךכ�םוים ἀנὸ in Numbers 22:32. ἐםןקכῇ. The words “ root of bitterness” are a reference to Deuteronomy 29:18, “ a root that beareth gall and wormwood,” or, as in the margin, “ a poisonful herb.” Here the LXX. in the Vatican MS. has ἐם קןכῇ “ in gall,” for ἐםןקכῇ, “ should trouble you.” But the Alexandrian MS., which the writer habitually follows in his quotations, has ἐםןקכῇ. Some have supposed that there is a curious allusion to this verse and to the reading “in gall” in the apparent reference to this Epistle by the Muratorian Canon as “ the Epistle to the Alexandrians current under the name of Paul, but forged in the interests of Marcion’ s heresy,” which adds that “gall ought not to be mixed with honey.” The allusion is, however, very doubtful. ןἱ נןככן�. “The many.” Comp. 1 Corinthians 5:6 ; 1 Corinthians 15:33 ; Galatians 5:9. Verse 16 16. נ�סםןע. The word must be taken in a literal sense, since Esau was not “ an idolater.” It is true that Esau is not charged with fornication in the Book of Genesis (which only speaks of his heathen marriages, Genesis 26:34, Genesis 28:8), but the writer is probably alluding to the Jewish Haggadah, with which he was evidently familiar. There Esau is represented in the blackest colours, as a man utterly sensual, intemperate, and vile, which is also the view of Philo (see Siegfried, Philo, p. 254). ג�גחכןע. A man of coarse and unspiritual mind (Genesis 25:33). Philo explained the word “ hairy” to mean that he was sensuous and lustful. ἀםפὶ גס‏ףושע ליᾶע. “For one meal” (Genesis 25:29-34). Verse 17 17. לופ�נויפב. The verse runs literally, “for ye know that even, afterwards, when he wished to inherit the blessing, he was rejected— for he found no opportunity for a change of mind— though with tears he earnestly sought for it.” It is clear at once that if the writer means to say “ that Esau earnestly sought to repent, but could not,” then he is contradicting the whole tenor of the Scriptures, and of the Gospel teaching with which he was so familiar. This would not indeed furnish us with any excuse for distorting the meaning of his language, if that meaning be unambiguous; and in favour of such a view of his words is the fact that he repeatedly dwells on the hopelessness— humanly speaking— of all wilful apostasy. On the other hand, “ apostasy,” when it desires to repent, ceases to he apostasy, and the very meaning of the Gospel is that the door to repentance is never closed by God, though the sinner may close it against himself. Two modes of interpreting the text would save it from clashing with this precious truth. [1] One is to say (ב) that “ room for repentance” means “ opportunity for changing his father’ s or his brother’ s purpose” ; no subsequent remorse or regret could undo the past or alter Isaac’ s blessing (Genesis 27:33); or (ג) no room for changing his own mind in such a way as to recover the blessing which he had lost; in other words, he “ found no opportunity for such repentance as would restore to him the lost theocratic blessing.” But in the N. T. usage the word “ repentance” (לופ�םןיב) is always subjective, and has a deeper meaning than in the LXX.

The same objection applies to the explanation that “ he found no room to change God’ s purpose,” to induce God “ to repent” of His rejection of him, since God “ is not a man that He should repent” (Numbers 23:19). [2] It seems simpler therefore, and quite admissible, to regard “ for he found no place for repentance” as a parenthesis, and refer “ it” to the lost blessing. (So the R.V.) “ Though he earnestly sought the lost blessing, even with tears, when (perhaps forty years after his shameful indifference) he wished once more to inherit it, yet then he found no room for repentance” ; or in other words his repentance, bitter as it was, could not avert the earthly consequence of his profanity, and was unavailing to regain what he had once flung away. As far as his earthly life was concerned, he heard the awful words “ too late.” The text gives no ground for pronouncing on Esau’ s future fate, to which the writer makes no allusion whatever. His “ repentance,” if it failed, could only have been a spurious repentance— remorse for earthly foolishness, not godly sorrow for sin, the dolor amissi, not the dolor admissi. This explanation accords with the sense of “locus poenitentiae,” the Latin translation of פ�נןע לופבםן�בע. The phrase itself occurs in Wisdom of Solomon 12:10. The abuse of this passage to support the merciless severity of the Novatians was one of the reasons why the Epistle was somewhat discredited in the Western Church. לופὰ הבךס‎שם. “ In former days he might have had it without tears; afterwards he was rejected, however sorely he wept. Let us use the time” (Luke 13:28). Bengel. Verse 18 18. ֿὐ ד�ס. At the close of his arguments and exhortations the writer condenses the results of his Epistle into a climax of magnificent eloquence and force, in which he shews the transcendent beauty and supremacy of the New Covenant as compared with the terrors and imperfections of the Old. רחכבצשל�םῳ ךבὶ ךוךבץל�םῳ נץס�. Unless we allow the textual evidence to be overruled by the other considerations, which are technically called “ paradiplomatic evidence,” the verse should be rendered “For ye are not come near to a palpable and enkindled fire.” In any case the allusion is to Exodus 19:16-19; Deuteronomy 4:11, and generally to “ the fiery law.” The present participle רחכ. here means “ which could be felt” because the capability is involved in the property; just as פὰ גכונ�לוםבmay mean “ things which can be seen.” Winer, p. 431. דם�צῳ. Deuteronomy 4:11; Deuteronomy 5:22. Verses 18-29 18– 29. THE MERCY AND OF THE NEW AS WITH THE OLD (18– 24) ENHANCE THE GUILT AND PERIL OF THE (25– 29) Verse 19 19. ף�כנידדןע. Exodus 19:16; Exodus 19:19; Exodus 20:18. צשםῇῥחל�פשם. Deuteronomy 4:12. נבסῃפ�ףבםפן. The verb means literally “ to beg off.” ל�. The common redundant negative (expressing the negative result) after verbs of denying. See Winer, p. 755. לὴ נסןףפוטῆםבי ך.פ.כ. Lit., “that no word more should be added to them” (Deuteronomy 5:22-27; Deuteronomy 18:16; Exodus 20:19). Verse 20 20. ןὐך ἔצוסןם דὰס ך.פ.כ. “For they endured not the injunction, If even a beast …” (Exodus 19:12-13). This injunction seemed to them to indicate an awful terror and sanctity in the environment of the mountain. It filled them with alarm. The Jewish Haggadah said that at the utterance of each commandment the Israelites recoiled twelve miles, and were only brought forward again by the ministering angels. St Paul, in different style, contrasts “ the Mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage” with “ the Jerusalem which is free and the mother of us all” (Galatians 4:24-26). ἢ גןכ�הי ךבפבפןמוץט�ףופבי. This clause is a gloss added from Exodus 19:13. Any man who touched the mountain was to be stoned, any beast to be transfixed (Exodus 19:13): but the quotation is here abbreviated, and the allusion is summary as in Hebrews 7:5; Acts 7:16. Verse 21 21. פὸ צבםפבז�לוםןם. “The splendour of the spectacle” (here only in N. T.). The true punctuation of the verse is And— so fearful was the spectacle— Moses said … Ἔךצןג�ע וἰלי ך.פ.כ. No such speech of Moses at Sinai is recorded in the Pentateuch. The writer is either drawing from the Jewish Haggadah or (by a mode of citation not uncommon) is compressing two incidents into one. For in Deuteronomy 9:19 Moses, after the apostasy of Israel in worshipping the Golden Calf, said “ I was afraid (LXX. ךבὶἔךצןג�ע וἰלי) of the anger and hot displeasure of the Lord,” and in Acts 7:32 we find the words “ becoming a-tremble” (ἔםפסןלןע דוםןלוםןע) to express the fear of Moses on seeing the Burning Bush (though here also there is no mention of any trembling in Exodus 3:6). The tradition of Moses’ terror is found in Jewish writings. In Shabbath f. 88. 2 he exclaims “ Lord of the Universe, I am afraid lest they (the Angels) should consume me with the breath of their mouths.” Comp. Midrash Koheleth, f. 69. 4. Verse 22 22. ׃יὼם ὄסוי … The true Sion is the antitype of all the promises with which the name had been connected (Psalms 2:6; Psalms 48:2; Psalms 78:68-69; Psalms 125:1; Joe 2:32; Micah 4:7). Hence the names of Sion and “ the heavenly Jerusalem” are given to “ the city of the living God” (Galatians 4:26; Revelation 21:2). Sinai and Mount Sion are contrasted with each other in six particulars. Bengel and others make out an elaborate sevenfold antithesis here. לץסי�ףים ἀדד�כשם … This punctuation is suggested by the word “ myriads,” which is often applied to angels (Deuteronomy 33:2; Psalms 68:17; Daniel 7:10). But under the New Covenant the Angels are surrounded with attributes, not of terror but of beauty and goodness (Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 5:11-12). Verse 23 23. נבםחד‎סוי. The word means a general festive assembly, as in Son 7:1 (LXX.). It has been questioned whether both clauses refer to Angels—“ To myriads of Angels, a Festal Assembly, and Church of Firstborn enrolled in Heaven”— or whether two classes of the Blessed are intended, viz. “ To myriads of Angels, (and) to a Festal Assembly and Church of Firstborn.” The absence of “ and” before נבם�דץסיע makes this latter construction doubtful, and the first construction is untenable because the Angels are never called in the N.T. either “ a Church” (but see Psalms 89:5) or “ Firstborn.” On the whole the best and simplest way of taking the text seems to be “ But ye are come … to Myriads— a Festal Assembly of Angels— and to the Church of the Firstborn … and to spirits of the Just who have been perfected.” ἀנןדודסבלל�םשם ἐם ןὐסבםןῖע. “Who have been enrolled in heaven.” This refers to the Church of living Christians, to whom the Angels are “ ministering spirits,” and whose names, though they are still living on earth, have been enrolled in the heavenly registers (Luke 10:20; Romans 8:16; Romans 8:29; James 1:18) as “ a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” unto God and to the Lamb (Revelation 14:4). These, like Jacob, have inherited the privileges of firstborn which the Jews, like Esau, have rejected. ךסיפῇ טוῷ נ�םפשם. Into whose hands, rather than into the hands of man, it is a blessing to fall, because He is “ the righteous Judge” (2 Timothy 4:8). פופוכוישל�םשם. That is, to saints now glorified and perfected— i.e. brought to the consummation of their course— in heaven (Revelation 7:14-17). This has been interpreted only of the glorified saints of the Old Covenant, but there is no reason to confine it to them. The writer tells the Hebrews that they have come not to a flaming hill, and a thunderous darkness, and a terror-stricken multitude, but to Mount Sion and the Heavenly Jerusalem, where they will be united with the Angels of joy and mercy (Luke 15:10), with the happy Church of living Saints, and with the spirits of the Just made perfect. The three clauses give us a beautiful conception of “ the Communion of the Saints above and the Church below” with myriads of Angels united in a Festal throng, in a Heaven now ideally existent and soon to be actually realised. Verse 24 24. היבט�ךחע ם�בע לוף�פῃ. “Mediator of a New Covenant.” The word for “ new” is here ם�בע , not ךביםῆע , implying not only that it is “ fresh” or “ recent,” but also young and strong (Matthew 26:27-29; Hebrews 9:15; Hebrews 10:22). נבסὰ פὸם Ἄגוכ. Better things “ than Abel” is a comparatio compendiaria for “ than the blood of Abel.” The allusion is explained by Hebrews 9:13, Hebrews 10:22, Hebrews 11:4, Hebrews 13:12. “ The blood of Abel cried for vengeance; that of Christ for remission” (Erasmus). In the original Hebrew it is (Genesis 4:10) “ The voice of thy brother’ s bloods crieth from the ground,” and this was explained by the Rabbis of his blood “ sprinkled on the trees and stones.” It was a curious Jewish Haggadahthat the dispute between Cain and Abel rose from Cain’ s denial that God was a Judge. The “ sprinkling” of the blood of Jesus, an expression borrowed from the blood-sprinklings of the Old Covenant (Exodus 24:8), is also alluded to by St Peter (1 Peter 1:2). Verse 25 25. פὸם כבכןῦםפב. Not Moses, as Chrysostom supposed, but God. The speaker is the same under both dispensations, different as they are. God spoke alike from Sinai and from heaven. The difference of the places whence they spoke involves the whole difference of their tone and revelations. Perhaps the writer regarded Christ as the speaker alike from Sinai as from Heaven, for even the Jews represented the Voice at Sinai as being the Voice of Michael, who was sometimes identified with “ the Shechinah,” or the Angel of the Presence. The verb for “ speaketh” is קסחלבפ�זןםפב, as in Hebrews 8:5, Hebrews 11:7. ןὐך ἐמ�צץדןם. Hebrews 2:2-3, Hebrews 3:17, Hebrews 10:28-29. נבסביפחף�לוםןי פὸם קסחלבפ�זןםפב. The A. V. “ who refused Him that spake” is in this, as in many thousands of instances, far less closely accurate to the exact sense of the original than the “when they refused Him that warned them” of the R. V. There are, however, instances in classical Greek as well as in N. T. where the participle without the article may be rendered as a relative in English, e.g. Luke 13:1. נןכὺ לᾶככןם. On this proportional method of statement, characteristic of the writer, as also of Philo, see Hebrews 1:4, Hebrews 3:3, Hebrews 7:20, Hebrews 8:6. Kuinצl mistakenly renders it multo minus, and connects it with ἐךצוץמ�לוטב instead of ןὐך ἐךצ. ןἱἀנןףפסוצ�לוםןי. Not “ if we turn away from” (A. V.) but “who turn” “ away from.” Verse 26 26. דῆם ἐף�כוץףום. Exodus 19:18; Judges 5:4; Psalms 114:7. ἐנ�דדוכפבי. “He has promised.” The verb has the sense of the middle voice as in Romans 4:21. Ἔפי ἅנבמ. “Again, once for all.” The quotation is from Haggai 2:6-7, “ yet once, it is a little while” (comp. Hosea 1:4). ךבὶ פὸם ןὐסבם�ם. “ For the powers of the heavens shall be shaken” (Luke 21:26). Verse 27 27. פὸ הὲἜפי ἅנבמ. The argument on the phrase “Again, yet once for all,” and the bringing it into connexion with the former shaking of the earth at Sinai, resembles the style of argument on the word “ to-day” in Hebrews 3:7 to Hebrews 4:9; and on the word “ new” in Hebrews 8:13. לופ�טוףים. The rest of this verse may be punctuated “ Signifies the removal of the things that are being shaken as of things which have been made, in order that things which cannot be shaken may remain.” The “ things unshakeable” are God’ s heavenly city and eternal kingdom (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 21:1, &c.). The material world— its shadows, symbols and all that belong to it— are quivering, unreal, evanescent (Psalms 102:25-26; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 20:11). It is only the Ideal which is endowed with eternal reality (Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:13-14). This view, which the Alexandrian theology had learnt from the Ethnic inspiration of Plato, is the reverse of the view taken by materialists and sensualists. They only believe in what they can taste, and see, and “ grasp with both hands” ; but to the Christian idealist, who walks by faith and not by sight, the Unseen is visible (ὡע ὁסῶם פὸם Ἀ�סבפןם (Hebrews 11:27), פὰ דὰס ἀ�סבפב בὐפןῦ … םןן‎לוםב ךבטןסᾶפבי, Romans 1:20), and the material is only a perishing copy of an Eternal Archetype. The earthquake which dissolves and annihilates things sensible is powerless against the Things Invisible. ἵםב. Bleek and De Wette make the ἵםב dependent on פὴם לופ�טוףים. לו�םῃ. The aor. shews the meaning to be that the threatened convulsion will at once test the quality of permanence of the things not to be shaken. Verse 28 28. הי�. This splendid strain of comparison and warning ends with a brief and solemn appeal. ἔקשלום ק�סים. “Let us have grace,” or “ let us feel thankfulness, whereby, &c.” לופὰ וὐכבגו�בע (Hebrews 5:7, Hebrews 11:7) ךבὶ ה�ןץע. “With godly caution and fear.” The word ה�ןע for “ fear” does not occur elsewhere in the N.T. Verse 29 29. ךבὶ ד�ס. Comp. Hebrews 4:2. נῦס ךבפבםבכ�ףךןם. The reference is to Deuteronomy 4:24, and the special application of the description to one set of circumstances shews that this is not— like “ God is light” and “ God is love”— a description of the whole character of God, but an anthropomorphic way of expressing His hatred of apostasy and idolatry. Here the reference is made to shew why we ought to serve God with holy reverence and fear.

Hebrews 12:1-3

“THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS”

Running The Race Of Faith (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Throughout our study, we have noted the emphasis on being steadfast in our faith… a. The warning against developing unbelief - Hebrews 3:12-15b. The need for a faith that endures - Hebrews 6:11-12; Hebrews 10:36-39c. In chapter eleven, we were reminded of many who had this kind of faith
This emphasis continues, with our own life of faith described as a race… a. In which we are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses”

Hebrews 12:11) The “cloud of witnesses” refers to those mentioned in the previous chapter

I.e., those Old Testament saints like Abraham, Moses, etc. b. In what way are they “witnesses”?
While the word can mean “spectator”, it is not likely so used here a) That would suggest they are now “looking down” on us from heaven b) But there is no indication the dead know what is going on earth - cf. Ecclesiastes 9:5c) While they may have “memory” of what happened (Luke 16:28), their attention is focused upon their present condition

cf. Revelation 7:9-172) The word can also refer to those who “bear witness” a) By their lives, they have borne witness to the value of faith - cf. Hebrews 11:1-40b) By their exemplary lives, they encourage us in “Running The Race Of Faith”!

[As we seek to follow in the footsteps of others who have successfully “run the race of faith”, there are three things necessary as presented in our text. The first one is…]

I. WE NEED TO LAY SOME THINGS ASIDE (Hebrews 12:1) A. NOTE THE TO RUNNING…1. The runner who seeks to win: a. Loses as much weight as possible without hurting performance b. Wears clothing that is light and allows freedom of movement 2. Excess weight, chafing clothing, etc., can be the difference between victory or defeat!

B. WE TOO MUST LAY SOME THINGS ASIDE…1. “every weight"a. I.e., things which slow down our spiritual progress

Such as “carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life”

Luke 21:34-362) Also, “anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language…” - cf. Colossians 3:8; 1 Peter 2:1-2; James 1:21b. Such things make “running the race of faith” difficult, if not impossible!

“the sin which so easily ensnares us"a. Any and all sins should be laid aside b. From the context, I understand “the” sin to be the “sin of unbelief”

The epistle was written to encourage faithfulness to Christ and His covenant
We’ve seen warnings against unbelief - Hebrews 3:12-133) When one no longer believes, the race is lost! - Hebrews 10:26-39 [With a full assurance of faith, and with every hindrance laid aside, we can “run the race of faith” as God intended. But as we comprehend the true nature of the “course” set before us, we can appreciate the need for the element of endurance…]

II. WE NEED TO HAVE (Hebrews 12:1) A. THE “RACE OF FAITH” IS A , NOT A SPRINT…1. It does not require one quick burst of energy, in which the race is soon over 2. This “race” requires a sustained effort over a long period of time

B. IS A QUALITY…1. Jesus often taught His disciples concerning the need for endurance (i.e., patience) a. In the parable of The Sower - Luke 8:12a. In preparing the disciples for the Limited Commission – Matthew 10:22b. In His discourse on the Mount of Olives - Matthew 24:132. The writer to the Hebrews had stressed this virtue earlier a. In which he appealed to the example of Abraham - Hebrews 6:11-15b. In which he quoted from Habakkuk - Hebrews 10:36-393. We can develop such patience with the help of the Scriptures

Romans 15:4a. As we read of the faithfulness of God Who fulfills His promises b. As we read of the ultimate end of those persevered in faithfulness

[Paul wrote that eternal life would be given “to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality” (Romans 2:7). Therefore, endurance is required for successfully running this “race of faith”!

Equally important is where we have our mind focused as we run the race…]

III. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON JESUS (Hebrews 12:2-3) A. WE MUST “LOOK UNTO JESUS”…1. Our focus must be upon the Lord as we “run the race” a. We might “glance” at others (cf. Hebrews 11) b. But we are to “gaze” upon the Lord Savior (Believers’ Study Bible) c. As suggested by this “Formula For Spiritual Success”:

If you want to be distressed – look within
If you want to be defeated – look back
If you want to be distracted – look around
If you want to be dismayed – look ahead
If you want to be delivered – look up! - cf. Colossians 3:1-22. For Jesus is “the author and finisher of our faith”

cf. Hebrews 2:10a. He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega - Revelation 1:8; Revelation 1:11b. He has blazed the trail for us…

By having run the race Himself a) As a forerunner He has entered the heavenly sanctuary

Hebrews 6:19-20b) He has opened a “new and living way” for us - Hebrews 10:202) And now He helps us to finish it ourselves - cf. Hebrews 7:253. He succeeded in running the race by looking at “the joy set before Him” a. The “joy” that inspired Him was likely that privilege of being seated at God’s right hand - cf. Psalms 16:9-11; Acts 2:25-31b. With the anticipation of such “joy”, Jesus…

“endured the cross” (the physical pain)
“despised the shame” (the emotional and spiritual agony) – Just as Jesus looked at the joy set before Him, so we must look to Jesus!

B. WE MUST " HIM”…1. We must consider how He endured, not only on the cross, but even before! - Hebrews 11:3a. How He “endured such hostility from sinners against himself” b. This hostility is something He experienced frequently - cf. Luke 4:28-29; Luke 11:15-16; Luke 11:53-54; Luke 16:142. Meditating upon our Lord will prevent us from becoming “weary and discouraged in your souls” a. We cannot run with endurance if we become weary and discouraged b. But as we consider the Lord and His example (in itself a form of “waiting upon the Lord”), we shall not grow weary nor faint - cf. Isaiah 40:31

“Running The Race Of Faith” requires both negative and positive elements… a. Negatively, we must lay aside things which would hinder us b. Positively, we must keep our focus on Jesus who has made our salvation possible
In both cases, the Word of God (the Bible) is crucial… a. For in it we learn what sort of things we must lay aside b. For in it we learn about our Lord, what He endured, how His example should inspire us
Have you lost your endurance? Have you grown weary in “Running The Race Of Faith”? a. Let the Bible help you examine what “baggage” should be left aside! b. Let the Bible help you learn about Jesus whose own example can encourage you to continue on with perseverance!

Remember what we read earlier…

“For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise…” (Hebrews 10:36)

Hebrews 12:2

Hebrews 12:2 Hebrews 12:2 ————————— αφορωντεςG872 [G5723] LOOKING AWAY ειςG1519 TO τονG3588 τηςG3588 THE πιστεωςG4102 OF FAITH αρχηγονG747 LEADER καιG2532 AND τελειωτηνG5051 ιησουνG2424 JESUS : οςG3739 WHO αντιG473 IN VIEW OF τηςG3588 THE προκειμενηςG4295 [G5740] LYING BEFORE αυτωG846 HIM χαραςG5479 JOY υπεμεινενG5278 [G5656] ENDURED “THE” σταυρονG4716 CROSS, “THE” αισχυνηςG152 SHAME καταφρονησαςG2706 [G5660] HAVING , ενG1722 δεξιαG1188 τεG5037 AND AT “THE” RIGHT HAND τουG3588 OF THE θρονουG2362 τουG3588 THRONE θεουG2316 OF GOD εκαθισενG2523 [G5656] SAT DOWN. Looking: Hebrews 12:3, Hebrews 9:28, Isaiah 8:17, Isaiah 31:1, Isaiah 45:22, Micah 7:7, Zechariah 12:10, John 1:29, John 6:40, John 8:56, Philippians 3:20, 2 Timothy 4:8, Titus 2:13, 1 John 1:1-3, Jude 1:21 the author: or, the beginner, Hebrews 2:10, Mark 9:24, Luke 17:5, Acts 5:31,*Gr: Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:11, Revelation 1:17, Revelation 2:8 finisher: Hebrews 7:19, Hebrews 10:14,*Gr: Psalms 138:8, 1 Corinthians 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:8, Philippians 1:6 for: Hebrews 2:7-9, Hebrews 5:9, Psalms 16:9-11, Isaiah 49:6, Isaiah 53:10-12, Luke 24:26, John 12:24, John 12:32, John 13:3, John 13:31, John 13:32, John 17:1-4, Acts 2:25, Acts 2:26, Acts 2:36, Philippians 2:8-11, 1 Peter 1:11 endured: Hebrews 10:5-12, Matthew 16:21, Matthew 20:18, Matthew 20:19, Matthew 20:20, Matthew 20:28, Matthew 27:31-50, Mark 14:36, John 12:27, John 12:28, Ephesians 2:16, Ephesians 5:2, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 3:18 despising: Hebrews 10:33, Hebrews 11:36, Psalms 22:6-8, Psalms 69:19, Psalms 69:20, Isaiah 49:7, Isaiah 50:6, Isaiah 50:7, Isaiah 53:3, Matthew 26:67, Matthew 26:68, Matthew 27:27-31, Matthew 27:38-44, Mark 9:12, Luke 23:11, Luke 23:35-39, Acts 5:41, 1 Peter 2:23, 1 Peter 4:14-16 and is: Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 1:13, Hebrews 8:1, Psalms 110:1, 1 Peter 3:22 Numbers 21:9 - when he 2 Samuel 6:22 - more vile 2 Samuel 11:11 - my lord 1 Chronicles 28:8 - in the sight Psalms 16:6 - in pleasant Psalms 19:5 - rejoiceth Psalms 21:1 - in thy Psalms 34:5 - They Psalms 45:8 - whereby Psalms 69:7 - shame Psalms 85:13 - shall set Psalms 87:5 - of Zion Psalms 109:25 - a reproach Psalms 109:28 - but let Son 2:3 - my beloved Son 5:7 - took Isaiah 42:4 - shall not Isaiah 49:4 - yet Isaiah 53:11 - see Isaiah 53:12 - poured Isaiah 62:5 - as the bridegroom rejoiceth Jeremiah 17:12 - General Jeremiah 20:18 - with Ezekiel 1:26 - the likeness of a Zechariah 4:9 - his hands Matthew 10:24 - General Matthew 22:44 - The Lord Matthew 25:21 - enter Matthew 26:29 - until Matthew 26:64 - the right Matthew 27:29 - platted Mark 8:38 - ashamed Mark 14:62 - the Son Mark 14:65 - General Mark 15:19 - they smote Mark 15:28 - General Mark 16:19 - he was Luke 1:42 - blessed is Luke 9:44 - these Luke 9:51 - that Luke 15:5 - rejoicing Luke 16:14 - derided Luke 19:28 - he went Luke 22:63 - mocked Luke 22:69 - on Luke 23:32 - General John 1:36 - Behold John 4:34 - and John 6:65 - that no John 10:4 - he goeth John 12:16 - when John 13:14 – I then John 14:31 - that the John 15:18 - General John 16:5 - I John 16:16 - because John 17:13 - come John 18:11 - the cup John 19:5 - Behold John 19:18 - General John 19:30 - It is Acts 2:28 - make Romans 8:34 - It is Christ Romans 14:9 - Christ 2 Corinthians 4:18 - we Galatians 3:23 - faith came Philippians 2:7 - made Philippians 2:9 - God Philippians 3:13 - and reaching Colossians 1:11 - unto Colossians 2:12 - the faith Colossians 3:1 - where 1 Thessalonians 2:2 - shamefully 2 Thessalonians 1:11 - the work 2 Thessalonians 3:5 - the patient waiting for Christ 1 Timothy 3:16 - received 2 Timothy 1:12 - I Amos 2 Timothy 2:3 - endure 2 Timothy 2:8 - Remember 2 Timothy 4:7 - I have finished Hebrews 4:14 - that is Hebrews 6:6 - an open Hebrews 6:18 - set Hebrews 6:20 - for Hebrews 7:26 - made Hebrews 9:24 - but Hebrews 11:27 - seeing Hebrews 12:4 - General Hebrews 13:22 - suffer 1 Peter 4:16 - let him not 1 John 4:17 - as Revelation 1:18 - was Revelation 7:15 - are Hebrews 12:2. ———————– A runner would forget the things behind him and be looking toward the goal and what it would mean to reach it. Likewise the Christian should have his eyes on Jesus who has set the goal at the end of a faithful life. Author means one who sets an example for others to follow, and finisher is one who carries out that example by a faithful life unto the end. The pronoun our is not in the original and is not necessary to the thought in the mind of the apostle. The sentence denotes the faith of the Gospel as it is demonstrated by the life of Christ.

The joy that was set before Jesus was that of being the Saviour of the world, even though it required Him to die on the cross. Despising means to belittle or count as nothing the shame of such a death. It was bad enough to die at all, the just for the unjust, but it was more humiliating to die by crucifixion because only the worst of criminals were usually executed by that means. That is why Paul makes the remark that Jesus obeyed his Father unto death, “even the death on the cross” (Philippians 2:8). Christ was rewarded for his humble service by being seated at the right hand of God, and those who fashion their lives after the pattern set by Jesus will be permitted to live with him and God. Hebrews 12:2 ——————————————————————————– Looking (ἀφορῶντες) Only here and Philippians 2:28. In lxx see 4Ma 17:10. Looking away from everything which may distract. Comp. Philippians 3:13-14, and ἀπέβλεπεν he had respect, lit. looked away, Hebrews 11:26. Wetstein cites Arrian, Epictet. ii. 19, 29: εἰςτὸνΘεὸνἀφορῶντεςἐνπαντὶμικρῳκαὶμεγάλῳ looking away unto God in everything small and great. ——————————————————————————– Jesus Having presented a long catalogue of witnesses under the old covenant, he now presents Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and the supreme witness.

See Revelation 1:5; Revelation 3:14; 1 Timothy 6:13. ——————————————————————————– The author and finisher of our faith (τὸντῆςπίστεωςἀρχηγὸνκαὶτελειωτὴν) The A.V. is misleading, and narrows the scope of the passage. For author, rend. leader or captain, and see on Hebrews 2:10.

For finisher, rend. perfecter. For our faith, rend. faith or the faith. Not our Christian faith, but faith absolutely, as exhibited in the whole range of believers from Abel to Christ. Christ cannot be called the author or originator of faith, since the faith here treated existed and worked before Christ. Christ is the leader or captain of faith, in that he is the perfecter of faith. In himself he furnished the perfect development, the supreme example of faith, and in virtue of this he is the leader of the whole believing host in all time. Notice the recurrence of the favorite idea of perfecting. Comp.

Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 5:9; Hebrews 6:1; Hebrews 7:11; Hebrews 7:19; Hebrews 7:28; Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 10:1; Hebrews 10:14; Hebrews 11:40. Τελειωτής perfecter, N.T.o, olxx, oClass. ——————————————————————————– For the joy that was set before him (ἀντὶτῆςπροκειμένηςαὐτῳχαρᾶς) Ἁντὶ in its usual sense, in exchange for. Προκειμένης lying before, present. The joy was the full, divine beatitude of his preincarnate life in the bosom of the Father; the glory which he had with God before the world was. In exchange for this he accepted the cross and the blame. The contrast is designed between the struggle which, for the present, is alone set before the readers (Hebrews 12:1), and the joy which was already present to Christ. The heroic character of his faith appears in his renouncing a joy already in possession in exchange for shame and death. The passage thus falls in with Philippians 2:6-8. ——————————————————————————– The cross (σταυρὸν) Comp.

Philippians 2:8. olxx. Originally an upright stake or pale. Σταυροῦν to drive down a stake; to crucify.

Comp. the use of ξύλον wood or tree for the cross, Acts 5:30; Acts 10:39; 1 Peter 2:24. See on Luke 23:31. ——————————————————————————– The shame (αἰσχύνης) Attendant upon a malefactor’s death. ——————————————————————————– Is set down, etc. See Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 1:13; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 10:12. Notice the tenses: endured, aorist, completed: hath sat down, perfect, he remains seated and reigning. Hebrews 12:2 ——————————————————————————– Looking unto (aphorτntes eis). Present active participle of aphoraτ, old verb to look away, “looking away to Jesus.” In N.T. only here and Philippians 2:23.

Fix your eyes on Jesus, after a glance at “the cloud of witnesses,” for he is the goal. Cf.

Moses in Hebrews 11:26 (apeblepen). ——————————————————————————– The author (ton archηgon). See Hebrews 2:10 for this word. “The pioneer of personal faith” (Moffatt). ——————————————————————————– Perfecter (teleiτtηn). A word apparently coined by the writer from teleioτ as it has been found nowhere else. Vulgate has consummator. ——————————————————————————– For the joy (anti tηs charas). Answering to, in exchange for (Hebrews 12:16), at the end of the race lay the joy “set before him” (prokeimenηs autτi), while here was the Cross (stauron) at this end (the beginning of the race) which he endured (hupemeinen, aorist active indicative of hupomenτ), despising shame (aischunηs kataphronηsas). The cross at his time brought only shame (most shameful of deaths, “yea, the death of the cross” Philippians 2:8).

But Jesus despised that, in spite of the momentary shrinking from it, and did his Father’s will by submitting to it. ——————————————————————————– Hath sat down (kekathiken). Perfect active indicative of kathizτ, and still is there (Hebrews 1:3).

Hebrews 12:3

Hebrews 12:3 Hebrews 12:3 ————————— αναλογισασθεG357 [G5663] γαρG1063 FOR WELL τονG3588 HIM WHO τοιαυτηνG5108 SO GREAT υπομεμενηκοταG5278 [G5761] HAS ENDURED υποG5259 τωνG3588 FROM αμαρτωλωνG268 SINNERS ειςG1519 AGAINST αυτονG846 HIMSELF αντιλογιανG485 , ιναG2443 THAT μηG3361 NOT καμητεG2577 [G5632] YE BE WEARIED, ταιςG3588 ψυχαιςG5590 υμωνG5216 IN YOUR SOULS εκλυομενοιG1590 [G5746] . consider: Hebrews 12:2, Hebrews 3:1, 1 Samuel 12:24, 2 Timothy 2:7, 2 Timothy 2:8 contradiction: Matthew 10:24, Matthew 10:25, Matthew 11:19, Matthew 12:24, Matthew 15:2, Matthew 21:15, Matthew 21:16, Matthew 21:23, Matthew 21:46, Matthew 22:15, Luke 2:34,*Gr: Luke 4:28, Luke 4:29, Luke 5:21, Luke 11:15, Luke 11:16, Luke 11:53, Luke 11:54, Luke 13:13, Luke 13:14, Luke 14:1, Luke 15:2, Luke 16:14, Luke 19:39, Luke 19:40, John 5:16, John 7:12, John 8:13, John 8:48, John 8:49, John 8:52, John 8:59, John 9:40, John 10:20, John 10:31-39, John 12:9, John 12:10, John 15:18-24, John 18:22 lest: Hebrews 12:5, Deuteronomy 20:3, Proverbs 24:10, Isaiah 40:30, Isaiah 40:31, Isaiah 50:4, 1 Corinthians 15:58, 2 Corinthians 4:1, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Galatians 6:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:13 Esther 4:13 - Think not Job 4:5 - thou faintest Proverbs 3:11 - neither Isaiah 53:3 - despised Jeremiah 12:5 - thou hast Jeremiah 45:3 - I fainted Jonah 2:7 - my soul Zephaniah 3:16 - slack Matthew 27:29 - platted Mark 2:16 - How Mark 2:24 - why Mark 8:38 - ashamed Mark 9:14 - the scribes Mark 14:37 - couldest Mark 15:19 - they smote Luke 18:1 - and not John 8:22 - Will John 14:31 - that the Romans 8:35 - shall tribulation 2 Corinthians 4:18 - we Ephesians 3:13 - ye 1 Thessalonians 2:2 - shamefully 2 Thessalonians 3:5 - the patient waiting for Christ 2 Timothy 2:3 - endure Hebrews 11:27 - endured Hebrews 12:12 - General Hebrews 13:13 - General 1 Peter 2:23 - when he was 1 Peter 4:1 - arm 1 Peter 4:16 - let him not 1 John 4:17 - as Revelation 2:3 - hast not Revelation 13:10 - Here Hebrews 12:3. ———————– Christians were persecuted for the sake of Jesus and often thought their sufferings were unnecessary. On this account they sought to avoid it by deserting Him and going back to Moses as their lawgiver. But Jesus also suffered for righteousness’ sake, including mistreatment from sinners who were usually contradicting His teaching. Christians should consider this example and take courage for the conflict. Faint in your minds means to be discouraged on account of trials. Hebrews 12:3 ——————————————————————————– For consider (ἀναλογίσασθεγὰρ) Γὰρ for introduces the reason for the exhortation to look unto Jesus. Look unto him, for a comparison with him will show you how much more he had to endure than you have. Ἁναλογίζεσθαι N.T.o. Comp. 3Ma 7:7. It means to reckon up; to consider in the way of comparison. ——————————————————————————– Contradiction of sinners (ὑπὸτῶνἁμαρτωλῶνἀντιλογίαν) Contradiction or gainsaying. See on Hebrews 6:16, and comp. Hebrews 7:7.

See on gainsaying, Jude 1:11. Of sinners, ὑπὸ by, at the hands of. ——————————————————————————– Against himself (εἰςἑαυτοὺς) According to this text we should render “against themselves.” Comp.

Numbers 16:38. The explanation will then be that Christ endured the gainsaying of sinners, who, in opposing him, were enemies of their own souls. The reading ἑαυτοὺς however, is doubtful, and both Tischendorf and Weiss read ἑαυτὸν himself, which I prefer. ——————————————————————————– Lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (ἵναμὴκάμητεταῖςψυχαῖςὑμῶνἐκλυόμενοι) Rend. “that ye be not weary, fainting in your minds.” Ἐκλύειν is to loosen, hence, to relax, exhaust. So often in lxx. See Deuteronomy 20:3; Judges 8:15; 1 Samuel 14:28. Comp. Matthew 15:32; Mark 8:3; Galatians 6:9. Hebrews 12:3 ——————————————————————————– Consider (analogisasthe).

First aorist middle imperative of analogizomai, old word to reckon up, to compare, to weigh, only here in the N.T. See katanoηsate in Hebrews 3:1. Understanding Jesus is the key to the whole problem, the cure for doubt and hesitation. ——————————————————————————– Endured (hupomemenηkota). Perfect active participle of the same verb hupomenτ used in Hebrews 12:2. ——————————————————————————– Gainsaying (antilogian). Old word from antilogos (from antilegτ), already in Hebrews 6:16; Hebrews 7:7. ——————————————————————————– Of sinners (hupo tτn hamartτlτn). “By sinners.” ——————————————————————————– Against themselves (eis heautous). Against their better selves if a genuine reading.

But eis heauton (against himself), against Christ, is far more likely correct. ——————————————————————————– That ye wax not weary (hina mη kamηte). Negative final clause with hina mη and the second aorist active subjunctive of kamnτ, old verb to be weary as here or sick as in James 5:15. ——————————————————————————– Fainting in your souls (tais psuchais humτn ekluomenoi).

Present passive participle of ekluτ, old verb to loosen out, to set free, and in passive to be enfeebled, to be tired out (here in soul with locative case), as in Hebrews 12:5. The rest of the Epistle drives home the argument.

Hebrews 12:4-11

“THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS”

The Chastening Of The Lord (Hebrews 12:4-11)

In encouraging his readers to “run the race that is set before us”, the author of “The Epistle To The Hebrews” mentions the need for endurance… a. Suggesting that the “race” will not always be an easy one - Hebrews 12:1b. Indeed, our “forerunner” Himself had to endure hostility from sinners and eventually the cross - Hebrews 12:2-3
They were reminded that they had yet to endure as much as the Lord… a. They had “not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin”

Hebrews 12:4b. Though they had earlier endured “a great struggle with sufferings” - Hebrews 10:32-34– Because persecutions were likely to intensify, they needed “endurance” - Hebrews 10:35-36

To help them in this regard, he reminds them of “The Chastening Of The Lord” by… a. Quoting a well-known passage in Proverbs - Hebrews 12:5-6b. Expounding upon the purpose of the Lord’s chastening - Hebrews 12:7-11– Understanding how the Lord might use hardships, even persecutions, to “chasten” them for their good, would serve to encourage them to endure
What does the word “chasten” mean? a. The Greek word is paideia
b. In the KJV, it is variously translated as “chastening, nurture, instruction, chastisement” c. Thayer defines the word in this way:

“the whole training and education of children (which relates to the cultivation of mind and morals, and employs for this purpose now commands and admonitions, now reproof and punishment)”
“whatever in adults also cultivates the soul, esp. by correcting mistakes and curbing passions” a) “instruction which aims at increasing virtue” b) “acc. to biblical usage chastisement, chastening, (of the evils with which God visits men for their amendment)”

[In this lesson, I wish to focus on “The Chastening Of The Lord”, using this text in Hebrews as the basis for our study. To begin, let me stress…]

I. THE “FACT” OF THE LORD’S A. SOME DENY THE OF THE LORD…1. Believing that a loving God would never bring suffering to His children 2. Believing that any suffering is due solely to the influence of Satan a. As some have so interpreted the Book of Job b. Yet because Satan himself could not do anything unless God allowed it, Job’s adversity came ultimately from the Lord

cf. Job 42:11 B. THE BIBLE CLEARLY TEACHES THE OF THE LORD…1. In the Old Testament: a. “You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you.” - Deuteronomy 8:5b. “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.” - Proverbs 3:11-122. In the New Testament: a. “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.” - 1 Corinthians 11:31-32b. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” - Revelation 3:19c. And of course, our entire text under consideration - Hebrews 12:4-111) Especially Hebrews 12:7-82) Which state that all of God’s children must experience chastening!

[The “fact” of the Lord’s chastening cannot be questioned by anyone who accepts the Bible. At this point, let’s consider “how” God might chasten His children…]

II. THE “HOW” OF THE LORD’S A. IN THE FORM OF " “…1. There is both “instructive” and “corrective” chastening (discipline) 2. “Instructive” chastening is designed to prevent the need for “corrective” chastening 3. Instructive discipline is seen most often in the form of “teaching” a. In the form of warnings, admonitions b. Thus Jesus could “clean” (purify) His disciples through His teaching - John 15:2-3c. Through His words Jesus sought to chasten the Laodiceans

Revelation 3:15-19– One way, then, that God chastens us is through His Word!

But instructive discipline can also be in the form of “tribulation” a. In the case of Job…

His suffering was not because he needed correction - cf. Job 1:1; Job 1:82) Yet God allowed it, knowing it would make him better b. In the case of the early Christians…
Persecution was looked upon as a form of chastisement

cf. Hebrews 12:4-62) Their persecution for the cause of Christ was not because they were wicked

But God allowed it, knowing that it would make them stronger - cf. Romans 5:3-4; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 5:8-10– Another way, then, that God chastens us is by allowing persecution for Christ’s sake!

B. IN THE FORM OF " “…1. When “instructive” discipline is not heeded, “corrective” discipline follows 2. Note the example of Judah and Israel: a. Failure to heed God’s word would bring judgment upon Judah

Amos 2:4-5b. God made repeated efforts to bring Israel back to Him
Amos 4:6-12c. Such efforts included famine, drought, pestilence, plague, war, earthquakes

These were not miraculous or supernatural events
But acts of nature brought on by the providential working of God! d. Some understood the value of such affliction - cf. Psalms 119:67; Psalms 119:713. What about “corrective” discipline today? a. If God would use Providence to encourage Israel to repent before it was too late…
Would not the same God use Providence to chastise His erring children today?
Does He love us any less? b. I know of no scriptural reason why God would not use His Providence to bring about events in our lives which serve to:
Wake us up
Cause us to reflect on our lives and our relationship to God
Encourage us to repent and turn back to Him if we are straying c. There are several passages which suggest that God might bring some form of “corrective” discipline if we do not heed His “instructive” discipline…
Some of the Corinthians had already begun to experience God’s chastisement, which they could have avoided if they had “judged” themselves (by heeding His word)

1 Corinthians 11:30-322) Jesus spoke of some way in which He would punish some at Thyatira that would be evident to all - cf. Revelation 2:20-23– I therefore have no problem with the idea that God may choose to employ corrective discipline in the form of national and even personal affliction

[My understanding of a loving God chastening His children is tempered by my understanding of “why” He does this…]

III. THE “WHY” OF THE LORD’S A. NOT BECAUSE HE IN DOING SO…1. God found it necessary to bring judgment upon Israel - Lamentations 1:3-52. It was not something He wanted to do - Lamentations 3:31-33 B. WHEN , IT IS FOR OUR GOOD…1. To correct us - Hebrews 12:9a. Our human fathers do so, and we respect them for it b. Should we not expect the same from the “Father of spirits”, and submit to it? 2. That we may be partakers of His Holiness - Hebrews 12:10a. Our human fathers do it for what seems best to them b. Our heavenly Father does it for a reason that far excels any earthly purpose! 3. That we may yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness – Hebrews 12:11a. In the short term, the experience is unpleasant b. But in the long term, we benefit by such “training”!

Whether “corrective” or “instructive” chastisement, it is always for our good! a. It may be grievous - Hebrews 12:11 ab. But it will produce “the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” - Hebrews 12:11 b
“Corrective” chastisement can mostly be avoided… a. By correcting ourselves - cf. 1 Corinthians 11:31-32b. Which we can do by taking heed to God’s Word - cf. John 15:2-3
But even when we heed the “instructive” chastisement through the Word of God, we may still experience some form of tribulation… a. Such as persecution for the cause of Christ b. Brought on by Satan, working in and through the world - 1 Peter 5:8-9c. Not because we are wicked, but because we are righteous (like Job) – Yet God can use even that to provide a form of “instructive” discipline, in which the good are made even better!

May the prayer expressed by Peter help us to endure should we experience such tribulation…

“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)

Hebrews 12:5

Hebrews 12:5 Hebrews 12:5 ————————— καιG2532 AND εκλελησθεG1585 [G5769] YE HAVE QUITE τηςG3588 THE παρακλησεωςG3874 , ητιςG3748 WHICH υμινG5213 TO YOU, ωςG5613 AS υιοιςG5207 TO SONS, διαλεγεταιG1256 [G5736] HE : υιεG5207 μουG3450 MY SON, μηG3361 ολιγωρειG3643 [G5720] DESPISE NOT “THE” παιδειαςG3809 κυριουG2962 OF “THE” LORD, μηδεG3366 NOR εκλυουG1590 [G5744] FAINT, υπG5259 BY αυτουG846 HIM ελεγχομενοςG1651 [G5746] BEING ; ye have forgotten: Deuteronomy 4:9, Deuteronomy 4:10, Psalms 119:16, Psalms 119:83, Psalms 119:109, Proverbs 3:1, Proverbs 4:5, Matthew 16:9, Matthew 16:10, Luke 24:6, Luke 24:8 the exhortation: Hebrews 12:7, Proverbs 3:11, Proverbs 3:12 despise: Job 5:17, Job 5:18, Job 34:31, Psalms 94:12, Psalms 118:18, Psalms 119:75, Jeremiah 31:18, 1 Corinthians 11:32, James 1:12, Revelation 3:19 nor faint: Hebrews 12:3, Hebrews 12:4, Joshua 7:7-11, 2 Samuel 6:7-10, 1 Chronicles 13:9-13, 1 Chronicles 15:12, 1 Chronicles 15:13, Psalms 6:1, Psalms 6:2, 2 Corinthians 4:8, 2 Corinthians 4:9, 2 Corinthians 12:9, 2 Corinthians 12:10 Leviticus 26:43 - and they Numbers 17:12 - Behold Deuteronomy 8:5 - as a man 2 Samuel 7:14 - I will 1 Kings 1:6 - had not Job 4:5 - thou faintest Job 33:23 - an interpreter Psalms 37:25 - yet Psalms 38:1 - rebuke Psalms 73:14 - For all Psalms 103:13 - Like Isaiah 1:5 - should Jeremiah 24:5 - them that are carried away captive Jeremiah 46:28 - will I Lamentations 3:27 - bear Lamentations 3:39 - a man Hosea 7:15 - bound Habakkuk 1:12 - for John 18:11 - my 1 Corinthians 11:30 - many 2 Corinthians 6:13 - I speak Galatians 6:9 - if Ephesians 1:5 - unto Ephesians 6:17 - which Colossians 3:21 - General 2 Thessalonians 3:13 - be not weary Hebrews 2:1 - we should Hebrews 12:10 - but he Hebrews 12:11 - nevertheless Hebrews 12:12 - General Hebrews 12:5. ———————– The exhortation referred to is in Proverbs 3:11-12. This exhortation by Solomon is based on a truth that is in force under all ages of the world, hence Paul cites it and applies it to the servants of God in the Christian Dispensation. Despise not denotes that they should not belittle or disrespect the correction. Chastening refers to the discipline that a righteous parent will exercise upon his son for disobedience. To faint means to become despondent over the rebukes of our Heavenly Father. Hebrews 12:5 ——————————————————————————– Ye have forgotten (ἐκλέλησθε) N.T.o. Common in Class., olxx. The simple verb λανθάνειν means to escape notice; to be unseen or unknown. Middle and passive, to let a thing escape; forget. Some render interrogatively, “have ye forgotten?” ——————————————————————————– Speaketh unto you (ὑμῖνδιαλέγεται) The verb always in the sense of mutual converse or discussion. See Mark 9:34; Acts 17:2; Acts 18:19. Rend. “reasoneth with you.” ——————————————————————————– My son, etc. From Proverbs 3:11-12.

Comp. Job 5:17. ——————————————————————————– Despise not (μὴὀλιγώρει) N.T.o. lxx only in this passage. Quite often in Class. It means to make little of (ὀλίγος). ——————————————————————————– Chastening (παιδείας) Mostly in Hebrews. See on Ephesians 6:4, and see on 2 Timothy 3:16. Hebrews 12:5 ——————————————————————————– Ye have forgotten (eklelηsthe).

Perfect middle indicative of eklanthanτ, to cause to forget, old verb, here only in the N.T. with genitive case as usual. ——————————————————————————– Reasoneth with you (humin dialegetai). Present middle indicative of dialegomai, old verb to ponder different (dia-) things, to converse, with dative.

Cf. Acts 19:8-9. The quotation is from Proverbs 3:11-12. ——————————————————————————– Regard not lightly (mη oligτrei). Prohibition with mη and the present active imperative of oligτreτ, old verb from oligτros and this from oligos (little) and hτra (hour), old verb, here only in N.T. ——————————————————————————– Chastening (paideias). Old word from paideuτ, to train a child (pais), instruction (2 Timothy 3:16), which naturally includes correction and punishment as here. See also Ephesians 6:4. ——————————————————————————– Nor faint (mηde ekluou). Prohibition with mη and present passive imperative of ekluτ (see Hebrews 12:3).

Hebrews 12:6

Hebrews 12:6 Hebrews 12:6 ————————— ονG3739 γαρG1063 FOR WHOM αγαπαG25 [G5719] LOVES “THE” κυριοςG2962 LORD παιδευειG3811 [G5719] HE , μαστιγοιG3146 [G5719] δεG1161 AND πανταG3956 EVERY υιονG5207 SON ονG3739 WHOM παραδεχεταιG3858 [G5736] HE . whom: Deuteronomy 8:5, Psalms 32:1-5, Psalms 73:14, Psalms 73:15, Psalms 89:30-34, Psalms 119:71, Psalms 119:75, Proverbs 3:12, Proverbs 13:24, Isaiah 27:9, Jeremiah 10:24, James 1:12, James 5:11, Revelation 3:19 and scourgeth: Hebrews 12:7, Hebrews 12:8, 2 Samuel 7:14 Exodus 1:12 - But the more Deuteronomy 4:22 - General Rth 1:3 - and she was 1 Samuel 30:3 - burned 2 Samuel 12:14 - the child 2 Samuel 24:12 - that I may 1 Kings 1:6 - had not 2 Chronicles 20:37 - the Lord Psalms 37:25 - yet Psalms 39:11 - When Psalms 89:32 - General Proverbs 3:11 - My Proverbs 19:29 - and Ezekiel 14:22 - therein Micah 7:9 - bear Habakkuk 1:12 - for Zechariah 1:15 - for Mark 3:10 - as many Luke 7:21 - plagues John 11:3 - he John 16:27 - the Father Romans 8:28 - we know 2 Corinthians 6:13 - I speak Ephesians 6:17 - which Hebrews 12:10 - but he Hebrews 12:11 - nevertheless Hebrews 12:6. ———————– The Lord chastises his children because of His love for them, even to the extent of scourging (suffering them to be afflicted) for their training. Hebrews 12:6 ——————————————————————————– He chasteneth (παιδεύει) See on Luke 23:16. ——————————————————————————– Scourgeth (μαστιγοῖ) Not very common, but found in all the four Gospels. Hebrews only here. Quite often in lxx. ——————————————————————————– Receiveth (παραδέχεται) Admits to filial privileges: acknowledges as his own. Of receiving the word of God, Mark 4:20; of receiving delegates from a body, Acts 15:4; of adopting or approving customs, Acts 16:21. Hebrews 12:6 ——————————————————————————– Scourgeth (mastigoi). Present active indicative of mastigoτ, old verb from mastix (whip).

This is a hard lesson for God’s children to learn and to understand. See Hebrews 5:7 about Jesus.

Hebrews 12:7

Hebrews 12:7 Hebrews 12:7 ————————— ειG1487 IF παιδειανG3809 υπομενετεG5278 [G5719] YE ENDURE, ωςG5613 AS υιοιςG5207 WITH SONS υμινG5213 WITH YOU προσφερεταιG4374 [G5743] οG3588 IS DEALING θεοςG2316 GOD; τιςG5101 γαρG1063 FOR WHO εστινG2076 [G5748] IS υιοςG5207 “THE” SON ονG3739 WHOM ουG3756 παιδευειG3811 [G5719] NOT “THE” πατηρG3962 FATHER? endure: Job 34:31, Job 34:32, Proverbs 19:18, Proverbs 22:15, Proverbs 23:13, Proverbs 23:14, Proverbs 29:15, Proverbs 29:17, Acts 14:22 for what: 1 Samuel 2:29, 1 Samuel 2:34, 1 Samuel 3:13, 1 Kings 1:6, 1 Kings 2:24, 1 Kings 2:25, Proverbs 13:24, Proverbs 29:15 Proverbs 3:11 - neither Micah 7:9 - bear Zechariah 1:15 - for John 11:3 - he Ephesians 6:4 - but Hebrews 12:5 - the exhortation Hebrews 12:6 - and scourgeth Hebrews 12:9 - corrected 1 Peter 1:6 - if Hebrews 12:7. ———————– Paul is making his comparison to an earthly parent who is the proper kind, not one who fails in his duty of controlling his children. God chastens his children for their good as do fleshly fathers their sons. Christians are exhorted to submit humbly to the chastisement from God, on the principle that His love for them prompts the correction. Hebrews 12:7 ——————————————————————————– If ye endure chastening (εἰςπαιδείανὑπομένετε) Rend. “it is for chastening that ye endure.” A.V. follows the reading of T. R. εἰ if. Do not faint at affliction. Its purpose is disciplinary. Παιδεία is here the end or result of discipline. In Hebrews 12:5 it is the process. ——————————————————————————– God dealeth with you as with sons (ὡςυἱοῖςὑμῖνπροσφέρεταιὁθεὸς) The verb means to bring to: often to bring an offering to the altar, as Matthew 5:23-24; Matthew 8:4. In the passive voice with the dative, to be born toward one; hence, to attack, assail, deal with, behave toward.

See Thucyd. i. 140; Eurip. Cycl. 176; Hdt. vii. 6. The afflictive dealing of God with you is an evidence that you are sons. ——————————————————————————– What son is he whom the father, etc. (τίςυἰὸς) Some interpreters render, “who is a son whom the father?” etc. That is, no one is a son who is without paternal chastening. The A.V. is better. The idea expressed by the other rendering appears in the next verse.

Hebrews 12:7 ——————————————————————————– That ye endure (hupomenete). Present active indicative or present active imperative and so just “endure for chastening.” ——————————————————————————– Dealeth with you (humin prospheretai). Present middle indicative of prospherτ, but this sense of bearing oneself towards one with the dative here only in the N.T., though often in the older Greek. ——————————————————————————– What (tis). Interrogative. ——————————————————————————– Whom (hon). Relative. Cf.

Matthew 7:9.

Hebrews 12:8

Hebrews 12:8 Hebrews 12:8 ————————— ειG1487 δεG1161 BUT IF χωριςG5565 WITHOUT εστεG2075 [G5748] YE ARE παιδειαςG3809 , ηςG3739 OF WHICH μετοχοιG3353 γεγονασινG1096 [G5754] HAVE BECOME παντεςG3956 ALL, αραG686 THEN νοθοιG3541 εστεG2075 [G5748] YE ARE καιG2532 AND ουχG3756 NOT υιοιG5207 SONS. Hebrews 12:6, Psalms 73:1, Psalms 73:14, Psalms 73:15, 1 Peter 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10 Deuteronomy 23:2 - General Psalms 73:5 - They are Proverbs 1:32 - and the Hosea 4:14 - punish Hebrews 12:8. ———————– Bastards and not sons. Even so-called “illegitimate” boys are sons of men and women, and are brought forth by the same law of reproduction that is the source of all human beings. Hence the term as used In contrast with sons is employed in a technical or legal sense. The idea is that if a man refrained from using discipline on a boy it would be on the ground that he was not his son; that he belonged to another outside his own family. Likewise, if a professed Christian objects to being chastised by the Lord, it implies that he does not claim to be a son of the Lord. Hebrews 12:8 ——————————————————————————– Of which all are partakers (ἧςμετοχοιγεγόνασιπάντες) Rend. “of which all have been made partakers.” For μέτοχοι partakers see on Hebrews 3:14. All, that is, all sons of God. ——————————————————————————– Bastards (νόθοι) N.T.o. See Wisd. 4:3. They might think that they would not suffer if they were really God’s sons; whereas the reverse is the case. If they did not suffer, they would not be God’s sons. Hebrews 12:8 ——————————————————————————– If ye are without chastening (ei chτris este paideias).

Condition of first class, determined as fulfilled. Note position of este (are) between the preposition chτris and paideias (ablative case). ——————————————————————————– Have been made (gegonasin). Perfect active indicative of ginomai. ——————————————————————————– Partakers (metochoi). Partners (Hebrews 3:14). ——————————————————————————– Then (ara). Accordingly, correspondingly. ——————————————————————————– Bastards (nothoi). Old word, here only in N.T.

Illegitimate.

Hebrews 12:9

Hebrews 12:9 Hebrews 12:9 ————————— ειταG1534 τουςG3588 μενG3303 τηςG3588 THE σαρκοςG4561 FLESH ημωνG2257 OF OUR πατεραςG3962 FATHERS ειχομενG2192 [G5707] WE HAVE HAD “AS” παιδευταςG3810 THOSE WHO " US “, καιG2532 AND ενετρεπομεθαG1788 [G5710] WE “THEM”; ουG3756 NOT πολλωG4183 MUCH μαλλονG3123 RATHER υποταγησομεθαG5293 [G5691] SHALL WE BE IN τωG3588 TO THE πατριG3962 τωνG3588 FATHER πνευματωνG4151 OF SPIRITS, καιG2532 AND ζησομενG2198 [G5692] SHALL LIVE? fathers: John 3:6, Acts 2:30, Romans 1:3, Romans 9:3, Romans 9:5 corrected: Hebrews 12:7 we gave: Exodus 20:12, Leviticus 19:3, Deuteronomy 21:18-21, Deuteronomy 27:16, Proverbs 30:17, Ezekiel 22:7, Ephesians 6:1-4 shall we not: Malachi 1:6, James 4:7, James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6 the Father: Numbers 16:22, Numbers 27:16, Job 12:10, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah 57:16, Zechariah 12:1 Genesis 2:7 - a living Genesis 5:1 - in the likeness Numbers 12:14 - spit 1 Kings 1:31 - did reverence Job 2:10 - shall we receive Isaiah 27:9 - this therefore Isaiah 45:10 - General Jeremiah 5:3 - they have made Jeremiah 38:16 - that made Lamentations 3:33 - afflict Ezekiel 18:4 - all souls Malachi 2:10 - all Matthew 23:9 - call Luke 11:13 - know Luke 11:40 - did Luke 24:39 - for Acts 17:28 - we are Romans 4:1 - as pertaining 2 Corinthians 7:8 - though I made Ephesians 5:33 - reverence Hebrews 12:9. ———————– All good persons remember with appreciation the punishment they received from their fathers in the days of their minority, for they realize that it was for their good. How much more should we accept with humility the correction from the Father of spirits (our spiritual Father) and live a life of uprightness. Hebrews 12:9 ——————————————————————————– Furthermore (εἷτα) Everywhere else in N.T. this particle marks a succession of time or incident. See Mark 4:17; Mark 8:25; Luke 8:12; 1 Corinthians 15:5; 1 Corinthians 15:7. Here it introduces a new phase of the subject under discussion. ——————————————————————————– Fathers of our flesh (τοὺςμὲντῆςσαρκὸςἡμῶνπατέρας) Up to this point the suffering of Christians has been explained by God’s fatherly relation to them. Now the emphatic point is that their fathers, with whom God is compared, were only earthly, human parents. The phrase πατέραςτῆςσαρκὸς N.T.o , but kindred expressions are found Romans 4:1; Romans 9:3; Galatians 4:29; Hebrews 2:14. ——————————————————————————– Which corrected (παιδευτὰς) Lit. “we have had fathers of our flesh as chasteners.” Only here and Romans 2:20. In lxx, Sir 37:19; Hosea 5:2; 4Ma 5:34; 4Ma 9:6. ——————————————————————————– Shall we not much rather be in subjection (οὐπολὺμάλλονὑποταγησόμεθα) The comparison is between the respect paid to a fallible, human parent, which may grow out of the natural relation, or may be due to fear, and the complete subjection to the divine Father. ——————————————————————————– To the Father of spirits (τῳπατρὶτῶνπνευμάτων) Contrasted with fathers of the flesh.

Their relation to us is limited; his is universal. They are related to us on the fleshly side; he is the creator of our essential life.

Our relation to him is on the side of our eternal being. Comp. John 4:23-24; Zechariah 12:1; Isaiah 57:16. The phrase N.T.o. Comp. lxx, Numbers 16:22; Numbers 27:16; Revelation 22:6. Clement of Rome styles God the benefactor (εὐεργέτης) of spirits, the creator and overseer (κτίστης, ἐπίσκοπος) of every spirit, and the Lord (δεσπότης) of spirits. Ad Corinth. lix, lxiv. ——————————————————————————– And live (καὶζήσομεν) Have true life; not limited to the future life. Comp.

John 5:26; John 6:57; 1 John 5:11; Revelation 11:11; Acts 16:28; Romans 6:11; Romans 14:8; 1 John 4:9, and see on living God, Hebrews 3:12. Hebrews 12:9 ——————————————————————————– Furthermore (eita). The next step in the argument (Mark 4:17). ——————————————————————————– We had (eichomen). Imperfect indicative of customary action, “we used to have.” ——————————————————————————– To chasten us (paideutas). Predicate accusative after eichomen, “as chasteners.” Old word from paideuτ, as agent (-tηs). Only once in LXX (Hosea 5:2) and twice in N.T. (here and Romans 2:20). ——————————————————————————– We gave them reverence (enetrepometha).

Imperfect middle of old word entrepτ, to turn in or at. Here “we turned ourselves to” as in Matthew 21:37, habitual attitude of reverence. ——————————————————————————– Shall we be in subjection (hupotagηsometha).

Second future passive of hupotassτ. There is no de here to correspond to men in the first part of the verse. ——————————————————————————– Unto the father of spirits (tτi patri tτn pneumatτn). Rather, “Unto the Father of our spirits” (note article ton). As God is.

Hebrews 12:10

Hebrews 12:10 Hebrews 12:10 ————————— οιG3588 μενG3303 γαρG1063 FOR THEY INDEED προςG4314 FOR ολιγαςG3641 A FEW ημεραςG2250 DAYS καταG2596 TO τοG3588 THAT WHICH δοκουνG1380 [G5723] SEEMED GOOD αυτοιςG846 TO THEM επαιδευονG3811 [G5707] ; οG3588 δεG1161 BUT HE επιG1909 τοG3588 FOR συμφερονG4851 [G5723] PROFIT, ειςG1519 τοG3588 FOR " US " μεταλαβεινG3335 [G5629] TO PARTAKE τηςG3588 αγιοτητοςG41 αυτουG846 OF HIS . after their own pleasure: or, as seemed good, or meet, to them but he: Hebrews 12:5, Hebrews 12:6 partakers: Leviticus 11:44, Leviticus 11:45, Leviticus 19:2, Psalms 17:15, Ezekiel 36:25-27, Ephesians 4:24, Ephesians 5:26, Ephesians 5:27, Colossians 1:22, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 1:15, 1 Peter 1:16, 1 Peter 2:5, 1 Peter 2:9, 2 Peter 1:4 Genesis 42:17 - ward Deuteronomy 8:16 - to do thee Judges 14:14 - Out of the eater Rth 1:3 - and she was 2 Samuel 16:12 - requite Job 37:23 - he will Psalms 97:12 - give thanks Psalms 118:18 - chastened Psalms 119:67 - but now Psalms 119:71 - good Psalms 119:75 - thou in Psalms 149:4 - beautify Proverbs 20:30 - stripes Proverbs 22:15 - but Proverbs 27:6 - the wounds Proverbs 29:15 - General Ecclesiastes 7:3 - by Isaiah 38:16 - General Isaiah 48:10 - I have refined Lamentations 3:33 - afflict Daniel 12:10 - shall be Malachi 3:3 - sit Luke 11:13 - know John 15:2 - and Romans 5:3 - knowing 2 Corinthians 1:6 - effectual 2 Corinthians 4:17 - worketh Hebrews 2:16 - verily Hebrews 3:14 - we are Hebrews 12:11 - nevertheless Hebrews 12:14 - and holiness Hebrews 12:10. ———————– For a few days. During the days when we were minors which was a comparatively short time in the light of the endless future. Their own pleasure. Not that the fathers obtained any enjoyment from the punishing of their children, but the word means that it was according to their best judgment. God is infinite in judgment and totally unselfish in His motive for chastising his children, and does it solely for their own advantage. Hebrews 12:10 ——————————————————————————– Much difficulty and confusion have attached to the interpretation of this verse, growing out of: (a) the relations of the several clauses; (b) the meaning of for a few days, and how much is covered by it. The difficulties have been aggravated by the determination of commentators to treat the verse by itself, confining the relation of its clauses within its own limits, attempting to throw them into pairs, in which attempt none of them have succeeded, and entirely overlooking relations to the preceding verse. ——————————————————————————– For a few days (πρὸςὀλίγαςἡμέρας) This clause is directly related to be in subjection to the father of spirits and live, and points a contrast. On the one hand, subjection to the Father of spirits, the source of all life, has an eternal significance. Subjection to his fatherly discipline means, not only the everlasting life of the future, but present life, eternal in quality, developed even while the discipline is in progress. Subjection to the Father of spirits and life go together. On the other hand, the discipline of the human father is brief in duration, and its significance is confined to the present life.

In other words, the offset to for a few days is in Hebrews 12; Hebrews 9. To read for a few days into the two latter clauses of the verse which describes the heavenly discipline, and to say that both the chastening of the earthly and of the heavenly father are of brief duration, is to introduce abruptly into a sharp contrast between the two disciplines a point of resemblance.

The dominant idea in πρὸς is not mere duration, but duration as related to significance: that is to say, “for a few days” means, during just that space of time in which the chastisement had force and meaning. See, for instances, Luke 8:13; John 5:35; 1 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 7:8. The few days can scarcely refer to the whole lifetime, since, even from the ancient point of view of the continuance of parental authority, parental discipline is not applied throughout the lifetime. It signifies rather the brief period of childhood and youth. ——————————————————————————– After their own pleasure (κατὰτὸδοκοῦναὐτοῖς) Better, as seemed good to them. The αὐτοῖς has a slightly emphatic force, as contrasted with a higher intelligence. The thought links itself with παιδευτὰς in Hebrews 12:9, and is explained by as seemed good to them, and is placed in contrast with subjection to the Father of spirits.

The human parents were shortsighted, fallible, sometimes moved by passion rather than by sound judgment, and, therefore, often mistaken in their disciplinary methods. What seemed good to them was not always best for us.

No such possibility of error attaches to the Father of spirits. ——————————————————————————– But he for our profit (ὁδὲἐπὶτὸσυμφέρον) The contrast is with what is implied in as seemed good to them. The human parent may not have dealt with us to our profit. Συμφέρειν means to bring together: to collect or contribute in order to help: hence, to help or be profitable. Often impersonally, συμφέρει it is expedient, as Matthew 5:29; Matthew 18:6; John 11:50. The neuter participle, as here, advantage, profit, 1 Corinthians 12:7; 2 Corinthians 12:1. There is a backward reference to live, Hebrews 12:9, the result of subjection to the Father of spirits; and this is expanded and defined in the final clause, namely: ——————————————————————————– That we might be partakers of his holiness (εἰςτομεταλαβεῖντῆςἁγιότητοςαὐτοῦ) Lit. unto the partaking of his holiness. Ἑις marks the final purpose of chastening. Holiness is life.

Shall we not be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For, in contrast with the temporary, faultful chastening of the human parent, which, at best, prepares for work and success in time and in worldly things, his chastening results in holiness and eternal life.

Hebrews 12:10 ——————————————————————————– They (hoi men). Demonstrative hoi in contrast (men). ——————————————————————————– Chastened (e slothfulpaideuon). Imperfect active, used to chasten. ——————————————————————————– As seemed good to them (kata to dokoun autois). “According to the thing seeming good to them.” Dokoun is present active neuter singular articular participle of dokeτ. ——————————————————————————– But he (ho de). Demonstrative with de vs. men. ——————————————————————————– For our profit (epi to sumpheron). Present active articular neuter singular participle of sumpherτ, to bear together as in 1 Corinthians 12:7. ——————————————————————————– That we may be partakers (eis to metalabein). Articular second aorist active infinitive of metalambanτ with eis for purpose, “for the partaking.” ——————————————————————————– Of his holiness (tηs hagiotηtos autou).

Genitive with metalabein (to share in). Rare word, in N.T. only here and 2 Corinthians 1:12.

Hebrews 12:11

Hebrews 12:11 Hebrews 12:11 ————————— πασαG3956 ANY δεG1161 BUT παιδειαG3809 προςG4314 μενG3303 FOR τοG3588 παρονG3918 [G5752] THE PRESENT ουG3756 δοκειG1380 [G5719] SEEMS NOT " MATTER " χαραςG5479 OF JOY ειναιG1511 [G5750] TO BE, αλλαG235 BUT λυπηςG3077 OF GRIEF; υστερονG5305 δεG1161 BUT καρπονG2590 FRUIT ειρηνικονG1516 τοιςG3588 TO THOSE διG1223 BY αυτηςG846 IT γεγυμνασμενοιςG1128 [G5772] HAVING BEEN αποδιδωσινG591 [G5719] RENDERS δικαιοσυνηςG1343 OF . no chastening: Psalms 89:32, Psalms 118:18, Proverbs 15:10, Proverbs 19:18 nevertheless: Hebrews 12:5, Hebrews 12:6, Hebrews 12:10 peaceable: Psalms 119:165, Isaiah 32:17, Romans 5:3-5, Romans 14:17, 2 Corinthians 4:17, Galatians 5:22, Galatians 5:23, James 3:17, James 3:18 exercised: Hebrews 5:14, 1 Timothy 4:7, 1 Timothy 4:8, 2 Peter 2:14,*Gr. Genesis 21:11 - because Deuteronomy 8:16 - to do thee Judges 14:14 - Out of the eater Rth 1:3 - and she was Rth 1:20 - dealt Job 9:18 - filleth me Job 35:15 - in great Psalms 119:50 - This Psalms 119:67 - but now Psalms 119:71 - good Psalms 119:75 - thou in Proverbs 22:15 - but Proverbs 29:15 - General Ecclesiastes 7:3 - by Isaiah 19:22 - he shall smite Isaiah 38:16 - General Isaiah 48:10 - I have refined John 15:2 - and 2 Corinthians 1:6 - effectual Philippians 1:11 - filled 1 Peter 1:6 - ye are Hebrews 12:11. ———————– Punishment is always unpleasant to the body and cannot bring any enjoyment for the time being. The good done is to be realized in the form of a better line of conduct by having been corrected from a life of waywardness. Of course this is on condition that the children are exercised thereby, which means they take the correction properly and amend their ways. Hebrews 12:11 ——————————————————————————– No chastening for the present seemeth (πᾶσαμὲνπαιδείαπρὸςμὲντὸπαρὸνοὐδοκεῖ) Lit. all chastening— doth not seem. Πᾶσα of all sorts, divine and human. The A.V., by joining οὐ not to πᾶσα all, and rendering no chastisement, weakens the emphasis on the idea every kind of chastisement. Πρὸςμὲντὸπαρὸν for the present. For the force of πρὸς see on Hebrews 12:10. Not merely during the present, but for the present regarded as the time in which its application is necessary and salutary. Μὲν indicates that the suffering present is to be offset by a fruitful future—but (δὲ) afterward. ——————————————————————————– To be joyous but grievous (χαρᾶςεἶναιἀλλὰλύπης) Lit. to be of joy but of grief. ——————————————————————————– It yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness (καρπὸνεἰρηνικὸνἀποδίδωσινδικαιοσύνης) Perhaps with a suggestion of recompense for the long-suffering and waiting, since ἀποδιδόναι often signifies “to give back.” The phrase ἀποδιδόναικαρπὸν only here and Revelation 22:2. Καρπὸν fruit with διδόναι to give, Matthew 13:8; Mark 4:8 : with ποιεῖν to make or produce, often in Synoptic Gospels, as Matthew 3:8; Matthew 3:10; Matthew 7:17; Luke 3:8; Luke 6:43, etc.: with φέρειν to bear, always and only in John, John 12:24; John 15:2; John 15:4-5; John 15:8; John 15:16 : with βλαστάνειν to bring forth, James 5:18. Ἑιρηνικός peaceable, in N.T. Only here and James 3:17, as an epithet of wisdom. Quite often in lxx of men, the heart, especially of words and sacrifices.

The phrase καρπόςεἰρηνικός peaceable fruit (omit the), N.T.o , olxx. The phrase fruit of righteousness, Philippians 1:11; James 3:18, and lxx, Proverbs 3:9; Proverbs 11:30; Proverbs 13:2; Amos 6:13 : comp.

Psalms 1:3; Psalms 57:11. The genitive of righteousness is explicative or appositional; fruit which consists in righteousness or is righteousness. ——————————————————————————– Unto them which are exercised thereby (τοῖςδἰαὐτῆςγεγυμνασμένοις) Who have been subjected to the severe discipline of suffering, and have patiently undergone it. For the verb see on 1 Timothy 4:7. Rend. “it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, even the fruit of righteousness.” This preserves the Greek order, and puts righteousness in its proper, emphatic position. Hebrews 12:11 ——————————————————————————– For the present (pros to paron). A classical phrase (Thucydides), pros with the accusative neuter singular articular participle of pareimi, to be beside. ——————————————————————————– Not joyous, but grievous (ou charas, alla lupηs).

Predicate ablative (springing from) or predicate genitive (marked by). Either makes sense, but note predicate ablative in 2 Corinthians 4:7 (kai tou theou kai mη ex hηmτn). ——————————————————————————– Peaceable fruit (karpon eirηnikon).

Old adjective from eirηnη (peace), in N.T. only here and James 3:17. Peaceable after the chastening is over. ——————————————————————————– Exercised thereby (di’ autηs gegumnasmenois). Perfect passive participle (dative case) of gumnazτ, state of completion, picturing the discipline as a gymnasium like Hebrews 5:14; 1 Tim. 4:17.

Hebrews 12:12-17

“THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS”

The Pursuit Of Peace And Holiness (Hebrews 12:12-17)

In “Running The Race Of Faith” (Hebrews 12:1-3), we saw the need to… a. Lay aside things that would hinder us, especially the sin of unbelief b. Have endurance, even as Jesus endured hostility and the cross c. Focus our gaze on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, whose own example should encourage us not to become weary and discouraged
After reminding his readers of the value of the Lord’s chastening, the author of Hebrews returns to the metaphor of “running”… a. With a call to “run with style” - Hebrews 12:12-13b. With instructions to pursue peace and holiness - Hebrews 12:14c. With a word of caution, appealing to the example of Esau

Hebrews 12:15-17

One way to describe the Christian “race”, then, is “The Pursuit Of Peace And Holiness"a. How well are you doing in your pursuit? b. Do you know what it is you are to be running after? c. Are you aware of the possible pitfalls that can hinder you?

[To encourage excellence in regards to our pursuit, let’s take a closer look at the passage, beginning with…]

I. MAKING FOR OUR PURSUIT (Hebrews 12:12-13) A. A CALL TO “RUN WITH STYLE”…1. We are to “strengthen”… a. “the hands which hang down” b. “the feeble knees” – A common figure of speech (Job 4:3-4; Isaiah 35:3), calling us to shake off all weariness, to be firm and strong 2. We are to “make straight paths” for our feet, so that… a. “what is lame may not be dislocated” b. “but rather be healed” – Another common expression (Isaiah 40:3-4), encouraging us to remove all that would hinder our progress (especially if we are weak)

B. THE OF THIS CALL…1. First, we must respond to this call to action a. This is something “we” are being called to do b. We can’t expect God to do it all! c. While God will certainly help us, we must make the effort

cf. Philippians 2:12-132. This call to action is not limited to strengthening just yourself a. Certainly there is the personal application b. But as concerned Christians, we should seek to:

“strengthen the hands…and feeble knees” of others
“make straight paths” for others - cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:14c. Just as those who are “spiritual” should be concerned for the weakness of others - Galatians 6:1 [In a way, this call is similar to the one the Lord gave to Joshua (Joshua 1:6-9), which Joshua later gave to Israel (Joshua 23:6; Joshua 23:11). Shall we heed the call to “be strong and very courageous”, i.e., to “run with style”?

Now, for some thoughts about…]

II. THE GOAL OF OUR PURSUIT (Hebrews 12:14) A. PEACE WITH ALL MEN…1. We should not be surprised to read that we are to “pursue peace…” a. Jesus is “The Prince of Peace” - Isaiah 9:6b. He died to make peace possible: with God, and with man

Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:13-17c. He taught that peacemakers will be called the children of God - Matthew 5:9d. A key element of the kingdom of God is peace - Romans 14:17-18– Therefore, we are to pursue peace with all men - Romans 14:19; Romans 12:182. How does one “pursue peace with all men”? a. By seeking peace with God first - Proverbs 16:71) We must first make our relationship with God what it ought to be

Through Jesus, we can be at peace with God - Romans 5:1b. Letting the peace of God rule in our hearts - Colossians 3:151) The Lord is able to “give you peace always in every way”

2 Thessalonians 3:162) How the Lord imparts peace: a) Through His Word - Psalms 119:165b) Through prayer - Philippians 4:6-7– If one is not at peace with himself, it is unlikely he can be at peace with others c. By doing things that make for peace - Romans 14:191) Such as being considerate of their conscience - Romans 14 : 13-212) Seeking unity with compassion, love, tenderness, and courtesy; willing to respond to evil or reviling with a blessing - cf. 1 Peter 3:8-11 B. , WITHOUT WHICH NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD…1. As God is holy, so His children must be holy - 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:72. How can one “pursue holiness…”? a. True holiness (sanctification) comes through:

Faith in Jesus - Acts 26:18; cf. Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 10:142) The work of the Holy Spirit - 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; cf. Titus 3:53) The Word of God - John 17:17; John 17:19b. We cooperate with God in pursuing holiness by:
Offering ourselves as “slaves of righteousness” - Romans 6:19-222) Perfecting holiness in the fear of God - 2 Corinthians 7:1a) Which includes cleansing ourselves from all “filthiness of the flesh and spirit” - 2 Corinthians 7:1b) Also putting on the “new man…in true righteousness and holiness” - Ephesians 4:24; cf. Colossians 3:9-14 [In many respects, this is what the Christian life is all about: pursuing peace and holiness! How successful we are will depend on how diligently we avoid…]

III. THAT HINDER OUR PURSUIT (Hebrews 12:15-17) A. FALLING SHORT OF THE GRACE OF GOD…1. Without God’s grace, none can be saved, pursue peace, or have the holiness necessary to see God! 2. But do Christians need to concern themselves with falling from grace? Consider… a. The warning not to neglect our great salvation - Hebrews 2:1-3b. The warning not to be hardened by sin - Hebrews 3:12-14c. The warning to be diligent - Hebrews 4:1; Hebrews 4:11; cf. 2 Peter 1:10d. The warning against willful sin - Hebrews 10:26-31e. The warning not receive God’s grace in vain - 2 Corinthians 6:1f. The warning not to fall from grace - Galatians 5:4g. The warning to “look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for…” - 2 John 1:8– Indeed, if there were no possibility for one to “fall short of the grace of God”, then there would be no need for us to be “looking diligently” 3. For the Christian, however, God’s grace can be just a prayer away! - cf. Hebrews 4:16 B. LETTING A ROOT OF TO SPRING UP…1. Bitterness can be a stumbling block in our pursuit of peace a. It destroys the peace within the person who harbors it (modern medicine has shown that emotions like bitterness and anger can cause problems such as headaches, backaches, allergic disorders, ulcers, high blood pressure, and heart attacks, etc.) b. It can destroy the peace in the congregation where it becomes manifest 2. It also becomes a stumbling block in our pursuit of holiness, for the problems it creates cause many to become “defiled” (unholy) – If we are going to “make straight paths for your feet”, then we need to clip any root of bitterness “in the bud”!

C. A OR PROFANE PERSON…1. Fornication is certainly a pitfall to avoid… a. Fornication is a generic term for any sort of sexual immorality (including pre-marital sex, adultery, homosexuality, etc.) b. It is contrary to God’s will regarding our sanctification

1 Thessalonians 4:3-81) Later, we will read in Hebrews where God will judge fornicators - Hebrews 13:42) It will keep one out of the kingdom of heaven - 1 Corinthians 6 : 9-10; Galatians 5:19-21– Therefore, let us “Flee fornication!” - 1 Corinthians 6:182. We must also not become a “profane person”… a. “A worldly person who profanes holy privileges by placing on them a worldly estimate.” (B. W. Johnson) b. One does not have to overtly wicked; they can displease God by simply devaluing that which is important to Him! c. Such was the case with Esau… - cf. Genesis 25:29-341) There is no indication that he was a fornicator

But he was a profane person because he did not proper estimate the value of his birthright
Though he later wanted the blessings of the birthright, it was too late; despite his tears, it was too late to change his father’s mind (“he found no place for repentance”) d. We can become “profane” by devaluing our spiritual blessings…
In Christ, we have a spiritual birthright (redemption, fellowship with God, the hope of eternal life)
But we can let careers, hobbies, friends, even families, come between us and the things of God – Are we willing to “sell our birthright” for “one morsel of food”?

As we run the race of faith, peace with others and holiness before God should be our goal
To run the race with “style”, we need to… a. Get in the proper form (lift the hands, strengthen the knees), helping one another to do so b. Watch out for the pitfalls that can hinder us in our pursuit, such as…

Not utilizing God’s grace to help you in your race
Allowing bitterness to become a stumbling block
Becoming a fornicator or profane person

As we run this “race”, the words of the apostle Paul are appropriate…

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) Are you running in such a way as to obtain the imperishable crown?

Hebrews 12:13

Hebrews 12:13 Hebrews 12:13 ————————— καιG2532 AND τροχιαςG5163 PATHS ορθαςG3717 ποιησατεG4160 [G5657] MAKE τοιςG3588 ποσινG4228 υμωνG5216 FOR YOUR FEET, ιναG2443 μηG3361 LEST τοG3588 THAT WHICH “IS” χωλονG5560 LAME εκτραπηG1624 [G5652] BE TURNED ASIDE; ιαθηG2390 [G5686] δεG1161 BUT THAT IT MAY BE HEALED μαλλονG3123 RATHER. make: Proverbs 4:26, Proverbs 4:27, Isaiah 35:3, Isaiah 35:8-10, Isaiah 40:3, Isaiah 40:4, Isaiah 42:16, Isaiah 58:12, Jeremiah 18:15, Luke 3:5 straight: or, even lame: Isaiah 35:6, Jeremiah 31:8, Jeremiah 31:9 but let: Galatians 6:1, Jude 1:22, Jude 1:23 Leviticus 11:22 - General Deuteronomy 19:3 - General Deuteronomy 20:3 - let not Deuteronomy 22:4 - thou shalt surely 1 Samuel 23:16 - strengthened Ezra 10:4 - be of good Psalms 5:8 - make Psalms 31:24 - Be of Isa 57:14 - take Isaiah 62:10 - go through Micah 4:6 - will I Zephaniah 3:19 - and I will save Matthew 12:20 - bruised Matthew 18:14 - one Luke 22:32 - strengthen John 14:1 - not John 21:15 - lambs Acts 18:23 - strengthening Acts 20:35 - how that Romans 14:21 - whereby Hebrews 5:2 - them Hebrews 6:1 - let James 5:19 - and one Hebrews 12:13. ———————- Make straight paths. Christians are not permitted to devise their own plan of religious life; that has been done by the Lord. The meaning is that they should be careful to walk In the path that has been prepared for them. They should do this not only for their own sake, but for others who may be influenced by their example. Otherwise if they do that which is not right, those who have less knowledge or ability might be confused and caused to lose the way. Instead of such a result, their lives should be such that the lame or weaker ones may be healed or led aright. Hebrews 12:13 ——————————————————————————– Make straight paths for your feet (τροχιὰςὀρθὰςποιεῖτετοῖςποσὶνὑμῶν) After the lxx of Pro 4:26. The corresponding Hebrew means to tear, to cut into: hence to cut through as a path; to make firm or plain. Ὁρθός N.T. Only here and Acts 14:10; commonly straight or upright, but also right, safe, happy. Comp. Proverbs 8:6; Proverbs 15:14; Proverbs 21:8. here, not in the sense of straight as distinguished from crooked, but more generally, right, plain, by implication even or smooth. Τροχιά N.T.o is literally a wheel-track (τροχός a wheel). Very rare in profane Greek. Τοῖςποσὶνὑμῶν “for your feet,” not with.

That is, exert yourselves to make the course clear for yourselves and your fellow Christians, so that there be no stumbling and laming. ——————————————————————————– That which is lame (τὸχωλὸν) Χωλός lame, halting, only in Synoptic Gospels and Acts. Mostly in the literal sense.

Proverbial in Isaiah 33:23. Metaphorically here, and partly Matthew 18:8; Mark 9:45. The verb χωλαίνειν to be lame or to make lame (not in N.T.) is used metaphorically in lxx, Psalms 18:45; 1 Kings 18:21, where the A.V. “how long halt ye between two opinions” is ἕωςπότεὐμεῖςχωλανεῖτεἐπ’ ἀμφοτέραιςταῖςἰγνύαις how long do ye go lame on both your hams? Τὸχωλὸν here signifies the lame part or limb. ——————————————————————————– Be turned out of the way (ἐκτραπῃ) Rend. “be put out of joint.” The A.V. is according to the more usual meaning of the verb, which, in N.T., is confined, with this exception, to the Pastoral Epistles. See 1 Timothy 1:6; 1 Timothy 5:15; 2 Timothy 4:4. lxx only Amos 5:8. But it is also used by medical writers in the passive, with the meaning to be wrenched or dislocated. There is nothing strange in the use of this word in a medical sense by our writer, whose work bears the stamp of Alexandria.

The Greeks received their knowledge of surgery from the Egyptians, and mural paintings and documents, and even hieroglyphic symbols, prove that that people had attained remarkable proficiency in the science. Herodotus (ch. iii. 131) mentions a medical school at Cyrene in Africa, and says that the pupils of that school were regarded as the second best physicians in all Greece.

At the time of Galen (163 a.d.) the medical school of Alexandria was the most famous in the world, and Galen himself studied there. Celsus (first half of the first century a.d.), in the 7th book of his treatise De Artibius, treats of surgical operations according to the views of the Alexandrian schools. The commonly accepted rendering of the A.V., besides giving a conception which is very tame, presents two incongruities: the association of going astray with lameness, and of healing with straying. The other rendering gives a lively and consistent image. Make the paths smooth and even, so that the lame limb be not dislocated by stones or pitfalls. Do everything to avoid aggravating the weakness of a fellow-Christian.

Rather try to heal it. Τὸχωλὸν may refer either to an individual or to a section of the church which is weak and vacillating. Hebrews 12:13 ——————————————————————————– Straight paths (trochias orthas).

Track of a wheel (trochos, James 3:6 from trechτ, to run), here only in N.T. “Straight (orthas) wheel tracks.” ——————————————————————————– Be not turned out of the way (hina mη ektrapηi). Negative final clause with hina mη and second aorist passive of ektrepτ, old verb to turn out, to twist, to put out of joint. So 1 Timothy 1:6. Vivid picture of concern for the lame (chτlon, as in Matthew 11:5). Graphic picture of concern for the weak, a good argument for prohibition also.

Hebrews 12:14

Hebrews 12:14 Hebrews 12:14 ————————— ειρηνηνG1515 PEACE διωκετεG1377 [G5720] PURSUE μεταG3326 WITH παντωνG3956 ALL, καιG2532 τονG3588 AND αγιασμονG38 , ουG3739 WHICH χωριςG5565 APART FROM ουδειςG3762 NO ONE οψεταιG3700 [G5695] SHALL SEE τονG3588 THE κυριονG2962 LORD; Follow: Genesis 13:7-9, Psalms 34:14, Psalms 38:20, Psalms 120:6, Psalms 133:1, Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 16:7, Proverbs 17:14, Isaiah 11:6-9, Matthew 5:9, Mark 9:50, Romans 12:18, Romans 14:19, 1 Corinthians 1:10, Galatians 5:22, Galatians 5:23, Ephesians 4:1-8, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, 1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:22, James 3:17, James 3:18, 1 Peter 3:11 and holiness: Hebrews 12:10, Psalms 94:15, Isaiah 51:1, Luke 1:75, Romans 6:22, 2 Corinthians 6:17, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Philippians 3:12, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, 1 Peter 1:15, 1 Peter 1:16, 1 Peter 3:13, 2 Peter 3:11, 2 Peter 3:18, 3 John 1:11 no man: Genesis 32:30, Job 19:26, Job 33:26, Matthew 5:8, 1 Corinthians 13:12, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Ephesians 5:5, Galatians 3:21, 1 John 3:2, 1 John 3:3, Revelation 21:24-27, Revelation 22:3, Revelation 22:4, Revelation 22:11-15 Genesis 13:8 - Let Genesis 13:9 - if thou wilt Genesis 23:7 - General Genesis 26:30 - General Exodus 28:36 - Leviticus 15:31 - Thus shall Leviticus 20:7 - General Numbers 16:5 - will cause Deuteronomy 13:5 - put the evil away from the midst Judges 11:14 - again unto Psalms 5:4 - evil Psalms 25:10 - keep Psalms 93:5 - holiness Psalms 119:131 - I longed Psalms 120:7 - for peace Proverbs 12:20 - but Proverbs 21:21 - that Isaiah 4:3 - shall be Isaiah 35:8 - The way Isaiah 59:20 - unto Matthew 5:20 - ye John 3:7 - Ye Romans 12:9 - cleave 1 Corinthians 6:9 - fornicators 1 Corinthians 7:15 - but 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Follow 2 Corinthians 13:11 - live Ephesians 4:3 - General Ephesians 4:24 - righteousness Philippians 2:14 - disputings Philippians 4:2 - that 1 Thessalonians 5:13 - and be 1 Timothy 2:2 - that Revelation 21:27 - there Hebrews 12:14. ———————– Follow peace should be on the basis of Jas 3:17 which requires the peace to be in harmony with the pure wisdom from above. Paul recognizes the necessity of this proviso in Romans 12:18 whore he says “if it be possible.” Holiness is the same as righteousness and without it no man shall sec the Lord which means to enjoy Him. Hebrews 12:14 ——————————————————————————– Follow peace (εἰρήνηνδιώκετε) Comp. lxx, Psalms 23:4, and Romans 14:19; 1 Peter 3:11. The verb is used of the pursuit of moral and spiritual ends, Romans 9:30-31; Romans 12:13; 1 Corinthians 14:1; Philippians 3:12; Philippians 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22. ——————————————————————————– Holiness (ἁγιασμόν) See on Romans 6:19. Hebrews 12:14 ——————————————————————————– Follow after peace (eirηnηn diτkete). Give peace a chase as if in a hunt. ——————————————————————————– With all men (meta pantτn). Like Paul’s use of diτkτ with eirηnηn in Romans 14:19 and his to ex humτn (so far as proceeds from you) in Hebrews 12:18. This lesson the whole world needs including Christians. ——————————————————————————– Sanctification (hagiasmon).

Consecration as in 1 Thessalonians 4:7; Romans 6:19, etc. ——————————————————————————– Without which (hou chτris). Ablative case of the relative with chτris (post positive here). About seeing God compare Matthew 5:8 where we have katharoi.

Hebrews 12:15

Hebrews 12:15 Hebrews 12:15 ————————— επισκοπουντεςG1983 [G5723] LOOKING μηG3361 LEST τιςG5100 ANY υστερωνG5302 [G5723] αποG575 LACK τηςG3588 THE χαριτοςG5485 τουG3588 GRACE θεουG2316 OF GOD; μηG3361 LEST τιςG5100 ANY ριζαG4491 ROOT πικριαςG4088 OF ανωG507 UP φυουσαG5453 [G5723] ενοχληG1776 [G5725] SHOULD TROUBLE “YOU”, καιG2532 AND διαG1223 BY ταυτηςG3778 THIS μιανθωσινG3392 [G5686] BE DEFILED πολλοιG4183 MANY; Looking: Hebrews 2:1, Hebrews 2:2, Hebrews 3:12, Hebrews 4:1, Hebrews 4:11, Hebrews 6:11, Hebrews 10:23-35, Deuteronomy 4:9, Proverbs 4:23, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 1 Corinthians 10:12, 2 Corinthians 6:1, 2 Corinthians 13:5, 2 Peter 1:10, 2 Peter 3:11, 2 Peter 3:14, 2 John 1:8, Jude 1:20, Jude 1:21 any man: Luke 22:32, 1 Corinthians 13:8, Galatians 5:4 fail of: or, fall from, Galatians 5:4 any root: Hebrews 3:12, Deuteronomy 29:18, Deuteronomy 32:32, Isaiah 5:4, Isaiah 5:7, Jeremiah 2:21, Matthew 7:16-18 trouble: Joshua 6:18, Joshua 7:25, Joshua 7:26, Joshua 22:17-20, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5 and thereby: Exodus 32:21, 1 Kings 14:16, Acts 20:30, Acts 20:31, 1 Corinthians 5:6, 1 Corinthians 15:33, Galatians 2:13, 2 Timothy 2:16, 2 Timothy 2:17, 2 Peter 2:1, 2 Peter 2:2, 2 Peter 2:18 Exodus 23:13 - be circumspect Leviticus 13:46 - without Leviticus 14:36 - be not made Leviticus 15:31 - Thus shall Numbers 5:3 - without Deuteronomy 11:16 - Take heed Deuteronomy 13:5 - put the evil away from the midst Joshua 7:1 - the anger Joshua 22:5 - take Joshua 23:11 - Take good 2 Kings 4:39 - a wild vine 2 Kings 10:31 - took no heed Job 5:6 - spring out Psalms 139:24 - wicked way Proverbs 5:4 - her Proverbs 15:32 - refuseth Ecclesiastes 9:18 - sinner Son 7:12 - let us see Jeremiah 17:21 - Take Hosea 10:4 - thus Malachi 3:16 - spake Matthew 13:25 - men Matthew 25:3 - foolish Mark 13:33 - General Luke 17:3 - heed Luke 21:34 - take John 15:2 - and Acts 5:11 - General Acts 8:23 - the gall Acts 13:43 - persuaded Acts 20:28 - Take Romans 6:19 - unto iniquity 1 Corinthians 6:12 - but I 2 Corinthians 7:11 - fear Galatians 6:17 - let 2 Thessalonians 3:6 - that ye 1 Timothy 3:1 - bishop 1 Timothy 4:16 - Take Titus 2:11 - the grace Hebrews 6:4 - it is James 1:25 - looketh 1 Peter 5:2 - taking 2 Peter 1:5 - giving Revelation 8:11 - Wormwood Hebrews 12:15. ———————– Look diligently denotes the idea of being careful how one conducts himself, otherwise he may get out of the right path and fall from the grace or favor of God. Root of bitterness means a feeling of hatred against others, which could be only a source of trouble among disciples that would spread defilement among them. Hebrews 12:15 ——————————————————————————– Looking diligently (ἐπισκοποῦντες) A.V. gives diligently as the force of ἐπὶ; but ἐπὶ signifies direction rather than intensity. The idea is exercising oversight. Only here and 1 Peter 5:2. ——————————————————————————– Fail of (ὑστερῶνἀπὸ) Rend. “fall back from,” implying a previous attainment. The present participle marks something in progress: “lest any one be falling back.” ——————————————————————————– Root of bitterness (ῥίζαπικρίας) From lxx, Deuteronomy 29:18. A bad man in the church. Ῥίζα of a person, 1Ma 1:10. ——————————————————————————– Springing up (ἄνωφύουσα) The participle pictures the springing up in progress; the root gradually revealing its pernicious character. ——————————————————————————– Trouble (ἐνοχλῃ) Only here and Luke 6:18, see note. ——————————————————————————– Many be defiled (μιανθῶσινοἱπολλοί) Rend. “the many”: the majority of the church. For the verb see on John 18:28.

Hebrews 12:15 ——————————————————————————– Looking carefully (episkopountes). Present active participle of episkopeτ, to have oversight, in N.T. only here and 1 Peter 5:2.

Cf. episcopos (bishop). ——————————————————————————– Lest there be any man (mη tis). Negative purpose clause with ei (present active subjunctive) omitted. ——————————————————————————– Falleth short of (husterτn apo). Present active participle of hustereτ (see Hebrews 4:1) agreeing with tis. Followed here by apo and the ablative. ——————————————————————————– Root of bitterness (riza pikrias). Quoted from Deuteronomy 29:18. Vivid picture. ——————————————————————————– Springing up (anτ phuousa). Present active participle of phuτ, to sprout. Pictured here as a quick process.

Also from Deuteronomy 29:18. ——————————————————————————– Trouble (enochlηi). Present active subjunctive (in final clause with mη tis) of enochleτ, old verb to trouble with a crowd, to annoy. In N.T. only here and Luke 6:18. ——————————————————————————– Be defiled (mianthτsin). First aorist passive subjunctive (in final clause with mη) of mianτ, old verb to dye, to stain, to defile as in Titus 1:15 (the conscience). The contagion of sin is terrible as any disease.

Hebrews 12:16

Hebrews 12:16 Hebrews 12:16 ————————— μηG3361 LEST " THERE BE " τιςG5100 ANY πορνοςG4205 ηG2228 OR βεβηλοςG952 PROFANE PERSON, ωςG5613 AS ησαυG2269 ESAU, οςG3739 WHO αντιG473 FOR βρωσεωςG1035 MEAL μιαςG3391 ONE απεδοτοG591 [G5639] ταG3588 SOLD πρωτοτοκιαG4415 αυτουG846 HIS; any fornicator: Hebrews 13:4, Mark 7:21, Acts 15:20, Acts 15:29, 1 Corinthians 5:1-6, 1 Corinthians 5:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:15-20, 1 Corinthians 10:8, 2 Corinthians 12:21, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:3, Ephesians 5:5, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7, Revelation 2:20-23, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 22:15 as Esau: Genesis 25:31-34, Genesis 27:36 Genesis 25:33 - and he sold Genesis 25:34 - thus Esau Genesis 26:34 - the daughter Leviticus 13:46 - without Numbers 5:3 - without Numbers 14:31 - the land Deuteronomy 21:16 - General Joshua 7:1 - the anger Psalms 106:24 - they despised Psalms 139:24 - wicked way Proverbs 5:4 - her Ecclesiastes 9:18 - sinner Jeremiah 17:21 - Take Jeremiah 31:1 - will Matthew 4:3 - command Matthew 25:11 - saying Mark 4:15 - these Luke 14:18 - I have John 6:27 - the meat 1 Corinthians 6:9 - fornicators 1 Corinthians 6:12 - but I 2 Corinthians 7:11 - fear 2 Thessalonians 3:6 - that ye 1 Timothy 1:9 - profane Hebrews 12:16. ———————– This verse specifies some of the things referred to in general terms in the preceding one. Fornicators should not be permitted to remain among the disciples because of their evil influence (1 Corinthians 5:6-7). A profane person is one who makes a temporal use of a sacred thing. That is what Esau did when he sold his birthright (a sacred possession) for a mess of food (a temporal article). In general practice it means any disciple who would try to obtain some earthly advantage out of his profession of faith in Christ. Hebrews 12:16 ——————————————————————————– Fornicator (πόρνος) In the literal sense, as always in N.T. ——————————————————————————– Profane person (βέβηλος) See on 1 Timothy 1:9. ——————————————————————————– As Esau Only the epithet profane is applied to Esau, not fornicator. ——————————————————————————– For one morsel of meat (ἀντὶβρώσεωςμιᾶς) Βρῶσις, lit. the act of eating, as 1 Corinthians 8:4, Romans 14:17 : “one eating of meat.” Sometimes corrosion, as Matthew 6:19. Sometimes of that which is eaten, John 6:27; John 6:55. ——————————————————————————– Sold (ἀπέδετο) The word occurs in the narrative of Gen 25:31; Genesis 25:33, lxx. In N.T. often of discharging an obligation; paying back. To sell, Acts 5:8; Acts 7:9. ——————————————————————————– His birthright (τὰπρωτοτοκία) N.T.o, oClass. In this form only in the later Greek translations of the O.T. Πρωτοτοκεῖον, a very few times, almost all in this narrative. Hebrews 12:16 ——————————————————————————– Profane (bebηlos).

Trodden under foot, unhallowed (1 Timothy 1:9). ——————————————————————————– For one mess of meat (anti brτseτs mias). Idea of exchange, “for one act of eating” (1 Corinthians 8:4). ——————————————————————————– Sold (apedeto). Second aorist middle indicative from Genesis 25:31; Genesis 25:33, and with irregular form for apedoto (regular mi form). ——————————————————————————– His own birthright (ta prτtotokia heautou). From Genesis also and in Philo, only here in N.T. From prτtotokos (first born, Hebrews 1:6).

Hebrews 12:17

Hebrews 12:17 Hebrews 12:17 ————————— ιστεG2467 [G5759] YE KNOW γαρG1063 FOR οτιG3754 THAT καιG2532 ALSO μετεπειταG3347 , θελωνG2309 [G5723] WISHING κληρονομησαιG2816 [G5658] TO INHERIT τηνG3588 THE ευλογιανG2129 , απεδοκιμασθηG593 [G5681] HE WAS , μετανοιαςG3341 γαρG1063 FOR OF τοπονG5117 PLACE ουχG3756 ευρενG2147 [G5627] HE FOUND NOT, καιπερG2539 μεταG3326 WITH δακρυωνG1144 TEARS εκζητησαςG1567 [G5660] HAVING SOUGHT αυτηνG846 IT. when he: Genesis 27:31-41 he was: Hebrews 6:8, Proverbs 1:24-31, Jeremiah 6:30, Matthew 7:23, Matthew 25:11, Matthew 25:12, Luke 13:24-27 for he: Hebrews 6:4-6, Hebrews 10:26-29, place for repentance, or, way to change his mind Genesis 25:34 - thus Esau Genesis 27:34 - he cried Genesis 27:38 - General Numbers 14:31 - the land Numbers 14:39 - mourned greatly Deuteronomy 1:45 - General Deuteronomy 21:16 - General Judges 11:3 - Tob Ezekiel 48:20 - foursquare Matthew 5:25 - whiles Mark 9:24 - with Luke 13:25 - once Romans 11:7 - Israel 2 Corinthians 7:10 - the sorrow Hebrews 12:17. ———————– Found no place for repentance. Repentance means more than sorrow or regret for a mistake, but also requires that it be corrected. Esau knew afterward that he had acted foolishly in selling his birthright, but he had no opportunity for getting it back, for Jacob would not give it up. Hebrews 12:17 ——————————————————————————– He found no place of repentance (μετανοίαςγὰρτόπονοὐχεὗρεν) The phrase place of repentance N.T.o. This does not mean that Esau was rendered incapable of repentance, which is clearly contradicted by what follows; nor that he was not able to persuade Isaac to change his mind and to recall the blessing already bestowed on Jacob and give it to him. This is unnatural, forced, and highly improbable. The words place of repentance mean an opportunity to repair by repenting. He found no way to reverse by repentance what he had done. The penalty could not be reversed in the nature of the case.

This is clear from Isaac’s words, Genesis 27:33. ——————————————————————————– Sought it carefully (ἐκζητήσας) See on 1 Peter 1:10. Comp. Hebrews 11:6. See also on questionings, 1 Timothy 1:4. Hebrews 12:17 ——————————————————————————– Ye know (iste). Regular form for the second person of oida rather than the Koinι oidate. ——————————————————————————– He was rejected (apedokimasthη).

First aorist passive indicative of apodokimazτ, old verb to disapprove (Matthew 21:42). ——————————————————————————– Place of repentance (metanoias topon). Metanoia is change of mind and purpose, not sorrow though he had tears (meta dakruτn) afterwards as told in Genesis 27:38. He sought it (autηn, the blessing eulogian) with tears, but in vain. There was no change of mind in Isaac. The choice was irrevocable as Isaac shows (Genesis 27:33). Esau is a tragic example of one who does a wilful sin which allows no second chance (Hebrews 6:6; Hebrews 10:26).

The author presses the case of Esau as a warning to the Christians who were tempted to give up Christ.

Hebrews 12:18-29

“THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS”

Heeding The Voice From The Mountain (Hebrews 12:18-29)

In encouraging Christians to run the race that is set before them, the Hebrews writer has instructed them to… a. Lay aside things that would hinder them - Hebrews 12:1b. Run with endurance - Hebrews 12:1c. Keep their focus on Jesus - Hebrews 12:2-3d. Remember the value of the Lord’s chastening - Hebrews 12:4-11e. Run with “style” - Hebrews 12:12-13f. Pursue peace and holiness - Hebrews 12:14g. Look diligently lest one fall short of God’s grace, stumble because of bitterness, or become a fornicator or profane person

Hebrews 12:15-17

Further encouragement is now provided in the last half of chapter twelve… a. With a reminder of the “mountain” to which they have come b. With a warning to heed “Him who speaks”
As we “run the race of faith” today, we need this same reminder and warning… a. Do we appreciate the significance of the “mountain” to which we have come? b. Are we “Heeding The Voice From The Mountain”? – How we answer such questions can reveal how well we are running the race of faith!

[With our text before us, let’s take a look at…]

I. THE TO WHICH WE HAVE COME (Hebrews 12:18-24) A. IT IS NOT MOUNT SINAI (Hebrews 12:18-21)1. The mountain described first is Mount Sinai, to which Israel came following their deliverance from Egyptian bondage - cf. Exodus 19:12-19a. It seems to have been much like a volcano - Exodus 20:18; Deuteronomy 4:11b. It frightened the people - Deuteronomy 5:22-26; Deuteronomy 18:16c. Even Moses was afraid - Deuteronomy 9:192. We have not come to such a mountain, that forces us to stand “afar off”

B. IT IS MOUNT ZION (Hebrews 12:22-24)1. The “mountain” to which we have come is one that encourages us to “draw near” 2. We have come to “Mount Zion” a. Zion was originally the stronghold of the Jebusites in Jerusalem that became the “city of David” - 2 Samuel 5:6-10; 1 Chronicles 11:4-9b. The term “Zion” came to be used to refer to:

The city of Jerusalem - Psalms 48:2; Psalms 84:7; Amos 6:12) The heavenly Jerusalem where God dwells - Isaiah 28:16; Psalms 2:6 Revelation 14:13. In coming to “Mount Zion”, we have also come to… a. “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem"1) The heavenly city longed for by Abraham and the others

cf. Hebrews 11:10; Hebrews 11:13-162) The heavenly city longed for by Christians today - cf. Hebrews 13:143) The heavenly city we will one day experience
Revelation 3:12; Revelation 21:1-7; Revelation 22:14– “This heavenly city is where our Lord dwells and is our eternal home. In coming to Christ we have come into the covenant which gives us the right to a place in that city.” (B. W. Johnson, People’s New Testament) b. “an innumerable company of angels"1) The heavenly servants of God, of which there is a great number - cf. Revelation 5:112) Who also minister to those who will inherit salvation
Hebrews 1:14c. “the general assembly and church of the firstborn registered in heaven"1) The church in the universal sense, made up of all who are saved - Acts 2:472) They are the “firstborn ones”, who enjoy special privileges of their birthright

Their names are in “the Book of Life” - Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5d. “God the Judge of all"1) The Judge of all the earth - cf. Genesis 18:252) He is the One to whom we must give heed, as we shall note shortly e. “the spirits of just men made perfect"1) Those who died in faith, such as the Old Testament saints - Hebrews 11:39-402) Note: They had not been made perfect apart from us, but now they are made perfect; they were redeemed by the blood of Christ! - cf. Hebrews 9:15f. “Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant"1) As we’ve seen, He is the Mediator of “a better covenant”

Hebrews 8:62) This “new covenant” is by means of His death - Hebrews 9:15g. “the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel"1) Abel still speaks through the example of his faith
Hebrews 11:42) But in comparison, the blood of Jesus speaks volumes!
Hebrews 10:11-14 [In coming to Christ, being redeemed by the blood of the New Covenant, we have drawn near to this wonderful “mountain”! It is a place that offers many wonderful blessings, both now and with promise for the future.

But the author’s purpose is not just to review the blessings we have in coming to this “mountain”; he is warning us:

“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks.” (Hebrews 12:25 a) To appreciate the need for his warning, let’s now consider…]

II. WHY WE SHOULD HEED THE VOICE FROM THE (Hebrews 12:25-29) A. THOSE AT MOUNT SINAI DID NOT ESCAPE (Hebrews 12:25)1. We have seen from our study that… a. “every transgression and disobedience received a just reward” - Hebrews 2:2b. Those who sinned, their “corpses fell in the wilderness”

Hebrews 3:17c. Those who rejected Moses’ law died “without mercy” - Hebrews 10:282. Thus the argument is again one of comparison, from the lesser to the greater… a. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…”
Hebrews 2:1-4b. “Of how much worse punishment , do you suppose, will he be thought worthy…” - Hebrews 10:26-313. As Jesus said in Luke 12:48… a. “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required…” b. “…and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” – In Christ we enjoy so much more; dare we refuse to heed Him who speaks, not from Mount Sinai, but from Mount Zion (i.e., heaven itself)!

B. THE ONE WHO SPEAKS WILL SHAKE HEAVEN AND EARTH (Hebrews 12:26-27)1. When God spoke at Mount Sinai, the earth trembled - Exodus 19:182. The day is coming when both heaven and earth will be shaken, even removed! a. As promised in Haggai 2:6b. Which refers to “the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made” - cf. 2 Peter 3:10-12– Dare we refuse to heed Him who speaks with such impact?

C. WE ARE A KINGDOM WHICH CANNOT BE SHAKEN (Hebrews 12:28)1. While everything made will one day perish, we “are receiving” a kingdom which cannot be shaken! a. Note the present tense (“are receiving”) b. Thus we are in the process of receiving this “kingdom” 2. It is a kingdom both present and future… a. In one sense, we are now “in” the kingdom - cf. Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:9b. In another sense, we have yet to enter the kingdom - cf. 2 Peter 1:10-113. It is a kingdom… a. Inaugurated when Jesus ascended to sit at God’s right hand on David’s throne - Acts 2:30-36b. To be culminated when Jesus returns to deliver the kingdom to God - 1 Corinthians 15:23-264. Thus it is a kingdom… a. “which shall never be destroyed…it shall stand forever”

Daniel 2:44b. Of which “there will be no end” - Luke 1:33– Receiving such a kingdom, dare we refuse to heed Him who speaks?

D. THE ONE WHO SPEAKS IS “A FIRE” (Hebrews 12:29)1. We’ve read of a “fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” - Hebrews 10:272. We’ve seen “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” - Hebrews 10:313. Even Jesus taught us to “fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” - Matthew 10:28– Dare we refuse to heed such an awesome God?

God has indeed spoken… a. He has spoken through His Son - cf. Hebrews 1:1-2b. He has spoken from Mount Zion, that heavenly city, the New Jerusalem…

To which we have come through an obedient faith in Jesus - cf. Hebrews 5:92) Where we can enjoy the fellowship of angels, the redeemed in heaven and on earth, and of Jesus and God Himself!
Where we can enjoy a New and better covenant, based upon the better sacrifice of Jesus’ blood!

But with such wonderful blessings come the responsibility of giving heed… a. Not to neglect our great salvation b. Not to refuse Him who speaks from the heavenly “mountain”

Therefore our goal should be that as expressed by the author himself:

“…let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” (Hebrews 12:28 b) With God’s grace to help us (cf. Hebrews 4:14-16), we can serve Him in a manner well-pleasing to Him. Are you “Heeding The Voice From The Mountain”?

Hebrews 12:19

Hebrews 12:19 Hebrews 12:19 ————————— καιG2532 AND σαλπιγγοςG4536 TRUMPET’S ηχωG2279 TO SOUND, καιG2532 AND φωνηG5456 TO VOICE ρηματωνG4487 OF WORDS; ηςG3739 WHICH " VOICE " οιG3588 THEY THAT ακουσαντεςG191 [G5660] HEARD παρητησαντοG3868 [G5662] EXCUSED " ASKING " μηG3361 NOT προστεθηναιG4369 [G5683] TO BE αυτοιςG846 TO THEM “THE” λογονG3056 WORD; the sound: Exodus 19:16-19, 1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and the voice: Exodus 20:1-17, Exodus 20:22, Deuteronomy 4:12, Deuteronomy 4:33, Deuteronomy 5:3-22 they that: Exodus 20:18, Exodus 20:19, Deuteronomy 5:24-27, Deuteronomy 18:16 Deuteronomy 4:10 - the day Deuteronomy 5:27 - General Deuteronomy 10:4 - out of the Ezekiel 10:5 - the voice Revelation 8:5 - and there Hebrews 12:19. ———————– This continues the conditions at Sinai which are recorded in Exodus 20:19 and other passages in connection therewith. Hebrews 12:19 ——————————————————————————– Sound of a trumpet (σάλπιγγοςἤχῳ) See Exodus 19:16; Exodus 19:19; Exodus 20:18. Ηχος a noise, almost entirely in Luke and Acts. See Luke 4:37; Acts 2:2; comp. lxx, 1 Samuel 14:19. Of the roar of the waves, Luke 21:25; comp. lxx, Psalms 64:7. A rumor or report, see note on Luke 4:37, and comp. lxx, 1 Samuel 4:16; Psalms 9:6. It does not occur in the O.T. narrative of the giving of the law, where we have φωνή voice; see lxx, Exodus 19:13; Exodus 19:16; Exodus 19:19; Exodus 20:18. For φωνήσάλπιγγος voice of a trumpet in N.T., see Revelation 1:10; Revelation 4:1; Revelation 8:13. Σάλπιγξ is a war-trumpet. ——————————————————————————– Voice of words (φωνῃῥημάτων) See Exodus 19:19; Deuteronomy 4:12; Deuteronomy 5:22; Deuteronomy 5:24; Deu_5:Hebrews 12:23 To the general assembly (πανηγύρει) Const. with ἀγγέλων of angels, with comma after angels.

Rend. “to a festal assembly of angels.” This and the next clause show what the myriads consist of,— a host of angels and redeemed men. Πανήγυρις, N.T.o , is a gathering to celebrate a solemnity, as public games, etc.: a public, festal assembly. Frequently joined with ἑορτή feast.

See Ezekiel 47:11; Hosea 2:11; Hosea 9:5. The verb πανηγυρίζειν to celebrate or attend a public festival, to keep holiday, occurs occasionally in Class.: not in N.T.: lxx once, Isaiah 66:10. The festal assembly of angels maintains the contrast between the old and the new dispensation. The host of angels through whose ministration the law was given (see on 2:2, and see on Galatians 3:19) officiated at a scene of terror. Christian believers are now introduced to a festal host, surrounding the exalted Son of man, who has purged away sins, and is enthroned at God’s right hand (1:3). And church of the first-born which are written in heaven (καὶἐκκλησίᾳπρωτοτόκωνἀπογεγραμμένωνἐνοὐρανοῖς) This forms a distinct clause; “and to the church,” etc.

See Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 1:5. Comp. Hebrews 11:28, and Luke 2:7. Properly applied to Christians by virtue of their union with Christ, “the first-born of all creation,” “the first-born from the dead,” as sharing his sonship and heirship. See Romans 8:14-17; Romans 8:29. The word also points to Christians as the true Israel of God. The analogy is suggested with the first-born of Israel, to whom peculiar sanctity attached, and whose consecration to himself God enjoined (Exodus 13:1; Exodus 13:11-16); and with the further application of the term first-born to Israel as a people, Exodus 4:22. The way was thus prepared for its application to the Messiah.

There seems, moreover, to be a clear reference to the case of Esau (v. 16). Esau was the first-born of the twin sons of Isaac (Genesis 25:25). He sold his birthright (πρωτοτοκία), and thus forfeited the privilege of the first-born. The assembly to which Christian believers are introduced is composed of those who have not thus parted with their birthright, but have retained the privileges of the first-born. The phrase “church of the first-born” includes all who have possessed and retained their heavenly birthright, living or dead, of both dispensations: the whole Israel of God, although it is quite likely that the Christian church may have been most prominent in the writer’s thought. Which are written in heaven (ἀπογεγραμμένωνἐνοὐρανοῖς) Ἁπογράφειν, only here and Luke 2:1; Luke 2:3; Luke 2:5, means to write off or copy; to enter in a register the names, property, and income of men.

Hence, ἀπογραφή an enrollment. See on Luke 2:1-2.

Here, inscribed as members of the heavenly commonwealth; citizens of heaven; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8, etc. See for the image, Exodus 32:32; Psalms 69:28; Isaiah 4:3; Daniel 12:1; Luke 10:20. To God the judge of all (κριτῃθεῳπάντων) Rend. “a judge who is God of all.” Comp. Daniel 7:9 ff. God of all his first-born, of those whom he chastens, of all who are in filial relations with him under both covenants, and who, therefore, need not fear to draw near to him as judge. Spirits of just men made perfect (πνεύμασιδικαίων) The departed spirits of the righteous of both dispensations, who have completed their course after having undergone their earthly discipline.

Notice again the idea of τελείωσις, not attained under the old covenant, but only through the work of Christ, the benefits of which the disembodied saints of the O.T. share with departed Christian believers. Comp. 11:40. 26. ——————————————————————————– Entreated (παρῃτήσαντο) See on 1 Timothy 4:7. ——————————————————————————– Be spoken to them any more (προστεθῆναιαὐτοῖς) Lit. be added.

See on Luke 3:19; see on Acts 12:3. To them refers to the hearers, not to the things heard. Rend. “that no word more should be spoken unto them.” Comp. Exodus 20:19; Deuteronomy 5:25; Deuteronomy 18:16. Hebrews 12:19 ——————————————————————————– Unto blackness (gnophτi). Dative case of gnophos (late form for earlier dnophos and kin to nephos, cloud), here only in N.T. Quoted here from Exodus 10:22. ——————————————————————————– Darkness (zophτi). Old word, in Homer for the gloom of the world below.

In the Symmachus Version of Exo 10:22, also in Jude 1:6; 2 Peter 2:4; 2 Peter 2:15. ——————————————————————————– Tempest (thuellηi). Old word from thuτ (to boil, to rage), a hurricane, here only in N.T. From Exodus 10:22. ——————————————————————————– The sound of a trumpet (salpiggos ηchτi). From Exodus 19:16. Echos is an old word (our echo) as in Luke 21:25; Acts 2:2. ——————————————————————————– The voice of words (phτnηi rηmatτn). From Exodus 19:19; Deuteronomy 4:12. ——————————————————————————– Which voice (hηs).

Relative referring to phτnη (voice) just before, genitive case with akousantes (heard, aorist active participle). ——————————————————————————– Intreated (parηitηsanto). First aorist middle (indirect) indicative of paraiteomai, old verb, to ask from alongside (Mark 15:6), then to beg away from oneself, to depreciate as here, to decline (Acts 25:11), to excuse (Luke 14:18), to avoid (1 Timothy 4:7). ——————————————————————————– That no word should be spoken unto them (prostethηnai autois logon).

First aorist passive infinitive of prostithηmi, old word to add, here with accusative of general reference (logon), “that no word be added unto them.” Some MSS. have here a redundant negative mη with the infinitive because of the negative idea in parηitηsanto as in Galatians 5:7.

Hebrews 12:20

Hebrews 12:20 Hebrews 12:20 ————————— ουκG3756 εφερονG5342 [G5707] γαρG1063 FOR THEY COULD NOT BEAR τοG3588 THAT " WHICH " διαστελλομενονG1291 [G5746] WAS : κανG2579 AND IF θηριονG2342 A BEAST θιγηG2345 [G5632] SHOULD TOUCH τουG3588 THE ορουςG3735 , λιθοβοληθησεταιG3036 [G5701] IT SHALL BE STONED, ηG2228 OR βολιδιG1002 WITH A DART κατατοξευθησεταιG2700 [G5701] SHOT THROUGH; For they: Deuteronomy 33:2, Romans 3:19, Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:19, Galatians 3:10 if so much: Exodus 19:13, Exodus 19:16 Exodus 3:5 - Draw not Exodus 19:12 - or touch Exodus 34:3 - General Leviticus 20:16 - and the beast Nehemiah 4:14 - great Ezekiel 20:40 - in mine Hebrews 12:20. ———————– Could not endure that which was commanded sounds as if God required something that the people could not do, which we know was not the case. The meaning is that the conditions were so awe-inspiring that it overwhelmed them with terror. The things mentioned in the latter half of the verse are recorded in Exodus 19:12-13. Hebrews 12:20 ——————————————————————————– That which was commanded (τὸδιαστελλόμενον) See on Mark 7:36; see on Acts 15:24. ——————————————————————————– Touch (θίγῃ) Elsewhere in N.T. only Hebrews 11:28 and Colossians 2:21. lxx only Exodus 19:12. It implies a touching or grasping which affects the object (comp. Hebrews 12:18 on ψηλαφᾶν). In Class. often of touching or handling some sacred object which may be desecrated by the one who lays hands on it. See Soph. Philoct. 667; Oed.

Tyr. 891, 899. So here, the touch of the mountain was profanation. ——————————————————————————– Shall be stoned (λιθοβολήσεται) Found in Matthew, Luke, and Acts. In lxx see Exodus 19:13. Comp. ἐλιθάσθησαν, Hebrews 11:37. The correct text omits or thrust through with a dart. Hebrews 12:20 ——————————————————————————– For they could not endure (ouk epheron gar).

Imperfect active of pherτ, “for they were not enduring (bearing).” ——————————————————————————– That which was enjoined (to diastellomenon). Present passive articular participle of diastellτ, old verb to distinguish, to dispose, to order. The quotation is from Exodus 19:12-13. The people appealed to Moses (Exodus 20:19) and the leaders did so also (Deuteronomy 5:23-24), both in terror. ——————————————————————————– If even (kan). “Even if.” Condition of third class with second aorist active subjunctive of thigganτ as in Hebrews 11:28, followed by genitive orous (mountain). ——————————————————————————– It shall be stoned (lithobolηthηsetai). From Exodus 19:13. Late compound verb from lithobolos (from lithos, ballτ) as in Matthew 21:35.

Hebrews 12:21

Hebrews 12:21 Hebrews 12:21 ————————— καιG2532 AND, ουτωςG3779 SO φοβερονG5398 FEARFUL ηνG2258 [G5713] WAS τοG3588 THE φανταζομενονG5324 [G5746] “THAT” μωσηςG3475 MOSES ειπενG2036 [G5627] SAID, εκφοβοςG1630 GREATLY AFRAID ειμιG1510 [G5748] I AM καιG2532 AND εντρομοςG1790 : Moses: Exodus 19:16, Exodus 19:19, Psalms 119:120, Isaiah 6:3-5, Daniel 10:8, Daniel 10:17, Revelation 1:17 Exodus 3:6 - hid Exodus 19:12 - or touch Nehemiah 4:14 - great Daniel 10:7 - but Habakkuk 3:2 - I have Luke 2:9 - and they Acts 24:25 - Felix Hebrews 12:21. ———————– This remark of Moses is not recorded in Exodus, but Paul was inspired and was able to report this part of the circumstance for our information. Hebrews 12:21 ——————————————————————————– The sight (τὸφανταζόμενον) N.T.o. lxx, Wisd. 6:16; Sir 31:5. Rend. “the appearance”: that which was made to appear. ——————————————————————————– I exceedingly fear and quake (ἐκφοβόςεἰμικαὶἔντρομος) Lit. I am frightened away (or out) and trembling. Ἑκφοβός only here and Mark 9:6. Comp. lxx, Deuteronomy 9:19. Ἔντρομος, only Acts 7:32; Acts 16:29. Rare in lxx. Hebrews 12:21 ——————————————————————————– Fearful (phoberon).

As in Hebrews 10:27; Hebrews 10:31, only in Hebrews in N.T. ——————————————————————————– The appearance (to phantazomenon). Present passive articular participle of phantazτ, old verb from phainτ, to make visible, here only in N.T. “The manifestation.” ——————————————————————————– I exceedingly fear and quake (ekphobos eimi kai entromos). “I am terrified (ekphobos, late compound like ekphobeτ, to frighten, Mark 9:6) and trembling” (entromos, late compound like entremτ, to tremble at, as in Acts 7:32; Acts 16:29). Ekphobos is quoted from Deuteronomy 9:19.

Hebrews 12:22

Hebrews 12:22 Hebrews 12:22 ————————— αλλαG235 BUT προσεληλυθατεG4334 [G5754] YE HAVE COME TO σιωνG4622 SION ορειG3735 MOUNT; καιG2532 AND “THE” πολειG4172 CITY θεουG2316 OF GOD ζωντοςG2198 [G5723] “THE” LIVING, ιερουσαλημG2419 επουρανιωG2032 ; καιG2532 AND μυριασινG3461 TO MYRAIDS αγγελωνG32 OF ANGELS, ye are come: Psalms 2:6, Psalms 48:2, Psalms 132:13, Psalms 132:14, Isaiah 12:6, Isaiah 14:32, Isaiah 28:16, Isaiah 51:11, Isaiah 51:16, Isaiah 59:20, Isaiah 60:14, Joe 2:32, Romans 11:26, Galatians 4:26, Revelation 14:1 the city: Hebrews 13:14, Psalms 48:2, Psalms 87:3, Matthew 5:35, Philippians 3:20, *marg. Revelation 3:12, Revelation 21:2, Revelation 21:10, Revelation 22:19 of the: Hebrews 3:12, Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 10:31, Deuteronomy 5:26, Joshua 3:10, 2 Kings 19:4, Psalms 42:2, Psalms 84:2, Jeremiah 10:10, Daniel 6:26, Hosea 1:10, Matthew 16:16, Romans 9:26, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, Revelation 7:2 an innumerable: Deuteronomy 33:2, Psalms 68:17, Daniel 7:10, Jude 1:14, Revelation 5:11, Revelation 5:12 Deuteronomy 12:5 - But unto 2 Samuel 5:7 - Zion 1 Kings 11:36 - the city 1 Kings 22:19 - all the host 1 Chronicles 11:5 - the castle 2 Chronicles 32:19 - the God Psalms 9:11 - which Psalms 15:1 - holy Psalms 24:3 - the hill Psalms 46:4 - city Psalms 48:1 - city Psalms 50:2 - Out Psalms 68:16 - the hill Psalms 87:5 - of Zion Psalms 89:5 - in the congregation Psalms 99:2 - great Psalms 107:7 - that they Isaiah 1:21 - the faithful Isaiah 8:18 - which Isaiah 10:24 - O my people Isaiah 24:23 - mount Isaiah 25:6 - in this Isaiah 27:13 - and shall Isaiah 56:7 - them will Isaiah 65:11 - my holy Jeremiah 17:25 - and this Zechariah 3:7 - I will Zechariah 8:4 - There Mark 12:25 - but Ephesians 1:10 - he Ephesians 1:22 - to the Ephesians 2:19 - but Ephesians 5:27 - glorious 1 Timothy 3:15 - the living Hebrews 11:10 - he looked Hebrews 11:16 - they desire Revelation 7:9 - no man Revelation 13:6 - and them Hebrews 12:22. ———————– The preceding verses describe the mount to which Christians do not come (as the Israelites did); the apostle now will describe the mount to which they have come. He does so by a series of points of identity which apply to the one divine institution under Christ, which was set up in Jerusalem which is termed Mount Zion. Christians do not actually go to the city of Jerusalem, but they come to the institution that was set up in that city. In coming to this divine institution we are brought into near relation with other spiritual places and things, to be named in this and the next two verses. City of the living God is that one in which He lives and which is the one “which hath foundations” (chapter 11:10).

Heavenly Jerusalem is a contrast between Heaven above and the literal one below. The angels live in Heaven but are used in service for the people of God (chapter 1:14). By coming into the church it brings us into the benefit of these holy services. Hebrews 12:22 ——————————————————————————– The heavenly Jerusalem See on Galatians 4:26. The spiritual mountain and city where God dwells and reigns. Comp. Dante Inf. i. 128: “Quivi e la sua cittade, e l’alto seggio.” Comp. Psalms 2:6; Psalms 48:2-3; Psalms 50:2; Psalms 78:68; Psalms 110:2; Isaiah 18:7; Joe 2:32; Micah 4:1-2; Amos 1:2. ——————————————————————————– To an innumerable company of angels (μυριάσινἀγγέλων) On this whole passage (Hebrews 12:22-24) it is to be observed that it is arranged in a series of clauses connected by καὶ. Accordingly μυριάσιν to myriads or tens of thousands stands by itself, and πανηγύρει festal assembly goes with ἀγγέλων angels. Μυριάς (see Luke 12:1; Acts 19:19; Revelation 5:11; quite often in lxx) is strictly the number ten thousand.

In the plural, an innumerable multitude. So A.V. here.

Rend. “to an innumerable multitude,” placing a comma after μυριάσιν, and connecting of angels with the next clause. This use of μυριάσιν without a qualifying genitive is justified by numerous examples. See Genesis 24:60; Deuteronomy 32:30; Deuteronomy 33:2; 1 Samuel 18:7-8; Psalms 90:7; Son 5:10; Daniel 7:10; Daniel 11:12; Sir 47:6; 2Ma 8:20; Jude 1:14. Χιλιάδες thousands is used in the same way. See Isaiah 7:23; Daniel 7:10. Hebrews 12:22 ——————————————————————————– But (alla). Sharp contrast to Hebrews 12:18 with same form proselηluthate. ——————————————————————————– Unto Mount Zion (Siτn orei). Dative case of oros, as with the other substantives. In contrast to Mount Sinai (Hebrews 12:18-21).

Paul has contrasted Mount Sinai (present Jerusalem) with the Jerusalem above (heaven) in Galatians 4:21-31. ——————————————————————————– City (polei). As in Hebrews 11:10; Hebrews 11:16. Heaven is termed thus a spiritual mountain and city. ——————————————————————————– The heavenly Jerusalem (Ierousalem epouraniτi). See Hebrews 11:10; Hebrews 11:16; Isaiah 60:14. ——————————————————————————– Innumerable hosts of angels (muriasin aggelτn). “Myriads of angels.” Murias is an old word (from murios, 1 Corinthians 4:15) as in Luke 12:1.

Hebrews 12:23

Hebrews 12:23 Hebrews 12:23 ————————— πανηγυρειG3831 “THE” ; καιG2532 AND εκκλησιαG1577 TO “THE” πρωτοτοκωνG4416 OF “THE” “ONES” ενG1722 IN “THE” ουρανοιςG3772 HEAVENS απογεγραμμενωνG583 [G5772] ; καιG2532 AND κριτηG2923 TO “THE” JUDGE θεωG2316 GOD παντωνG3956 OF ALL; καιG2532 AND πνευμασινG4151 TO “THE” SPIRITS δικαιωνG1342 OF “THE” JUST τετελειωμενωνG5048 [G5772] " WHO " HAVE BEEN ; the general: Psalms 89:7, Psalms 111:1, Acts 20:28, Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 5:24-27, Colossians 1:24, 1 Timothy 3:5 the firstborn: Exodus 4:22, Exodus 13:2, Deuteronomy 21:17, Psalms 89:27, Jeremiah 31:9, James 1:18, Revelation 14:4 which: Exodus 32:32, Psalms 69:28, Luke 10:20, Philippians 4:3, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 20:15 written: or, enrolled God: Hebrews 6:10-12, Hebrews 9:27, Genesis 18:25, Psalms 50:5, Psalms 50:6, Psalms 94:2, Psalms 96:13, Psalms 98:9, Matthew 25:31-34, John 5:27, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-7, 1 Peter 2:23 the spirits: Hebrews 11:4, Hebrews 11:40, Ecclesiastes 12:7, 1 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Corinthians 15:49, 1 Corinthians 15:54, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Philippians 1:21-23, Philippians 3:12-21, Colossians 1:12, Revelation 7:14-17 Genesis 49:29 - bury me Genesis 49:33 - and yielded Exodus 12:29 - the Lord smote Numbers 3:13 - Because Numbers 3:40 - General Deuteronomy 15:19 - the firstling Judges 11:27 - the Judge 1 Chronicles 2:42 - his firstborn Job 31:28 - an Psalms 68:16 - the hill Psalms 87:3 - Glorious Psalms 89:5 - in the congregation Ezekiel 13:9 - neither shall they be Zechariah 3:7 - I will Mark 12:25 - but Acts 10:22 - a just Romans 8:4 - That Romans 8:10 - but 2 Corinthians 7:1 - perfecting 2 Corinthians 13:9 - even 1 Thessalonians 5:3 - and they Hebrews 13:21 - Make Revelation 13:6 - and them Hebrews 12:23. ———————– General assembly is from , which means the same as a mass meeting, and refers to the universal membership of the church of Christ. The same institution is composed of the firstborn which is plural in the original Greek and also is in the possessive case. The members of the church are called firstborn in a figurative sense. In old times the firstborn child was heir to the possessions of his father. Since all faithful members of the church are heirs of the spiritual possessions of Christ, they are here called the firstborn (ones). The phrase church of the firstborn is not a scriptural title or name of the church as it is erroneously used often by our brethren.

Written in heaven. The names of the faithful children of God are enrolled in heaven (Luke 10:20; Revelation 21:27). Membership in the church of Christ brings us into fellowship with God who is the Judge of all. It also makes us have relationship with the spirits of just men made perfect, meaning those who have reached the complete state under the providence of God, such as those described in Matthew 27:53; Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15:20; Ephesians 4:8; Jude 1:14. Hebrews 12:23 ——————————————————————————– To the general assembly (πανηγύρει) Const. with ἀγγέλων of angels, with comma after angels. Rend. “to a festal assembly of angels.” This and the next clause show what the myriads consist of,— a host of angels and redeemed men. Πανήγυρις, N.T.o , is a gathering to celebrate a solemnity, as public games, etc.: a public, festal assembly. Frequently joined with ἑορτή feast. See Ezekiel 47:11; Hosea 2:11; Hosea 9:5. The verb πανηγυρίζειν to celebrate or attend a public festival, to keep holiday, occurs occasionally in Class.: not in N.T.: lxx once, Isaiah 66:10. The festal assembly of angels maintains the contrast between the old and the new dispensation.

The host of angels through whose ministration the law was given (see on Hebrews 2:2, and see on Galatians 3:19) officiated at a scene of terror. Christian believers are now introduced to a festal host, surrounding the exalted Son of man, who has purged away sins, and is enthroned at God’s right hand (Hebrews 1:3). ——————————————————————————– And church of the first-born which are written in heaven (καὶἐκκλησίᾳπρωτοτόκωνἀπογεγραμμένωνἐνοὐρανοῖς) This forms a distinct clause; “and to the church,” etc.

For ἐκκλησία assembly or church, see on Matthew 16:18; see on 1 Thessalonians 1:1. The “myriads” embrace not only angels, but redeemed men, enrolled as citizens of the heavenly commonwealth, and entitled to the rights and privileges of first-born sons. Πρωτότοκος first-born is applied mostly to Christ in N.T. See Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 1:5. Comp. Hebrews 11:28, and Luke 2:7. Properly applied to Christians by virtue of their union with Christ, “the first-born of all creation,” “the first-born from the dead,” as sharing his sonship and heirship. See Romans 8:14-17; Romans 8:29. The word also points to Christians as the true Israel of God.

The analogy is suggested with the first-born of Israel, to whom peculiar sanctity attached, and whose consecration to himself God enjoined (Exodus 13:1; Exodus 13:11-16); and with the further application of the term first-born to Israel as a people, Exodus 4:22. The way was thus prepared for its application to the Messiah. There seems, moreover, to be a clear reference to the case of Esau (Hebrews 12:16). Esau was the first-born of the twin sons of Isaac (Genesis 25:25). He sold his birthright (πρωτοτοκία), and thus forfeited the privilege of the first-born. The assembly to which Christian believers are introduced is composed of those who have not thus parted with their birthright, but have retained the privileges of the first-born.

The phrase “church of the first-born” includes all who have possessed and retained their heavenly birthright, living or dead, of both dispensations: the whole Israel of God, although it is quite likely that the Christian church may have been most prominent in the writer’s thought. ——————————————————————————– Which are written in heaven (ἀπογεγραμμένωνἐνοὐρανοῖς) Ἁπογράφειν, only here and Luke 2:1; Luke 2:3; Luke 2:5, means to write off or copy; to enter in a register the names, property, and income of men. Hence, ἀπογραφή an enrollment.

See on Luke 2:1-2. Here, inscribed as members of the heavenly commonwealth; citizens of heaven; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8, etc. See for the image, Exodus 32:32; Psalms 69:28; Isaiah 4:3; Daniel 12:1; Luke 10:20. ——————————————————————————– To God the judge of all (κριτῃθεῳπάντων) Rend. “a judge who is God of all.” Comp. Daniel 7:9 ff. God of all his first-born, of those whom he chastens, of all who are in filial relations with him under both covenants, and who, therefore, need not fear to draw near to him as judge. ——————————————————————————– Spirits of just men made perfect (πνεύμασιδικαίων) The departed spirits of the righteous of both dispensations, who have completed their course after having undergone their earthly discipline. Notice again the idea of τελείωσις, not attained under the old covenant, but only through the work of Christ, the benefits of which the disembodied saints of the O.T. share with departed Christian believers.

Comp. Hebrews 11:40.

Hebrews 12:23 ——————————————————————————– To the general assembly (panηgurei). Old word (from pas and aguris, ageirτ). Here only in N.T. Panηgurizτ occurs in Isaiah 66:10 for keeping a festal holiday. Possibly to be connected with aggelτn, though not certain. ——————————————————————————– Church of the firstborn (ekklηsiβi prτtotokτn). Probably an additional item besides the angelic host as the people of Israel are called firstborn (Exodus 4:22).

The word ekklηsia here has the general sense of all the redeemed, as in Matthew 16:18; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:24-32, and equivalent to the kingdom of God. ——————————————————————————– Who are enrolled in heaven (apogegrammenτn en ouranois). Perfect passive participle of apographτ, old verb to write off, to copy, to enroll as in Luke 2:1; Luke 2:3; Luke 2:5 (only N.T. examples).

Enrolled as citizens of heaven even while on earth (Luke 10:20; Philippians 1:27; Philippians 3:20; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 13:8, etc.). ——————————————————————————– To God the Judge of all (kritηi theτi pantτn). All these chief substantives in the dative case. People should not forget that God is the Judge of all men. ——————————————————————————– Made perfect (teteleiτmenτn). Perfect passive participle of teleioτ, perfected at last (Hebrews 11:40).

Hebrews 12:24

Hebrews 12:24 Hebrews 12:24 ————————— καιG2532 AND διαθηκηςG1242 OF A νεαςG3501 FRESH μεσιτηG3316 ιησουG2424 TO JESUS; καιG2532 AND αιματιG129 TO “THE” BLOOD ραντισμουG4473 OF , κρειττοναG2909 BETTER THINGS λαλουντιG2980 [G5723] παραG3844 τονG3588 THAN αβελG6 ABEL. Jesus: Hebrews 7:22, Hebrews 8:6, Hebrews 8:8, 1 Timothy 2:5 new: Hebrews 13:20, Isaiah 55:3, Jeremiah 31:31-33 covenant: or, testament, Hebrews 9:15, Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20 to the blood: Hebrews 9:21, Hebrews 10:22, Hebrews 11:28, Exodus 24:8, 1 Peter 1:2 speaketh: Hebrews 11:4, Genesis 4:10, Matthew 23:35, Luke 11:51 Exodus 12:22 - a bunch Exodus 12:23 - and will not Exodus 24:6 - the blood he Exodus 29:20 - sprinkle Leviticus 1:5 - sprinkle Leviticus 3:13 - sprinkle Leviticus 5:9 - sprinkle Leviticus 7:2 - and the Leviticus 14:7 - sprinkle Leviticus 16:14 - General Numbers 19:4 - sprinkle Deuteronomy 18:18 - like unto 2 Kings 23:3 - made a covenant Psalms 50:5 - made Psalms 68:35 - terrible Psalms 130:4 - that thou mayest Isaiah 42:6 - and give Isaiah 49:8 - give thee Isaiah 52:15 - sprinkle Ezekiel 16:60 - I will establish Ezekiel 43:18 - to offer Habakkuk 2:11 - the stone Luke 19:42 - the things 2 Corinthians 3:6 - the new Galatians 4:24 - the two Hebrews 9:19 - sprinkled Hebrews 11:40 - better 1 Peter 4:17 - what 1 John 3:12 - and his 1 John 5:6 - blood Revelation 6:10 - they cried Revelation 21:8 - and the Hebrews 12:24. ———————– Jesus became the mediator of the new covenant by giving that law into the world to take the place of the law of Moses. Blood of sprin- kling is so worded because under the system of Moses the blood of animals was literally sprinkled on the objects to be affected. The blood of Christ is sprinkled figuratively when men obey the Gospel which brings them into the benefits of that blood. (See 1 John 1:7.) Speaketh better things than that of Abel. The blood of Abel cried for vengeance (Genesis 4:10 Genesis 4:15), while the blood of Christ calls for mercy (chapter 2:17). The word better means “more useful or serviceable.” The blood of Christ opened up a way of salvation for all mankind, which was not true of the blood of Abel. Hebrews 12:24 ——————————————————————————– The mediator of the new covenant (διαθήκηςνέαςμεσίτῃ) See Hebrews 7:22; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 8:8-10; Hebrews 9:15. For covenant, see on Hebrews 9:6 ff. For the new covenant, rend. a new covenant. Νέα new, only here applied to the covenant in N.T. The word elsewhere is καινή. For the distinction, see on Matthew 26:29. It is better not to press the distinction, since νεός, in certain cases, clearly has the sense of quality rather than of time, as 1 Corinthians 5:7; Colossians 3:10, and probably here, where to confine the sense to recent would seem to limit it unduly.

In the light of all that the writer has said respecting the better quality of the Christian covenant, superseding the old, outworn, insufficient covenant, he may naturally be supposed to have had in mind something besides its mere recentness. Moreover, all through the contrast from Hebrews 12:18, the thought of earlier and later is not once touched, but only that of inferior and better; repellency and invitation; terrors and delights; fear and confidence.

Note that the privilege of approaching the Mediator in person is emphasized. ——————————————————————————– Blood of sprinkling (αἵματιῥαντισμοῦ) Ῥαντισμός sprinkling only here and 1 Peter 1:2, see note. The phrase blood of sprinkling N.T.o. olxx, where we find ὕδωρῥαντισμοῦ water of sprinkling, Numbers 19:9; Numbers 19:13; Numbers 19:20-21. For the verb ῥαντίζειν to sprinkle, see on Hebrews 9:13. The mention of blood naturally follows that of a covenant, since no covenant is ratified without blood (Hebrews 9:16). The phrase is sufficiently explained by Hebrews 9:16-22. ——————————————————————————– Speaketh better things (κρεῖττονλαλοῦντι) For “better things” rend. “better.” The blood is personified, and its voice is contrasted with that of Abel, whose blood cried from the ground for vengeance upon his murderer (Genesis 4:10). The voice of Christ’s blood calls for mercy and forgiveness. ——————————————————————————– Than that of Abel (παρὰτὸνἌβελ) Rend. “than Abel.” Comp.

Hebrews 11:4, where Abel himself speaks. Hebrews 12:24 ——————————————————————————– To Jesus (Iηsou).

This great fact is not to be overlooked (Philippians 2:10-11). He is there as Lord and Saviour and still “Jesus.” ——————————————————————————– The mediator of a new covenant (diathηkηs neas mesitηi). As already shown (Hebrews 7:22; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 8:8-10; Hebrews 9:15) and now gloriously consummated. ——————————————————————————– To the blood of sprinkling (haimati rantismou). As in Hebrews 9:19-28. ——————————————————————————– Than Abel (para ton Abel). Accusative as in Hebrews 1:4. ——————————————————————————– Better (kreitton). Comparative of kalos. Abel’s blood still speaks (Hebrews 11:4), but it is as nothing compared to that of Jesus.

Hebrews 12:25

Hebrews 12:25 Hebrews 12:25 ————————— βλεπετεG991 [G5720] TAKE HEED μηG3361 παραιτησησθεG3868 [G5667] YE REFUSE NOT τονG3588 HIM WHO λαλουνταG2980 [G5723] SPEAKS. ειG1487 γαρG1063 FOR IF εκεινοιG1565 THEY ουκG3756 εφυγονG5343 [G5627] ESCAPED NOT, τονG3588 HIM THAT επιG1909 ON τηςG3588 THE γηςG1093 EARTH " WHO " παραιτησαμενοιG3868 [G5666] REFUSED χρηματιζονταG5537 [G5723] “THEM”, πολλωG4183 μαλλονG3123 MUCH MORE ημειςG2249 WE οιG3588 WHO τονG3588 HIM απG575 FROM “THE” ουρανωνG3772 HEAVENS αποστρεφομενοιG654 [G5734] TURN AWAY FROM! See: Hebrews 8:5, Exodus 16:29, 1 Kings 12:16, Isaiah 48:6, Isaiah 64:9, Matthew 8:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, 1 Peter 1:22, Revelation 19:10, Revelation 22:9 refuse: Proverbs 1:24, Proverbs 8:33, Proverbs 13:18, Proverbs 15:32, Jeremiah 11:10, Ezekiel 5:6, Zechariah 7:11, Matthew 17:5, Acts 7:35 if they: Hebrews 2:1-3, Hebrews 3:17, Hebrews 10:28, Hebrews 10:29 turn away: Numbers 32:15, Deuteronomy 30:17, Joshua 22:16, 2 Chronicles 7:19, Proverbs 1:32, 2 Timothy 4:4 Exodus 7:14 - he refuseth Exodus 10:3 - How long Exodus 20:22 - I have talked Exodus 23:21 - Beware of him Leviticus 26:14 - General Numbers 9:13 - forbeareth Numbers 16:49 - fourteen thousand Deuteronomy 4:10 - the day Deuteronomy 4:36 - General Deuteronomy 5:29 - O that there Deuteronomy 18:18 - like unto Deuteronomy 18:19 - General Joshua 1:18 - that doth rebel Joshua 22:15 - General 2 Kings 5:11 - went away 2 Chronicles 15:2 - if ye forsake Nehemiah 9:17 - refused Psalms 2:11 - rejoice Psalms 68:21 - of such Psalms 85:8 - hear Psalms 95:8 - Harden Proverbs 5:7 - Hear Proverbs 10:17 - he that Isaiah 28:12 - yet Isaiah 30:15 - and ye Isaiah 49:1 - and hearken Jeremiah 3:3 - thou refusedst Jeremiah 8:5 - they refuse Jeremiah 13:10 - evil Jeremiah 17:27 - ye will Jeremiah 25:4 - ye Jeremiah 29:19 - General Jeremiah 35:13 - Will Jeremiah 38:21 - if thou Ezekiel 3:19 - if thou Ezekiel 33:9 - if he Micah 5:8 - and none Malachi 3:2 - who may abide Matthew 3:10 - now Matthew 5:22 - I say Matthew 21:41 - He will Matthew 22:3 - and they would not Matthew 23:33 - how Matthew 27:51 - the earth Mark 9:7 - hear Luke 9:35 - hear Luke 14:21 - being Luke 14:24 - General John 3:18 - he that believeth not John 8:24 - for John 12:48 - rejecteth Acts 3:23 - that every Acts 4:12 - is there Acts 13:40 - Beware Romans 2:3 - that thou shalt 2 Corinthians 3:11 - if 2 Corinthians 6:1 - ye Ephesians 5:15 - See Titus 1:14 - turn Hebrews 2:3 - How Hebrews 3:12 - in Hebrews 4:1 - us therefore Hebrews 10:27 - a certain Hebrews 13:22 - suffer 1 Peter 4:17 - what Revelation 20:15 - whosoever Hebrews 12:25. ———————– Him that speaketh means Christ whose blood speaks better things than that of Abel. Judaizers would have the Christians refuse Jesus by going back to Moses for their law. Moses spake on earth (at Sinai) and even his law dared not be refused (chapter 2:1, 2; 10:29). Jesus spake from heaven when he sent the Holy Spirit down to the apostles in order to give them the new law. Paul asks how can we escape rejection from the Lord if we refuse His law. Hebrews 12:25 ——————————————————————————– See— refuse (βλέπετε—παραιτήσησθε) For βλέπετε see see on Hebrews 3:12. For παραιτήσησθε refuse, see on 1 Timothy 4:7. ——————————————————————————– Him that speaketh (τὸνλαλοῦντα) Through his blood. Rend. “that is speaking,” the participle denoting something that is going on. ——————————————————————————– They (ἐκεῖνοι) The people of the Exodus. See Hebrews 4:2. The words from for if they to the end of the verse are parenthetical. ——————————————————————————– That spake on earth (ἐπὶγῆςτὸνχρηματίζοντα) For spake rend. warned, and see on Hebrews 8:5. Ἑπὶ upon earth should not be construed with refused nor warned, but with the whole clause. “If on earth they escaped not, refusing him that warned.” ——————————————————————————– If we turn away (ἀποστρεφομενοι) Lit. turning away. The present participle, possibly with reference to the relapse into Judaism as already in progress. ——————————————————————————– From him that speaketh from heaven (τὸνἀπ’ οὐρανῶν) Lit. from him from the heavens.

Supply as A.V. that speaketh Ὁἀπ’ οὐρανοῦ or οὐρανῶν does not occur in N.T. elsewhere. Wherever ἀπ’ οὐρ. appears, some act or thing is always named which proceeds from heaven.

See Matthew 24:29; Mark 8:11; Luke 9:54; Luke 17:29; Luke 21:11; Luke 22:43; John 6:38; 1 Thessalonians 1:7. The speaker from heaven is still God, but speaking through his Son. The thought connects itself with that of Christ carrying his blood into the heavenly sanctuary, from which he exerts his power on behalf of men. See Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:24. This will be the clearer if we throw out the idea of Christ presenting his blood to an angry God as a propitiation, and interceding with him to pardon sin. See note on Hebrews 7:26. Hebrews 12:25 ——————————————————————————– See (blepete). Earnest word as in Hebrews 3:12.

Driving home the whole argument of the Epistle by this powerful contrast between Mount Zion and Mount Sinai. The consequences are dreadful to apostates now, for Zion has greater terrors than Sinai, great as those were. ——————————————————————————– That ye refuse not (mη paraitηsηsthe). Negative purpose with mη and the first aorist middle subjunctive of paraiteomai, the same verb used in Hebrews 12:19 about the conduct of the Israelites at Sinai and also below. ——————————————————————————– Him that speaketh (ton lalounta). Present active articular participle of laleτ as in Hebrews 12:24 (Jesus speaking by his blood). ——————————————————————————– For if they did not escape (ei gar ekeinoi ouk exephugon). Condition of first class with ei and second aorist active indicative of ekpheugτ, to escape. Direct reference to Sinai with use of the same verb again (paraitηsamenoi, when they refused). ——————————————————————————– Him that warned (ton chrηmatizonta).

That is Moses. For chrηmatizτ see Hebrews 8:5; Hebrews 11:7. ——————————————————————————– Much more we (polu mallon hηmeis).

Argument from the less to the greater, polu, adverbial accusative case. The verb has to be supplied from the condition, “We shall not escape.” Our chance to escape is far less, “we who turn away (apostrephomenoi, middle participle, turn ourselves away from) the one from heaven (ton ap’ ouranτn),” God speaking through his Son (Hebrews 1:2).

Hebrews 12:26

Hebrews 12:26 Hebrews 12:26 ————————— ουG3739 ηG3588 WHOSE φωνηG5456 VOICE τηνG3588 THE γηνG1093 EARTH εσαλευσενG4531 [G5656] SHOOK τοτεG5119 THEN; νυνG3568 δεG1161 BUT NOW επηγγελταιG1861 [G5766] HE HAS , λεγωνG3004 [G5723] SAYING, ετιG2089 YET απαξG530 ONCE εγωG1473 I σειωG4579 [G5719] SHAKE ουG3756 NOT μονονG3440 ONLY τηνG3588 THE γηνG1093 EARTH, αλλαG235 BUT καιG2532 ALSO τονG3588 THE ουρανονG3772 HEAVEN. voice: Exodus 19:18, Psalms 114:6, Psalms 114:7, Habakkuk 3:10 Yet once: Hebrews 12:27, Isaiah 2:19, Isaiah 13:13, Joe 3:16, Haggai 2:6, Haggai 2:7, Haggai 2:22 Exodus 20:22 - I have talked Deuteronomy 18:19 - General 1 Kings 19:11 - an earthquake Job 9:6 - shaketh Job 26:11 - pillars Psalms 18:9 - He bowed Psalms 29:8 - shaketh Psalms 68:8 - earth Proverbs 1:24 - I have called Isaiah 30:32 - shaking Ezekiel 21:27 - General Ezekiel 26:15 - shake Ezekiel 31:16 - made Ezekiel 38:19 - Surely Zephaniah 1:14 - even Haggai 2:21 - I will Matthew 17:5 - hear Mark 9:7 - hear Luke 9:35 - hear Luke 14:21 - being Luke 14:24 - General Acts 6:14 - change Hebrews 2:1 - Therefore Hebrews 12:26. ———————– Whose voice means that of God, speaking in conjunction with that of Christ who was always associated with God in all that was done (Genesis 1:26; John 1:3). Then shook the earth occurred at Sinai as described in verses 18-20. That shaking brought in a new system of religious practice, but it was one that was not destined to be permanent. Instead, God purposed to bring about one more shaking that was to be more extensive and would involve both heaven and earth; the event is predicted in Haggai 2:5-9. The prediction refers to the time when the Lord was to bring in the New Covenant and thereby dis-annul all other systems that had been in use. Hebrews 12:26 ——————————————————————————– Whose voice (οὗἡφωνὴ) Connect, after the parenthesis, with speaketh better, etc., Hebrews 12:24. ——————————————————————————– Shook (ἐσάλευσεν) See on Luke 21:26, and comp. σάλος tossing or swell of the sea, Luke 21:25. See Judges 5:4; Psalms 113:7. ——————————————————————————– He hath promised (ἐπήγγελται) See Haggai 2:6. The quotation is adapted from lxx, which reads: “Yet once will I shake the heaven and the earth and the sea and the dry land.” The Hebrew for “yet once” reads “yet a little while.” In Haggai’s prophecy, he comforts the people for their sorrow that the second temple is so inferior to the first, predicting that Jehovah will move heaven and earth and sea and land, and will fill the house with his glory; and the glory of the latter house shall exceed that of the former. The discipline begun on Sinai will then have its consummation. This shaking of heaven and earth was typified by the material shaking at Sinai. The shaking predicted by the prophet is applied by our writer to the downfall of worldly powers before the kingdom of Christ, Hebrews 12:28; comp Hebrews 1:8, and see Zechariah 14.

Hebrews 12:26 ——————————————————————————– Then shook (esaleusen tote). Old verb as in Matthew 11:7. ——————————————————————————– He hath promised (epηggeltai). Perfect middle indicative of epaggellτ and it still holds. He quotes Haggai 2:6. ——————————————————————————– Will I make to tremble (seisτ). Old and strong verb (here future active) seiτ, to agitate, to cause to tremble as in Matthew 21:10. The author applies this “yet once more” (eti hapax) and the reference to heaven (ton ouranon) to the second and final “shaking” at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ for judgement (Hebrews 9:28).

Hebrews 12:27

Hebrews 12:27 Hebrews 12:27 ————————— τοG3588 δεG1161 BUT THE ετιG2089 YET απαξG530 ONCE, δηλοιG1213 [G5719] τωνG3588 OF THE “THINGS” σαλευομενωνG4531 [G5746] SHAKEN τηνG3588 THE μεταθεσινG3331 , ωςG5613 AS πεποιημενωνG4160 [G5772] HAVING BEEN MADE, ιναG2443 THAT μεινηG3306 [G5661] MAY REMAIN ταG3588 THE “THINGS” μηG3361 σαλευομεναG4531 [G5746] NOT SHAKEN. signifieth: Psalms 102:26, Psalms 102:27, Ezekiel 21:27, Matthew 24:35, 2 Peter 3:10, 2 Peter 3:11, Revelation 11:15, Revelation 21:1 are shaken: or, may be shaken Job 26:11 - pillars Isaiah 13:13 - I will Isaiah 66:22 - the new Ezekiel 26:15 - shake Ezekiel 31:16 - made Haggai 2:21 - I will Matthew 24:7 - nation shall Luke 21:10 - Nation shall Hebrews 1:11 - shall perish Hebrews 10:9 - He taketh Hebrews 12:26 - Yet once Hebrews 12:27. ———————– Paul explains that since there was to be but one more shaking, it signified that what would be left in force after the shaking would be so firm that it wool be useless to try the shaking again. Such was the case, for when the great shaking took place at Jerusalem on Pentecost, the Jewish and Patriarchal Dispensations were gone and only the kingdom of Christ was able to remain as our verse says. Hebrews 12:27 ——————————————————————————– This word “yet once more” (τὸδέἜτιἅπαξ) Attention is called to this phrase as specially significant, because it indicates that the shaking prophesied by Haggai is to be final. It is to precede the new heaven and the new earth. Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1. ——————————————————————————– Signifieth (δηλοῖ) From δῆλος manifest, evident. To make manifest to the mind. Used of indications which lead the mind to conclusions about the origin or character of things. See Thucyd. i. 3; Aesch. Pers. 518. Comp. 1 Corinthians 3:13; Hebrews 9:8; 1 Peter 1:11.

Appropriate to prophetic revelations. ——————————————————————————– The removing (τὴνμετάθεσιν) See on Hebrews 7:12. For the thought comp. 1 John 2:17; 1 Corinthians 7:31. ——————————————————————————– As of things that are made (ὡςπεποιημένων) Made indeed by God, who also makes the new heaven and the new earth (Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22), but made to pass away. ——————————————————————————– That the things which cannot be shaken may remain (ἵναμείνῃτὰμὴσαλευόμενα) Whether we consider the things which are shaken, the old heavens and earth which pass away, or the new heaven and earth which cannot be shaken, both are πεποιημένα made by God. The writer perceives this, and therefore adds to as of things that are made a clause stating that they were made (by God himself) to pass away. Accordingly, ἵνα in order that is to be connected with πεποιημένων, after which the comma should be removed. Rend. “the removal of things made in order that they might await the things which are not shaken.” Μένειν is used in this sense, await, Acts 20:5; Acts 20:23, and often in Class. Hebrews 12:27 ——————————————————————————– And this word (to de).

He uses the article to point out “eti hapax” which he explains (dηloi, signifies, present active indicative of dηloτ). ——————————————————————————– The removing (tηn metathesin). For this word see Hebrews 7:12; Hebrews 11:5.

For the transitory nature of the world see 1 Corinthians 7:31; 1 John 2:17. “There is a divine purpose in the cosmic catastrophe” (Moffatt). ——————————————————————————– Made (pepoiηmenτn). Perfect passive participle of poieτ. Made by God, but made to pass away. ——————————————————————————– That those things which are not shaken may remain (hina meinηi ta mη saleuomena). Final clause with mη and the first aorist active subjunctive of menτ. The Kingdom of God is not shaken, fearful as some saints are about it.

Hebrews 12:28

Hebrews 12:28 Hebrews 12:28 ————————— διοG1352 βασιλειανG932 A KINGDOM ασαλευτονG761 NOT TO BE SHAKEN παραλαμβανοντεςG3880 [G5723] , εχωμενG2192 [G5725] MAY WE HAVE χαρινG5485 GRACE, διG1223 BY ηςG3739 WHICH λατρευωμενG3000 [G5725] WE MAY SERVE ευαρεστωςG2102 τωG3588 WELL θεωG2316 GOD μεταG3326 WITH αιδουςG127 καιG2532 AND ευλαβειαςG2124 FEAR. a kingdom: Isaiah 9:7, Daniel 2:44, Daniel 7:14, Daniel 7:27, Matthew 25:34, Luke 1:33, Luke 17:20, Luke 17:21, 1 Peter 1:4, 1 Peter 1:5, Revelation 1:6, Revelation 5:10 have: or, hold fast, Hebrews 3:6, Hebrews 10:23 we may: Psalms 19:14, Isaiah 56:7, Romans 12:1, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 1:6, Ephesians 5:10, Philippians 4:18, 1 Peter 2:5, 1 Peter 2:20 with reverence: Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 5:7, Hebrews 10:19, Hebrews 10:22, Leviticus 10:3, Psalms 2:11, Psalms 89:7, Proverbs 28:24, Romans 11:20, 1 Peter 1:17, Revelation 15:4 Genesis 17:1 - walk Genesis 18:30 - General Genesis 22:12 - now Exodus 15:11 - fearful Exodus 19:21 - break Exodus 20:26 - thy nakedness Exodus 30:20 - die not Numbers 10:17 - the tabernacle Numbers 16:21 - that I may Deuteronomy 10:12 - to serve Deuteronomy 28:58 - fear this glorious Joshua 3:4 - a space Joshua 24:23 - incline 1 Kings 8:40 - fear thee 1 Kings 13:26 - the man 1 Chronicles 21:30 - he was afraid 1 Chronicles 28:9 - serve him Nehemiah 4:14 - great Job 34:19 - accepteth Psalms 5:7 - in thy Psalms 24:3 - stand Psalms 119:120 - My flesh Ecclesiastes 5:1 - thy foot Isaiah 66:22 - the new Haggai 1:12 - fear Matthew 10:28 - him Matthew 12:28 - then Matthew 16:18 - shall not Mark 4:41 - feared Luke 8:47 - she came Luke 12:32 - the kingdom Acts 5:11 - General Romans 12:11 - serving 1 Corinthians 9:25 - but 2 Corinthians 5:9 - accepted 2 Corinthians 7:1 - in 2 Corinthians 8:7 - this Philippians 2:12 - with Hebrews 10:9 - He taketh Hebrews 11:10 - he looked 1 John 4:18 - is no Hebrews 12:28. ———————– We (Christians) receiving a kingdom takes place when people renounce the worldly life and come into the kingdom of Christ. Cannot be moved is explained in the preceding verse, and in Daniel 2:44. With such an institution in which we may live, there is much reason for our serving God acceptably, and the apostle prays that divine grace may be had in the service. Reverence and godly fear are virtually the same, meaning profound regard for God and resolve to treat him with full devotion. Hebrews 12:28 ——————————————————————————– Receiving a kingdom (βασιλείανπαραλαμβάνοντες) The participle gives no note of time, but simply indicates the fact that Christians as such receive. The compounded preposition παρὰ adds to the idea of receiving that of transmission or communication. They receive from God. See Daniel 7:18. Βασιλεία in the sense of the kingdom of Christ, in this epistle only here and Hebrews 1:8 (citn.). See on Matthew 3:2; see on Luke 6:20. ——————————————————————————– Let us have grace (ἔχωμενχάριν) For grace rend. thankfulness. See Luke 17:9; 1 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 1:3.

Comp. Psalms 50:23. ——————————————————————————– Acceptably (εὐαρέστως) N.T.o, olxx. Ἑυαρεστεῖν to be well pleasing, Hebrews 11:5-6; Hebrews 13:16.

For the adjective εὐάρεστος well-pleasing, see on Titus 2:9. ——————————————————————————– With reverence (μετὰεὐλαβίας) Rend. “with pious care.” Reverence is translated from T. R. αἰδοῦς (see on 1 Timothy 2:9). See on Hebrews 5:7; see on Hebrews 11:7. ——————————————————————————– Fear (δέους) N.T.o. See 2Ma 3:17; 2Ma 3:30; 2Ma 12:22; 2Ma 13:16; 2Ma 15:23. Its fundamental idea is timid apprehension of danger; while φόβος is the terror which seizes one when the danger appears. Schmidt (Synon. 139, 10) illustrates happily. In a primitive forest an undefined sense of possible danger possesses one, and makes his heart beat quickly at every rustle of a leaf. This is δέος.

When the voice and tread of a wild beast are distinctly heard close at hand, the δέος becomes φόβος. The phrase “with pious care and fear” is not explanatory of acceptably. These are to accompany (μετὰ) acceptable service. They do not imply a cringing or slavish feeling, but grow out of the warning in Hebrews 12:25, which runs through the two following verses, and implies that the catastrophe of Heb 12:27 will be final, leaving no more opportunity to retrieve the refusal of God’s invitation to the privileges of the new covenant, or the relapse into the superseded economy of Judaism. Hebrews 12:28 ——————————————————————————– Wherefore (dio). Ground for loyalty to Christ and for calm trust in God. ——————————————————————————– That cannot be shaken (asaleuton).

Old compound with alpha privative and the verbal adjective from saleuτ just used. In N.T. only here and Acts 27:41. ——————————————————————————– Let us have grace (echτmen charin).

Present active volitive subjunctive of echτ, “Let us keep on having grace” as in Hebrews 4:16, though it can mean “Let us keep on having gratitude” as in Luke 17:9. ——————————————————————————– Whereby (di’ hηs). That is dia charitos. ——————————————————————————– We may offer service (latreuτmen). This subjunctive in a relative clause can be volitive like echτmen just before (cf. imperative stηte in 1 Peter 5:12) or it might be the futuristic subjunctive as in Hebrews 8:3 (ho prosenegkηi). ——————————————————————————– Well pleasing (euarestτs). Old compound adverb, here only in N.T. ——————————————————————————– With reverence and awe (meta eulabeias kai deous). For eulabeia see Hebrews 5:7; Hebrews 11:7. Deos is apprehension of danger as in a forest. “When the voice and tread of a wild beast are distinctly heard close at hand the deos becomes phobos” (Vincent).

Hebrews 12:29

Hebrews 12:29 Hebrews 12:29 ————————— καιG2532 γαρG1063 FOR ALSO οG3588 θεοςG2316 ημωνG2257 OUR GOD πυρG4442 “IS” A FIRE καταναλισκονG2654 [G5723] . Hebrews 10:27, Exodus 24:17, Numbers 11:1, Numbers 16:35, Deuteronomy 4:24, Deuteronomy 9:3, Psalms 50:3, Psalms 97:3, Isaiah 66:15, Daniel 7:9, 2 Thessalonians 1:8 Genesis 18:30 - General Exodus 15:11 - fearful Exodus 19:21 - break Exodus 19:24 - but let Exodus 20:26 - thy nakedness Exodus 30:20 - die not Exodus 34:7 - that will by no means clear the guilty Leviticus 10:3 - I will be Numbers 16:21 - that I may Deuteronomy 5:25 - this great Deuteronomy 28:58 - fear this glorious Deuteronomy 29:20 - smoke Deuteronomy 32:22 - For a fire Joshua 3:4 - a space Joshua 24:23 - incline 1 Samuel 12:24 - fear the Lord 2 Samuel 22:9 - went 1 Kings 13:26 - the man 1 Kings 19:12 - a fire 2 Kings 1:10 - let fire 2 Kings 13:3 - and he delivered 1 Chronicles 21:30 - he was afraid Nehemiah 4:14 - great Job 37:22 - with Psalms 2:11 - Serve Psalms 5:7 - in thy Psalms 33:8 - stand Psalms 37:20 - smoke Psalms 78:21 - a fire Psalms 89:7 - General Psalms 89:46 - thy wrath Psalms 106:18 - General Psalms 119:120 - My flesh Ecclesiastes 5:1 - thy foot Isaiah 10:17 - for a flame Isaiah 30:27 - burning Isaiah 33:14 - Who among us shall dwell with the Jeremiah 15:14 - a fire Lamentations 1:13 - above Ezekiel 1:4 - a great Ezekiel 1:27 - the appearance of fire Ezekiel 15:4 - the fire Ezekiel 38:18 - that Daniel 6:26 - tremble Malachi 1:14 - my name Matthew 10:28 - him Luke 3:9 - General Philippians 2:12 - with 1 Timothy 6:21 - have Hebrews 10:31 - to fall 1 John 4:8 - God is Hebrews 12:29. ———————– God is merciful to all those who will accept His mercy, but he is a revenging God upon those who do not respect His law (chapter 10:28, 29; verse 25). Hebrews 12:2 ——————————————————————————– For our God is a consuming fire (καὶγὰρὁθεὸςἡμῶνπῦρκαταναλίσκον) See Exodus 24:17; Deuteronomy 4:24; Deuteronomy 9:3; Malachi 3:2; Malachi 4:1. The verb N.T.o, a few times in lxx. Often in Class., especially Xenophon. Originally to use up, spend, lavish, as property: thence to consume as with fire. The simple verb ἀναλίσκειν to expend occurs Luke 9:54; Galatians 5:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:8. Ὁθεὸςἡμῶν is not our God as compared with the God of the Jews. He is the God of both covenants (see Hebrews 1:1-2, and notes); but though now revealed in Jesus Christ, and offering all the privileges of the new covenant (Hebrews 12:22-24), his anger burns against those who reject these privileges.

Hebrews 12:29 ——————————————————————————– A consuming fire (pur katanaliskon). From Deuteronomy 4:24. Present active participle of katanaliskτ, old compound verb, here only in the N.T. This verse is to be coupled with Hebrews 10:31.

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