Nielsen’s Nook

Commentary

[a] Βλέπετε literally “to look” ; however, in this context we get the connotation of looking out for something, to beware of something (BAGD, 143).

[b] ἀποστῆναι is from where we have the English cognate apostasy or apostatize. It resonates with the passage quoted from Psalm 97. Those who fall away will never enter God’s rest.

[c] καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν literally, “according to every day.” In colloquial English we would conceptually just say “daily” or “every day.”

[d] ἄχρις is Hellenistic Greek in form (BAGD, 128).

[e] μὴ σκληρυνθῇ τις ἐξ ὑμῶν literally “not be hardened some from among you”.

[f] τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεγόναμεν in the NA27 reads γεγόναμεν τοῦ χριστοῦ in the Byzantine text.

[g] ὑποστάσεως (ὑπόστασις) is translated realization here (c.f., BAGD, 847 and the use in Hebrews 11:1).  Jesus is the realization of both utter condemnation and the reconciliation of all who have participated in the great rebellion. We must hold fast to Christ as he is manifest to us now, the beginning of realization of the Cosmic Salvation of the World, that we may persevere to the final restoration of all things when Jesus returns in glory and splendor.

Commentary

[1] σκληρύνητε (σκληρύνω) in the LXX this is used to describe the disposition of indifferent self-absorption that results in further alienation from the Lord. 1 Clement 51:3a alluding to Psalm 95:7-11 reads, “For it is good for a man to make confession of his trespasses rather than to harden (σκληρῦναι) his heart, as the heart of those was hardened (ἐσκληρύνθη) who made sedition against Moses the servant of God” (Lightfoot, Apostolic Fathers). In light of the Love that the Lord had shown to Israel’s fathers, God’s people were commanded: καὶ περιτεμεῖσθε τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν καὶ τὸν τράχηλον ὑμῶν οὐ σκληρυνεῖτε ἔτι (Deuteronomy 10:16 LXX). Circumcise your hardheartedness and do not let your necks remain stiff (author’s translation).

[2] πειρασμοῦ the testing of God by people (BAGD, 641).

[3] ἐπείρασαν … ἐν δοκιμασίᾳ tested me with trials. BAGD suggests “put to the test” and follows the NRSV and ESV. The NIV renders “tested and tried me”. The KJV is significantly different because it follows the Byzantine Text at which has variations from the NA27.

Hebrews 3:9 in the Byzantine Text reads, οὗ ἐπείρασαν με  οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν, ἐδοκιμασάν με, καὶ εἶδον τὰ ἔργα μου τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη. The variations between the two texts are as follows:

1. The word με is supplied where in the NA27 it is assumed.
2. ἐδοκιμασάν με (Byz) “they tested me” instead of ἐν δοκιμασίᾳ “with testing” (NA27).
3. Verse 9 ends with καὶ εἶδον τὰ ἔργα μου in the NA27; however, in the Byzantine Text it continues through the first two words (τεσσεράκοντα ἔτη) of NA27 verse 10.
4. Lastly, the last two words of Byzantine verse 9 are τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη where the corresponding first two words of verse 10 in the NA27 read τεσσεράκοντα ἔτη. Both are rendered “forty.”

[4] τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ “with this generation” in the NA27 meets τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ “with that generation” in the Byzantine Text. We chose to render the text as “with that generation” because conceptually the generation reading these words in Psalm 95 was altogether different than the one about which the Psalm speaks.

[5] Technically there is no negative particle in this sentence. It is a conditional ellipses which begins with the ὡς at the beginning of verse 11 (BAGD, 897). Literally, the Greek renders “As I swore in my wrath, if they will enter into my rest…” Parents speak to their disobedient children like this, “Son I’ve already told you a thousand times and if you do that one more time …” The force of the ellipses is that in abrupt ending, the silence of the incomplete thought looms ominously. Conceptually, the result of that generation coming into the Lord’s rest would be catastrophic because of the oath that God swore in his wrath. Thus, the verse is rendered “They will never enter into my rest.”

[6] κατάπαυσίν (κατάπαυσις) rest. 2 Maccabees 15:1 uses this word to refer to Sabbath rest.

Commentary

[1] μὲν … δὲ If for some reason the contrast being made is not clear in English translations, the μὲν … δὲ construction is explicit in Greek.

[2] Ambiguity, does αὐτοῦ refer to Moses or God or Christ?

[3] The ambiguity of αὐτοῦ persists and now the question of how many houses are there. Is there one house, such that Moses and Christ were over this singular house at different times? Or are there two houses, one of Moses and one of Christ?

[4] κατάσχωμεν hold fast, faithfully retain (BAGD, 422). We find it used in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 when scripture teaches us πάντα δὲ δοκιμάζετε, τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε. But examine everything that you may hold fast to what is good (author’s translation).

[5] παρρησίαν openness, confidence. Jesus is marveled at because he spoke openly (παρρησία) in John 7:26, 11:54.

[6] The Byzantine Text adds μέχρι τέλους βεβαίαν, firm until the end (author’s translation). τέλος here has to do with the goal, perfection and completion of something, not merely arriving at the end of one’s own life.

Commentary

[1] οὗτος Greek, this one. The referent is clearly Jesus in the comparison so we have opted for clarification in the translation.

[2] οὗτος δόξης is found in the Byzantine Text as δόξης οὗτος.

[3] κατασκευάσας present active participle of κατασκευάζω, to build, construct or prepare (BAGD, 418). κατασκευάζω is used in Hebrews 11:7 in relating Noah’s construction of the Ark (κατεσκεύασεν κιβωτὸν) and in 1 Maccabees 15:3 with regard to preparing ships for war (κατεσκεύασα πλοῖα πολεμικά).

Commentary

[a] ἀδελφοὶ here is being used in the generic sense and therefore is translated to reflect the full scope of the audience to which the book of Hebrews was addressed.

[b] μέτοχος the same word used for the anointing that God gave Jesus in Hebrews 1:9. There is a connection between Jesus calling and the calling of the saints here, as such those who are in Christ are those who participate in his heavenly calling, his anointing.

[c] κατανοήσατε to fix ones eyes upon something or someone in a spiritual sense, to contemplate, or consider (BAGD, 415). This is more than a call to intellectual contemplation; though, it is at least that. It is a call to behold Christ in all his splendor and is set forth as the first “application point” of this sermon, the epistle to the Hebrews. The NIV renders this “fix your thoughts on Jesus”; while the ESV and KJV give us “consider Jesus.” The pieces of the word (κατα + νοέω) communicate something like “according to thinking” or “according to the mind.”

[d] The Byzantine Texts add the title χριστόν, likely for clarification given that Ἰησοῦς (Jesus) is a common first century Jewish name.

[e] ποιήσαντι lit. “the one who made” or “the one who did.” This conceptually comes to us as the idea of establish (this translator’s preference) or appoint (KJV, ESV, NIV, NRSV). It is a poor understanding of the context of Hebrews and of the whole of scripture to think that a wooden rendering of ποιέω as “to make” would establish the long historically refuted idea that Jesus as the second person of the Trinity was created by the Father. Rather, it is the second person of the Trinity, who was made the apostle of the Trinity to be the high priest that would reunite a lost people to the Triune God.

[f] The Greek here is αὐτοῦ (of him, or his). This presents an ambiguity; however, given the context “his” would seem to make more sense with God as the antecedent rather than Moses, since Moses’ people are ultimately God’s people.

Commentary

[1] ὤφειλεν (ὀφείλω) be obligated; with infinitive following: one must, one ought (BAGD, 598).

[2] ἐλεήμων or sympathetic. What God accomplishes in the incarnate Christ is both merciful, because he justly atones for our sins, and sympathetic because we have a High Priest who is in fact able to sympathize with our weakness (Hebrews 4:15).

[3] τὰ πρὸς τὸν θεόν that which concerns God (BAGD, 710).

[4] εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ to expiate the sins of the people (BAGD, 375).

[5] ἐν ᾧ alternately, in that which, by that which.

[6] Πειρασθείς (πειράζω) enticement to sin, tempt (BAGD, 640).

[7] βοηθῆσαι to help, come to the aid of τινί someone (BAGD, 144).

Commentary

[1] ἐπιλαμβάνομαι to take hold of, grasp, catch. When followed by a genitive, as is the case here, it can entail the idea of taking hold violently of something or someone, in order to make the object of the grasping one’s own (BAGD, 295). If Hebrews 2:16 is taken out of context it is somewhat vague; however, Hebrews 2:17 gives a context of the Incarnation that sheds light on how this verse should be understood. Hence, the KJV, “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.” From this writer’s vantage, verse 16 speaks to the nature of the Incarnation, which includes Crucifixion and Resurrection, not as something that Christ took on reluctantly; rather, he lay hold of it with even the vibrant tenacity that a husband has for his wife after having been separated for a lengthy time. This is reciprocated in St. Paul’s charge to Timothy, ἐπιλαβοῦ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς! Take hold of Eternal Life! For the Christian, Eternal Life is not a status obtained but a Person pursued, loved and cherished. As Christ has laid hold of Timothy to make him His own, St. Paul exhorts him to the same with Christ Jesus to which he was called and had given good confession.

Commentary

[a] κεκοινώνηκεν perfect active indicative of κοινωνέω, to share, participate (BAGD, 438).

[b] κεκοινώνηκεν αἵματος καὶ σαρκός by the last half of the second century (i.e., shortly after St. Polycarp was martyred for his life) we find in the record of his martyrdom a similar phrase, κοινωνῆσαι τῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ σαρκίῳ (Martyrdom of Polycarp [MP], §17.1). … to receive part of his holy body … (author’s translation). A difference here is that Hebrews 2:14 employs a perfect active indicative form of κοινωνέω while MP employs an aorist infinitive. Apparently, at the time of the writing of MP, it was customary for Christians to receive a part of the martyr’s sarcophagus as a holy relic (BAGD, 438). Perhaps, that ancient tradition stems from Hebrews 2:14.

[c] παραπλησίως The word does not show clearly just how far the similarity goes. But it is used in situations where no differentiation is intended, in the sense in just the same way (BAGD, 621).

[d] μετέσχεν in light of the modifier, παραπλησίως, emphasizing the sameness of participation of the children and that of the Son, μετέσχεν would seem best regarded as a synonym for κοινωνέω here. In other words, there is a mutual participation or sharing in the children’s partaking of the flesh and blood and his participation in the flesh and blood.

[e] τούτους, ὅσοι literally, those, as many as.

[f] ἔνοχοι ἦσαν δουλείας literally, were subject to slavery.

[g] διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν through all the life (literally an infinitive, to live).

Commentary

[a] Isaiah 12:2 appears to have the greatest correlation with Hebrews 2:13, reading אֶבְטַ֖ח וְלֹ֣א אֶפְחָ֑ד in the MT. I will trust [or rely upon] and not be afraid (author’s translation). This MT rendition of Isaiah 12:2 helps in understanding the semantic scope. Hebrews 2:13 is a direct quotation of Isaiah 12:2 LXX which reads, πεποιθὼς ἔσομαι ἐπ̓ αὐτῷ. I will depend upon him (author’s translation).

[b] This is a clear quotation of Isaiah 8:18 LXX, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία, ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ θεός, καὶ ἔσται εἰς σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Ισραηλ παρὰ κυρίου σαβαωθ, ὃς κατοικεῖ ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σιων. Behold, I and the children which God has given me, are even the signs and wonders in the house of Israel from the Lord of Hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion (author’s translation).

[c] Keeping in mind that the New Testament writers had not the versification and chapter divisions we currently employ in the current day, it would seem plausible that this quotation is only partial because it is intended to draw the larger passage that it begins to mind. In the context of Isaiah, this would be something like, God who has been hiding his face from Zion (Isaiah 8:17) has given us hope in sending his Son; for behold, unto us a child is born (Isaiah 9)!

Commentary

[a] ἁγιάζων “of pers. consecrate, dedicate, sanctify, i.e., include in the inner circle of what is holy, in both relig. and moral uses of the word” (BAGD, 8).

[b] See above note on ἁγιάζων.

[c] c.f., Hebrews 11:16. Here Christ is not ashamed to proclaim the Father to the Church. He does that proclamation in its midst as the incarnate God. In Hebrews 11:16 echoing Christ not being ashamed to call his people brothers, now God is not ashamed to be called their God.

[d] c.f. Psalm 22:22.

[e] ὑμνήσω σε I will sing praise to thee (KJV).