The Gospel According to St. John; commentaries on Hebrews and 1–3 John

XI. ¹Estin de pistis elpizomenon hupostasis, pragmaton elenchos ou blepomenon· ²ev taute gar

1 hupostaso D?*. Blep.: Bothlomenon A.

ii. The past triumphs of Faith (c. xi. 1-40).

The reference to Faith, as the characteristic of the true people of God, leads the writer of the Epistle to develop at length the lesson of Faith given in the records of the Old Covenant. From the first the divine revelation has called out Faith. The elementary presuppositions of religion, the existence and moral attributes of God and the creation of the world, rest on Faith. Hence if is to be expected that Faith should still find its appropriate trial. Thus the appeal to the past experience of the readers, and to the general law of God's dealings, is confirmed in detail by the manifold experience of the saints.

The development of the work of Faith appears to follow an intelligible and natural plan. The writer first marks the characteristics of Faith generally (v. 1) and its application to the elementary conceptions of religion (v. 3; comp. v. 6). He then shews that the spiritual history of the world is a history of the victories of Faith. This is indicated by the fragmentary records of the old world (4-7), and more particularly by the records of the growth of the Divine Society (he ekklesia). This was founded in the Faith of obedience and patience of the patriarchs (8—16); and built up in the Faith of sacrifice, sustained against natural judgment (17—22); and carried to victory by the Faith of conquest (23—31). The later action of Faith in the work of the people of God Is indicated up to the last national conflict under the Maccabees (32—38); and it is then declared that all these preliminary victories of Faith await their consummation from the Faith of Christians (39, 40).

The contents of the chapter may therefore be thus arranged:

(1) vv. 1—2. Preliminary view of the characteristics and work of Faith.

(2) vv. 3—7. Faith as seen in the prophetic records of the old world.

(3) vv. 8—22. The Faith of the Patriarchs:

(a) The Faith of Obedience and Patience.

(4) vv. 23—31. The Faith of Conflict and Conquest.

(5) vv. 32—38. Faith active in national life.

(6) vv. 39, 40. Conclusion.

(1) 1—2. General view of the characteristics and work of Faith.

The reality, the sphere, and the power of Faith are affirmed (v. 1); and the religious history of mankind is appealed to generally in support of its claims (v. 2).

¹Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the test of things (objects) not seen; ²for herein the elders had witness borne to them.

(1). e. de p. elp....ou blep.] Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the test of objects not seen. Vulg. est autem fides sperandorum substantia, rerum argumentum non parentum (Later texts give sperandorum and apparentium): Aug. sperantium substantia, convictio rerum quae non videntur.

The order (estin de pistis) shews that the object of the writer is not to give a formal definition of Faith but to bring out characteristics of Faith which bear upon his argument. It seems to suggest the affirmation of the reality of faith as well as the nature of faith, as if it were 'Now faith is, and it is this....' This fulness of meaning explains the gar which follows.

The copula stands similarly at the beginning of the sentence: Lk. viii. 11; 2 Cor. xi. 10; 1 Tim. vi. 6; 1 John i. 5. (Dan. iii. 17; Wisd. xv. 9.)

The noun (pistis) has no article as indicating faith in its abstract conception, and not specially the Christian faith. Comp. Rom. i. 5; iii. 28 (Moulton-Winer, p. 149).

In the characterisation of Faith which is given we have to consider (a) its object and (b) its office. Its Object is elpizomena and pragmata ou blepomena: its office is to be the hupostasis of the former, the elenchos of the latter.

(a) The object of Faith is distinctly intelligible. Faith essentially deals with the future and with the unseen, the regions not entered by direct physical experience. The statement is perfectly general ('things hoped for,' 'objects not seen'), and not specific in regard to the contents of the revelation given by God. Faith deals with everything which comes under these two categories. By Faith we attach the idea of permanence to the law which represents the results of past observation. By Faith we discern the love which is offered to our notice by outward signs.

In considering things 'future' and 'unseen' it will be felt that hope has a wider range than sight. Hope includes that which is internal as well as that which is external. Hence elpizomena is left indefinite as extending to the whole field of mental and spiritual activity, while pragmata ou blepomena suggest a definite order of objects and events outside the believer, which are conceived of as realities which may fall under man's senses. Under another aspect 'things hoped for' are more limited than 'objects not seen,' for the latter embrace all that belongs to the requital and purification of the guilty, and the present government of God.

(b) In regard to the office of Faith it may be laid down that the interpretations of the two words upostasis...elenchos... must be coordinate; that they must describe Faith under the same general aspect. Now, as far as the description of Faith here is concerned, it may be presented to us in regard to what it is, as a particular frame of mind, or in regard to what it does, as producing particular results. Senses have been given to hupostasis and elenchos which correspond with both views. Thus hupostasis has been translated 'assurance,' a meaning which it has in c. iii. 14. And again 'essence' (substance), that is, that which gives real existence to a thing, a sense closely akin to the sense in i. 3. So too elenchos has been translated 'conviction,' that is, the feeling of certainty, and 'proof,' that is, the means by which certainty is gained.

The two senses of hupostasis are well established; but it is difficult to suppose that elenchos can express a state.

If then elenchos must be understood of the 'proof,' the 'test,' by which the reality of the unseen is established; it seems to follow necessarily that the parallel meaning must be given to hupostasis, 'that which gives true existence' to an object.

This meaning is that which is uniformly followed by the Greek Fathers in commenting on the passage: epeide ta en elpide anupostata einai dokei, he pistis hupostasin autois chapizetai· mallon de ou charizetai all' auto estin ousia auton· hoion he anastasis ou paragegonen oude estin en hupostasei, all' he elpis huphistesin auten en te hemetera psuche (Chrys.). So Theophylact: ousiosis esti ton mepo onton kai hupostasis ton me huphestoton; and Theodoret: pros ten ton elpizomenon theorian ophthalmos hemin ginetai, kai deiknusin hos huphestota ta medepo gegenemena.

emarturethesan hoi presbuteroi. ³Pistei nooumen katertisthai

The Latin renderings also follow this interpretation without variation (substantia), though they present many differences in other parts of the sentence; and the Latin Fathers reproduce the ideas already quoted from the Greek Fathers.

Nor is it a valid objection that hupostasis is not in this case strictly 'essence' as applied to the several objects of hope, but (generally) that which gives reality to them. For it is in virtue of Faith that things hoped for are now, so that Faith is their essence in regard to the actual experience of the believer.

Thus the general scope of the statement is to show that the future and the unseen can be made real for men by Faith.

Things which in the succession of time are still 'hoped for' as future have a true existence in the eternal order; and this existence Faith brings home to the believer as a real fact. So also things unseen are not mere arbitrary fancies: Faith tries them, tests them, brings conviction as to their being.

The word elenchos is found here only in N. T. (in 2 Tim. iii. 16 1. elegmon). The verb elenchein is not unfrequent (c. xii. 5). Compare especially John xvi. 8 note.

The sense of 'proof' is found in classical writers from Euripides downwards. In the lxx. elenchos is frequent in the sense of 'reproof.' (Job xxiii. 4, 7 do not seem to form exceptions.)

For pragmaton compare vi. 18 note; x. 1; and for ou blepomenon Rom. viii. 24.

Primasius gives a good illustration of the thought: Quae apparent jam fidem non habent..sed agnitionem. Dum ergo vidit Thomas dum palpavit, cur ei dicitur Quia vidisti me credidisti? — Sed aliud vidit, aliud credidit. A mortali enim homine divinitas videri non potest. Videndo ergo credidit, qui considerando hominem verum Deum, quem videre non poterat, exclamavit.

(2). ev taute gar...'] for herein, as living and acting in this atmosphere of Faith, of Faith by which the future is realised and the unseen apprehended, the elders had witness borne to them. The religious history of man is taken as the proof of the power which Faith possesses to test and realise the unseen.

With ev taute emart. compare vv. 4 de' hes emart., 39 marturethentes dia tes p.; and for the thought Ign. ad Philad. 11; ad Ephes. 12; Just. M. Dial. 29 s. f. hoi tosoutoi dikaioi...memarturentai hupo tou theou autou. Martureisthas is used absolutely in the passages of Ignatius just quoted and in Clem. 1 ad Cor. 17, 18 f. &c.

Faith is indeed the characteristic of all the Jewish heroes, though Faith, as such, is very little noticed in the O. T. The witness is borne to the life which was inspired by Faith.

hoi presbuteroi] Comp. c. i. 1 hoi pateres.

(2) 3—7. Faith as seen in the prophetic records of the old world.

Tho first view of Faith is taken from the brief records of the old world given in Gen. i.—ix. It is first laid down that our fundamental view of the origin (and so of the course) of the world rests on Faith (v. 3); and then in Abel, Enoch, Noah, the writer considers three types of Faith under different circumstances, as answering to man's constitution, to the development of life, to special revelation. Abel recognised the natural obligations of man to God generally, and

tous aionas rhemati theou, eis to me ek phainomenon

fulfilled them unto death, through which he still lives (v. 4). Enoch realised fellowship with God in action till it was crowned in an eternal fellowship (5 f.). Noah obeyed a specific direction of God and was saved through suffering (7). Theophylact comparing the examples of Abel and Enoch says well: hora de pos dia men tou Aoel edeixen ho theos ten apophasin ten peri tou thanatou alethe, dia de tou Enoch polin edeixen hoti proskairos he apophasis kai anairethesetai. And it may be added that, as in Abel and Enoch there were revelations of death and life, so in Noah there was a revelation of judgment.

³By faith we perceive that the world hath been framed by God's word, to the end that that which is seen be known to have arisen not from things which appear.

?By faith Abel offered to God a more abundant sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, God bearing witness on occasion of his gifts; and through it he being dead yet speaketh.

?By faith Enoch was translated so as not to see death; and he was not found, because God translated him; for before his translation the witness is recorded that he had been well-pleasing to God;?and without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing to Him; for he that cometh to God must have faith (believe) that He is, and that He shews Himself a rewarder to them that diligently seek Him.

?By faith Noah being warned by God concerning the things not yet seen, moved with pious care, prepared an ark for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

(3). The belief in creation—the belief in a divine will manifested in the existence of the world—is the necessary foundation for the life of faith in all its manifestations. Hence this primary action of faith is declared first. By faith we attain to the assurance that the world—history—is not the result of blind fate but answers to an expression of the will of God; and so we can attain to fresh victories corresponding to our position, even as in the past the heroes of faith triumphed.

The verse presents two distinct thoughts. It declares the fundamental act of faith by which we apprehend the fact of creation, and then points out the consequence which ought to follow from it in our view of the world, as it lies before us. The conception of creation by God's word rightly leads to a present belief in the power of God as Preserver and Governor of that which He created.

pistei...rhem. theou] By faith we perceive that the world hath been framed by God's word...Vulg. Fide intellegimus aptata esse saecula verbo Dei...The conclusion, which we are so constituted as to form, is an interpretation of the external phenomena which are presented to us made by the highest rational faculty in man (nous), to which Faith gives validity.

For nooumen compare Rom. i. 20; Wisd. xiii. 4. It expresses a mental as distinguished from a sensuous perception (Mk. viii. 17). The term nous, which is not found in this Epistle, is characteristic of St Paul: 1 Cor. ii. 16; Rom. xii. 2; Col. ii. 18; 1 Tim. v. 5.

Katertisthai expresses the manifoldness and the unity of all creation; and by the tense marks that the original lesson of creation remains for abiding use and application. Comp. Herm. Mand. i. 1. For katartizein compare c. x. 5; xiii. 21; 1 Thess. iii.

to bleoomenon gegonenai.?Pistei pleiona thusian

3 to bleoomenon 'AD? me: ta -na S vg syrr.

10; Gal. vi. 1; Ps. lxvii. (lxviii.) 10; lxxiii. (lxxiv.) 16; lxxxviii. (lxxxix.) 38; xxviii. (xxix.) 9 &c.

For tous aionas see c. i. 2 note; ix. 26; 1 Cor. ii. 7; 1 Tim. i. 17; Eph. iii. 21. This conception of creation as unfolded in time, the many 'ages' going to form one 'world,' is taken up into Christian literature. Thus Clem. R. i. c. 35 (ho demiourgos kai pater ton ai.); 55 (theos ton ai); 61 (basileus ton ai.).

rhemati theou] Comp. Gen. i.; Ps. xxxiii. 6, 9 (lxx. to logo). Philo de sacrif. Abel. § 18 (i. 175 M.): ho gar theos legon hama epoliei. The term rhema retains its full meaning: a single expression of the divine will. Comp. c. vi. 5. For creation see i. 2 note.

The 'world was conceived to exist archetypally in the 'mind' of God before it was brought under the limitations of time and space. Invisibiliter mundus antequam formaretur in doi sapientia erat, qui tamon per expletionem operis factus est visibilis...(Primas.). Comp. Apoc. iv. 11 ('hesan, ektisthesan); John i. 3 f. note.

eis to me...to blep. gegonenai] to the end that that which is seen be known to have arisen not from things which appear. Vulg. ut ex invisibilibus visibilia fierent. The purpose and end of the knowledge gained by faith as to the creation of the world is the conviction that the visible order as we observe it, as a whole (ta blep.), has not come Into being by simple material causation. We learn to recognise that there is a divine power behind. Such a conclusion is the fundamental triumph of Faith. Creation can best be conceived of by us as the limitation of that which is, and not as the addition of anything to the sum of being.

The phrase eis to...can, according to usage, have no other sense than that of expressing the end. Comp. c. x. 7 note. It occurs eight times in the Epistle, and uniformly in this meaning.

By a not unnatural brevity of expression 'the becoming of the world' is used for 'our conception of the becoming of the world.'

The negative in the phrase me ek phain. was transposed in interpretation (as if it were ek me phainomenon) from early times (from things which do not appear). Thus Chrysostom, having quoted the Greek as it stands in the text, goes on at once to say: delon, phesin, estin hoti ex ouk onton ta onta epoliesen ho theos, ek ton me phainomenon ta huphestota. So Theodoret: ex onton demiourgousin hoi anthropoi· ho de ton holon theos ek me onton ta onta paregage

Such a transposition is wholly unsupported. The passage quoted from Arist. de Phys. ausc. v. 1 has, in the true text he gar ouk ex hupokeimenou.

On the dogma of creation ex ouk onton see Herm. Vis. i. 1. 6 and Harnack's note; Hatch, Hibbert Lectures p. 197 note. The apostolic phrase expresses whatever truth is conveyed by it. No purely physical explanation of the origin of the world is possible. Things that appear cannot give an explanation of the origin of the universe which we see. So Philo speaks of ho asomatos kai noetos... koomos,

Abel para Kain prosenenken to theo, di' hes emarturethe einai dikaios, marturountos epi tois dorois [autou tou theou],

4 autou to theo n. auto tou theou. See Addit. Note.

4 epi t. d. au. tou theou S ' (vg) syrr me: epi t. d. au. to theo '* AD?*.

to tou phainomenou toude archetupon, ideais aoratois sustatheis hosper outos somasin haratois (De conf. ling § 34; i. 431 M.).

phainomenon to blepomenon] The visible order, as one whole, is contrasted with the many elements which fall under the senses.

For gegonenai see John i. 3 note.

(4). pistei pl. th....to theo] Gen. iv. 2 ff. By faith Abel offered to God a more abundant sacrifice than Cain...Vulg. Fide plurimam hostiam Abel quam Cain....

The use of pleion in c. iii. 3; Matt. vi. 25 (he psuche pleion esti tes trophes, xii. 41 pleion Iona, id. 42) has been supposed to justify the general sense of 'more excellent,' 'better' qualitatively only. But the narrative in Genesis suggests that the deeper gratitude of Abel found an outward expression in a more abundant offering. He brought of the 'firstlings' and did not offer like Cain at 'the end of time,' while he also brought 'of the fat' of his flock. Comp. Philo, de conf. ling. § 25 (i. 423).

It is impossible to determine certainly in what Abel's Faith consisted. The fact that he offered 'a more abundant' sacrifice shows a fuller sense of the claims of God. It has been reasonably suggested that the sacrifice of animals, which were not yet given for food, indicates a general sense that life was due to the Living One alone.

For pleiona para K. see c. iii. 3; i. 4 note.

di' hes emart.] i.e. thusias, through which sacrifice. The sacrifice was the sign of the righteousness—the true relation to God by faith—which he had inwardly. Through this the witness came, as God bore witness on occasion of his gifts. Comp. v. 7. The express title of 'righteous' is not given to Abel in the O. T. narrative, but to Noah first (v. 7). The character however is given to him, and the title in later times: Matt. xxiii. 35; 1 John iii. 12. For epi see c. ix. 10 note.

There is nothing in Scripture to shew in what way the divine witness was given to Abel (lxx. epeiden Gen. iv. 4). A widespread legend current still among Mohammedans (Korân, v. § 30 notes), related that fire came down and consumed his sacrifice:

legetai pur katelthon analabein tas thusias, anti phar tou epi Abel epiblepse kai epi tas thusias autou ho Kurios [ho Suros] kai enepurisen eipen (Chrys. ad loc: comp. Field Hex. ad Gen. iv. 7). So Theophylact: epleblepen epi tas thusias Abel ho Kurios kai eneprese.

In the Gelasian and Gregorian Canon the three sacrifices of Abel, Abraham and Melchizedek are placed in significant connexion:...digneris...accepta habere sicuti accepta habere dignatus es munera pueri tui justi Abel et sacrificium patriarchae nostri Abrahae et quod tibi obtulit summus sacerdos Melchizedech sanctum sacrificium, immaculatam hostiam.

According to an Eastern tradition the ram which Abraham offered was the ram of Abel's offering which was sent down from Paradise (Sale on Korân xxxvii. 107). A similar thought finds expression in the Jewish legend (Pirke R. Eliez. 31 ap. Biesenthal p. 297 n.) that the altar of Abraham's sacrifice was that on which Adam, Abel and Noah had sacrificed (Gen. xxii. 9 HebrewOilWnp not MfP).

Gn the fitness of the reference to

kai di' autes apothanen eti lalei.?Pistei Enech metetethe tou me idein thanaton, kai ouk heurisketo dioti metetheken auton ho theos· pro gar tes metatheseos memarturetai

dia tautns D?*. lalei 'A vg syrr me: laleitai S D?. 5 metetheken: meteteth. '. metath. '*AD?* vg me: + autou S ' (syrr).

Abel to the position of the Hebrews Primasius says (after Chrysostom): Ponit primum eum qui mala passus est et hoc a fratre, proprium illorum ponens exemplum: etenim eadem passi fuerant illi a contribulibus suis et fratribus.

di' autes...eti lalei] through it, i.e. faith. Abel's faith was the ground of his living activity after death. Qui enim alios suo exemplo admonet ut justi sint, quomodo non loquitur? (Primas.)

Aneilen auton alla ou sunaneilen auto ten doxan kai ten timen· ou tethneken ekeinos, oukoun, oude humeis tethnexesthe...hosper oun ho ouranos phainomenos monon lalei, houto kai ekeinos mnemoneuomenos (Chrys.).

Philo argues that Cain truly died and Abel lived: hosth' outos anagnosteon Aneste Kain kai apekteinen heauton all' ouch heteron...hosth' ho Abel, to paradoxotaton, aneretai te kai ze...pos phar meket' on dialegesthai dunatos; (quod det. pot. insid. § 14; i. 200 M.).

Eti may refer historically to thanon, 'after death he still (in the record of Scripture Gen. iv. 10, comp. c. xii. 24) speaketh as indeed not dead.' Or it may be fully temporal and describe the present voice of the first righteous martyr. It seems most in accordance with the language of Scripture on the unseen world not to exclude the second view: Apoc. vi. 9.

di' hes...di' autes...] through which (sacrifice or faith?)...through it (faith or sacrifice?)....The reference of the pronouns is ambiguous. Each may refer either to 'faith' or to 'the sacrifice'; and every combination has found advocates. On tho whole it appears to be most natural to see in the sacrifice the means through which the testimony was borne, and in the faith which prompted the sacrifice that whereby Abel still speaks. The decision must be made by consideration of the general thought of the passage. The words themselves admit equally all interpretations. Yet comp. v. 7 di' hes.

(5). Henoch] Gen. v. 21—24. Compare Ecclus. xliv. 16; xlix. 14; Wisd. iv. 10. In Enoch the view of the true destiny of man was again revealed, fellowship with God. Side by side with advancing material civilisation the revelation of the spiritual life was also given.

metetethe tou me id. than.] (Enoch) was translated so as not to see death. Vulg. translatus est ne videret mortem. For the construction see c. x. 7, 9 (lxx. tou poiesai) note.

The legendary interpretation in Primasius is worth noticing: translatus est in paradisum terrenum unde quondam Adam ejectus est.

ouch heur...dioti meteth. ho th.] The writer follows the interpretative rendering of the lxx. while the Hebrew has simply: he was not, for God took him, a phrase which leaves the mode of Enoch's departure from life quite open. Comp. Wisd. iv. 10 f.

pro gar tes met.] Faith was the ground of the translation because his pleasing God is specially mentioned before this took place; and such pleasing implies faith. The circumstances under which Enoch lived gave prominence to his Faith. In a corrupt age he is said to have maintained that fellowship with God which Is identical with pleasing Him.

memarturetai] The witness stands

euarestekenai to theo,?choris de pisteos adunaton euarestesai, pisteusai gar dei ton proserchomenon [to] theo hoti estin kai tois ekzetousin auton misthapodotes ginetai.?Pistei chrematistheis Noe peri ton medepo blepomenon eulabetheis kateskeuasen kiboton eis soterian tou oikou autou, di' hes katekrinen ton kosmon, kai tes kata

6 to theo '*AD?*: theo '*.

recorded. For the use of the perfect see c. vii. 6 note.

euarestekenai] The lxx. use the word euerestese to render Hebrew (walked with God Gen. v. 22; Aqu. periepatei (Sym. anestrepheto)...sun to ieo).

(6). The simple notice that Enoch 'pleased God' (or 'walked with God') is a sufficient proof of his Faith. For Faith is an essential condition of 'pleasing' (or of 'fellowship'). The aorists euarestesai, pisteusai express the absolute idea.

pisteusai dei...] The Faith which is thus declared to be necessary for everyone who approaches God as a worshipper (ton proserchomenon c. vii. 25 note), includes two elements, the belief (a) that God is, and (b) that He is morally active; in other words it is a Faith in the existence and in the moral government of God.

hoti estin kai...ginetai] that He is—that there is One Who answers to the intuition—and that He shews Himself a rewarder... Vulg. quia est et...fit. For misthapodotes see c. ii. 2 note. In connexion with this statement Chrysostom asks pothen; oupo gar oude to Abel apedoken. hoste ho logismos hetera hupeballen he d[e pistis ta enantia ton horomenon.

The word ekzetein, which is common in the lxx., wherever it occurs in the N. T. in the sense of 'searching' suggests the notion of strenuous endeavour: c. xii. 17; Acts xv. 17 (lxx.); Rom. iii. 11 (lxx.); 1 Pet. i. 10.

The Faith of Noah was directed to a special revelation which was made known to others also. In this respect it differed from the Faith of Abel and Enoch. Thus Chrysostom to men hupodeigma tou Enoch pisteos hen hupodeigma monon, to de tou Noe kai apistias.

For chrematistheis (Vulg. responso accepto) see c. viii. 5 note. 'The things not yet seen' (not indefinitely ('things'), the judgment which was to come upon the world with all its attendant circumstances, were the subject of the divine communication. Contrast peri mell. v. 20.

eulabetheis katesk.] moved with pious care (he) prepared...Vulg. metuens aptavit...Compare c. v. 7 (apo tes eulabeias); xii. 28 (meta aidous kai eulabeias); Acts xxiii. 10.

This characteristic was at once called out by the divine warning. Chrematistheis and eulabetheis appear to be coincident in time.

The word kateskeuasen (1 Pet. iii. 20) includes both the construction and the fitting up of the ark: comp. c. iii. 3 note.

di' hes] through which ark (comp. v. 4). His Faith was visibly presented to the eyes of his contemporaries by the construction of the ark. Through this then he condemned the unbelieving world, as witnessing to the divine destruction which was to come upon them in just recompense for their deeds.

Both here and in v. 4 di' hes may be referred to Faith, but in both cases pistin dikaiosunes egeneto kleronomos.?Pistei kaloumenos

8 ho kaloum. AD?* vg: kaloum. S '.

the form of the argument seems to require a reference to the outward expression of the Faith. The sacrifice of Abel and the ark of Noah were, so to speak, the Faith of each made visible. And so it can rightly be said that Noah through the ark—the embodiment of his Faith in deed—became heir of the righteousness according to Faith.

katekrinen...egeneto] The first verb though the form is ambiguous, is probably an imperfect and describes the constant significance of his action, comparatione scilicet melioris fidei et facti (Primas.).

ton kosmon] Compare v. 38.

tes kata pist. dikaios. kler.] Noah is the first man who receives the title of 'righteous' in the O. T. (Gen. vi. 9 HebrewP"!Y), as was remarked by Philo, de congr. erud. gr. § 17 (i. p. 532 M.). Comp. Ezek. xiv. 14, 20; Ecclus. xliv. 17; Wisd. x. 4, 6; 2 Pet. ii. 5.

'Faith' and 'righteousness' are placed in different connexions one with the other, which will repay study.

(b) dik. he ek p. (he ek p. dik.) Rom. ix. 30; x. 6.

(g) he ek theou dik. epi te p. Phil. iii. 9.

(d) he kata p. dik.

'The righteousness according to faith,' the righteousness which 'answers to,' 'corresponds with' faith, is that righteousness which God alone can give, which answers to, corresponds with, that spiritual order which faith alone enters.

For kata pistin see v. 13 note.

kleronomos] The righteousness was something which came to him as having its source without, and yet according to a certain law. It was his by an unquestionable right: it corresponded with the position of a son; and this position Noah shewed by his conduct to be his. Compare c. i. 14 (kleronomein soterian); xii. 17 (kler. ten eulogian). The righteousness was not a hope for the future but a real possession by the gift of God. Compare Addit. Note on vi. 12.

(3) 8—22. The Faith of the Patriarchs.

With the call of Abraham the records of Faith enter on a new phase. Faith is treated henceforth in relation to a society, a people of God, through whom the divine blessings were to be extended to mankind. Under this wider aspect Faith is regarded in two forms as shewn by the representative founders of the ancient people in (a) the Faith of patient Obedience which is the foundation of the Kingdom of God, and in (b) the Faith of Sacrifice which is the principle of its development.

(a) The patriarchal Faith of Obedience and Patience (8—16).

The Faith of patient Obedience is traced mainly in the life of Abraham who impressed his own character upon his descendants (8—12)(a). In him and in them it was openly shewn that the societies of earth have a spiritual archetype which is the true object of human endeavour (13—16) (b).

(a) The Faith of patient Obedience seen in the Faith of Abraham (8—12).

The Faith of the patriarchs, represented by the Faith of Abraham, is presented under three different aspects:

(i) As Abraham trusted God wholly, going forth he knew not whither (v. 8). (The Faith of self-surrender.)

(ii) As he waited on the scene of his hope looking for God's work (vv. 9 f.). (The Faith of patience.)

(iii) As he communicated his faith to Sarah, so that through them ('one flesh') the innumerable offspring

Abraam hupekousen exelthein eis topon hon emellen eis t. exel. D?. topon '* AD?*: ton t. S. '*.

of faith were born (vv. 11 f.). (The Faith of influence.)

In each case Abraham cast himself upon the unseen and realised the future.

The promise was thus carried to its first typical fulfilment (vi. 15).

The Faith of Abraham is no less conspicuous in later Jewish teaching than in Christian teaching. He is said (Mechilta on Ex. xiv. 31, ap. Delitzsch l.c.) to have gained this world and the world to come by Faith. In this respect he is spoken of as a father of the Gentiles (Delitzsch, Brief an d. Römer p. 80). His experience was reflected in the experience of Israel (Beresh. R. § 40, on Gen. xii. 16). Israel also fulfilled a work for the nations.

On the trials of Abraham see Dr Taylor on Aboth, v. 4.

In this place the Faith of Abraham is not connected directly with personal righteousness, as in St Paul's Epistles, but is presented as the power through which the patriarch was enabled to work towards the fulfilment of God's counsel for the nations by his trust in the unseen.

?By faith Abraham, when called, obeyed, to go forth into a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went forth, while he knew not whither he was coming (going).

?By faith he entered as a sojourner into the land of promise, as into a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; ¹?for he looked for the city that hath the foundations, whose designer and maker is God.

¹¹By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed, and that when she was past age, since she counted Him faithful who had promised. ¹²Wherefore also children were born from one, and him as good as dead, as many as the stare in heaven for multitude, and as the sand that is by the seashore that cannot be counted.

(8). (i) The Faith of self-surrender.

The beginning of the Messianic nation was a call, a separation. The founder had a promise of an inheritance. This promise he could trust though he knew not how it would be fulfilled.

pistei kaloum....kleronomian] By faith Abraham when called obeyed, to go forth into a place which he was to receive as an inheritance. Vulg. Fide qui vocatur Abraham (ho kal. Abr.) obedivit exire in locum...

The present participle (kaloumenos not kletheis) serves to emphasise the immediate act of obedience (hupekousen). He obeyed the call while (so to say) it was still sounding in his ears.

If the reading ho kaloumenos is adopted the sense will be: 'he that in a unique sense received the new name Abraham': to ho kaloumenos Abraam dia ten tou onomatos enallagen eireken (Theod.). Fide qui vocatur nunc Abraham tunc vocabatur Abram (Primas.).

exelthein] The point in this 'going forth' was that Abraham gave up all in faith upon the invisible God (Gen. xii. 1; Acts vii. 3: comp. xiii. 13); and in doing this he knew not what he was to receive. The future was safe in God's counsel. In this supreme act, by which he became 'the father of the faithful,' Abraham had no example to follow. Tina gar eiden hina zelose; ho pater auto eidololatres hen, propheton ouk hekousen. hoste pisteos hen to hupakousai hos aletheuonti to theo peri hon hupischneito kai apheinai ta en chersin (Theophlct. after Chrys.). He went forth to a place' (not 'the place') of

lambanein eis kleronomian, kai exelthen me epistamenos pou erchetai.?Pistei parokesen eis gen tes epangelias hos allotrian, en skenais katoikesas meta Isaak kai Iakob ton sunkleronomon tes epangelias tes autes·

kler. lamb. '*: eis kler. lamb. '*: lamb. eis kler. '*.

9 pistei: + kai' p. D?*. gen 'A: + ten' g. S D?*. tes ep. tes autes 'A: *tes ep. autes '*: tes autes ep. '*: tes ep. autou D?*.

which all that he knew was that in the end it should be his.

kei exelthen...erchetai] and he went forth while he knew not whither he was coming (going). It was not revealed to Abraham till he had left Haran what was to be his abode: Gen. xii. 7; comp. Acts vii. 2 f. Hence Philo says truly: ton mellonta te huposchesei chronon prodioristai, eipon ouch hen diknumi all' hen soi deixo, eis marturian pisteos hen episteusen he psuche theo (de migr. Abr. § 9; i. 442 M.).

The use of erchetai presents the patriarch as already on his journey; and the writer seems to regard his end as the promised land in which he himself is ideally (erchetai not poreuetai).

(9), (10) (ii) The Faith of patience.

The Faith of self-surrender was submitted to a longer proof. When Abraham reached the land which was to be his, he occupied it only as a sojourner. He had to learn that the promise of God would not be fulfilled by any material possession.

(9). pistei parokesen eis...] By faith he entered as a sojourner (peregrinatus est Hier.) into the land of promise...For parok. eis compare Acts xii. 19; and for parokesen see Luke xxiv. 18; compare Acts vii. 6, 29 (paroikos); xiii. 17 (paroikia); Eph. ii. 19 (paroikos); 1 Pet. ii. 11 (paroikos); i. 17 (paroikia). The word is common in the lxx. e.g. Gen. xxi. 23; xxiii. 4.

The phrase ge tes epangelias (Vulg. terra repromissionum) occurs here only in the N. T. There is no corresponding Hebrew phrase in the O. T., nor is there any exact parallel. It describes the land which was attached to the promises; to which they pointed; which was assured to Abraham by God. Comp. Gen. xii. 7; xiii. 15 &c. For the use of epangelias compare Eph. i. 13. And for allotrian see Acts vii. 6; Gen. xv. 13 (lxx. ouk idia); comp. Matt. xvii. 25 f.

en sk. katoikesas...tes autes] Abraham dwelt throughout the time of his sojourn (katoikesas) in tents, so declaring that that which was to be permanent was not yet attained. And Isaac and Jacob, who shared his hope, shewed the same patience of faith. The premature settlement of Lot and its disastrous issue point the lesson of Abraham's discipline.

The paradox in en skenais katoikesas is to be noticed. On the contrast of katoikein and paroikein see Philo de agric. § 14 (i. p. 310 M.); de conf. ling. § 17 (i. p. 416 M.); quis rer. div. haer. § 54 (i. p. 511 M.).

Isaac and Jacob are specially mentioned because these three, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, cover the whole period of disciplinary sojourning in Canaan; and to these three the foundation promise was repeated (Gen. xii. 2 f.; xxvi. 3 ff.; xxviii. 13 f.; comp. Ex. vi. 3, 8). For sunkler. tes epang., compare vi. 12, 17.

Biesenthal quotes a striking passage from Sanh. f. iii. a in which the patient faith of the patriarchs is illustrated by the fact that while they were heirs of the land they bore without complaint the trial of gaining with difficulty what they needed there for the

¹?exedecheto gar ten tous themelious echousan polin, hes technites kai demiourgos ho theos. ¹¹Pistei kai aute Sarra dunamin eis katabolen spermatos elaben kai

11 Sarra S 'A: + steira D? vg syrr me the. el.: + eis to teknosai D?* syr hl. om. kai' (para) D?*.

simplest wants (Gen. xxiii. 4 ff.; xxvi. 17 ff.; xxxiii. 19).

(10). The ground of this patient waiting was the growing sense of the greatness of the divine purpose. Abraham felt, under the teaching of his pilgrim life, that no earthly resting-place could satisfy the wants and the powers of which he was conscious. He looked beyond the first fulfilment of the promise which was only a step in the accomplishment of the purpose of God.

exedecheto gar...ho theos] for he looked for the city that hath the foundations... For exedecheto compare c. x. 13; James v. 7; and apekdechomai c. ix. 28 note. The object of his desire was social and not personal only. 'He looked for the city that hath the foundations'—the divine ideal of which every earthly institution is but a transitory image. The visible Jerusalem, the visible Temple, were farther from this spiritual archetype than the tents of the patriarch and the Tabernacle of the wilderness. They were in large measure of human design and wholly of human construction. But God Himself frames and constructs the heavenly city (v. 16) no less than the heavenly sanctuary: c. viii. 2. Comp. c. xii. 22 f.; xiii. 14; Apoc. xxi. 2; Gal iv. 26 (and Lightfoot's note); (Is. xxxiii. 20; Ps. lxxxiv.). See Additional Note.

The idea of tous them. ech. is that of the one 'city' which has 'the eternal foundations.' To this outwardly the tents of the patriarchs offered the most striking contrast. Comp. Apoc. xxi. 14.

hes techn. kai dem. ho theos] whose designer and maker is God. Vulg. cujus artifex et conditor Deus. The word techmites in this connexion refers to the plan and demiourgos to the execution of it. Technites occurs in the more general sense of 'craftsman 'Acts xix. 24, 38; Apoc. xviii. 22: demiourgos is not found again in N.T.

(11), (12). (iii) The Faith of influence.

Abraham had to sustain yet a third trial before the promise received an initial fulfilment. The son through whom the blessing was to come was not born while his birth was naturally to be expected and according to man's reckoning possible. But Sarah, who was at first unbelieving, was at last inspired with her husband's Faith by his example and influence; and the promise found amplest accomplishment.

(11). pistei kai aute Sarra...] By faith even Sarah herself...though she more than doubted. Sarah is evidently regarded in the closest union with Abraham (v. 12 aph' henos). She was 'one with him.' Her faith was a condition for the fruitfulness of his faith. Egelase to proton ouk eiduia tou hupischnoumenou ten phusin kai tes anthropeias phuseos tous horous epistamene...husteron mentoi mathousa ton huposchomenon kai episteuse kai agennesen hos episteuse (Theodt).

para kairon helikias, epei piston hegesato ton epangeilamenon. ¹²dio kai aph' henos egennethesan, kai tauta nenekromenou, kathos ta astra tou ouranou to plethei kai hos he

12 egenethesan helikias '* AD?* vg me the: + heteken S '* syrr. 12 egenneth. ': egeneth. AD?*. hos he 'A: kathos he D?*: hosei S.

eis katab. sp.] Vulg. in conceptionem seminis. The translation 'for the founding of a race' is altogether unnatural. The thought here extends no farther than to the direct personal issue of Sarah's Faith. She was enabled to become the mother of Abraham's son. She co-operated on her part with Abraham towards the fulfilment of the promise. The promise was to Abraham, and the work of faith was primarily his (hence eis kata bolen sp. [e.g. Chrys. Ad illum. ii. § 1 en hemera mia dunaton homou kai spermata katabalein kai ameton poiesasthai] and not eis sullepsin sp. or the like), but it was needful that Sarah should join by faith with him. Enedunamothe eis to hupodexasthai kai kratesai to katablethen eis auten sperma tou Abraam (Theophlct.).

kai para k. hel.] Even against the natural expectation of the age which she had reached, hoste diplen eiche perosin, ten te apo phuseos hoti steira hen kai ten apo tou geros (Theophlct). Comp. Plat. Theoet. 149 C tais...di' helikian atokois.

For piston heg. ton epang., compare c. x. 23.

(12). dio kai aph' henos] Wherefore also children were born through her from one, and that from one as good as dead...Though Sarah is lost, so to speak, in Abraham with whom she was united (aph' henos), yet her act of Faith completing his Faith is made the reason of the fulfilment of the promise (dio).

Aph' henos tou Abraam. ei de kai amphoterous hina noesaimen ouch hamartesometha. esontai gar, phesin, hoi duo eis sarka mian (Theodt.).

The classical phrase kai tauta is found here only in N. T.; kai touto occurs Rom. xiii. 11; 1 Cor. vi. 6, 8; 3 John 5. For venekromenou compare Rom. iv. 19.

kathos ta astra...] Gen. xxii. 17; xxxii. 12. At first the promise is of an heir, and then of a countless progeny. Comp. vi. 13 note.

The references in the O. T. to Abraham as 'the one' are significant: Mal. ii. 15; Is. li. 1 f.; Ezek. xxxiii. 24.

(b) Characteristics of the patriarchal life of faith (13—16).

The life of the patriarchs was a life of faith to the last, supported by trust in the invisible which they had realised, resting on complete surrender, directed beyond earth (13). They shewed that the true satisfaction of human powers, the 'city' which answers to man's social instincts, must be 'heavenly' (14-16).

¹³These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them afar, and having confessed that they are strangers and sojourners on the earth. ¹?For they that say such things make it plain that they are seeking after a fatherland (a country of their own). ¹?And if indeed they had thought of that from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹?But now they desire a better, that is a heavenly fatherland; wherefore God is not ashamed of them, not ashamed to be called their God;

ammos he para to cheilos tes thalasses he anarithmetos. ¹³Kata pistin apethanon houtoi pantes, me komisamenoi tas epangelias, alla porrothen autas idontes kai aspasamenoi, kai homologesantes hoti xenoi kai parepidemoi eisin

om. he p. t. ch. D?*. 13 komisamenoi '*: labontes S '* D?: prosdexamenoi A. idontes 'AD? vg syrr me the: + kai peisthentes S. xenoi: + kai paroikoi D?*.

for He (hath) prepared for them a city.

(13). Having described the victories of faith gained by the patriarchs the writer marks the great lessons of their death and of their life. 'These all'—the three to whom the promises were given, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with Sarah, the representative of faithful womanhood—'died in faith'; and in life they had realised the promises which they had not outwardly received in a threefold order of growing power. They had seen them: they had welcomed them: they had acknowledged that earth could not fulfil them.

kata p. apethanon] they died in faith, literally 'according to faith' (Vulg. justa fidem), that is, under the influence and according to the spirit of Faith, inspired, sustained, guided by Faith. Faith was the rule of their lives, the measure of their growth, even to the end. They faced death as men who retained their hold on the invisible, which was offered to them in the promises of God, though earth 'gave them no pledge.' So their departure was transformed into 'a going home.' For kata pistin compare Matt. ix. 29 kata ten p. genetheto soi: Tit. i. 1, 4; v. 7.

By houtoi pantes we must understand the first representatives of the patriarchs and not (as Primasius and others) the whole array of their descendants (v. 12).

me kom....alla] The clause does not simply state a fact (ou komis....alla), but gives this fact as the explanation of the assertion that the patriarchs 'died in faith': 'They died in faith inasmuch as they had not received the outward fulness of the promises—the possession of Canaan, the growth of the nation, universal blessing through their race—but had realised them while they were still unseen and future.'

For komisamenoi see c. x. 36 note; v. 39.

porrothen au. idontes...aspasamenoi...homologesantes...] The three thoughts rise in a natural succession. They saw the promises in their actual fulfilment: they welcomed the vision with joy though it was far off: they confessed what must be the true end of God's counsel. For idontes compare John viii. 56. Porrothen occurs again in N. T. Luke xvii. 12.

On apasamenoi Chrysostom says well: apo metaphoras eipe ton pleonton kai porrothen horonton tas poleis tas pothoumenas, has prin he eiselthein eis autas te prosresei labontes autas oikeiountai. Compare Æn. iii. 522.

Italiam primus conclamat Achates,

Italiam laeto socii clamore salutant.

kai homolsgesantes] The language of Abraham (Gen. xxiii. 4 lxx.; comp. Gen. xlvii. 9; xxiv. 37; xxviii. 4) is used as expressing the view which the patriarchs took of their life. Compare Ps. xxxix. (xxxviii.) 12; cxix. (cxviii.) 19, 54.

Philo places a similar interpretation on the 'sojourning' of the fathers: de conf. ling. § 17, i. p. 416 M. Not only was the 'land' of Palestine 'strange' to them (v. 9), but the 'earth' itself.

epi tes ges. ¹?hoi gar toiauta legontes emphanizousin hoti patrida epizetousin. ¹?kai ei men ekeines emnemoneuon aph' hes exebesan, eichon an kairon anakampsai. ¹?nun de

14 e'etousin D?*. 15 emnemonenon '* A vg: mnemoneuousin '* (D?*?). exebesan '* AD?*: exelthon S '*. om. an D?*. 16 nun: nuni S.

xenoi kai parepidemoi] Vulg. peregrini et hospites. Things seen were not their true home, and they remained among them only for a short space. For xenoi compare Eph. ii. 12, 19; and for parepidemoi, 1 Pet. i. 1; ii. 11: (Gen. xxiii. 4); Ps. xxxix. (xxxviii.) 12: (lxx.); Lev. xxv. 23. Comp. Addit. Note on v. 10.

For the thought compare a striking passage of the Letter to Diognetus, c. 5.

14—16. These verses develop the last clause of v. 13, and define the grounds of the statement which has been made that the patriarchs 'died in Faith.' Their language shewed that they continued to the last to look for that which they had not attained. As 'strangers' they acknowledged that they were in a foreign land: as 'sojourners' that they had no permanent possession, no rights of citizenship. At the same time they kept their trust in God. Their natural fatherland had lost its hold upon them. They waited for a 'city' of God's preparing.

(14). hoi gar toiauta...] The language of the patriarchs makes clear that they sought for a country, which should be naturally and essentially their own, not simply the fruit of gift or conquest, but a true 'fatherland.' They had no fatherland on earth. The word patris, which is rare in the lxx. (Jer. xlvi. 16 n$D gIph, is found here only in the Epistles (John iv. 41 and parallels).

For emphanizousin (Vulg. significant) comp. c. ix. 24 note; and for epizetousin, c. xiii. 14. Compare Is. lxii. 12 su (Zion) klethese epizetoumene polis.

(15). kai ei men...] They spoke of a home not yet reached; and in so speaking they could not have referred to that home which they had left in Mesopotamia, the seat of primitive civilisation; for return thither was easy. Nor again could Palestine, even when occupied at last, have satisfied their hopes; this remained the Lord's land: Lev. xxv. 23.

emnemoneuon] Vulg. meminissent. The verb mnemoneuo has commonly in the N. T., as in this Epistle c. xiii. 7, the sense of 'remember'; but in v. 22, and perhaps in 1 Thess. i. 3, it has the second sense of 'make mention.' It seems on the whole more natural to take that sense here and to suppose that the reference is to the language just quoted rather than to a general feeling: 'and if their words, when they so spoke, had been directed to the country from which they went...' 'if they had meant that....' The imperfect is used rather than the aorist (homologesantes) since the words were the expression of a continuous state of mind.

aph'hes exebesan] The word ekbainein occurs here only in N. T. (bainein does not occur at all). It gives a more personal colour to the act than the general word exelthon used before. Compare v. 29 diebesan.

eichon an kairon...] Vulg. habebant utique tempus revertendi. Comp. Acts xxiv. 25 kairon metalabon. Gal. vi. 10 hos kairon echomen. For anakampsai see Matt. ii. 12; Lk. x. 6; Acts xviii. 21.

(16). nun de...] But now, as the case is,...see 1 Cor. vii. 14; xii. 20; c. viii. 6 note.

kreittonos oregontai, tout' estin epouraniou. dio ouk epaischunetai autous ho theos theos epikaleisthai auton, hetoimasen gar autois polin. ¹?Pistei prosenenochen

epik. au. theos D?*.

Though their expectation received no definite fulfilment, the desire remained still fresh; and all partial fulfilments led them to look forward, and to look beyond the transitory.

For oregontai (Vulg. adpetunt), which is not in the lxx., see 1 Tim. iii. i; vi. 10; and for epouraniou, see c. iii. 1 note.

dio...] wherefore..., because their thoughts were directed to spiritual realities, God, Who is spirit, acknowledged them as His own, revealing Himself as 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob' (Ex. iii. 6, 15 f.; Matt. xxii. 32). Compare Chrysostom: i' tes oikoumenes theos ouk epaischunetai trion kaleisthai theos. eikotos. ou gar tes oikoumenes alla murion toiouton eisin antirropoi hoi hagioi.

ouk epaisch. autous...theos epik....] God is not ashamed of them, not ashamed to be called their God. Vulg. non confunditur deus vocari deus eorum.

The second clause is added in explanation: 'is not ashamed of them, is not ashamed, that is, to be called'—named by a peculiar title (Acts iv. 36; x. 5, 18, 32 &c.)—'their God.' hetoim. gar au. p.] The proof of God's acceptance of the patriarchs lies in what He did for them. Their faith truly corresponded with His purpose. They entered into His design and He acknowledged their devotion and trust. He was pleased to establish a personal relation with them, and to fulfil His spiritual promise; for 'He prepared for them a city.' He made provision for their abiding continuance with Him in the fulness of human life. The statement is made in the most absolute form without any definition of time ('He had prepared,' or 'thereupon He prepared').

The fulfilment of the promise in its highest form is set before us as social and not simply as personal. God prepared for His chosen not a home but a 'city,' a Divine Commonwealth (Vulg. paravit illis civitatem). Ps. cvii. 36.

For the idea of polis see Additional Note on v. 10; and for etoimazein compare John xiv. 2; Apoc. xxi. 2.

(b) The patriarchal Faith of sacrifice (against natural judgment) (18—22).

From the general description of the life of faith in the patriarchs, to whom the promise was first committed, the writer goes on to give special illustrations of the power of faith, as the promise was seen to advance towards fulfilment through trial. Thus he notices

(a) The primary trial (vv. 17—19). That through which God works is first wholly surrendered to Him.

(b) The patriarchal blessings. The natural order reversed: Isaac, Jacob (vv. 20, 21).

(g) The world abandoned (v. 22).

In the former paragraph the personal triumph of faith over death has been described: here faith is seen to look through death to the later issue for others.

'By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up (hath offered up) Isaac; yea, he that had gladly received the

Abraam ton Isaak peirazomenos, kai ton monogene prosepheren

17 ton I. peir. Abr. D?*.

promises prepared to offer up his only son; ¹?he to whom it was said In Isaac shall thy seed be called; ¹?accounting that God is able to raise up even from the dead, whence he also in a figure received him.

²?By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau and that concerning things to come.

²¹By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and he worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

²²By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

(a) The trial of Abraham (17—19).

The references to Abraham in the 0. T. are fewer than might have been expected. There appears to be no mention of his sacrifice unless it is implied in Is. xli. 8 (Abraham that loved me). It is referred to in Ecclus. xliv. 20 en peirasmo heurethe pistos; and the same words are found in 1 Macc. ii. 52. Compare Wisd. x. 5; James ii. 21.

Tho trial of Abraham was not so much in the conflict of his natural affection with his obedience to God, as in the apparent inconsistency of the revelations of the will of God which were made to him.

Thus the greatness of Abraham's Faith was shown by the fact that he was ready to sacrifice his only son, though it had been before declared that the fulfilment of the promise which he had received was to come through him. His obedience therefore included the conviction of some signal and incomprehensible work of God whose promise could not fail. At the same time the nature of the trial left an opportunity for the right exercise of Faith. The specific command could be fulfilled only in one way: the promise might be fulfilled in more ways than one. So Faith triumphed.

Chrysostom calls attention to this feature in Abraham's trial as involving an apparent conflict in the divine will towards him: ta gar tou theou edokei tois tou theou machesthai, kai pistis emacheto pistei, kai prostagma epangelia...enantia tais huposchesesi prosetetakto poiein kai oude houtos ethorubethe oude ilengiasen oude epatesthai enomisen. And so Theophylact more tersely: entautha ou monon phusis emacheto alla kai logos theopu theio prostagmati

(17). pistei...peirazomenos] By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up (literally hath offered up) Isaac. The contrast between prosenenochen and prosegeren which follows (Vulg. obtulit, offerebat, Syr. vg. offered, lifted on the altar) is easily felt, but it is difficult to represent it in translation. The first verb expresses the permanent result of the offering completed by Abraham in will: the second his actual readiness in preparing the sacrifice which was not literally carried into effect. As far as the trial went (peirazomenos) the work was at once completed. Comp. James ii. 21 edikaiothe anenenkas.

For the perfect prosenenochen compare v. 28 pepoieken, and c. vii. 6 note.

The use of the word peirazomenos (Gen. xxii. 1 ff.) marks the decisive severity of the trial. The tense (as distinguished from peirastheis (comp. c. ii. 18) marks the immediate coincidence of the act of obedience with the call for it. Comp. v. 8 kaloumenos.

On the trial Theophylact observes [ho theos] autos peirazei hina dokimoterous deiche. Comp. James i. 12.

kai ton morog....avadexamenos] yea, he that had gladly received the promises prepared to offer up his only son. Vulg. et unigenitum offerebat qui

ho tas epangelias anadexamenos, ¹?pros hon elalethe hoti En 'Icaak klethesetai soi sperma, ¹?logisamenos hoti kai ek nekron egeirein dunatos ho theos. othen auton kai ev parabole ekomisato. ²?Pistei kai peri mellonton

18 om. hoti D?*. 19 egeirein 'D?: egeirai (-s) A. dunatos 'D?* vg: dunatai A. 20 pistei kai AD?* vg: om. kai S ' syrr me the.

susceperat repromissiones. The 'only son' is placed in significant parallelism with the 'promise.' In regard to the promise Isaac was 'the only son' of Abraham (Gen. xvii. 19). So Theophylact (and others): pos de monogenes en Isaak hopouge kai ton Ismael eiche; all' hoson kata ton epangelias logon' monogenes. Comp. Gen. xn. 2 f.; xvi. 15; xvii. 16 ff. The lxx. in Gen. xxii. 2 gives ton huion sou ton agapeton en egapesas, but Aquila has ton monogene (or monachon) and Symmachus ton monon sou.

The word anadechesthai is unusual. It occurs again in N. T. only in Acts xxviii. 7. The idea which it suggests here seems to be that of welcoming and cherishing a divine charge which invoked a noble responsibility. The word is used frequently of undertaking that which calls out effort and endurance (e.g. polemon, poliorkian Polyb., Plut. Indd.). Clement says of Adam teleios kata ten kataskeuen ouk egeneto pros de to anadexasthai ten areten epitedeios (Strom. vi. 12).

(18). pros hon elal.] he to whom it was said (i.e. Abraham). Vulg. ad quem dictum est,...not 'him in reference to whom' (Isaac)...; Luke ii. 18, 20. The latter rendering is against the structure of the sentence; though it is in itself possible: comp. i. 7, 8.

en Isaak...] Gen. xxi. 12. The words en Isaak stand emphatically first: In Isaac, and in no other, a seed shall bear thy name, shall be called thine. Comp. Rom. ix. 7.

Sedulius sums up well the elements in Abraham's act of faith: Triplex bonum fecit, quod filium, et quod unigenitum, et repromissionem in quo accepit, offerebat.

(19). The obedience of Abraham rested on his faith in the creative power of God. His conclusion was made at once and finally (logisamenos not logizomenos) that God could raise from the dead. That this was his judgment follows of necessity from the fact that he was ready to surrender Isaac without giving up his faith in the fulfilment of the divine promise.

For logizomai hoti compare John xi. 50; 2 Cor. x. 11; Rom. ii. 3; viii. 18.

kai ek nekron eg....] The belief is expressed quite generally that God 'is able even from the dead to raise' (Vulg. quia et a mortuis suscitare potens est Deus). The order of the sentence is telling in every word, as also is its absolute form (not eg. auton); and the choice of dunatos in place of dunatai extends the idea of the power of God beyond this particular act which would reveal it. Comp. 2 Tim. i. 12. Dunatos is practically equivalent to duvatei (Rom. xiv. 4; 2 Cor. ix. 8: opposed to asthenei) as contrasted with dunatai.

hothen...ekomisato] whence (i.e. from the dead) he also in a figure received him. Elsewhere in the Epistle (see ii. 17 n.) the word has the sense of 'wherefore'; but such a connexion of the clauses here (pro hoc etiam Aug.), whether the words which follow are supposed to express the reward or the circumstances of his Faith, is altogether unnatural, and the local sense is common (Luke xi. 24, &c.).

But it is doubted whether the reference is to the birth of Isaac or to his deliverance from the altar. The latter explanation, which is adopted by the great majority of commentators from early times, and is perfectly justified by the original words, adds nothing to the thought of the passage. It seems to be pointless to complete the description of Abraham's faith by saying that something really came to pass far less than he was able to look forward to. On the other hand there is great meaning in the clause if it reveals the grounds of the patriarch's expectation. The circumstances of Isaac's birth (v. 12 nenekromenou) were such as to lead him to look beyond the mere fact. It evidently contained a divine lesson and had a spiritual meaning. That giving of a son beyond nature included a larger hope. Comp. Aug. Serm. ii. § 1 Cogitavit Abraham Deum qui dedit ut ille de senibus nasceretur qui non erat posse etiam de morte reparare.

If this sense be adopted then the interpretation of ev parabole follows from it. Abraham received the gift of his son not literally from the dead but figuratively, in such a way that the gift suggested a further lesson. This appears to be the force of the order of the phrase (kai en par. ekomisato) in which the kai goes with the compound verb 'en par. ekomisato.' Thus the exact sense is not 'whence in figure he also received him' (en par. kai ekom.), but 'whence he also received him in figure.' The manner in which the birth took place was, so to speak, part of the divine gift. It constrained the father to see in it a type of other quickening.

If, however, ekomisato be referred to the deliverance of Isaac, then en parabole will mark the significance of the sacrifice and restoration of Isaac as typical of the death and resurrection of Christ. His restoration was not only such that it might be called figuratively a resurrection, but it pointed forward.

In either case we seem to have here the explanation of St John viii. 56.

Tho patristic interpretations of en parabole are various and wavering. Chrysostom is singularly obscure, if the text is correct: en parabole toutestin hos en ainigmate. hosper gar parabole hen ho krios tou Isaak. he hos thusia kai esphakto ho Isaak te proairesei, dia touto auton charizetai to patriarche.

Theodoret is at least more definite: en parabole toutestin hos en sumbolo kai tupo tes anastaseos...en auto de proegraphe kai tou soteriou pathous ho tupos (John viii. 56).

Theophylact, like Chrysostom, gives alternative explanations: anti tou en tupo, eis hendeixin musteriou tou kata Christon...he anti tou en to krio ekomisato auton ho Abraam, toutestin en te antidosei tou kriou.

Oecumenius offers confusedly several interpretations, but prefers that which represents the whole action of Abraham and Isaac as typical of the gift of the Son by the Father.

Primasius gives the sense which became current in the West, that the ram represented the manhood of Christ in which He was not only offered but slain: Occisus est Isaac quantum ad voluntatem patris pertinet Deinde redonavit illum Deus patriarchae in parabola, id est, in figura et similitudine passionis Christi...Aries significabat carnem Christi. Isaac oblatus est et non est interfectus sed aries tantum: quia Christus in passione oblatus est sed divinitas illius impassibilis mansit.

The word parabole occurs again c. ix. 9. Besides, it occurs only in the Synoptic Gospels.

eulogesen Isaak ton Iakob kai ton Esau: ²¹Pistei Iakob apothneskon ekaston ton huion Ioseph eulogesen,

om. Isaak '*.

(b) The patriarchal blessings: the reversal of natural expectations (20, 21).

The Faith of the patriarchs in looking towards the fulfilment of the promise was able to set aside the expectations which were based on the rules of human succession, whether, as in the case of Isaac, they accepted the divine will when it was contrary to their own purpose (v. 20), or, as in the case of Jacob, they interpreted it (v. 21).

An element beyond human calculation entered into the gradual accomplishment of the promise as into its initial foundation.

(20). The blessing of Isaac forms a crisis in the fulfilment of the divine counsel. A choice is made between those through whom the promise might equally have been fulfilled. The choice was not, as in the case of Ishmael and Isaac, between the son of the bondwoman and the son of the free, but between twin brothers. And the will of God inverted the purely human order. Both sons were blessed, but the younger had the precedence and became heir of the promise (ton Iakob kai to Esau). Compare Mal. 1. 2, 3 (Rom. ix. 13); c. xii. 16.

Isaac acknowledged the overruling of his own purpose (Gen. xxvii. 33).

kai peri mell. eulog.] Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau and that concerning things to come (Gen. xxvii), concerning things to come as well as (kai) in regard to their immediate position. (Syr. vg. by faith in that which was to come.)

The blessing of Isaac reached beyond the immediate future which could be realised by his sons in their own life-time. His words pointed onward to a distant order (mellonton not ton mell.). The faith of Isaac was shewn by his acceptance of the destination of his highest blessing, 'the blessing,' to the younger son which was against his own will; and by his later blessing of Esau. In itself the supreme value attached to 'the blessing' (xii. 17) with its unseen consequences was a sign of faith.

Throughout the later history of the O. T. the fortunes of the children of Israel and of the children of Esau are in constant connexion and conflict.

With the indefinite mellonta contrast ta erchomena John xvi. 13.

(21). The blessing of Jacob, like that of Isaac, marked a fresh stage in the fulfilment of the promise. The providential office was then entrusted not to one but to a whole family the members of which had separate parts to perform. But the writer of the Epistle does not refer to the general foreshadowing of the future of the several patriarchs. He confines himself to the peculiar blessing given to Joseph through his sons, in whom the service of Egypt was, so to speak, received for divine use. Here again one point seems to be the freedom of God's choice. In this case also, as in the case of Jacob, the younger is preferred to the elder. But at the same time the practical exaltation of Joseph to the privilege of the firstborn in place of Reuben indicates the fulfilment of a righteous judgment in the providence of God.

The blessing itself is remarkable: Gen. xlviii. 16 The angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the lads... Compare the prophetic words to Joseph: Gen. xlix. 25.

p. I. apothn. he. t. hui. I. eul.] By faith Jacob when he was dying blessed each of the sons of Joseph, Gen. xlviii. At the close of life (Gen. xlviii. 21 idou ego apothnesko) Jacob's faith was

kai prosekunesen epi to akron tes rhabdou autou. ²²Pistei Ioseph

still fresh; and he blessed each of the two sons born to Joseph before he himself came to Egypt (Gen. xlviii. 5).

Such a blessing was exceptional. Joseph received in his two sons a double share of the divine Inheritance, the privilege of the firstborn. And, as it was given, the younger was again preferred to the older. But while Isaac would have followed, had he been able, the natural order of birth in assigning privilege, Jacob deliberately inverted the order. It was not however till a late date that the superiority of Ephraim was established (Num. xxvi. 34, 37).

A further point must also be noticed. In blessing the sons of Joseph, who were also the sons of Asenath, Jacob recognised that the gifts of Egypt, a fresh element, were consecrated to God. So Joseph became, as it were, head of a new line. Comp. Ps. lxxvii. 15; (lxxviii. 67). It would be interesting to inquire how far the failure of Ephraim answered to the misuse of powers corresponding to Egyptian parentage.

kai prosek....t. rh. au.] and he worshipped leaning upon the top of his staff. Vulg. et adoravit fastigium virgae ejus. These words are not taken from the narrative of the blessing of Joseph's sons, but from an earlier passage (Gen. xlvii. 31) in which Jacob pledged Joseph to provide for the removal of his bones to the burial-place of his fathers (comp. v. 22). The quotation is probably designed to direct thought to this act of Faith, while at the same time it stamps the closing scenes of Jacob's life with a religious character. The blessing was given in the presence of God which the patriarch distinctly recognised. The infirmity of age had not dulled his devotion.

The quotation follows the text of the lxx. which renders a different pointing of the original from that adopted by the Masoretes and by the other Greek translations (VhTHf PpsPhO upon the head of his staff for Gps$& lAcT7tf upon the head of his bed: epi kephalen tes klines Aqu., epi to akron tes klines Symm.).

But at the same time the Masoretic text describes an act of adoration, and not simply a sinking back in exhaustion. A close parallel occurs in 1 K. i. 47 prosekunesen ho basileus epi ten koiten. Proskunein is to be taken absolutely, 'bowed himself in worship, i.e. to God': compare Apoc. v. 14; John iv. 20; xii. 20; Acts viii. 27; xxiv. 11.

The connexion of prokunein with epi to akron tes rhabdou autou as the object of the adoration (Vulg. virgae ejus, i.e. the staff of Joseph) is against usage. When prokunein is used with epi appears to be always in a local connexion (epi ten gen, epi prosopon, epi ta domata, Zeph. i. 5).

Not less unnatural is the notion that Joseph was the object of this 'worship,' being so marked out as the head of the family; though this view is very commonly held by patristic writers. So Chrysostom: Ephraim anistasthai basileus heteros dia touto phesi. kai prosekunesen epi to akron tes rhabdou autou. toutesti kai geron on hede prosekunei to Ioseph, ten pantos tou laou proskunesin delon ten esomenen auto (so also Theodoret, Oecumenius, Theophylact). Primasius follows out the thought more in detail, giving at the same time an alternative interpretation: Spiritu siquidem prophetico affiatus Jacob cognovit designari per illam virgam Joseph regnum Christi, per fastigium vero, id est, summitatem virgae, potentiam et honorem Christi regni, de qua Psalmista dicit: Virga recta est virga regni tui... Quantum vero ad litteram pertinet, fortassis...adoravit virgam

teleuton peri tes exodou ton huion Israel emnemoneusen kai peri ton osteon autou eneteilatoo ²³Pistei

Joseph, quem videbat dominum esse totius regni terrae Aegypti; ea sollicet ratione Esther legitur adorasse virgam Assueri.

Such an application of the image of 'the staff' to the Messiah is found also in Rabbinic writers: Beresh, R. Gen. xxxviii. 18 with references to Is. xi. 1; Ps. cx. 2.

It may be added that Jerome distinctly condemns this use which was made of the Latin rendering: in hoc loco (Gen. xlvii. 31) quidam frustra simulant adorasse Jacob summitatem sceptri Joseph, quod videlicet honorans filium potestatem ejus adoraverit, cum in Hebraeo multo aliter legatur: et adoravit, inquit, Israel ad caput lectuli; quod scilicot postquam ei juraverat filius socurus de petitione quam rogaverat, adoraverit Deum contra caput loctuli sui, Quaest. Hebr. in Gen. ad loc. (Vulg. adoravit Israel Deum conversus ad lectuli caput).

The 'staff,' 'rod,' played an important part in Jewish tradition. It was one of the ten things created 'between the Suns,' before the first Sabbath (Aboth, v. 9 with Dr Taylor's note). It was given to Adam, and transmitted through Enoch, Noah, Shem, Abraham,...Joseph to Moses, and is still reserved for Messiah. Comp. Wetstein ad loc.

(g) The world abandoned (23).

The death of Joseph marked a third stage in the history of the promise. He made clear in the fulness of his prosperity that those whom he had invited to Egypt were not to find there an abiding home. Neither rest nor misery was to bring forgetfulness of their destiny.

(22).p. I. tel. peri tes ex....kai peri t. ho....] Gen. i. The Faith of Joseph was national at once and personal. He looked forward to the independence of his kindred; and he claimed for himself a share in their future. Hie prosperity in Egypt had not led him to forget the promise to Abraham. The personal charge was fulfilled: Ex. xiii. 19; Josh. xxiv. 32.

The word teleuton (when his end was nigh) is taken from the lxx. Gen. l. 26. For emnemoneusen (made mention of...Gen. l. 24) see v. 15 note.

Exodos occurs again Lk. ix. 31 (of Christ); 2 Pet i. 15 (of St Peter).

The phrase ohi huioi Israel is not of frequent occurrence in the N. T. In addition to the places where it occurs in references to the lxx. (Matt. xxvii. 9; Acts vii. 23; Rom. ix. 27) it is found in Lk. i. 16; Acts v. 21; vii. 37; ix. 15; x. 36; 2 Cor. iii. 7, 13; Apoc. ii. 14; vii. 4; xxi. 12.

(4) 23—31. The Faith of Conflict and Conquest.

The Faith which has been hitherto regarded under the discipline of patience and sacrifice is now considered in action. Under this aspect it is traced both (a) in the great leader, Moses (23—28), and (b) in the people whom he led (29—31).

(a) The Faith of Moses the leader of Israel (23—28).

Moses 'the first Redeemer,' like Abraham 'the father of the faithful,' is treated at some length. His Faith is shewn (a) in its personal (23—26) and (b) in its public working (27, 28).

²³By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw the child was goodly to look on; and they feared not the king's order.

²?By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called son of Pharaoh's daughter, ²?choosing rather to be evil entreated with the people of God than to have enjoyment of sin for a season, ²?since he counted

Mouses gennetheis ekrube trimenon hupo ton pateron autou, dioti eiaon asteion to paidion kai ouk ephobethesan to diatagma tou basileos. ²?Pistei Mouses megas genomenos ernesato legesthai huios thugatros pharao, ²?mallon helomenos sunkakoucheisthai to lao tou theou he

23 diatagma: dogma A (?). basileos: + pisti megas genomenoi Mouses anilen ton Aiguption katanoon ten tapinosin ton adelphon autou D?* (latt).

the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasure» of Egypt; for he looked unto the recompense of reward,

²?By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

²?By faith he kept (he hath kept) the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, that he who destroyed the firstborn should not touch them.

(a) 23—26. The Faith of Moses was prepared, as it were, by the Faith which he called out in his parents (23). When the time came his choice shewed his own Faith (24-26).

(23). p. M....hupo ton pateron autou] In Ex. ii. 2 (Hebr.) the mother of Moses only is mentioned as concealing the child; but the lxx. renders the text idontes auto asteion eskepasan. There is no ground for supposing that the reference is to Kohath and Amram to the exclusion of Jochebed. The general term (Vulg. a parentibus suis) marks, so to speak, the social character of the faith; and ohi pateres (like patres) is used in the same sense as ohi goneis (Lk. ii. 27, 41 ff.; John ix. 2 ff.).

dioti...tou basileos] Faith under two forms moved the parents of Moses to preserve him. Something in his appearance kindled hope as to his destiny; and then looking to God for the fulfilment of His promise they had no fear of the king's orders.

The word asteios (Vulg. elegans) occurs in this connexion Ex. ii. 2 (lxx.); Acts vii. 20; (Jud. iii. 17; Judith xi. 23). Compare Philo, de vit. Mos. i. § 3 (ii. 82) gennetheis oun ho pais euthus opsin enephenen asteioteran he kat' idioten hos kai ton tou turannou kerugmaton eph' hoson oion t' hen tous goneis alogesai. De conf. ling. § 22 (i. p. 420 M.).

The word diatagma occurs here only in the N.T.

(24). megas genomenos] when he was grown up (Ex. ii. 11), in contrast with gennetheis (Vulg. grandis factus). As an infant he had quickened faith: as a man he shewed it.

ernesato...] The tenses ernesato...helomenos...hegesamenos...point to a crisis when the choice was made, as distinct from Moses' habitual spirit (apeblepen).

On ernesato (OEcumenius says, to meta spoudes allotriosai heauton deloi. The use of legesthai (as distinguished from kaleisthai, kletheoai marks the habitual language of familiar intercourse.

huios thug. phar.] The anarthrous form is significant (not tes thug.): son of a royal princess, of one who was Pharaoh's daughter. Comp. Euseb. Præp. Ev. ix. 27.

(25). mallonhelomenos...apolausin] choosing rather to be evil entreated... than to have enjoyment of sin for a season. Vulg. magis eligens adfligi...quam temporalis peccati habere jucunditatem. Moses was called to devote himself to his people. He knew the source of the call: to have disobeyed it therefore by seeking to

proskairon echein hamartia apolausin. ²?meizona plouton hegesamenos ton Aiphuptou thesauron toe oneiaismon tou christou, apeblepen gar eis ten misthapodosian.

26 Aiguptou 'D? syrr me: en Aiguptou A: en Aigupto S.

retain his place in the Egyptian court would have been 'sin,' though such disloyalty would have given him the opportunity for a transitory enjoyment of the resources of princely state.

The word sunkakoucheisthai, which is classical, is found here only in the N. T. Compare kakoucheisthai v. 37; c. xiii. 3.

to lao tou theou] Compare iv. 9 note. Moses was able to recognise in a host of bondsmen a divine nation. By faith he saw what they were called to be.

hamart. aoolausin] enjoyment of sin, that is of that life which was sin. The gen. hamartias is the direct object of aplolausis, though apolausis may be used absolutely, and hamartias characterise it ('sinful enjoyment'). Apolausis, which is not found in lxx., occurs again in 1 Tim. vi. 17. Comp. 2 Clem. x. proeremenoi mallon ten en thade apolausin he ten mellousan epangelian.

For the order prosk. echein hamart. ap. compare c. vi. 5 kalon geus. th. rh..; and for proskairos see Mt. xiii. 21; 2 Cor. iv. 18.

hora de pos hamartian onomazei to me sunkakoucheisthai tois adelphois...ei de hoi me sunkakouchoumenai ekontes tois peri ton kakouchounton kai kakopoiounton; (Theophlct).

(26). m. p. heges....tou christou] since he counted the reproach of the hrist...,Vulg. majores divitias aestimans...inproperium Christi. This clause is commonly taken as parallel with that which precedes: mallon elomenos...meiz. pl. heges. (choosing...accounting...), but it seems rather to give the ground of the choice: 'choosing rather...since he accounted...'

The reproach of the Christ is the reproach which belongs to the one who is the appointed envoy of God to a rebellious world. This reproach which was endured in the highest degree by Christ Jesus (Rom. xv. 3) was endured also by those who in any degree prefigured or represented Him, those, that is, in whom He partially manifested and manifests Himself, those who live in Him and in whom He lives. Comp. Bern. Ep. xcviii. § 4.

In this wider sense the people of Israel was 'an anointed one,' 'a Christ' even as Christians are 'Christs' (comp. Ps. cv. 15; 1 John ii. 20). 'The Christ' is the support and the spring of all revelation to men (1 Cor. x. 4).

For the general thought compare Ps. lxxxix. 50 f.; lxix. 9; 2 Cor. i. 5; Col. i. 24; c. xiii. 13.

Chrysostom takes the tou christou as defining the nature of the sufferings: touto estin [ho] oneidismos tou Christou, to mechri telous kai eschates aeapnoes poschein kakos...hotan tis para oikeion, hotan tis par' on euergetei oneidizetai...

apebepen gar...] Vulg. aspiciebat enim in remunerationem, for he continued to look away from the things of earth unto the (divine) recompense for suffering (surkakoucheisthai) and reproach (oneidismos).

The nature of this recompense, though it is definite, is left undefined (v. 6). It must not be limited to the future occupation of Canaan by the people. The fulfilment of God's counsel includes blessings which man cannot anticipate: 1 Cor. ii. 9 (Is. lxiv. 4). ²?Pistei katelipen Aigupton, me phobetheis ton thumon tou basileos, ton gar aoraton hos horon ekarteresen.

27 katelipen 'D?: -eleipen A.

For misthapodosia see c. ii. 2 note.

Apoblepein occurs here only in N. T. Compare aphoran c. xii. 2. The word occurs in the same sense of 'looking away from one object to another' in classical writers (Plato, Xen., Dem.). Philo, de mund. opif. § 4 (i. p. 4 M.) apoblepon eis to paradeigma (of the builder).

For the choice of Moses compare Philo de vit. Mos. i. § 7 (ii. 85 f. M.).

(b) 27, 28. The work of Moses.

(27). p. katelipen Haigupton...] It is doubtful to what event reference is made. From the order in which the fact is mentioned, and from the manner in which it is described (katelipen as contrasted with diebesan) it has been concluded that the reference is to the flight of Moses to Midian, which could be rightly spoken of as a 'leaving' since it involved the temporary abandonment of the work to which Moses had felt himself called. Nor is it a fatal objection to this view that in the narrative of Exodus it is said that 'Moses was afraid' (Ex. ii. 14), though the superficial contradiction has occasioned some difficulty.

If this interpretation be adopted the exact thought will be that Moses was not afraid of the anger of the king in itself. For the sake of his people he could have braved death; but, though he was so far fearless, yet the lack of faith in those whom he would have delivered (Acts vii. 23 ff.) forced him to retire: 'He left Egypt though he feared not the wrath of the king.' This he did 'by faith,' for even at the moment when he gave up his work he felt the divine presence with him. 'He endured (ekarteresen not ekarterei) as seeing Him who is invisible.'

Philo gives this general interpretation of the flight to Midian: ou pheugei Mouses apo tou pharao, anepistrepti gar han apedidrasken, alla anachorei, toutestin anakochen poieitai tou polemou athletou tropon diapneontos kai sullegomenou to pneuma (Leg, Alleg. iii. § 4; i. p. 90 M.).

Theodoret gives a different explanation of me phobetheis: ten men Aigupton phobetheis katelipe, tharsaleos de ton Aiguption katekontise. ten phugen toinun anti tes aitias tetheike tes phuges.

It is however more likely that the words refer to the Exodus. Moses, the leader of the people, left the safe though servile shelter and support of Egypt, casting himself on the protection of the unseen God against the certain vengeance of the king in the fulfilment of his arduous and self sacrificing work. Comp. Philo, de vit. M. i. § 27 (ii. p. 104 M.). ten Aiguptou katelipen hegemonian, thugatridous tou tote basileuontos hon... Jos. Antt. ii. 15, 2. The change of tenses, katelipen, pepoieken, helps to explain the historical transposition.

ton gar aor....ekarteresen] The most characteristic trait in the life of Moses is that he spoke with God face to face, Ex. xxxiii.; Num. xii. 7, 8. The 'vision of God' is that which distinguishes him from the other prophets. Compare Philo de mut. nom. § 2 (i. p. 579 M.) Mouses oun ho tes aeidous phuseos theates kai theoptes, eis gar ton gnophon (Ex. xx. 21) phasin auton hoi chresmoi eiselthein, ten aoraton housian ainettomenoi...; de vit. M. i. § 28 (ii. p. 106 M.).

The words hos horon are in themselves ambiguous. They may mean either 'as though he saw,' or 'inasmuch as he saw.' The peculiar gift of Moses determines that the latter is the ²?Pistei pepoieken to pascha kai ten proschusin tou haimatos, hina me ho olothreuon ta prototoka thige auton. ²?Pistei

28 olothreuon ': olethreuon AD?.

sense here. The irregular position of the hos is due to the emphasis laid on ton aoraton.

The word karterein occurs here only in N. T. Comp. Jos. Antt. ii. 11, 1; Ecclus. ii. 2; xii. 15.

The idea of karterein is complementary to the ideas of hupomenein (c. x. 32) and makrothumein (c.. vi. 15). The Christian has not only to bear his burden in the conflict of life, and to wait for the fulfilment of the promise which seems to be strangely delayed: he must also bear himself valiantly and do his work with might through the Spirit (1 Cor. xvi. 13; Eph. iii. 16).

Augustine in striking words extends to the people the gift of the leader: Errabant quidem adhuc et patriam quærebant; sed duce Christo errare non potorant. Via illis fuit visio Dei (ad 1 Joh. Tract. 7).

(28). p. pepoi. to p....haim.] By faith he kept (he hath kept) the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood...The first celebration of the Passover was not only a single act. The Passover then instituted and kept remained as a perpetual witness of the great deliverance, For the perf. see c. vii. 6 note. The sacrifice of the lamb and the open sprinkling of the blood was a signal act of faith challenging the superstition of the Egyptians (Ex. viii. 22). Compare Midr. Shemoth R. l. c. (Wünsche, p. 132).

The phrase poiein to pascha (Matt. xxvi. 18) is not unfrequent in the lxx. for the observance of the Passover (Ex. xii. 48; Num. ix. 2 ff.; 2 K. xxiii. 21 &c). It does not appear to be used of the institution.

The special ceremony of 'the sprinkling of the blood' (Ex. xii. 7, 22 f.) is mentioned as foreshadowing the deeper mystery involved in the deliverance from Egypt (c. ix. 22).

The word proschusis is not found in the lxx. and occurs here only in N. T. (pr. haim. ekalese ten kata ton phlion ton thuron chrisin OEcum.). But the verb proscheo is commonly used in the lxx. of the sprinkling of blood upon the altar (HebrewP3J), hina me ho ol....auton] The phrase ho olothreuon (Vulg. qui vastabat [primitiva]) is used in Ex. xii. 23 by the lxx. for HebrewPphE?0 according to the strict participial sense. The translators realised the action of God through a destroying angel: 1 Cor. x. 10 (ho olothreutes); and this seems to be the most natural sense of the original text. Compare 1 Chron. xxi. 12, 15; 2 Chron. xxxii. 21; Ecclus. xlviii. 21; Ps. lxxviii. 49.

thige auton] The object is naturally supplied by the reader.

Primasius sees a foreshadowing of Christian practice in the detail: Sanguine agni illinuntur Israelitarum postes ne vastator angelus audeat inferre mortem: signantur dominicæ mortis signo fideles populi in frontibus ad tutelam salutis ut ab interitu liberentur.

(b) The Faith of the people (29—31).

The great leader, like Abraham, communicated to others the Faith by which he was inspired. Just as the Faith of Abraham was united with that of his wife and of his children, so the Faith of Moses was bound up with that of Israel. By Faith they overcame difficulties of nature (29), and the force of enemies (30); and diebesan ten Eruthran thalassan hos dia xeras ges, hes peiran labontes hoi Aiguptioi katep tothesan. ³°Pistei ta teiche Iereicho epesan kuklothenta epi hepta hemeras. ³¹Pistei Rhaab he porne ou sunapoleto tois

29 dia xeras ges 'AD?* vg syr vg me: om. ges S (lxx.). 30 epesan: -en S. 31 he porne: he epilegomene p. '*.

called out responsive Faith even in aliens, so that a remnant of them was saved (31).

²?By faith they passed over the Red Sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians essaying to do were swallowed up.

³°By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after they had been compassed for seven days.*

³¹By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, having received the spies with peace.

(29). diebesan] The subject has already been suggested by auton (v. 28). The Faith of the people met the Faith of the leader. Theophylact rightly marks the importance of the transition: hina me legosi Ti phereis eis meson amimetous andras; hegage kai laon eis hupodiegma.

Compare Ps. cvi. 9 ff.; cxiv. 5; Is. xliii. 16; li. 10.

The word diabainein found in N. T. also in Lk. xvi. 26; Acts xvi. 9. He er. thal., the lxx. rendering of HebrewfiO O! 'the sea of weed,' occurs again Acts vii. 36.

hes p. labontes] Vulg. quod experti, which essaying to do, literally 'of which (i.e. sea) making trial.' Katepothesan Ex. xv. 12 (lxx.): Num. xvi. 30. Katapino is found not unfrequently in N. T. in a metaphorical sense: e.g. 1 Cor. xv. 54; 1 Pet. v. 8.

(30). pistei...epesan] Josh. vi. The walls fell overthrown by faith which was shewn through a long trial by leader, priests and people.

The fall of the walls of Jericho is the symbol of the victory of the Church: Matt. xvi. 18.

(31). pistei Rhaab...] The record of the separation of the people of God from Egypt is closed by the incorporation of a stranger.

Rahab at once looked forward with confidence to the triumph of Israel: Josh. ii. 9. Comp. James ii. 25; Clem. R. i. 12 (dia pistin kai philoxenian esothe). Midr. Bemidbar R. 8 (on Num. v. 9; Wünsche, p. 136), (the ancestress of priests and prophets).

The addition of the title e porne places in a fuller light the triumph of Faith.

The list of the champions of Faith whose victories are specially noticed is closed by a woman and a gentile and an outcast. In this there is a significant foreshadowing of its essential universality. So Theodoret: thaumasai de axion ten apostoliken sophian, mallon de humnesai prosekei tou theiou pneumatos ten energeian, hoti to Moüsei...kai tois allois hagiois allophulongunaika kai pornen sunetaxen hina kai tes pisteos epideixe ten dunamin kai katasteile ten Ioudaion ophrun.

ou sunap. t. apeith.] perished not with them that were disobedient, Vulg. non periit cum incredulis. The form of expression places in relief the punishment of the disobedient; and the ground of their destruction. They too had heard of the wonders which God had wrought for His people and were not moved by them to submission.

For apeithein (of which the force is lost by the Latin Vulgate) see John iii. 36; Rom. ii. 8; c. iii. 18 note. apeithesasin, dexamene tous kataskopous met' eirenes. ³²Kai ti eti lego; epileipsei me gar diegoumenon o chronos peri Gedeon, Barak, Sampson, Iephthae, Daueid te kai

32 om. eti D?*. epil. me gar 'AD?*: epil. gar me S. peri de Gedeon D?*. Barak 'A vg me: kai B.D?* syr vg: B. te S. Sampson Iophthae 'A vg me: kai S. kai I. S. D? syr vg.

(5) 32—38. Faith in national life.

The entrance to Canaan and the representative victory at Jericho forms a close to a complete cycle of divine discipline. The history of Israel from the Call of Abraham to the occupation of the Promised Land offers a type of the religious history of man. So far then the writer of the Epistle has given examples of faith in detail. From this point he simply recites in a summary form the names and exploits of later heroes of Faith. In part (a) they wrought great things (32—35 a): in part (b) they suffered great thiugs (35 b—38).

The enumeration extends to the time of the Maccabees, the last decisive national struggle of the Jews before the coming of Christ.

(a) The victorious successes of Faith: the great things which it has wrought (32—35 a).

³²And what can I (why do I) say more? For the time will fail me as I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; of David and Samuel and of the prophets: ³³who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, ³?quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, proved mighty in war, turned to flight armies of aliens. ³?Women received their dead by a resurrection.

The summary recital of these outward successes of Faith consists first (a) of two groups of names, which represent the theocracy and the kingdom (v. 32); and then (b) of a description of the chief types of victory (33—35 a).

(a) Representative heroes of the theocracy and the kingdom (32).

(32). kai ti...] Vulg. et quid adhuc dicam (dico d)? The verb may be conj. And what shall I more say? or indic. And why (or what) say I more? The sense seems to be 'Why do I go on farther?' 'What can I say more?' as if the writer saw already stretching before him the long record on which he is entering. The pres. indic. occurs Matt. xxvi. 65, and in John xi. 47 with ti as the object; and the pres. conj. occurs John vi. 28: the aor. conj. is common: Acts ii. 37; vi. 16 &c.

epil. dieg. ho chr....] time will (I see) fail me as I tell of...Vulg. deficiet me tempus enarrantem....Poios; he ho pas eiretai de touto hos sunethes hemin huperbolikos. he ho te epistole summetros (Theophlct).

The phrase is common in classical literature: epileipoi d' han me pas chronos ei ektithesthai bouletheien tas semnas ton philosophon mempseis (Athenæ. v. § 63, p. 220 F): tempus hercule te citius quam oratio deficeret (Cic. pro Sext. Rosc. 32 § 89). Philo de somn. § 9 (ii. 667) epileipsei me he hemera tas diaphoras tou antropeiou biou diexionta. kaitoi ti dei makregorein; tis gar auton anekoos esti;

The persons are named first, and then types of achievement. The persons fall into two groups, the representatives of the theocracy and the representatives of the monarchy.

Ged. Bar. Zamps. Iephth.] These representative heroes of the theocracy are Samouel kai ton propheton, ³³hoi dia pisteos kategonisanto basileias, ergasanto dikaiosunen, epetuchon

33 dikaiosune D?*.

not given in the order of the Book of Judges, but apparently according to their popular fame. Records of their exploits are preserved: Judg. vi.—viii. (Gideon); iv. v. (Barak); xiii.—xvi. (Samson); xi. xii. (Jephthah).

It may be noticed that they overcame different enemies, Midianites, Canaanites, Philistines, Ammonites; and in referring to them the writer passes no judgment on character: ou bion exetasin poieitai alla pisteos endeixin (Theophlct).

Dau. te k. Sam. k. t. pr.] The great king and the great statesman-prophet sum up all that was noblest in the second stage of the divine history of Israel. With them are joined the spiritual leaders of the people through whom the growing counsel of God was interpreted through apparent failure and loss. David and Samuel appear to be closely connected (te, kai) and the prophets are added as a second element.

(b) Characteristic achievements of Faith (33-35 a).

The Judges, the Kings, and the Prophets represent adequately the chief types of believers under the theocracy and the kingdom. Having signalised these, the writer goes on to mark the characteristic manifestations of the power of Faith. Those are described with remarkable symmetry:

(i) kategonisanto basileias, hergasanto dikaiosunen, epetuchon epangelion.

(ii) ephraxan stomata leonton, esbesan dunamin puros, ephugon stomata machaires.

(iii) edunamothesan apo astheneias, egenethesan ischuroi en polemo, parembolas eklinan allotrion.

In each group there is a progress, and there is a progress in the succession of groups in the direction of that which is more personal.

(33). The first triplet describes the broad results which believers obtained: