Christ is more excellent than Moses. Wherefore we must adhere to him by faith and obedience.
By example of Christ (vvho is incomparably more excellent then Moyses also) he exhorteth them to be faithful vnto God. 7 Their revvard shal be, to enter into euerlasting rest, if they perseuere, as contrarievvise to be excluded (as vvas shadowed in their forefathers in the vvildernes) if they sinne and become incredulous.
1Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly vocation consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus:Voi adunque fratelli santi, partecipi della vocazione celeste, considerate l'Apostolo, e il Pontefice della nostra confessione, Gesù:WHEREFORE holy brethren, partakers of the heauenly vocation, consider the Apostle, & high priest of our confession IESVS:Unde, fratres sancti, vocationis cælestis participes, considerate Apostolum, et pontificem confessionis nostræ Jesum: 2Who is faithful to him that made him, as was also Moses in all his house.Il quale è fedele a lui, che (tale) lo fece, come già Mosè in tutta la casa di lui.vvho is faithful to him that made him, as also Moyses in al his house.qui fidelis est ei, qui fecit illum, sicut et Moyses in omni domo ejus. 3For this man was counted worthy of greater glory than Moses, by so much as he that hath built the house hath greater honour than the house.Conciossiachè di maggior gloria è stato questi riputato degno sopra Mosè, come più grande, che quel della casa, è l'onore, di colui, che fabbricolla.For, this man is esteemed vvorthie of more ample glorie aboue Moyses, by so much as more ample glorie then the house, hath he that framed it.Amplioris enim gloriæ iste præ Moyse dignus est habitus, quanto ampliorem honorem habet domus, qui fabricavit illam. 4For every house is built by some man: but he that created all things is God.Imperocché ogni casa da qualcheduno è fabbricata: or quei, che creò tutte le cose, egli è Iddio.For euery house is framed of some man but he that created al things, is God.Omnis namque domus fabricatur ab aliquo: qui autem omnia creavit, Deus est. 5And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be said:E Mosè veramente era fedele in tutta la casa di lui come servitore, per essere testimone di quelle cose, che dovevan dirsi:And Moyses in deede vvas faithful in al his house as a seruant, for a testimonie of those things vvhich vvere to be said:Et Moyses quidem fidelis erat in tota domo ejus tamquam famulus, in testimonium eorum, quæ dicenda erant: 6But Christ, as the Son in his own house: which house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and glory of hope unto the end.Ma Cristo come figliuolo sopra la propria casa: la qual casa siam noi, se ferma ritenghiamo sino alla fine la fiducia, e la gloria della speranza.but Christ as the Sonne in his ovvne house: which house are vve, if vve keepe firme the confidence and glorie of hope vnto the end.Christus vero tamquam filius in domo sua: quæ domus sumus nos, si fiduciam, et gloriam spei usque ad finem, firmam retineamus. 7Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith: To-day if you shall hear his voice,Per la qual cosa, (conforme dice lo Spirito santo): oggi se udirete la voce di lui,Vvherefore, as the holy Ghost saith, To day if you shal heare his voice,Quapropter sicut dicit Spiritus Sanctus: Hodie si vocem ejus audieritis, 8Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the desert,Non vogliate indurare i vostri cuori, come (nel luogo) della alterazione al dì della tentazione nel deserto,harden not your hartes as in the exacerbation according to the day of tentation in the desert,nolite obdurare corda vestra, sicut in exacerbatione secundum diem tentationis in deserto, 9Where your fathers tempted me, proved and saw my works,Dove i padri vostri tentaron me, fecer prova di me, e videro le opere mievvhere your fathers tempted me: proued & savv my vvorkesubi tentaverunt me patres vestri: probaverunt, et viderunt opera mea 10Forty years: for which cause I was offended with this generation, and I said: They always err in heart. And they have not known my ways.Per quaranta anni: perciò fui disgustato altamente con questa nazione, e dissi: costoro vanno sempre errando col cuore. Ed eglino non han conosciute le mie vie,fourtie yeres. For the vvhich cause I vvas offended vvith this generation, and said, They doe alvvaies erre in hart. And they haue not knovven my vvaies.quadraginta annis: propter quod infensus fui generationi huic, et dixi: Semper errant corde. Ipsi autem non cognoverunt vias meas,
11As I have sworn in my wrath: If they shall enter into my rest.A' quali giurai sdegnato: non entreranno nella mia requie.to vvhom I svvare in my vvrath, If they shal enter into my rest.sicut juravi in ira mea: Si introibunt in requiem meam. 12Take heed, brethren, lest perhaps there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, to depart from the living God.Badate, fratelli, che mai non sia in alcuno di voi un cuor cattivo per la miscredenza, onde vi allontaniate da Dio vivo:Bevvare brethren, lest perhaps there be in some of you an euil hart of incredulitie, to depart from the liuing God.Videte fratres, ne forte sit in aliquo vestrum cor malum incredulitatis, discedendi a Deo vivo: 13But exhort one another every day, whilst it is called to day, that none of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.Ma esortatevi gli uni gli altri ogni giorno, sino a tanto che giorno d'oggi si noma, affinchè alcuno di voi non rimanga indurato per la seduzione della colpa.but exhort your selues euery day, vvhiles to day is named, that none of you be obdurate vvith the fallacie of sinne,sed adhortamini vosmetipsos per singulos dies, donec hodie cognominatur, ut non obduretur quis ex vobis fallacia peccati. 14For we are made partakers of Christ: yet so, if we hold the beginning of his substance firm unto the end.Imperocché siam divenuti consorti di Cristo: purché fermo ritenghiamo sino alla fine il fondamento, per cui siamo in lui sostenuti,For vve be made partakers of Christ: yet so if vve keepe the beginning of his substance firme vnto the end.Participes enim Christi effecti sumus, si tamen initium substantiæ ejus usque ad finem firmum retineamus. 15While it is said: To day, if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in that provocation.Mentre dicesi: oggi se udirete la voce di lui, non vogliate indurare i vostri cuori, come in quella altercazione.Vvhile it is said, To day if you shal heare his voice, do not obdurate your hartes as in that exacerbation.Dum dicitur: Hodie si vocem ejus audieritis, nolite obdurare corda vestra, quemadmodum in illa exacerbatione. 16For some who heard did provoke: but not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.Imperocché alcuni, che avevano udito, altercarono, non però tutti quelli, che per mezzo di Mosè uscirono dall'Egitto.For some hearing did exasperate: but not al they that vvent out of Aegypt by Moyses.Quidam enim audientes exacerbaverunt: sed non universi qui profecti sunt ex Ægypto per Moysen. 17And with whom was he offended forty years? Was it not with them that sinned, whose carcasses were overthrown in the desert?E con quali uomini fu egli disgustato per quaranta anni, se non con que', che peccarono, de' quali furono stesi al suolo i cadaveri nel deserto?And vvith vvhom vvas he offended fourtie yeres? vvas it not with them that sinned, vvhose carcasses vvere ouerthrovven in the desert?Quibus autem infensus est quadraginta annis ? nonne illis qui peccaverunt, quorum cadavera prostrata sunt in deserto ?
18And to whom did he swear, that they should not enter into his rest: but to them that were incredulous?Ed a quali uomini giurò egli, che non entrerebbono nella sua requie, si' non a quelli, che furono miscredenti?And to vvhom did he svveare that they should not enter into his rest: but to them that were incredulous?Quibus autem juravit non introire in requiem ipsius, nisi illis qui increduli fuerunt ? 19And we see that they could not enter in, because of unbelief.E noi veggiamo, come a motivo della miscredenza non poterono entrarvi.And vve see that they could not enter in, because of incredulitie.Et videmus, quia non potuerunt introire propter incredulitatem.
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Witham
The....high priest of our profession. That is, of the faith we confess, or profess. Christ is also here called our apostle, that is sent by his Father. (Witham)
Jesus Christ is not only our apostle, he is the doctor, the legislator of the religion we profess. He is our high priest, who offered himself in sacrifice for the sanctification of his Church, and who is now exercising at the right hand of his Father the office of the priesthood in our behalf, both in heaven and on earth. We here see our dignity: we have a God for the apostle and high priest of our religion.
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Witham
Faithful to him, etc. To be made, may apply to Christ as man; but here the sense is, who made him head over all his Church. (Witham)
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Witham
Of greater glory, etc. The apostle shews Christ to be greater than Moses several ways. 1. Christ is as much above Moses, as an architect above the house which he has made; for Christ (who, as God, made all things) is the builder of that very house, that is, of the house of Israel, of which Moses was only a part of a member. 2. Moses was only employed in the house, as a servant, to give testimony to others, as he was ordered. (Witham)
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Witham
Christ, as a Son in his own house: which house, or Church of the faithful are we: and Christ is our only Lord and Master, equally with the Father, and the Holy Ghost; but we are all members, and profitable members, if we retain firm the confidence in him, and the glory of hope, or a glorious hope unto the end. (Witham)
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This alludes to the 17th chapter of Exodus, where the history of provocations and contradictions of the Israelites is related at large.
3:11
Witham
As I have sworn in my wrath:[Ver. 11. Si introibunt, ei eiseleusontai.] if they shall enter into my rest. But if here implies the same as they shall not. See Mark 8:12. And that this is the sense here, appears by the 18th verse, where it is expressly said, they should not enter into his rest; that is to rest in the land of Chanaan[Canaan], promised to them. (Witham)
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Witham
Take heed, etc. Not to imitate their incredulous obstinacy, lest you never enter into the place of eternal rest, by departing from God by sin. (Witham)
To abandon Christ is to abandon God, since Christ is God. He who denies the Son, believes not the Father, who has wrought so many miracles to sanction his mission. (1 John 2:23.) It is of little consequence to eternity whether it be the doctrine of faith or the life of faith we reject, if persons are equally lost by either practical or speculative infidelity.
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To day. The duration of the present life may be accounted but a day, which God destines for the trial of our faith and obedience; we ought, therefore, to labour hard during the short time of the present day, that we may live and reign with God for all eternity. We cannot too often entertain this truth in our hearts, if we wish to square our lives after the gospel. The heart of man becomes insensibly hardened to Christian truths, when its natural corruption is not courageously attacked.
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Witham
You have already been made partakers of the benefits of Christ, at your conversion and baptism, to the beginning of his substance,[Ver. 14. Initium substantiae ejus, ten archen tes upostaseos. See Hebrews 11:1. Est fides sperandarum substantia rerum, elpizomenon upostasis.] by which seems to be understood the faith of Christ. (Witham)
If to subsist in Jesus Christ, to be washed in his blood, to be animated with his spirit, to be nourished with his flesh, is but a sketch, a seed of that union with him which on a future day is to be effected, how comes it that we are so attached to this earth, how can we hazard for such a mere trifle such immense felicity?
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From the 6th and 14th verses we learn the great happiness conferred on us at baptism; but all this, happily, we are taught is dependent on faith, on the foundation of our spiritual and divine being.
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Let us not flatter ourselves with having quitted Egypt by our baptism, unless we also quit that opposition, and that disobedience of our heart to the laws and maxims of the gospel. The Israelites, under the guidance of Moses, left Egypt for the promised land, and after travelling in the desert for the space of two years, found themselves on the confines of the so much desired country; but the possession of it was denied them, and they were left to perish in the desert, because they distrusted God's promises, and were incredulous to his word. All that happened to this chosen people, says St. Paul, was a figure of what was to happen to us. Here then we may read our destiny, if, like them, we prove ungrateful to God.
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Witham
Whose carcasses were laid, or buried in the desert? None of those who were reckoned up (Numbers xiv.) entered the land of Chanaan[Canaan], except Josue[Joshua] and Caleb; but then we may take notice, that none were there numbered under twenty years of age, nor the Levites, nor the women. (Witham)
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The excellencie of Christ aboue Moyses.
Concordance Nu. 12, 7
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Concordance Ps. 94, 8
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Faith is the ground worke of our creatiō in Christ, which if we hold not fast, al the building is lost.
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Concordance Nu. 14, 37. 21, 23.
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St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 4.11
… other works, they prove, as to the first point, by what Paul writes to the Hebrews, Being made so much better than the angels, as He possesseth a more excellent name than they , and again, Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus Christ, who is faithful to Him that made Him
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 2.14.1
… Lord created me a beginning of His ways for His works ;’ so by Paul, ‘Become so much better than the Angels ;’ and again, ‘He emptied Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant ;’ and again, ‘Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Jesus, who was faithful to Him that made Him
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 4.17
… nor must we be drawn aside by mere plausibility and artifices of speech. Even to me, who tell thee these things, give not absolute credence, unless thou receive the proof of the things which I announce from the Divine Scriptures. For this salvation which we believe depends not on ingenious reasoning
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Against Eunomius 6.2
… For this great Apostle says that that which was seen in the form of the servant has been made, by being assumed, to be that which He Who assumed it was in His own Nature. Moreover, in the Epistle to the Hebrews we may learn the same truth from Paul, when he says that Jesus was made an Apostle and High Priest by God, “being faithful to him that made Him so
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 1 Timothy 1
… But where is this commandment given? We read in the Acts of the Apostles: “The Spirit said, Separate me Paul and Barnabas.” ( Acts xiii. 2 .) And everywhere in his writings Paul adds the name of Apostle, to instruct his hearers not to consider the doctrines he delivered as proceeding from man. For an Apostle
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 5
C. iii. 1, 2 . “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus , who was faithful to Him that appointed [ or made] Him, as also Moses [was faithful] in all His house.”
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444 The Anathemas of Cyril in Opposition to Nestorius 1
X. Holy Scripture states that Christ is High Priest and Apostle of our confession,
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Counter-statements of Theodoret 1
… And in the beginning of this part of his subject he teaches us in the words “Consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Jesus, who was faithful to Him that appointed Him as also Moses was faithful in all His house.”
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Pope St Clement I † AD 99 The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians 17
… humbly declared, “I am but dust and ashes.” Moreover, it is thus written of Job, “Job was a righteous man, and blameless, truthful, God-fearing, and one that kept himself from all evil.” But bringing an accusation against himself, he said, “No man is free from defilement, even if his life be but of one day.” Moses was called faithful in all God’s house;
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 De Sententia Dionysii. (Defence of Dionysius.) 10
Dionysius, teaching exactly thus, in his letter to Euphranor and Ammonius wrote in view of Sabellius concerning the human pre dicates of the Saviour. For to the latter class belong the sayings, ‘I am the Vine and My Father the Husbandman’ ( Joh. xv. 1 ), and ‘faithful to Him that made Him’ (
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 De Sententia Dionysii. (Defence of Dionysius.) 11
This then being the sense of the expression, it follows that it is of the vine, so understood, that it is written: ‘Who was faithful to Him that had created Him’ (
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 2.14.0
Chapter XIV .— Texts explained; Fourthly,
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 2.14.1
… but, as swine and dogs wallow in their own vomit and their own mire, rather invent new expedients for their irreligion. Thus they misunderstand the passage in the Proverbs, ‘The Lord hath created me a beginning of His ways for His works ,’ and the words of the Apostle, ‘Who was faithful to Him that made Him
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 2.16
… Although then abundant proof has been given above of this their reckless expedient, yet, since they make all places sound with this passage from the Proverbs, and to many who are ignorant of the faith of Christians, seem to say somewhat, it is necessary to examine separately, ‘He created’ as well as ‘Who was faithful to Him that made Him
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 5
… For so also we are accustomed to say, such an one is of such an one’s house. For here he is speaking of a house, not of the temple, for the temple was not constructed by God, but by men. But He that made
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Novatian † AD 258 A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity 12
… unless because in this contest against them concerning the truth, this is in the meantime sufficient for us, that, being convinced in any kind of way, they should confess Christ to be God, seeing they have even wished to deny that He is God. He says by Habakkuk the prophet: “God shall come from the south, and the Holy One from the dark and dense mountain.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
“What then?” it may be said, “is it by comparison that He is greater than John?” Far from it. For neither when John saith, “He is mightier than I,” doth he say it as comparing them; nor Paul, when remembering Moses he writes, “For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses,”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 5
… The builder has more honor than the house, yet he did not say “the artificer hath more honor than his works,” but “he that hath builded the house, than the house.” ( Ver. 4 .) “But He that built all things is God.” Thou seest that he is speaking not about the temple but about the whole people.
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St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 3.18
… Which he also sums up in the Epistle written to the Hebrews, saying: “For He that created all things is God.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 5
… But He that made him [is] God. Moses he means. And see how he covertly shows the superiority. “Faithful,” he says, “in all His house,” being himself also of the house, that is, of the people. The builder has more honor than the house, yet he did not say “the artificer hath more honor than his works,” but “he that hath builded the house, than the house.” (
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St Barnabas † AD 61 The Epistle of Barnabas 14
… for thy people hath sinned, whom thou didst bring out of the land of Egypt.” And Moses understood that they had again made molten images; and he threw the tables out of his hands, and the tables of the testament of the Lord were broken. Moses then received it, but they proved themselves unworthy. Learn now how we have received it. Moses, as a servant,
Pope St Clement I † AD 99 The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians 43
And what wonder is it if those in Christ who were entrusted with such a duty by God, appointed those [ministers] before mentioned, when the blessed Moses also, “a faithful servant in all his house,”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 3.6.5
… but he is not properly termed Lord, nor is called God by the prophets, but is spoken of by the Spirit as “Moses, the faithful minister and servant of God,”
Archelaus † fl. AD 278 The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes 41
… For, indeed, Moses first said to the people: “A Prophet will the Lord our God raise up unto you, like unto me.” And Jesus afterwards said: “For Moses spake of me.” You see how these twain give the right hand to each other, although the one was the prophet and the other was the beloved Son,
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 2.14.10
… For instance, he says, ‘Moses as a servant, but Christ as a Son
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 1
… so that we surpass them not only in the quality of the blessings, but in the Mediator also. As moreover he saith in the Epistle to the Hebrews; “And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken; but Christ as a Son over His house, whose house are we.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 5
… You see again that by the appellation of The Son, he intimates true relationship. ( Ver. 6 .) “But Christ as a Son over His own house.” Perceivest thou how he separates the thing made and the maker, the servant and the son? Moreover He indeed enters into His Father’s property as a master, but the other as a servant.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 22.69
69. So Moses, too, who was so faithful a servant of God in all his house; the minister of the holy, just, and good law; of whose character the apostle speaks in the words here quoted;
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St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 4.26
… For in her womb the Word fashioned for Himself His house, as at the beginning He formed Adam from the earth; or rather more divinely, concerning whom Solomon too says openly, knowing that the Word was also called Wisdom, ‘Wisdom builded herself an house ;’ which the Apostle interprets when he says, ‘Which house are we
St Basil the Great † AD 379 De Spiritu Sancto 14
… Scripture to say Moses and the law, as in the passage, “They have Moses and the prophets.” When therefore it is meant to speak of the baptism of the law, the words are, “They were baptized unto Moses.” Why then do these calumniators of the truth, by means of the shadow and the types, endeavour to bring contempt and ridicule on the “rejoicing” of our “hope,”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 5
“As also Moses in all His house,” that is, either among the people, or in the temple. But here he uses the expression “in His house,” just as one might say, concerning those in the household; even as some guardian and steward of a household, so was Moses to the people. For that by “house” he means the people, he added, “whose house we are” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 6
[1.] Paul , having treated of hope, and having said that “We are His house, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (
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St Gregory Thaumaturgus † AD 270 A Sectional Confession of Faith 23
… when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; for they have not known my ways: as I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest.”
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 17.33
… so motley and diversified are the errors of the heretics. And again the same Paul says, Which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto His Holy Apostles and Prophets in the Spirit . And again, Wherefore, as saith the Holy Ghost
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Against Eunomius 2.14
… Hence when David says, “they provoked God in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert ,” the apostle refers to the Holy Spirit the despite done by the Israelites to God, in these terms: “Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness; when your fathers tempted me
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Against Eunomius 7.1
… For “well did the Holy Spirit prophesy ,”—this he says to the Jews in Rome, introducing the words of Isaiah; and to the Hebrews, alleging the authority of the Holy Spirit in the words, “wherefore as saith the Holy Spirit
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 3.8
… Forty years was I near to this generation and said: They do alway err in their heart; but they did not know My ways, as I sware in My wrath, If they shall enter into My rest.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 8
… so now here also he opens out the other path of the Priesthood, showing its superiority from the things which happened before. And as, in [the matter of] punishment, he brings before them not Hell alone, but also what happened to their fathers,
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 6
… This he hints also in writing to these [Hebrews] who probably already wished, in their trials, to obtain experience and positive evidence of His power and His providential care for them. Thou seest that in all cases the provocation and the angering arises from unbelief.
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St Basil the Great † AD 379 The Letters 42.5
… Think of all these things in your heart; follow them with zeal; fight, as you have been commanded, for the truth to the death. For Christ was made “obedient” even “unto death.” The Apostle says, “Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart…in departing from the living God. But exhort one another…(and edify one another ) while it is called to-day.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 6
… and as in bodies, the parts that have become callous and hard do not yield to the hands of the physicians, so also souls that are hardened yield not to the word of God. For it is probable besides that some even disbelieved as though the things which had been done were not true.
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St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 15.32
… In what sense then shouldest thou remember that Scripture, till He hath put all enemies under His feet ? According as Paul says in another place, And exhort each other daily, while it is called to-day
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 55
… Thus Pharaoh, who received ten thousand strokes, was sobered only while being punished, and continued of this character until the last day of his life, pursuing those whom he had let go. Wherefore Paul continually saith, “Lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 6
… they are corrupt and become abominable in their doings.” ( Ps. xiv. 1 .) “There is no fear of God before his eyes, for he was deceitful before Him, to find out his iniquity and to hate.” ( Ps. xxxvi. 1, 2 .) Yea and Christ also says this same thing, “Every one that doeth evil, hateth the light and cometh not to the light.” ( John iii. 20 .)
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 30
… lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled: lest there be any fornicator or profane person.” Dost thou see how everywhere he puts the common salvation into the hands of each individual? “Exhorting one another daily” (he says) “while it is called To-day.” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount 2.7
… because there the flight of time, which causes days to succeed days, whence it may be called to-day, will not exist. But as it is said, “To-day, if ye will hear His voice,” which the apostle interprets in the Epistle to the Hebrews, As long as it is called to-day;
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 8.5
5. There follows next, “Give us this day our daily bread.” It may be understood simply that we pour forth this prayer for daily sustenance, that we may have abundance: or if not that, that we may have no want. Now he said “daily,” for as long as it is called “to-day.”
3:14
Origen † AD 254 A Letter from Origen to Gregory 3
… but whether my boldness be good, God will know, and His Christ, and all partakers of the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. May you also be a partaker, and be ever increasing your inheritance, that you may say not only, “We are become partakers of Christ,”
Origen † AD 254 Letter of Origen to Gregory 3
… Whether I have ventured well or not, God knows, and His Christ, and he who has part of the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. May you partake in these; may you have an always increasing share of them, so that you may be able to say not only, “We are partakers of Christ,”
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 21.1
1. Having been baptized into Christ , and put on Christ , ye have been made conformable to the Son of God; for God having foreordained us unto adoption as sons , made us to be conformed to the body of Christ’s glory . Having therefore become partakers of Christ
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 6
Then he adds ( ver. 14 ), “For we have been made partakers of Christ.” What is this, “We have been made partakers of Christ”? We partake of Him (he means); we were made One, we and He—since He is the Head and we the body, “fellow-heirs and of the same body; we are one body, of His flesh and of His bones.” ( Eph. iii. 6; Rom. xii. 5; Eph. v. 30 .)
3:15
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 23.15
… For this Bread goeth not into the belly and is cast out into the draught , but is distributed into thy whole system for the benefit of body and soul . But by this day , he means, “each day,” as also Paul said, While it is called to-day
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 6
[5.] Then he adds ( ver. 15 ), “When it is said, To-day if ye hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” This is a transposition, “when it is said, To-day if ye hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” [It must be read thus:]
3:16
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 6
… For he said (he repeats), “To-day if ye hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” Of whom does he speak (he says) [as] having been hardened? Of whom [as] not believing? Is it not of the Jews?
3:17
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 6
… Above all things indeed, he says, “let there not be an evil heart of unbelief.” ( c. iii. 12 .) But even suppose there should be, let no man despair, but let him recover himself; for as long as we are in this world, the “To-day” is in season. But here he means not unbelief only, but also murmurings: “whose carcasses,” he says, “fell’ in the wilderness.”
3:1
1. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus. — Christians were formerly called brethren, on account of their mutual charity and communion in Christ. They were also called saints, on account of the sanctity received in baptism, and the innocence of life and morals, as if to say: You, O Hebrew Christians, have been called, not to earthly goods, which were once promised to you in Judaism, but to possess heavenly goods. Consider therefore not Moses, not Aaron, your former high priest; but Jesus, who is the author and high priest of this calling. Note: Paul calls Christ an Apostle, that is, a legate of God, whom God indeed sent to men, especially to the Hebrews, that He might teach them and reconcile them to God. An Apostle therefore is the same as a Prophet, teacher and legislator sent by God; a High Priest, however, is the same as a supreme priest, who pleases God and prays for the people. Note secondly: The Apostle calls "confession" the faith and religion which we confess and profess: for this confession is nothing other than a profession of faith and of the law of the Gospel, which Christ taught us as an Apostle, that is, as a Prophet, teacher and legislator, and as our High Priest. Thus Theodoret, Theophylactus, Oecumenius. Otherwise St. Thomas and Anselm: Christ, they say, is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, whom indeed all Christians confess and acknowledge to be our Apostle, High Priest and Saviour. But the former sense is more genuine: for thus the Apostle is accustomed to take "confession" for the faith and doctrine which we confessed in baptism, as I said on Rom. x, 10. Note thirdly: The Apostle, in chapters 1 and 11, shows that Christ is greater than the angels, as God and Lord of all; in this chapter and the following he descends to Moses and Aaron, and shows by the same argument that Christ is far superior to them: for the whole difficulty of the Hebrews, which they had regarding Christ and Christianity, was that they could not be torn away from Moses, their first legislator, apostle and prophet. Hence that saying of the Jews to the man born blind, whom Christ had enlightened, John IX, 28: "Thou art his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses: we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we know not whence he is." Paul therefore in this chapter and the following compares and prefers Christ to Moses, as an Apostle to an Apostle; but in chapter v and the following he compares and prefers Christ to Aaron, as a high priest to a high priest. For although Moses was also eminently a high priest, inasmuch as he consecrated Aaron as high priest, and often offered sacrifice to God, and reconciled Him to the people, nevertheless after he had appointed Aaron as high priest, he left the duties of that priesthood to him, and himself discharged the office of Apostle, which was first delegated to him by God, so that he might be a legislator, prophet, teacher and leader of the people; until Christ should come, the new and supreme legislator, prophet, teacher and leader of the people, not only of the Hebrews, but also of the Gentiles. The Apostle therefore urges the Hebrews here to pass from Moses to Christ, who has now come, as from a type to an antitype, from a shadow to the truth: for throughout this entire epistle hereafter the Apostle proves to the Hebrews, from the allegory of Moses, Aaron and the old law, the truth and excellence of Christ and Christianity adumbrated by them.
3:2
2. Who (Jesus Christ) is faithful to him that made him. — "Made him," namely as an Apostle and High Priest: for this must be repeated from the preceding verse. Whence Vatablus translates it, who appointed him. Christ therefore was faithful to God as an Apostle, who faithfully announced to men the will and laws of God; and He was faithful as a High Priest, because He faithfully accomplished our redemption and expiation of our sins, even at the cost of His own life. As Moses also was faithful in all his house, — that is, in the Jewish people, which is a house, that is, a Church, in which the Creator God dwells and is worshipped, as is clear from verse 6. In this old Church therefore Moses was faithful to God as an apostle and legate: faithful, I say, in legislation, in announcing the commands and oracles of God to the people, in the care and governance of the people according to the mind and will of God. The Apostle cites Numbers XII, 7. Theophylactus beautifully says: "What a faithful steward or manager is in a house, that Moses was in the Hebrew people."
3:3
3. For He is counted worthy of greater glory than Moses, inasmuch as greater honour hath he that built the house, than the house itself. — For the voice gives the reason why He said in verse 4: "Consider" not Moses, but Jesus; for although Moses was faithful as an apostle of God, as Christ also was; yet Christ obtained so much greater glory from God than Moses, as much as He who built the house is greater than the house, as much as the architect is more excellent and honourable than the house, being the maker of the house. For Christ is the builder of the house, that is, of the Church of God; but Moses was only a servant and minister of God in it, and therefore Moses was a part of this house, that is, of the Church, and was one of the people of God: this is evident from what follows. Note the Grecism, "greater house," that is, greater than the house, or greater than the house itself. Thus Chrysostom, Theodoretus, Theophylactus; for this is what the Greek πλείονα τοῦ οἴκου signifies. Therefore some wrongly explain "house" as "in the house," or "from the house."
3:4
4. He who created all things is God. — That is to say, Christ, who, as I said in the preceding verse and in chapter 1, verse 10, built and created this house of God, that is, the Church, and therefore all things that are in the nature of things, is God; and therefore Christ as creator and God is far more noble than Moses, who with others is a creature of Christ. Thus Theophylactus.
3:5
5. And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken, — namely, that he might testify and expound to the Jews, who were then the people, house and Church of God, the will of God Himself. Just as therefore it is said of St. John in the Apocalypse 1, 2, that he gave testimony to the Word, that is, that he truly expounded, as a true witness, those things which he had heard concerning Christ: so also Moses gave testimony to the words of God, or to those things which were to be spoken on the part of God to the people, and which God wished Moses to speak and announce to the people. Thus Theophylactus.
3:6
6. But Christ as a Son in His own house. — In Greek ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ. Which signifies more "over the house" than "in his house"; whence it can be translated more clearly: Christ as a Son presides over His house, namely of God the Father, and administers it as a lord, whereas Moses was only a servant in it. Whose house are we. — The Greeks and Greek commentators, Chrysostom, Theodoretus, Oecumenius read, οὗ, that is, whose, namely of Christ, house are we. But more fittingly and correctly, as Beza himself admits, our Interpreter reads, ἥ οἶκος, that is, which house, namely the Church of God, are we. If we hold fast the confidence and the glory of hope unto the end, firm. — Note first: For "confidence" in Greek it is παρρησίαν, that is, freedom, by which is understood the free and intrepid profession of faith, so that we are not turned away from faith in Christ by threats or punishments; but we profess it freely, boldly and with open face, as the Syriac translator renders it, before tyrants and persecutors, even if for this reason we must endure chains, plunder of goods, exiles, stripes, and even death. Note secondly: For "glory" in Greek it is καύχημα, that is, gloriation; "gloriation of hope" by hypallage he calls the hope of gloriation, that is, the hope of which we glory. Whence Vatablus translates, glorious hope. Or properly he calls "gloriation" of hope the gloriation by which we are firm and courageous in our hope and glory in it, as Chrysostom says, as if it were already obtained by us, so that we openly proclaim our faith and hope of future beatitude and glory both in life and in word, and glory in it even in the tribunals of persecutors and tyrants. Thus in Romans v, 2, the Apostle says: "We glory in the hope of the glory of the sons of God." For the hope of future reward makes us constant in faith and Christian life, and therefore makes us glory in the midst of troubles and torments: for by this hope many Martyrs exulted and gloried in the most bitter pains. All these things are said by the Apostle for this purpose, that by them he might confirm and strengthen the Hebrews in faith and Christian life, lest on account of temptations and persecutions by the Jews they be broken in spirit, languish and fall away from faith: for nothing so strengthens a man in persecution and affliction as firm and certain hope, and steadfast persuasion and expectation that he will soon be freed from that affliction, and will receive an immense reward in heaven. Where note, the Apostle does not require from Christians any kind of hope, but a vigorous, strong, exultant and glorying hope: for this makes it so that a Christian does not waver in any temptation and tribulation, does not yield, but persists constant, and strongly and generously overcomes and conquers all adversities, and therefore rejoices and glories in them. Whence Chrysostom here in the moral homily 5: "With such," he says, "alacrity of spirit ought we to pour out our own blood for Christ, as one pours out water: for blood is water irrigating the body."
3:7
7. Wherefore, as the Holy Spirit saith: Today if you shall hear his voice, 8. harden not your hearts. — "His," namely Christ's: for he it is who went before. The Apostle cites Psalm XCIV, in which David generally invites all to the worship, that is, the praise and obedience of God the Creator and Governor, so that they may recognize themselves as his sheep and him as their shepherd, acknowledge that they are fed, nourished and ruled by him, and turn to him with their whole heart, as Jerome says there. But this psalm appears to have been written for some solemn feast, at which the people would gather in great numbers, so that by this psalm they might be stirred up to the praise of God. Indeed, Theodoret wishes this psalm to be prophetic, namely composed by David in the person of Josias, who was to be born three hundred years later, so that Josias might use it when, having removed idols, he was about to reconcile the people to God, IV Kings XXII and XXIII. Whence he says: "Come, let us exult and rejoice," as it were victors and conquerors over the abolished impiety and idols. But whatever be the case in this matter, it appears that David composed it so that at any feast and gathering of the people, especially a more solemn one, it might be sung beforehand to stir up devotion both of the Levites and of the people in psalmody, prayers and sacrifices. Whence even now it is sung by clerics in the divine office as it were an invitatory to psalmody and prayer. For the psalms composed by David were for all, both Christians and Jews. For David wished that all should sing them as it were sacred songs, and praise and invoke God; whence David often speaks generally and indefinitely, as is evident in this Psalm XCIV. You will ask: How then does Paul here appropriate it to Christ, and how does he understand by "his voice" the voice of Christ, when David understands the voice of God speaking to his Jews? I answer: Paul from the things said in chapter 1 presupposes that Christ is God, and therefore was the maker and lawgiver of the old Synagogue, so that he gave the law to the Jews through Moses as through his servant, as he premised a little before here, as if to say: Christ is, O Hebrews, God and the Son of God, who spoke through Moses, and who through David said: "Today if you shall hear his voice," whether you who now live are Jews, or you who in the time of the incarnate Christ are to be Christians, "harden not your hearts," but with a soft heart receive his words, obey him, and in no way depart from him. That this psalm pertains to Christ and Christians also, and not only to the Jews, is evident from the fact that he says: "Let us rejoice in God our Saviour," that is, our Savior, namely Jesus. "Let us prevent his face," that is, let us hasten in the early morning before dawn to come to God, who has brought us so great salvation; "in confession," in Hebrew בתודה betoda, that is, in praise, and as Jerome translated it, in thanksgiving. For although God in the Old Testament can be called the Savior of the Jews, in that he often delivered them from the Philistines and other enemies; yet Christ is called Savior far more perfectly, who in the New Testament saves Christians from sin, death and hell, and confers upon them salvation and eternal beatitude.
3:8
8. As in the exacerbation, according to the day of temptation in the desert, — as if to say: Harden not your hearts, and therefore do not exacerbate me, as your fathers, hardening their hearts, exacerbated me. "According to the day," that is, on the day, "of temptation in the desert," murmuring and rebelling for forty years both against Moses and against me; especially however at Raphidim, when on account of the lack of water they almost stoned Moses, wherefore Moses had to obtain water for them from the rock. For the Apostle alludes to Exodus XVII, 7, where, after this history is narrated, it is added: And he called the name of that place מסה massa, that is, temptation, and ומריבה umeriba, that is, and contention, or strife, by which the Jews, contending against Moses, exacerbated God.
3:9
9 and 10. Where your fathers tempted me, they proved and saw my works for forty years. — Note — "forty years" can be referred both to the preceding words, namely to "they proved and saw my works," as Paul refers it here, and to the following words, in this manner: Forty years I was near, or displeased with this generation, as Aquila, Symmachus and our Interpreter read, Psalm XCIV, 10, and indeed Paul below verse 17. One thing follows from the other: because the Jews for 40 years, during which they wandered through the desert, tempted God, hence for the same 40 years God was displeased with them, and thus consumed all in the desert by death, and led only their sons with Joshua and Caleb into the promised land. Note: To "they proved" the Greeks add με, that is "me"; but the sense is the same: "me" is the same as "my works." Secondly, Adamus thus expounds: "They proved," that is, when they had proved; but this does not agree with "forty years": nor indeed after the Hebrews had proved and experienced the wonderful works of God for forty years in the desert, did they tempt him in Raphidim; for that temptation occurred in the first or second year after their departure from Egypt. Plain therefore is the sense, as if to say: In the desert your fathers tempted me; they proved, that is, they tested, my works, and saw them to be irreproachable, powerful, faithful and divine, so that from them they could easily recognize me to be their faithful and almighty Lord, their leader and protector, to whom they ought to obey, to whom they ought to believe, in whom they ought to hope: but they did not do this very thing, hence I was always displeased with them and remained so. For which reason I was displeased with this generation. — Thus it should be read, "displeased" namely, not "near": for thus Paul reads here, and our Interpreter reads in Psalm XCIV, and this is required by the Hebrew קוט acut, that is, I loathed, unable to bear them further, I was disgusted, I was displeased with them; hence St. Jerome translated it, this generation displeases me; Aquila and Symmachus, it displeases me in this generation; the Syriac, this generation was a weariness to me. You will say: How then do we sing in the divine office: "Forty years I was near this generation," in a sense, as it seems, contrary; for he who is displeased with someone is not usually "near" to him. I answer: This various reading happened from the fact that the Greek προσώχθισα is ambiguous: for it signifies both to be angry and to be displeased, and also to approach, or to land on shore: for ὄχθη signifies either a bank or a shore. Here it should be translated "I was displeased," not however "I was near," as is clear from the Hebrew, Aquila, Symmachus, Jerome, as I have already said. "Near" therefore should be explained thus, as if to say: I was near, namely as an enemy to avenge and punish the hard and rebellious Jews; for this is the same as "I was displeased." Thus the moderns everywhere. And I said: They always err in heart, — πλανῶνται τῇ καρδίᾳ, that is, they are senseless and mad, and they rave, so that they do not know my ways, that is, my commandments, by which as by ways they ought to press on and strive toward me and toward their salvation.
3:11
11. To whom I swore in my wrath. — For "to whom," the Interpreter reads in the Greek οἷς, now they read ὡς, that is "as." But our reading is more fitting, and properly corresponds to the Hebrew אשר ascer, that is "to whom." If they shall enter into my rest. — "If" among the Hebrews is a particle of one swearing, and it was among the ancient Jews a mark of an execratory oath, in which it is to be understood: If this happen, let me not be God, let me not be truthful, or something similar. For the Hebrews pass over this in silence through euphemism. Hence "if" is transferred to any oath, and is equivalent to "not." As in I Kings XIV, 45: "As the Lord liveth, if there shall fall a hair of his head:" for here nothing is understood, but the sense is, We swear by the life of God, that not a hair shall fall from his head, that is, that we shall not permit Jonathan to be killed or touched. Note: By "rest" is understood the promised land, namely Chanaan, in which the Hebrews rested from the labor of wandering, which they had undergone in the desert, as if by this end and prize he might urge the Hebrews to constancy in faith, as if to say: The end and reward of the labors which the Hebrews underwent wandering in the desert was rest in Chanaan, into which Joshua led them: but the end of the labors and sorrows which Christians undergo in this life is eternal rest in the heavens, shadowed forth by Chanaan, into which Jesus leads us; and therefore see, O Hebrews, that you do not depart, in Greek ἀποστῆτε, that is, that you do not apostatize from God, apostatizing namely from the faith and law of Christ, who is our true, living and efficacious God to avenge this injury to himself.
3:13
13. But exhort one another every day, — to persevere in faith, in hope and in the endurance of persecutions, as noble soldiers and athletes of Christ. While To-day is named, — that is, while you live: he alludes to the cited verse Psalm XCIV: "To-day if you shall hear his voice," and urges the to-day. Note: "To-day" signifies the present time of life, of grace and of penance, which is given to each one: for in that "to-day" that same thing which God once spoke to the Jews in Psalm 94, he now speaks in every age to any man, namely: "To-day if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts." For as long as we breathe and live, it is to-day; as long as it is permitted to hear, to believe and to be converted, it is to-day. Those who lived a hundred, two hundred, three hundred, a thousand years ago, had their own to-day, that is their own time of hearing Christ, their own time of procuring their salvation: for them this has now passed, and it seems that only to-day, that is one day, was. For us there still remains to-day, if not the whole, certainly some part of it; let us use our to-day, never to have a tomorrow, "Too late is the day of tomorrow, live to-day." Thus Chrysostom and Oecumenius. In the same way St. Antony, dying, was exhorting and stirring up the brothers to the pursuit of virtue, saying: "Think that you have begun the religious life to-day every day." So also Barlaam to Josaphat in Damascene: "Think," he says, "that you have begun to serve God to-day, that you will finish the same to-day;" think that to-day will be the first and last day on which you serve God and will serve: thus it will come about that you always overcome all weariness with alacrity, and proceed eagerly in the service of God. Subtly Calvin and Beza say, "to-day," they say, is present, as long as God calls us: for thus long does this day last and no longer; as if God calls us only up to a certain time of life, after which the grace and calling of God is hoped for in vain; when nevertheless the Fathers everywhere say, in this life it is always our To-day, it is always time to repent and to turn oneself to God. Add, that the Apostle and the Psalmist distinguish "to-day" from the calling of God, as is evident from the fact that he says: "To-day if you shall hear his voice." By which words he openly suggests and presupposes, that there can be a To-day in which the voice and calling of God is not heard, for that is required by the conditional conjunction "if." That no one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. — That is, lest, caught by the deceitful allurements of sins, you be hardened to the voice of God, lest namely, by love of temporal goods you fall away from the faith of Christ, while you fear to lose them, since the Jews were despoiling those converted from Moses to Christ of theirs.
3:14
14. For we have been made partakers of Christ, — that is to say, we are grafted into Christ as into a body and head, as it were parts and members, through faith, baptism and grace; whence the Syrian translator renders it etchallatan, that is, we are mingled with Christ, made one body with Christ, and consequently we are made partakers of the life, grace, glory and inheritance of Christ. Let us therefore see that no trifling thing, namely perishable goods, separate us from Christ, from such dignity, from such great goods and tear us away. If however we retain the beginning of his substance firm even to the end. — For "substance" in Greek is ὑποστάσεως, that is "subsistence." "The beginning of substance," or subsistence, he calls faith, by which we first began as it were to subsist in spiritual and divine substance, and we were made partakers of the divine nature. For by faith we were regenerated in baptism, and we began to be a new creature of Christ. Faith therefore is the beginning of our substance, or spiritual subsistence, that is, of our justification, by which we were made new men, namely Christians, spiritual and divine. Thus St. Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylactus, Oecumenius, that is to say, We have indeed been made partakers of Christ, and grafted into Christ; but this will not profit us, nor shall we participate in the life and eternal inheritance of Christ, unless we persist in the faith of Christ. Under faith understand hope, grace, charity, and all the offspring and fruits of faith, as I have said in Chapters 3 and 4. Again, "beginning," in Greek ἀρχήν, he calls the foundation of faith: because the foundation of any thing is first in it, and is its beginning; but ὑπόστασιν, that is substance, he calls faith itself in chapter XI, 1. Thus Maldonatus in his manuscript Notes. Others think faith is called "the beginning of substance;" because through faith we constantly subsist and persist in Christianity: for faith, setting before us the hope of future reward and glory, sustains us, and as it were makes us subsist strong and immovable from Christ in adversities and persecutions. For thus in chapter XI, the Apostle says: "Faith is the substance of things to be hoped for." But, because here "of things to be hoped for" is not added, and because "substance" simply signifies nature and essence, not constancy, hence the former sense is more genuine. 15. When it is said: Today if you shall hear his voice. — This sentence depends on the preceding verse; for it explains what "even to the end" is, namely, to be the same as "when it is said, Today," that is, while the present time of our life is passing, while we live and hear the voice of God, let us not harden our heart and provoke God, and thus be excluded from the rest of heaven, just as the Jews of old provoked God by their hardening, and therefore died in the desert, and were excluded from the rest of the promised land.
3:16
16. For some indeed provoked him, but not all. — Because not Joshua, not Caleb, not the little ones, not the women, not the Levites. For these did not murmur against Moses, nor provoke God, and therefore, as they were free from guilt, so they were free from punishment, and entered safe and unharmed into the promised land of Canaan. See what is said in Numbers XIV, verse 29. The Apostle hints here that some Hebrews fell away from faith in Christ through fear of persecution, but not all: those therefore who still persisted in faith he exhorts, lest they imitate those timid ones falling away from faith, unless they wish to be excluded from heaven: but rather let them look upon and emulate others constant in faith. Through Moses, — under the leadership of Moses.
3:17
17 and 18. But to whom was he angry, except to those who were unbelieving? — That is, who, not believing Moses and distrusting the promises of God, despaired of being able to obtain the land of Canaan, and therefore wished to return to Egypt: for which reason they were punished by God with death, and their bodies were laid low in the desert. The Apostle so greatly emphasizes and presses upon unbelief, in order to turn the Hebrews away from it, and to strengthen those tried and wavering in faith in Christ by so many persecutions.
3:19
19. And we see that they could not enter in, — that is to say, as God swore and threatened, so he executed it in fact: for we know, and we see in fact that those unbelieving and murmuring ones could not enter into Canaan, that is to say, the same will happen to us, so that, unless we obey God threatening, and believe and trust in him, we shall in fact be excluded from heaven.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
3:1
Sicut supra dictum fuit, lex vetus ex tribus habuit auctoritatem, scilicet ex Angelo, ex Moyse, et ex Aaron pontifice. Apostolus autem supra praetulit Christum auctorem novi testamenti Angelis, per quos lex data fuit, hic intendit ipsum praeferre Moysi, qui fuit promulgator, et quasi legislator veteris testamenti. Et circa hoc facit duo. Primo enim praefert Christum Moysi; secundo concludit ex hoc, quod sit efficacissime obediendum Christo, ibi quapropter sicut. Circa primum duo facit. Primo praemittit dignitatem Christi; secundo ostendit quid sit commune Christo et Moysi, ibi amplioris. Circa primum duo facit, quia primo ponit conditionem eorum ad quos loquitur; secundo ponit conditionem eius de quo loquitur, ibi considerate. Illos autem ad quos loquitur describit tripliciter. Primo ex charitate. Unde dicit fratres, quasi diceret: quia ex semine Abrahae fratres estis et Christi, et inter vos ad invicem. Matth. XXIII, 8: omnes vos fratres estis, et cetera. Item fratres Christi. Supra II, 11: non confunditur eos vocare fratres. Hanc autem fraternitatem facit charitas. Ps. CXXXII, 1: ecce quam bonum et quam iucundum, et cetera. Secundo etiam describit eos ex sanctitate, cum dicit sancti. Et hoc propter sacramentorum perceptionem, qua sanctificamur a Christo. I Cor. VI, 11: sed abluti estis, sed sanctificati estis, et cetera. Tertio describit eos ex vocatione, cum dicit vocationis caelestis participes. Ista autem vocatio dupliciter potest intelligi caelestis esse. Vel ratione finis, vel ratione principii. Ratione quidem finis, quia vocati sunt non ad terrena, sicut in veteri testamento, sed vocati sunt ad caelestia regna. I Thess. II, v. 12: vocavit nos ad suum regnum et gloriam. I Petr. II, 9: qui de tenebris vocavit in admirabile lumen suum. Ratione vero principii, quia non est ex meritis nostris, nec ex humana adinventione, sed sola caelesti gratia. Gal. I, 6: vocavit per gratiam suam. Rom. VIII, 30: quos autem praedestinavit, hos et vocavit. Is. XLI, 2: qui suscitavit ab oriente iustum, vocavit eum, ut sequeretur se. Dicit autem participes, quia non solum Iudaei vocati sunt ad gratiam fidei et novi testamenti, sed etiam gentes. Col. I, 12: dignos nos fecit in partem sortis sanctorum in lumine. Quia ergo estis in charitate, et sancti, et vocati ad caelestia, debetis libenter audire loqui de eo, per quem ista vobis proveniunt. Consequenter describit illum de quo loquitur, cum dicit considerate. Infra c. XII, 2: aspicientes in auctorem fidei et consummatorem Iesum, et cetera. Sed quem? Apostolum, inquit, et pontificem confessionis nostrae Iesum. Apostolus enim in sequentibus praefert Christum Moysi et Aaron, et ideo adscribit ei utriusque dignitatem; Moysi, scilicet quia missus fuit a Deo. Ps.: misit Moysen servum suum. Aaron vero, qui pontifex fuit. Ex. XXVIII, 1: applica quoque ad te Aaron, et cetera. Christus autem excellentius missus fuit apostolus, quam Moyses. Ex. IV, 13: obsecro, domine, mitte quem missurus es, quasi dicat: alium digniorem missurus es. Item ipse est pontifex et sacerdos. Ps. CIX, 5: tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech. Quasi ergo praemittit hic conditionem suam principalem, dicens unde, id est, ergo, fratres, considerate apostolum, quasi dicat: praetermittatis considerare illum apostolum, id est, missum Moysen et pontificem Aaron, et considerate apostolum et pontificem confessionis nostrae, id est, illum quem nos confitemur. Hoc est enim necessarium ad salutem, ut confiteamur eum. Rom. X, 10: corde creditur ad iustitiam, ore autem confessio fit ad salutem. Vel confessionis, id est, sacrificii spiritualis. Omnis enim sacerdos ordinatur ad sacrificia offerenda. Duplex autem est sacrificium, scilicet corporale vel temporale. Et ad hoc institutus fuit Aaron. Aliud autem est sacrificium spirituale, quod est in fidei confessione. Ps. XLIX, 23: sacrificium laudis honorificabit me. Et ad istud sacrificium institutus est Christus, non ad tauros. Is. I, 11: holocausta arietum et adipem pinguium, et sanguinem vitulorum, et agnorum, et hircorum nolui. Et paulo post, sequitur: ne offeratis ultra sacrificium frustra. Deinde cum dicit qui fidelis, etc., comparat Christum Moysi. De Aaron infra facit mentionem specialem. Et ponit primo hic, ut dictum est, illud in quo conveniunt; secundo, in quo Christus superat Moysen, ibi amplioris enim gloriae. Commune Christo et Moysi est fidelitas ad Deum; et ideo dicit qui fidelis est. Ubi sciendum est, quod totum hoc, quod hic dicitur de Moyse, fundatur super illud quod habetur Num. XII, 7, ubi dominus ostendit excellentiam Moysi, postquam iurgati sunt contra ipsum Aaron et Maria, ubi ponuntur haec verba, quae apostolus hic allegat. Ibi enim dicitur sic: at non talis servus meus Moyses, qui in omni domo mea fidelissimus est. Ubi, si bene attendimus, magis commendatur Moyses, quam in aliquo loco Bibliae. Et ideo apostolus tamquam excellentissimum ad commendationem Moysi hoc accipit. Hoc autem potest convenire et Christo et Moysi. De Moyse enim patet ex ipsa historia allegata. De Christo etiam intelligitur, quia ipse secundum quod homo, fidelis est ei qui fecit eum, scilicet Deo patri, qui fecit eum, scilicet apostolum et pontificem, non secundum divinam naturam, quia sic non est factus, nec creatus, sed genitus, sed secundum humanam. Rom. I, 3: qui factus est ei ex semine David secundum carnem. Fidelis autem fuit Deo patri, primo non attribuens sibi quod habebat, sed patri. Io. c. VII, 16: mea doctrina non est mea. Secundo quia gloriam eius quaerebat, non suam. Io. VIII, 50: ego gloriam meam non quaero. Et VII, 18 dicitur: qui quaerit gloriam eius, qui eum misit, hic verax est, et iniustitia in illo non est. Tertio, quia perfecte obedivit patri. Phil. II, 8: factus obediens usque ad mortem. Fidelis ergo est Christus ei qui fecit eum.
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Sicut et Moyses, et hoc in omni domo eius, quae domus est universitas fidelium, de qua Ps. XCII, 7: domum tuam decet sanctitudo, domine. Vel in omni domo eius, id est, in toto mundo non tantum in Iudaea, sicut Moyses. Is.: dedi te in lucem gentium, ut sis salus mea usque ad extremum terrae.
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Deinde cum dicit amplioris enim gloriae, praefert Christum Moysi, et hoc quantum ad duo. Primo quantum ad potestatem; secundo quantum ad conditionem, ibi et Moyses. Commendando autem Christum, commendat ipsum habuisse honorem in omni domo, sicut Moyses; sed quod Christus ipsum excellat ostendit. Ubi primo ponit rationem; secundo manifestat, ibi omnis namque. Ratio autem apostoli est, quod maior gloria debetur illi qui fecit domum, quam illi qui eam inhabitat; Christus autem fabricavit domum. Ps. LXXIII, 16: tu fabricatus es auroram et solem. Prov. IX, 1: sapientia aedificavit sibi domum, id est, Ecclesiam. Ipse enim Christus, per quem gratia et veritas facta est, tamquam legislator aedificavit Ecclesiam. Moyses autem tamquam legis pronuntiator; et ideo solum ut pronuntiatori debetur gloria Moysi. Unde et resplenduit facies eius, de qua Ex. XXXIV, 29 et II Cor. III, 7: ita ut non possent filii Israel intendere in faciem Moysi propter gloriam vultus eius. Continuatur ergo sic littera: tu dicis quod Christus est fidelis sicut Moyses, quare ergo dimittemus ne consideremus? Certe quia amplioris gloriae dignus est habitus prae Moyse, quanto ampliorem gloriam habet dominus domus qui fabricavit illam. Quasi dicat: etsi Moyses multum sit honorabilis, tamen Christus honorabilior est, sicut fabricator domus, et sicut legislator principalis. Iob XXXVI, 22: ecce Deus excelsus in fortitudine sua, et nullus ei similis in legislatoribus. Si ergo debetur gloria Moysi, ampliori dignus est Christus. II Cor. III, 9: si ministratio damnationis in gloria est, multo magis ministerium iustitiae erit in gloria.
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Consequenter probat minorem suae rationis, cum dicit omnis namque domus fabricatur ab aliquo. Minor autem est, quod Christus fabricavit domum istam; et hoc probat primo, quia omnis domus indiget fabricatore; secundo, quia ista domus de qua loquitur, a Christo fabricata est, ibi qui autem omnia. Primo ergo probat quod ista domus sicut et quaelibet alia indiget fabricatore, quia diversa non coniunguntur nisi ab aliquo uno, sicut patet de domo artificiali, in qua ligna et lapides, ex quibus composita est, uniuntur ab aliquo. Aggregatio autem fidelium, quae est Ecclesia et domus Dei, ex diversis collecta est, scilicet Iudaeis et gentibus, servis et liberis. Et ideo Ecclesia sicut et omnis domus ab aliquo uniente fabricatur. Huius rationis ponit tantum conclusionem, supponens veritatem praemissarum ex facti evidentia. I Pet. II, 5: ipsi tamquam lapides vivi superaedificamini domos spirituales, et cetera. Eph. II, 20: superaedificati supra fundamentum apostolorum et prophetarum, et cetera. Deinde cum dicit qui autem creavit omnia, Deus, probat quod Christus sit istius domus aedificator, ipse enim est Deus qui fecit omnia. Et si hoc intelligitur de toto mundo, planum est. Ps. XXXII, 9: ipse dixit, et facta sunt, et cetera. Est autem alia creatio spiritualis, quae fit per spiritum. Ps. CIII, v. 30: emitte spiritum tuum, et creabuntur, et renovabis faciem, et cetera. Et haec fit a Deo per Christum. Iac. I, 18: voluntarie genuit nos verbo veritatis, ut simus initium aliquod creaturae eius. Eph. II, 10: ipsius factura sumus, creati in Christo Iesu in operibus bonis. Deus ergo istam domum, scilicet Ecclesiam, ex nihilo, scilicet de statu peccati, in statum gratiae creavit. Ergo Christus per quem fecit omnia supra I, 2: per quem fecit et saecula. Io. I, 3: omnia per ipsum facta sunt, et sine ipso, etc., est excellentior, utpote quia habet potestatem factoris, quam Moyses, qui solum fuit pronuntiator.
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Deinde cum dicit et Moyses quidem, praefert Christum Moysi quantum ad conditionem, et circa hoc duo facit. Primo enim ponit rationem suam; secundo manifestat eam, ibi quae domus. Ratio autem sua talis est: constat quod amplioris gratiae est dominus et in domo propria, quam famulus et in domo domini. Sed Moyses est fidelis sicut servus et in domo domini, Christus vero sicut dominus et in domo sua, ergo, et cetera. Circa quod sciendum est quod apostolus valde diligenter notat verba illa, scripta de Moyse, in quibus duo dicuntur de ipso: vocatur enim servus, vocatur etiam fidelis non in domo propria, sed in domo Dei nostri. Et quantum ad ista duo, praefert Christum Moysi. Primo enim ostendit quid conveniat Moysi; secundo quid conveniat Christo, ibi Christus vero tamquam filius. Dicit ergo quod Moyses fidelis erat tamquam servus, id est, sicut fidelis dispensator. Matth. XXV, 21: euge, serve bone et fidelis, quia in pauca fuisti fidelis, supra multa te constituam. Christus autem quodammodo servus est, scilicet secundum carnem, Phil. II, v. 7: formam servi accipiens, sed Moyses fuit famulus Dei in verbis Dei proponendis filiis Israel. Ex quo patet, quod quia erat fidelis famulus, illa quae dicebat ordinabantur ad alium, scilicet ad Christum. Et hoc erat in testimonium eorum, quae dicenda erant. Io. V, 46: si crederetis Moysi, crederetis forsitan et mihi, de me enim ille scripsit. Act. X, 43: huic omnes prophetae testimonium perhibent. Quia ergo erat famulus, ideo erat non in domo propria, sed in aliena; et quia ea quae dicebat erant in testimonium eorum quae dicenda erant de Christo, ideo Moyses omniquaque minor fuit Christo. Deinde cum dicit Christus vero, ostendit quid conveniat Christo, quia scilicet Christus non est sicut servus, sed tamquam filius in domo patris, et per consequens sua, quia haeres naturalis. Supra I, 2: quem constituit haeredem universorum, et cetera. Ecclesia enim est domus Christi. Prov. XIV, 1: sapiens mulier aedificat domum. Ps. II, 7: dominus dixit ad me: filius meus es tu, et cetera. Matth. III, v. 17: filius meus dilectus, et cetera. Est ergo non servus, sed filius, et in domo sua: sed Moyses est servus, et in domo aliena. Io. VIII, 35: filius manet in aeternum.
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Deinde cum dicit quae domus sumus nos, ostendit quae sit ista domus. Ista domus sunt fideles, et sunt domus Christi, qui credunt in Christum. I Tim. III, v. 15: in domo Dei, quae est Ecclesia. Et etiam quia Christus habitat in ipsis. Eph. III, v. 17: habitare Christum per fidem in cordibus vestris. Haec ergo domus nos fideles sumus. Ad hoc autem, quod simus domus Dei, quatuor oportet, quae requiruntur circa domum, quae non sunt in tabernaculo. Et ista tangit apostolus. Primo, quod spes nostra et fides sit certa et permanens: tabernaculum autem etsi sit firmum, tamen cito moveri potest. Et significat illos qui ad tempus credunt, et in tempore tentationis recedunt; sed illi sunt domus, qui verbum Dei retinent. Et ideo dicit si retineamus fiduciam. Dictum est supra, quod fiducia est spes cum expectatione firma et sine timore. II Cor. III, 4: fiduciam talem habemus per Christum ad Deum. Secundo quod sit ordinate disposita. Et ideo dicit spei gloriam, id est, ad gloriam Dei ordinatam, ita quod, contemptis aliis, gloriemur in spe gloriae. Ier. IX, 24: in hoc glorietur qui gloriatur, scire et nosse me. Tertio quod perseverans. Unde dicit usque in finem. Matth. X, 22: qui perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit. Quarto quod sit firma, ut scilicet nulla adversitate moveatur. Unde dicit firmam. Infra c. VI, 18 s.: confugimus ad tenendam propositam spem, quam sicut anchoram habemus animae tutam et firmam.
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Supra probavit apostolus, quod Christus est maioris excellentiae quam Moyses, hic concludit quod magis est obediendum Christo. Et hoc facit per auctoritatem prophetae David in Ps. XCIV. Ubi tria facit, quia primo proponit auctoritatem, quae continet quamdam exhortationem; secundo exponit eam, ibi videte, fratres; tertio ex auctoritate et expositione arguit, c. IV, ibi timeamus ergo. Circa primum tria facit. Primo enim insinuat auctoritatem verborum sequentium; secundo ponit exhortationem, quae est in auctoritate, ibi hodie si vocem; tertio ponit quamdam similitudinem, ibi sicut in exacerbatione, et cetera. Auctoritas verborum est ex hoc, quod non sunt prolata humana adinventione, sed a spiritu sancto. Unde dicit quapropter sicut dicit spiritus sanctus. Quasi dicat: Christus est amplioris gratiae quam Moyses; ergo si audivimus Moysen, non debemus obdurare corda nostra ad audiendum Christum. Ipse autem verba veteris testamenti allegat pro novo, ne credatur, quod tantum sint referenda ad vetus testamentum, imo etiam ad novum, et ad aliud tempus referri debent. Et sunt verba spiritus sancti, quia, ut dicitur II Pet. I, 21: non humana voluntate allata est aliquando prophetia, sed spiritu sancto inspirati locuti sunt sancti Dei homines. Ipse enim David dicit, II Reg. XXIII, 2 de seipso: spiritus domini locutus est per me. In hoc ergo ostendit auctoritatem esse veram, quia scilicet est a spiritu sancto, contra Manichaeum. Deinde cum dicit hodie si vocem, etc., ponit monitionem, ubi facit tria. Primo enim describit tempus cum dicit hodie; secundo subdit beneficium, ibi si vocem; tertio subiungit monitionem suam, ibi nolite obdurare. Tempus est hodie, scilicet tempus diei. Tempus enim legis veteris dicebatur nox, quia erat tempus umbrae. Infra X, 1: umbram enim habens lex futurorum bonorum. Sed tempus novi testamenti, quia repellit umbram noctis legis, dicitur dies. Rom. XIII, 12: nox praecessit, dies autem appropinquavit. Dicitur etiam istud tempus dies, propter ortum solis iustitiae. Mal. IV: vobis timentibus nomen meum orietur sol, et cetera. Hunc diem non sequitur nox, sed clarior dies, quando scilicet ipsum solem iustitiae videbimus revelata facie in rota sua, quando ipsum videbimus per essentiam. Et in hac die exhibetur nobis beneficium. Nam sequitur si vocem eius audieritis, quia audimus vocem eius, quod non erat in veteri testamento, in quo audiebantur tantum verba prophetarum. Supra I, 1 s.: olim Deus loquens patribus in prophetis, novissime vero diebus istis locutus est nobis in filio. Is. LII, 6: propter hoc sciet populus meus nomen meum in die illa, quia ego ipse qui loquebar ecce adsum. Cant. II, 14: sonet vox tua in auribus meis. In hoc enim exhibetur nobis beneficium tantum desideratum. Lc. XIX, 42: in hac die tua, quae ad pacem tibi, et cetera. Si ergo tantum est beneficium, ecce monitio: nolite obdurare corda vestra. Cor durum sonat in malum. Durum est quod non cedit, sed resistit impellenti, nec recipit impressionem. Et sic dicitur cor hominis durum, quando non cedit divinae iussioni, nec de facili recipit divinas impressiones. Eccli. c. III, 27: cor durum male habebit in novissimo. Rom. II, 5: secundum duritiam tuam, et cor tuum impoenitens thesaurizas tibi iram in die irae. Haec autem induratio ex duobus causatur. Ex uno quasi negative, scilicet ex Deo non apponente gratiam. Rom. IX, 18: cuius vult Deus miseretur, et quem vult indurat. Ex alio vero positive, et hoc modo indurat peccator seipsum, non obediendo Deo, et non aperiendo cor suum gratiae. Zach. VII, 12: cor suum posuerunt ut adamantem, ne audirent legem et verba, quae misit dominus exercituum spiritu suo per manum prophetarum priorum. Nolite ergo obdurare corda vestra, id est, nolite corda claudere spiritui sancto. Act. VII, 51: vos semper spiritui sancto restitistis. Consequenter ponit similitudinem cum dicit: sicut in exacerbatione. Et haec est similitudo ex facto praeterito; nam fideles instruuntur de his, quae sunt agenda in novo testamento ex iis quae facta sunt in praeterito, secundum illud Rom. c. XV, 4: quaecumque scripta sunt, ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt. Facit autem duo circa hoc, quia primo proponit exemplum in generali, ponendo culpam; secundo in speciali, ibi ubi tentaverunt me, et cetera. Ut autem sequamur expositionem apostoli, oportet ponere in ista littera sensus, qui conveniunt expositioni. Legimus autem inter alias duas culpas filiorum Israel gravissime punitas. Una fuit inobedientiae quam habuerunt in facto exploratorum: de quo Num. XIII et XIV. Pro quo facto indignatus dominus voluit totum populum delere. Unde iuravit quod nullus intraret terram promissionis, exceptis duobus, scilicet Caleb et Iosue. Istud autem vocat specialiter exacerbationem, quia licet per alia peccata offendissent Deum, tamen per illud exacerbaverunt ipsum, quia sicut fructus acerbus, qui opponitur maturo, non est aptus ad cibum, sic tunc ira Dei fuit inflexibilis. Ps. LXXVII, 40: exacerbaverunt eum in deserto, et tentaverunt eum in inaquoso. Bar. IV, 7: exacerbastis eum qui fecit vos. Aliud peccatum fuit peccatum tentationis. Frequenter enim tentaverunt Deum, quia quandoque pro aqua, quandoque pro carnibus, quandoque vero pro pane: ita quod decies tentaverunt ipsum. Num. XIV, 22: tentaverunt me iam per decem vices. Iob XIX, 3: en decies confunditis me.
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Et ideo dicit secundum diem tentationis. Posset autem aliquis putare quod idem esset peccatum exacerbatio et tentatio, ita quod vellet apostolus dicere: nolite obdurare corda vestra sicut in exacerbatione, quae fuit in die tentationis. Sed hoc est contra expositionem apostoli. Ideo dicendum est sic: nolite obdurare corda vestra sicut in exacerbatione, et iterum sicut in die tentationis, ita quod sint duo peccata. Unde Ps. LXXVII, v. 41: conversi sunt, et tentaverunt Deum, et sanctum Israel exacerbaverunt.
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Consequenter prosequitur culpas in speciali, cum dicit ubi tentaverunt me patres vestri, et cetera. Et circa hoc duo facit, quia primo ponit peccatum tentationis; secundo peccatum exacerbationis, ibi et dixi semper. Circa primum tria facit. Primo enim ponit peccatum tentationis; secundo ostendit eius gravitatem, ibi probaverunt; tertio ponit poenam, ibi propter quod offensus fui. Dicit ergo, quod in eis fuit peccatum tentationis in deserto, quia ibi tentaverunt me patres vestri: et loquitur in persona domini. Ubi sciendum est, quod tentare est experimentum sumere de re quam quis ignorat. Unde quod quis tentat Deum, procedit ex infidelitate. Sed sciendum est quod aliquando aliquis tentat Deum, non cum intentione tentandi et experiendi, verumtamen se habet ad modum tentantis. Qui enim utitur re sua propter utilitatem, non tentat proprie: puta si aliquis fugiens currat super equum suum, et si tentat, non tamen cum intentione tentandi. Sed quando ad nihil utile est quod facit, tunc tentat. Item si aliquis exponat se alicui periculo compulsus necessitate, sub spe divini auxilii, non tentat Deum. Si autem sine aliqua necessitate, tunc tentat Deum. Et sic dicit ipse, Matth. IV, 7: non tentabis dominum Deum tuum, quia necessitas nulla erat quod mitteret se deorsum. Sic isti tentaverunt dominum, quia dubitaverunt de potestate Dei, clamantes contra Moysen, ac si Deus non posset eis dare cibum, cum potentiam suam in maioribus experti fuissent: et ideo erat peccatum infidelitatis, quod est maximum. Deinde ponitur gravitas culpae, cum dicit probaverunt me, et cetera. Quanto enim aliquis maiora beneficia Dei recipit, et maiorem certitudinem divinae potestatis habet, et postmodum dubitat, tanto gravius peccat. Isti vero viderunt signa et prodigia in terra Aegypti, apertionem maris et alia miracula, et tamen non crediderunt. Unde Num. XIV, 22: homines qui viderunt maiestatem meam, et signa quae feci in Aegypto et in solitudine, et tentaverunt me iam decem vices, et cetera. Et ideo dicit probaverunt, id est, experiri voluerunt, et viderunt, id est, experti sunt, opera mea, id est, effectus qui non poterant esse, nisi virtutis infinitae esset ille qui opera faciebat. Et hoc totum non uno die, sed quadraginta annis, quibus scilicet manserunt in deserto, quia semper habuerunt manna et columnam ignis et nubis; vel probaverunt quod viderunt me, quia scilicet in nulla defeci eis. Illud tamen quod dicit, quadraginta annis, secundum intentionem apostoli refertur ad priora, sed secundum intentionem Psalmistae refertur ad sequentia, ut dicatur quod offensus vel infensus ei fuit quadragesimo anno. Et sic habet littera Hieronymi. Deinde cum dicit propter quod offensus fui, ponitur poena peccati: et est duplex littera, scilicet offensus, vel proximus, et idem est. Propter quod, id est, propter peccatum, fui offensus, id est, indignatus, non quod ira sit in Deo, nisi similitudinarie, quia punit sicut iratus: de qua poena frequenter habetur in Ex. XXII: dimitte me, ut irascatur furor meus, etc., et in Lib. numerorum. Saepe enim prostrati sunt. Unde I Cor. X, 5 agit de poena istius peccati. Vel proximus fui, scilicet puniendo ipsos. Quando enim dominus subvenit bonis, et punit malos, tunc est prope ipsos; sed quando dissimulat peccata hominum propter poenitentiam, et dissimulat afflictionem iustorum, ut crescat ipsorum meritum, tunc videtur etiam longe. Iob XXII, 14: nubes latibulum eius, nec nostra considerat, et circa cardines caeli perambulat. Vel proximus, quantum ad divinam misericordiam, quia hoc ipsum, quod punit eos temporaliter, magnum misericordiae signum est. Augustinus: hic ure, hic seca, ut in aeternum parcas. Deinde cum dicit et dixi, etc., ponit peccatum exacerbationis in speciali. Et hoc patet per hoc quod infra dicitur quibus iuravi non introire, et cetera. Et circa hoc facit duo. Primo enim ponit culpam; secundo subdit poenam, ibi quibus iuravi in ira mea, et cetera. Culpam autem duplicem ponit. Una est in obstinatione in malo; alia est in recessu a bono. Et istam ponit, ibi ipsi vero non cognoverunt vias meas. Dicit ergo: ego sic fui eis proximus, scilicet puniendo eos. Et dixi, scilicet praevisione aeterna, hi errant corde semper. Deut. c. XXXI, 27: semper contentiose egistis contra dominum. Ier. XIII, 23: si potest Aethiops mutare pellem suam, et cetera. Sic ergo uno modo aliquis exacerbat Deum quando obstinate adhaeret malo; alio modo, quando contemnit bonum.
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Unde dicit ipsi vero non cognoverunt vias meas, hoc est, non quantum ad simplicem ignorantiam, sed ad affectatam, ut sit sensus: non cognoverunt, id est, cognoscere noluerunt. Iob c. XXI, 14: scientiam viarum tuarum nolumus. Ps. XXXV, 3: noluit intelligere ut bene ageret. Vel non cognoverunt, id est, non approbaverunt, sicut dicit apostolus II Tim. II, v. 19: cognovit dominus qui sunt eius. Consequenter ostendit poenam cum dicit quibus iuravi. In quo verbo ponit immobilitatem, in hoc quod vult iuramenta firma. Quando enim Deus vel Angelus inveniuntur iurare, signum est immobilitatis eius de quo iuravit. Ps. CIX, 5: iuravit dominus, et non poenitebit eum, et cetera. Verumtamen aliquando non iurat nisi sub conditione, quia scilicet si non poeniteant, haec mala evenient eis. Ponit etiam quod poena ista non est ad comminationem, sed magis ad exterminationem, quia dicit in ira. Ps. VI, 1: domine, ne in ira tua corripias me.
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Iuravit ergo in ira si introibunt in requiem meam. Constructio est defectiva ad modum irati, qui truncat verba sua. Et accipitur ly si pro non, id est, non introibunt in requiem meam. Est autem triplex requies. Una est temporalis, de qua Lc. XII, 19: habes multa bona reposita in annos plurimos, requiesce, et cetera. Secunda est requies conscientiae. Eccli. LI, 35: modicum laboravi, et inveni requiem multam. Tertia est requies gloriae aeternae. Ps. IV, 8: in pace in idipsum dormiam et requiescam. Potest ergo exponi illud, quod dicitur hic de qualibet istarum, ut dicatur: ipsi vero nec in requiem terrae promissionis, nec in requiem conscientiae, nec in requiem fruitionis aeternae introierunt.
3:12
Supra apostolus per auctoritatem Psalmistae ostendit, quod firmiter obediendum est Christo. In auctoritate vero posuit tria, monitionem, culpam, et poenam; hic exponit ista tria per ordinem. Primum facit hic, videte; secundum, ibi quidam; tertium, ibi quibus autem iuravit. In admonitione vero sunt duo, scilicet ipsa monitio, et ipsius monitionis conditio. Unde ista duo exponit. Primo primum, hic; secundo secundum, ibi participes enim Christi. In prima vero admonitione ad duo hortatur, scilicet ad sollicitam considerationem; secundo ad mutuam admonitionem, ibi sed adhortamini. Dicit ergo videte. Unusquisque enim in se debet considerare in quo statu sit. Gal. VI, 4: opus suum probet unusquisque. Ier. II, 23: vide vias tuas in convalle. Videte ergo, fratres, quantum ad quemlibet in se, quia quilibet est pars societatis, et unicuique mandavit Deus de proximo suo, Eccli. XVII, 12. Videte, id est, probate unus alium, ne forte sit in aliquo vestrum, etc., quasi dicat: multi inter vos sunt in statu perfecto, tamen propter fragilitatem et arbitrii libertatem posset esse malum in aliquo vestrum. Iob IV, 18 s.: ecce qui serviunt ei, non sunt stabiles, et in Angelis suis reperit pravitatem, quanto magis hi qui habitant domos luteas, et terrenum habent fundamentum? Io. VI, 71: nonne ergo duodecim vos elegi, et unus ex vobis Diabolus est? Non ergo aliquis sit tantum sollicitus de se; sed etiam de quolibet suae societatis. Sed quid? Ne sit in aliquo vestrum cor malum incredulitatis. Ecce malum de quo loquitur apostolus, scilicet cor incredulum, id est, non firmum in fide, in quo consistit malitia animae: quia sicut bonum animae est in adhaerendo Deo Ps. LXXII, 27: mihi autem adhaerere Deo bonum est, quod scilicet est per fidem ita recedere a Deo per incredulitatem est malum hominis. Ier. II, 19: scito et vide, Israel, quia malum et amarum est reliquisse te dominum, et cetera. Et ideo dicit discedendi, quia per incredulitatem recedit a Deo vivo. Ier. II, 13: me dereliquerunt fontem aquae vivae. Dicit autem a Deo vivo, quia et est vita in se et est vita animae. Io. I, 4: in ipso vita erat. Quod ideo dicit, ut ostendat quod per recessum a Deo, homo incurrit mortem spiritualem. Sed si inveniatur istud malum in aliquo, numquid desperandum est?
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Non, sed magis debet exhortari, id est, admoneri: ideo dicit sed adhortamini vosmetipsos per singulos dies, id est, continue scilicet discutiendo conscientiam suam, et inducendo ad bonum, donec hodie cognominatur, id est, donec durat praesens tempus gratiae, quod est totum sicut unus dies. Io. IX, 4: me oportet operari opera eius qui misit me, donec dies est. Et hoc ideo ut non obduretur aliquis ex vobis fallacia peccati. Sicut enim supra dictum est cor obduratur per obstinationem in malum. Sed per hoc aliquis firmiter inhaeret peccato, quia fallitur. Naturale enim est appetitui adhaerere bono; sed recedit a bono, quia decipitur. Prov. XIV, 22: errant qui operantur malum; et Prov. XIII, 13, secundum aliam litteram: animae dolosae errant in peccatis. Sap. V, 6: ergo erravimus a via veritatis. Consequenter cum dicit participes, etc., exponit conditionem monitionis, quasi dicat: ista conditio magis est efficax quam illa, quia illi tantum audierunt, nos autem participes facti sumus Christi. Et loquitur proprie, quia in veteri testamento erat tantum auditus, nec conferebatur gratia ex opere operato; sed in novo testamento et est auditus fidei et datur gratia ipsi operanti. Unde sumus facti participes Christi. Io. I, 16: de plenitudine eius accepimus omnes. Sumus autem participes gratiae, primo per susceptionem fidei. Eph. III, 17: habitare Christum per fidem in cordibus vestris. Secundo per sacramenta fidei. Gal. III, 27: quicumque in Christo baptizati estis, Christum induistis. Tertio per participationem corporis Christi. I Cor. X, 16: panis quem frangimus, nonne participatio corporis domini est? Sciendum autem quod duplex est participatio Christi. Una imperfecta, quae est per fidem et sacramenta; alia vero perfecta, quae est per praesentiam et visionem rei; primam iam habemus in re, sed secundam in spe. Tamen cum hoc spes habet hanc conditionem, scilicet si perseveramus.
3:14
Unde dicit si tamen initium, et cetera. Quicumque enim in Christo baptizatur, suscipit quamdam novam naturam, et formatur quodammodo Christus in ipso. Gal. IV, 19: filioli mei, quos iterum parturio donec formetur in vobis Christus. Hoc quidem in nobis vere perficietur in patria, sed hic tantum initium, et hoc per fidem formatam, quia informis mortua est. Iac. II, 20: fides sine operibus mortua est. Unde ista non est nobis initium participationis Christi, sed fides formata. Infra XI, 1: est autem fides sperandarum substantia rerum, id est, fundamentum, et quasi initium. Dicit ergo: sumus participes Christi, si tamen tenemus usque in finem firmum initium substantiae eius, scilicet fidem formatam. Sed contra: videtur quod timor magis sit initium, quia dicit Ps. CX, 9: initium sapientiae timor domini. Respondeo. Dicendum est, quod fides formatur per charitatem. Charitas autem non est sine timore casto. Et ideo fides formata semper habet timorem istum secum annexum. Unde et fides et timor sunt initium.
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Illud autem quod addit dum dicitur, hodie, etc., totum expositum est.
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Deinde cum dicit quidam enim audientes, exponit quod dixerat de culpa illorum, quasi dicat: vos estis effecti participes Christi, si non obduraveritis corda vestra sicut isti qui audierunt, sed exacerbaverunt, sed non universi, id est, non tamen omnes. Duo enim, scilicet Caleb et Iosue, permanserunt, ut habetur Num. XIV, 6, et alios etiam confortabant. Et per hoc datur intelligi, quod cum non tota Ecclesia cadat, sed tantum aliqui, licet plures, quod nihilominus mali punientur, sed non boni, sicut in illis duobus. III Reg. c. XIX, 18: reliqui mihi septem millia virorum, qui non curvaverunt genua sua Baal. Rom. XI, 5: reliquiae secundum electionem Dei salvae factae sunt. Deinde cum dicit quibus autem, etc., exponit illud quod dixerat de poena. Et primo illud quod dixerat offensus fui; secundo illud quod dixerat iuravi in ira, etc., ibi quibus autem iuravit, et cetera.
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Dicit ergo quibus autem offensus est quadraginta annis? Nonne, et cetera. Ex quo patet, quod istud quod supra dixit, quadraginta annis, refertur ad illud offensus fui. Unde dicit, quod fuit eis offensus per illos quadraginta annos. Unde sciendum est, quod omnes qui egressi sunt de Aegypto, mortui sunt in deserto, sicut dicitur Ios. V, 4. Non tamen omnes prostrati sunt; sed aliqui vel a Deo, sicut quando aperta est terra, et deglutivit Dathan et Abiron, sicut dicitur in Ps. CV, 17, et de hoc habetur Num. XVI, 31 ss. Aliqui vero prostrati sunt a Moyse, sicut patet in conflatione vituli, sicut patet Ex. XXXII, 16. Aliqui vero ab hostibus, sicut patet in pluribus locis. Et ista satis habentur I Cor. X, 1 ss. Aliqui vero morte propria mortui sunt. Non ergo omnes prostrati sunt. Unde non fuit poena generalis, sed poena specialis fuit. Et nullus praeter illos duos qui dicti sunt, introierunt terram promissionis.
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Et de ista terra dicit quibus autem iuravit, id est firmiter statuit, non introire in requiem, nisi illis qui fuerunt increduli, verbis scilicet exploratorum?
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Unde patet, quod propter incredulitatem non potuerunt intrare in requiem ipsius; et propter hoc dicit videmus, quia experti sunt, quod propter incredulitatem suam non potuerunt intrare. Vel videmus nos, scilicet per poenam illam, quae dicta est, quia non potuerunt, et cetera.
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1. TJnde, fratres sancti, vocationis coelestis participes. His, quae proxime de Christo Pontifice dixit, aptam et brevem subjicit exhortationem, qua fidem Hebraeorum in Christum excitet, simulque viam paret ad aliam doctrinae partem. Fratres eos appellat, aut secundum carnem, sicut Rom. 9.: Pro fratribus meis, inquit, qui sunt cognati mei secundum carnem; aut fratres religione, quomodo passim in Apostolicis literis fratres vocantur omnes Christiani. San~ ctos autem quo sensu eosdem vocet, satis in aliarum Epistolarum commentariis explicatum est. Nam etsi n^n singuli fideles sancti sint. ipsa tamen Ecclesia seu fidelium societas vera pollet sanctitate et justitia. Dicit autem coelestis vocationis participes, quod ad haereditatem regni coelestis a Deo vocati sint; non quomodocumque, sed vocatione efficaci per fidem in Christum. De quo subjungit:
Considerate Apostolum et Pontificem confessionis nostrae, Jesum. Multi codices addunt Christum, prout in Graeco et Syriaco legitur. Quidam interpretes Latini pro Apostolo malunt legatum, et professionem pro confessione. Sed hae voces Apostolus et confessio adeo tritae sunt in scholis Christianis, ut improbum videatur ac parum religiosum alias reponere. Porro genitivus ille: confessionis nostrae, pendet ab utroque nomine praecedente Apostolum et Pontificem. Monet enim Hebraeos suos Paulus, ut attente considerent et perpendant, quiset quantus sit Christus Jesus, et quod ejus officium. Duplicem enim personam sustinere Apostoli et Pontificis. Apostoli quidem, id est, legati a Patre missi, ad annuntiandum salutem et pacem populo Judaico. Sic enim ipse ait: Non sum missus, nisi ad oves, quae perierunt domus Israel, Matth. 15. Et de eo Paulus: Dico Christum Jesum ministrum fuisse circumcisionis, propter veritatem Dei, ad confirmandas promissiones patrum: gentes autem super misericordia honorare Deum, Rom. 15. Ex quibus intelligitur, Christum non gentium, sed Judaeorum fuisse Apostolum, tametsi ad gentes postea suos Apostolos miserit. Pontificis autem gerit personam, quatenus Deum populo reddit propitium, idque sacrificio sui corporis oblato in cruce, sicut infra docebit Apostolus. Hoc autem officium non solis impendit Judaeis, sed omnibus electis. At quo sensu vocatur Apostolus et Pontifex confessionis nostrae? Quidam sic exponunt: Quem nos Apostolum et Pontificem confitemur. Alii sic: Apostolum et Pontificem nostrae confessionis, id est, fidei seu doctrinae, quam nos profitemur. Quae est Graecorum interpretatio, eademque germanior. Nam et infra cap. 4. et 10. confessionem accipit Apostolus ad hunc modum, scilicet pro fide confessa. Similiter alibi, ut 2 Cor. 9. et 1 Tim. 6. Vocabatur autem fides con~ fessio, quod eam publice profiterentur fideles, quando baptismi mysteriis initiabantur. Erat ergo Christus confessionis eorum Apostolus, quia doctrinam fidei, quam tenebant et profitebantur, ipse per se eis annuntiaverat. Erat et Pontifex confessionisipsorum, quoniam et hoc Pontificis est, verae religionis doctrinam populo confitendam tradere.
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2. Qui fidelis est ei, qui fecit illum. Id est: qui constituit eum, quomodo vertit Erasmus. Fecit, inquam, seu constituit Apostolum et Pontificem. Ita 1 Reg. 12.: Dominus, qui fecit Mosem et Aaron, id est, constituit praefectos populi. Non ergo significatur his verbis, Christum esse facturam Dei, quod tamen Cathoh*co sensu concedi potest, si respiciatur ad humanam ejus naturam; sed factum esse Apostolum et Pontificem, quod ante non erat; sicut et cap. 1. dicitur melior angelis effectus. Qua ratione etiam Petrus Act. 2. de eo pronuntiat, quod Dominum eum et Christum fecit Deus. Fidelis est autem ei, qui praefecit ipsum, idestDeo, utqui nihil faciat extra voluntatem ejus, nec aliud spectet quam utilitatem ejus et gloriam. Notandum, e Graeco verti posse: Quod fidelis sit ei, quomodo verterunt Erasmus ct Hentenins, ut significetur, quid de Christo Apostolo et Pontifice suo considerare debeant Hebraei, nempe quod sit.fideles ei, qui fecit ipsum, sicut etc. Sed vulgata versio magis praebet locum sequenti probationi: Amplioris enim etc, quemadmodum bene observavit Adamus.
Sicut et Moses in omni domo ejus. Graece: Iti tota domo ejus, quomodo vertit infra v. 5. Respicit Apostohis ad locum Num. 12., ubi Deus ipse de Mose sic loquitur: Qui in omni domo mea fidelissimus est, Hebraice fidelis. Hic de constructione nonnulla disceptatio est. Recentiores enim quidam partem hanc: in omni domo ejus, referunt ad illud praecedens: Qui fidelis est, ut hic sit ordo syntaxeos: Qui fidelis est ei, qui fecit eum-, fidelis, inquam, in tota domo ejus, sicut et Moses. Contra plerique, tam Graeci, quam Latini, referunt ad Mosem: sicut et Moses in tota domo ejus fidelis fuit. Et hi sine dubio rectius, nun sohim quia consonat hoc cum verbis modo citatis ex libro Num., nec non cum iis, quae hic paulo inferius habentur, ubi de Mose id ipsum repetitur, verum etiam, multoque certius ex eo, quia manifeste distinguit Apostolus in consequentibus inter Mosem et Christum, respectu domus Dei; quod nimirum Moses fuerit fidelis in tota domo ejus, tamquam famulus; Christus vero tamquam filius super domum ejus fuerit constitutus. Hoc enim discrimen efflagitant Graecae praepositiones, quibus illic Apostohisutitur, quemadmodum eo loco ostendimus. Domus Dei familia Dei intelligitur, id est, populus Israeliticus Deum habens Dominum, sicut nunc populus Christianus, ut infra significatur ibi: Quae domus sumus nos. Quamquam interdum idem ille populus a suo progenitore domus Jacob et domus Israel vocatur in Psalmis et alibi. Est igitur haec Apostoli sententia: Christum, a Deo constitutum Apostolum et Pontificem, fideliter in utroque munere versatum esse; quemadmodum Moses in administratione populi Israelitici sibi credita fidelem se praestitit. Confert Christum cum Mose, et quasi in eodem gradu collocat, quo facilius ad id progrediatur, quod instituit, ut videlicet Christum supra Mosen extoUat. Sed dices: Dudum demonstravit Christum angelis esse majorem; quid igitur nunc laborat, ut eum anteponat Mosi, quem utique angelis esse minorem in confesso est? Respondeo, tanti nominis apud Judaeos Mosen fuisse, qui ex Aegyptiaca servitute eos eduxerat, qui legem dederat, qui tot mirabilia patrarat, denique qui, tamquam intimus Dei amicus, ore ad os cum eo fuerat Jocutus, ut facile in eam ducerentur opinionem, qua putarent illum angelis praestare, quos Scriptura non amicos Dei, sed ministros appellat. Opus igitur fuit, ut propriis argumentis doceret Apostolus, qaanto Christus sit Mose major. Facit autom id argumentis duobus, quoram unum est, quod proxime seqaitur.
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3. Amplioris enim gloriae iste prae Mose dignus est habitus. Genitivum Graecum retinuit interpres, cum Latina consuetudo potius ablativum postulet: Ampliore, seu majore gloria dignus. Quamquam et Latinus Poeta, Graecam phrasim imitatus, dixit: Magnorum haud indignus avorum. Supplendum est aufem: Tanto ampliore gloria etc, ut respondeat ei, quod sequitur: Quanto ampliorem honorem hahetdonius, quifahricavitillam. Rursum interpres genitivum retinuit do~ mus, Graece tou qX''/.q^. Qua re malti Latinorum expositorum decepti, mire sudarnnt in eruendo sensu hujus partis. Erasmus planissime totam periodum vertit ad hunc modum: Tanto namque majore gloria, quam Moses, hic dignus est habitus, quanto majorem habet honorem is, qui construxit domum, quam ipsa domus. Ostendit Apostolus hac parte, quid considerare velit suos Hebraeos; scilicet, Christum in sacris literis ampliori gloria et honore dignum habitum, id est, amplius multo honorari, quam Mosen, ut qui describatur opifex illius domus, in qua Moses fidelis fuisse memoratur; cum e diverso Moses tantum fuerit pars quaedam ejusdem domus, utpote unus ex populo Dei, cui praefectus erat. Absque dubio autem opifex et architectus sua domo major est, ut efficiens ejus causa. Materialem domum hic quidem intelligit Apostolus, sed ab ea ratiocinationem nostram traducit ad domum analogicam, cujusmodi fuit Israeliticus populus, opificem habens Deum.
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4. Omnis namque domus fabricatur dh aliquo. Quasi dicat: NuIIa domus fabricat se ipsam, sed ab alio fabricatur. Hic quoque de materiali domo loquitur, quod tamen de analogica domo similiter vult intelligi, id est de populo, cui praefectus fuit Moses.
Qui autem omnia creavit, Deus est. Elegantius in Graeco, retenta metaphora: Qui autem omnia fabricavit, seu construxit, Deus esf. Item Syrus: aedificavit. Introducitur enim in Scripturis Deus ut faber et artifex, qui a fundamentis hanc mundi machinam suis manibus exstruxerit, Psalm. 8. et 10., et alibi saepe. Nullam quidem hic Scripturam profert Apostolus, qua probet, Christum fuisse ejus domus opificem, in qua Moses versabatur; sed ex iis, quae primo capite dixit, intelligendum relinquit, Christum esse Deum, rerum omnium auctorem. Ibi namque de eo dictum est: per quem fecit et saecula. Item: portans omnia verbo virtutis suae. Et illud denique e Psalmo: Tu in principio, Domine, terram fundasti, et opera manuum tuarum sunt coeli. Qui autem coelum et terram fecit, omnia fecit. Interim adversus Arianos observa, quam hic aperte significet Apostolus, Christum esse Deum, qui omnia creavit. Nisi enim hoc de Christo interpreteris, nulla ratione constare poterit hujus loci probatio. Simul attende, quo considerationem Hebraeorum perducat de Christo Apostolo et Pontifice. Nam semota paulisper disputatione de Pontifice, cui in sequentibuslocum servat, docet, Christum in eo quidem, quod Apostolus fuit Judaicae gentis, aliquid habere cummune cum Mose, qui in eo populo simile gessit officium, videlicet divinae voluntatis ad populum interpres; caeterum in ipso aliud etiam ac praecipue spectandum, quo longe supra Mosem emineat, quod nimirum Deus sit, omnium rerum effector, et proinde etiam illius domus fabricator, in qua Moses, ut pars et membrum quoddam, etsi aliis praepositum, comprehendatur. Tamquam uno verbo dicat: Christus Mosem fecit; igitur eo major est, et tanto quidem, quanto major opifex opere.
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5. Et Moses quidem fidelis erat in tota domo ejus, tamquam famulus. Hoc alterum est argumentum, quo Christum ostendit Mose majorem esse. Utitur autem Graeca voce ^spaTKJuv, quae famulum seu ministrum sigaificat, cum in Hebraeo sit servus, Num. 12., ad quem locum adhuc Apostolus respicit. Unde et Hieronymus ibi vertit: At non talis ser^ vus meus Moses, qui etc. Verum scriptor Epistolae suo more Scripturam allegat juxta versionem LXX. interpretum, apud quos eo loco '&spa'iiov, non bouXoc, legitur. Idque forte eo magis Paulo placuit, ne servi nuncupatione nimium deprimere Mosem existimaretur. Itaque satis habuit eum ministrum appellare, quomodo familiae cujuspiam dispensator minister est domini, a quo familiae cura ei demandata est.
In testimonium eorum, quae dicenda erant. Non liquet, utrum haec pars referenda sit ad illud anterius: Fidelis erat, an ad istud posterius: tamquam famulus. Nisi quod aptius conjungi videatur cum illo priore, ut sit sensus: Mosem, non ut dominum, sed ut famulum in tota illa domo Israelitica fideliter versantem, bona et integra fide retulisse populo, quaecumque a Deo jubebatur illi nuntiare. Quem constructionis ordinem conspicere est in Syra versione. Partem hanc Erasmus in paraphrasi trahit ad Christum et Evangelium, significans eam ita supplendam: Quae dicenda erant a Christo. Moses, inquit, typos tantum ac umbras rerum adferebat earum, quas post Christus erat explicaturus. Unde et vertit: Quae post dicenda erant. Atqui in textu nihil est, quod ad hunc sensum invitet. Imo vero participium Graecum Aa- ATfjOrjoofJiEvcav rem paulo post futuram designat, ut proinde non alia significentur, quam quae ab ipso Mose dicenda erant ad populum. Quod intelligens Syrus interpres, ita supplevit: Quae dicenda erant per manum ipsius, id est per ipsum, scilicet Mosen. Sensus igitur est, quem dixi, Mosen fideliter functum fuisse officio perferendi ad populum mandata Dei. Nam quod ait: In testimonium sive in testificationem, idem est, quod in annuntiando et exponendo, vel potius ad annuntiandum et exponendum; ut subaudiatur constitutus, aut simile quid. Neque enim testimonium in sacris literis solum intelligitur, ubi testes adhibentur ad proban> dum aliquid, sed saepe sumitur pro nuda cujuspiam asseveratione, praesertim si ejus auctoritas fidem mereatur, ut Joan. 1., ubi de Joanne Baptista dicitur: Hic venit in testimonium, ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine, id est, venit ut praeco ad annuntiandum hominibus veram lucem y quae est Christus. Ita Christus ipse de se apud Pilatum: Ad hoc, inquit, ve7ii in mundum, ut testimonium per~ hibeam veritati, Joan. 18., id est, ut palam praedicem hominibus veritatem.
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6. Christus vero tamquam filius in domo sua. Graece et Syriace: Super domum suam. Sunt enim tam in Graeco, quam Syriaco praepositiones diversae in hac parte, ubi de Christo agitur, et in superiore, ubi de Mose. Et eadem phrasi dicitur Christus sacerdos magnus super domum Dei, infra cap. 10. Est autem hic sermo imperfectus, quem Erasmus sua versione ita perficit: At Christus tamquam filius administravit domum ipsius. Alius quidam sic: Christus autem, ut filius, qui domui suae praeest. Verum respicienti ad pariem praecedentem potius videbitur hoc modo supplendum, quod hic dicitur: Christus autem fidelis fuit, tamquam filius constitutus super domum suam. Sic enim ipse Christus loquitur in eo Psalmo, in quo ei dicitur: Filius meus es tu. Ego, inquit, constitutus sum rex ab eo super Sion montem sanctum ejus, praedicans praeceptum ejus. Ubi observa, eandem esse Graecam praepositionem, quae hoc loco, eidemque casui junctam. Caeterum, quod Erasmus vertit ipsius, et non suam, quasi possit etiam ad Patrem referri, non recte se habet. Nam in Graeco relativum est reciprocum auTOu^ cum aspiratione, id est sui ipsius; sicut et apud Matthaeum sub finem cap. 7. semel et iterum: Qui aedificavit domum suam, non ipsius. Sed bene, quod in paraphrasi id correxit, urgens ac repetens, quod Christus, ut filius, versatus fuerit in domo sua, quodque suam ipsius domum administraveiit. Eadem enim est domus Dei et Christi, Patris et Filii. Hic igitur inter Mosen et Christum, curam et administrationem habentes domus Dei, tres indicantur differentiae, quibus excellentia Christi prae Mose declaratur. Prima, quod Moses tamquam famulus, Christus tamquam filius administrationem habuerit. Secunda, quod ille fidelis inDomini, iste in domo eua. Tertia, quod ille tantum in domo, hic etiam supra domum. Nam etsi Christus quoque famulus ac servus Dei fuerit per naturam assumptam, dicente Apostolo, quod semet ipsum exinanivit, formam servi accipiens Phil. 2., atque hac ratione dici possit in domo Domini versatus, quoniam tamen idem ipse Dei Filius est, manifeste et ex omni parte constat discrimen jam datum. In eo namque Christus ut Filius Dei consideratur, qua ratione supremus est omnium Dominus. Addamus et quartam differentiam hic insinuatam, quod Moses in domo veteri, Christus super domum novam cunstitutus sit, id est, super Ecclesiam novi testamenti. Sic enim consequenter eam domum exponit Apostolus, dicens: Quae domus sumus nos. Addi potest et quinta, consequens ex superioribus, quod Moses tulerit legem non suam, sed Dei, in cujus domo versabatur; ut proinde nec proprie legislator fuerit, sed tantum alienae legis ad populum annuntiator ac perlator; Christus vero, velut domus suae dominus, suam ac propriam legem tulerit, ideoque projDrie legislator sit, ac dici debeat.
Quae domus sumus nos. Graece: Cujus domus sumits nos. Syriace: Et domus ejus nos sumus. Significat, fideles esse domum Christi, quod eam tamquam familiam suam Christus Dei Filius regat, et in ea per fidem habitet; sicut dicitur Phil. 3. Haec Christi Ecclesia est, quae alibi domus Dei vocatur, ut Joan. 2. et 1 Tim. 3. ;S^ fiduciam et gloriam spei usque ad finem firmam retineamus. Latens est transitus ad exhortationem, qua aperte quidem ad spei perseverantiam, tacite autem ad fidem retinendam Hebraeos excitat. Atque in eo argumento persistit paene usque ad finem proximi capitis. Pro fiducia Graece est napprpia. Quae quamquam apud auctores Graecos fere significetlibertatem etloquendi audaciam, saepe tamen, praesertim in Apostolicis literis, accipitur pro fiducia seu confidentia, qua quis cum securitate quadam fertur in bonum, quod sperat. Gloriam interpres pro gloriatione posuit, sicut habetur in Graeco et Syriaco. Vocat autem Apostolus gloriationem spei, vel ipsam spem, de qua gloriamur, quomodo nonnulli intellexerunt illud Rom. 5.: Gloriamur in spe gloriae filiorum Dei; vel gloriationem, qua cum gaudio felices nos praedicamus ob spem certam coelestium bonorum; quomodo idem locus Epist. ad Rom. rectissime intelligitur. Cum enim Hebraei ex fide spem atque fiduciam de bonis promissis animo concepissent, ac de ea spe auderent etiam palam gloriari, hortatur eos Apostolus, ut non modo fiduciam illam, verum etiam gloriationem islam usque ad exitum vitae firmam et inconcussam retineant. Nec moveat, quod Graecum adjectivum psPaiav, firmam, non ad gloriationem, quod Graece est y.a()yr^\ia, neutri generis, sed tantum ad fiduciam, izappriQiav, referri posse videatur. Refertur enim ad utrumque per zeugma quoddam, etsi minus usitatum. Neque enim scriptores sacri semper exactam servant rationem grammaticae. Id moneo, ne quis codicibus Graecis facile mendum adscribat. Porro nequaquam ex hac Apostoli sententia consequens est, solos eos, qui perseveraturi sunt, id est solos electos, esse in Ecclesia; quasi sentiat, non aliter nos esse dominn Christi, nisi spem firmam usque ad finem teneamus. Tantum enim id vult, frustra nos esse domum Dei, nisi fiduciam etc. Nam, ut dictum est, ad perseverantiam hortatur Hebraeos, ne inutile eis sit, bene incepisse; quasi dicat: Si non perseveraveritis, perinde vobis erit, atque si numquam fueritis domus Dei. Sunt, qui Apostolum interpretentur de domo stabili, et cum Christo permansura; sed hic sensus principium petere videtur. Priorem autem sensum confirmat seimo plane similis, infra hoc cap.: Participes enim Christi effecti sumus, si tamen etc. Ex utraque autem sententia, sicut et ex omnibus Scripturis, nos ad perseverantiam exhortantibiis, clarissime refelluntur hujus temporis errores, fidem ac justitiam semel habitam amitti non posse, et unumquemque Christianum certo credere debere, quod sit praedestinatus, et vitam aeternam habiturus. Quorsum enim exhortatio, ne amittas, quod amittere non potes, quodque certa fide tenes te non amissurum? Unde stupenda est sectariorum impudentia, qui ex hoc eodem loco fidem suam specialem stabilire non verentur; quasi, quicumque recte confidit et sperat, certus esse debeat, se id, quod sperat, infallibiliter consecuturum, cum possit suo vitio re sperata frustrari.
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7. Quapropter sicut dicit Spiritus sanctus. Coeptam exhortationem prosequitur, denuntians interitum et exclusionem a requie promissa, si non in fide et obedientia Christi permaneant. Facit autem id adductis in medium verbis Davidis e Psalm. 94., quibus ille patres eorum simili quodam modo cohortatus fuit ad audiendiam vocem Domini. Caeterum pendet oratio usque ad eum locum: Videte fratres; ut non inepte quidam admoneant, totum,quodiuterceditabeaparte:^^m^c?ici< etc, includendum esse parenthesi. Sicenim contextus redditur magis dilucidus. Citat autem Apostolus auctorem testimonii Spiritum sanctum, non Davidem, non quasi dubium sit, an a Davide conscriptus sit Psalmus; id enim affirmat cap. sequenti; sed quo majori cum reverentia testimonium suscipiatur, magisque moveat eos, quorum causa adducitur. Utrum- rare que Christus expressit ini^rrogatione sua Matth. 22.: Quomodo David in spiritu vocat eum Dominum? Ideo nempe, quia non a semet ipsis, sed a Spiritu sancto inspirati, locuti sunt sancti Dei homines. 2 Petr. 1.
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8. Hodie si vocem Ejus audieritis, nolite obdurare corda vestra. Refert Apostolus haec verba, non ut dicta generaliter ad omnes cujuscumque temporis Judaeos, aut generalius ad omnes homines, sed, ut superius indicavi, ad Israelitas, qui erant tempore Davidis. Tale enim est, quod dicit: Sicut his verbis olim Spiritus sanctus per Davidem admonuit populum Israeliticum, ne per infidelitatem recederet a Deo, sic et ego vos moneo, videlicet meis verbis infra positis: Videte, fratres, ne forte etc. Itaque adverbium hodie de eodem tempore exponendum est; ac fortasse pertinet ad certum quendam diem, quo ad festum aliquod celebrandum populus erat convocatus; quasi dicat David: Hoc die festo, si vocem ejus etc. Sic enim post Hesselium exponit Adamus. Quamquam Apostolus in sequentibus, haec eadem allegorice tractans, ad omnes fideles, et ad omne tempus hujus vitae accommodat. Sed quid sibi vult exhortatio Psalmistae: Si vocem Ejus audieritis, noJite obdurare corda vestra; cum eo ipso corda sua non obdurent, si vocem ejus audiant? Audire enim, usitatissimo more Scripturae, est obedire. Unde et Pagninus vertit: Si voci Ejus obtemperaveritis. Sic in Psalm. 80.: Et non audivit po^ pulus meus vocem meam, id est non obedivit. Et apud Evangelistas: Hic est filius meus dilectus; ipsum audite. Et: Qui vos audity me audit. Respondeo, non minus usitatam esse in Scripturis simplicem et ab obedientia abstractam ejusdem verbi significationem, secundum quam facillima est expcsitio: Si audieritiSj id est, auditu perceperitis vocem Domini sonantem in auribus vestris per ora Prophetarum ac ministrorum ejus, nolite adversus eam corda vestra obdu- sicuti quondam, audita voce Domini legem dantis, corda sua obdurarunt patres vestri in deserto; de quibus infra dicitur: Quidam enim audientes exacerbaverunt. Dici etiam potest, ita dictum: Si vocem Ejus audieritis, nolite obdurare etc. sicut Christus Joan. 14.: Si diligitis me, mandata mea servote, ut sensus sit: Si vocem Domini auditis, id est, si vere estis obedientes voci ejus, id factis in posterum declarate, ac nolite posthac obdurare corda vestra, sicut patres vestri fecerunt in deserto. Sed utrique huic intellectui videtur obstare distinctio versuum, quae est in codicibus Hebraeis, ubi pars illa: hodie si vocem Ejus au~ dieritis, cum verbis superioribus in eundem versum concluditur, hoc mpdo: Quia ipse est Dominus Deus noster, et nos populus pascuae ejus et grex manus ejus, hodie si vocem ejus audieritis. Qui versus a sequentibus separatus, totidem verbis legitur in Psalterio, quod Hieronymus ex Hebraeo convertit. Unde quidam recentiores hanc Hebraeorum distinctionem secuti, sen^^um faciunt, qui videtur obvius: Ipse est Deus noster, et nos populus ejus, si tamen kodie vocem ejus audierimus. Sed habet hic sensus incommodum, quod secundam personam mutet in primam, audieritis in audierimus. Qaocirca alii particulam si per utinam exponunt, sicut accipitur Luc. 19.: Si cognovisses et tu. Verum hujusmodi contortis interpretationibus nihil est opus. Neque tanti facienda est illa codicum Hebraeorum distinctio, quae non a sacris auctoribus emanavit, sed multo post adventum Salvatoris a Judaeorum Rabbinis, quos Massorytas vocant, facta est, ut ipsi etiam Judaei confitentur. Quo fit, ut non solum apud LXX. interpretes, verum apud alios quoque, qui sacros libros ex Hebraeo transtulerunt in Graecum, diversa distinctio passim reperiatur. Qua de re consule Genebrardum docte disserentem in Epistola ad lectorem praefixa ipsius in Psalterium commentariis. Maneat ergo prima responsio, verbum audiendi generaliter accipi secundum primaevam ejus ac notissimam significationem, maxime quando huc invitat et cogit nos Apostolus, non eo solum, quod illa verba: Hodie si vocem Ejus audieritis, manifeste sub uno versu connectit sequentibus: Nolite obdurare corda vestra, idque non semel, sed tertio; verum etiam, quia cap. sequ., ad haec verba Psalmi respiciens, ita scribit: Sed non profuit illis sermo auditus, non admistus fidei ex iis, quae audierunf. Ubi procul dubio audientiam ab obedientia separat. Porro sciendum, nonnullos hanc partem ita accipere, tamquam Deus Pater de Filio loquatur ad Judaeos, admonens, ut, audita ejus voce in assumpta carne loquentis, praestent ei obedientiam. Unde et in praecedentibus ejusdem Psalmi contineri dicunt exhortationem, qua populus Judaicus excitatur ad salutare suum, id est Christum, quum venerit, recipiendum et adoranduro. Qui sensus haud dubie pius est et appositus, sed utrum literalis, hic non disquiro. Jam quod ait: Nolite obdurare corda vestra, tale est, ac si diceret: Nolite resistere verbisDomini loquentis. Durum enim est, quod non cedit, nec recipit impressionem agentis, sed agenti et imprimenti resistit. Itaque durum cor in Scripturis vocatur, quod resistit jussioni divinae. Quam cordis duritiam Stephanus significavit, quando cum exprobratione dixit Judaeis: Vos semper Spiritui sancto resistitis, Act. 7. Non diceret autem per Prophetam et ApostoIumSpiritussanctus: Nolite obdurare corda vestra, nisi utrumque esset in hominum potestate, obdurare corda sua ct non obdurare, obedire et non obedire. Ex quo non perperam, ut ait Calvinus, sed certa etsolida ratiocinatione colligitur, esse in nobis liberam formandi in Dei obsequium cordis facultatem, quamquam non ita, ut facere id homo possit, si non ei datum fuerit a Deo, omnium bonorum largitore, qui, cujus vult, miseretur, et quem vult, indurat, Rom. 9.; miseretur, impertiendo gratiam; indurat, gratiam non apponendo, quemadmodum ait Thomas in hujus loci comment., secutus Augustinum diversis locis.
Sicut in exacerbatione secundum diem tentationis in deserto. In Hebraeo sic ad verbum legitur: Sicut Meribah, sicut die Massah in deserto. Meribah contradictionem, contentionem, litem significat, Massah tentationem. Quibus nominibus appellatus fuit locus in Raphidim, ubi populus Israeliticus adversus Deum et Mosem marmurasse legitur, quum laboraret a^nae penuria, Exod. 17. Nam cum populus, ut ex textu liquet, dupliciter peccaret, jurgando contra Mosem et tentando Deum, vocatus est locus ille, sicut in Hebraeo habetur, duplici nomine Massah et Meribah, id est tentatio et contradictio. Ad hanc igitur historiam Exodi respexit Psalmistes. Est quidem similis hisoria Num. 20., sed tamen ab hac diversa ac multo posterior. Nec ad eam hic respicitur, quia nomina loci non conveniunt; tametsi sub una tentatione, suis nominibus expressa, caeteras etiam intelligere Psalmistam voluisse, nihil prohibet, imo valde probabile est. Quod autem LXX., quorum versione Paulus utitur, sermonem variant, priori loco scribentes sicut, posteriore secundum j turbare nos non debet. Sensus enim idem est; nam secundum diem pro eo, quod est sicut in die, receptissimum est in sacris literis, ut Job 29., Jerem. 44., Dan. 9., Hos. 2. et alibi. Unde et interpretes indifferenter vertunt utrovis modo. Quare pro eo, quod vulgata versio habet: secundum diem tentationis, non debuit Erasmus vertere: in die tentationis, sed potius explicare phrasim, vertendo: Sicut in die tentationis, quemadmodum id, quod est in Hebraeo, vertit Hieronymus. Ex his praeterea manifestum est, exacerbationem, quam pro contradictione reddiderunt LXX. interpretes, proxime non ad Deum referri, sed ad Mosem, qui, populo adversum se jurgante ac sibi contradicente, exaccrbatus fuit. Veruntamen sicut ex consequenti in Deum redundavit contradictio, juxta quod alibi Moses dicit: Non contra nos est murmur vestrum, sed contra Dominum, Exod. 16., ita et ad Deum exacerbatio referri potest, quatenus injuria famuli Dominum attingit. Quod idcirco monendum duxi, quia videri potest Apostolus in sequentibus exacerbationem ad Deum referre. Sensus igitur est: Ne obduretis corda vestra, sicut olim factum est a patribus vestris in eo loco, qui vocatus est exacerbatio seu contradictio; sicut, inquam, factum est eo tempore, quo Deum tentaverunt in deserto, nimirum ea tentatione quae nomen loco dedit.
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9. Ubi tentaverunt me patres vestri. Deum ex abrupto loquentem David inducit, quo sermo sit vehementior; nam superiora erant verba Prophetae. Supplendum igitur: Ubi, inquit Dominus, tentaverunt me patres vestri. Quo tamen supplemento non egent, qui ab eo loco: Hodie, si vocem Ejus audieritis, esse dicunt verba Patris loquentis de Filio, cujus sententiae supra memini. Locale relativum ubi vel ad locum, qui dictus est Meribah et Massah, referri potest, vel ad desertum. Quod posterius magis placet, tum quia nomen deserti proxime piaecessit, tum propter ea, quae sequuntur, ubi non unius loci aut temporis probatio significatur, sed quae facta est in deserto totis quadraginta annis. Tentare Deum est, dicto factove explorare ejus potentiam, scientiam, veritatem, providentiam vel aliud quidpiam, de quo fas non sit dubitare. Hujusmodi tentationes Dei praeter eam, quae supra dicta e.st, quam et aliae duae Exod. 15. et 16. descriptae praecesserant, adhuc aliae leguntur in libro Numerorum, adeo ut dicat Dominus Num. 14.: Tentaverunt mejam per decem vices, nec obedierunt voci meae. Quam tamen Domini querelam aliae quaedam tentationes adhuc secutae sunt, ut quae referuntur Num. 17. et 20.
Probaverunt, et viderunt opera mea. Graece addito pronomine: probaverunt me. Nam et apud LXX. sic legitur, et in Hebraeo, et in Latinis quibusdam, atque etiam in Psalmo ex Romana correctione. Hanc partem Adamus et Jansenius ita connectunt superiori: Tentaverunt me, quamvis probasssnt, id est experti me fuissent atque vidissent opera mea admiranda, ex quibus merito debebant intelligere, me omnia posse et in promissis esse veracem. Alii vero plerique censent, idem diversis vocabulis repetitum tentare et probare, nisi quod probatio plus aliquid importet, videlicet exactum et serium explorandi studium, velut in re maximi momenti, sumpta metaphora ab iis, qui aurum aut argentum, sitne probum, diligenter examinant. Quo modo frequenter accipitur probare in Psalmis et alibi, ut 1 Thess. 5.: Omnia probate, quod bonum est, tenete. Horum expositio est: Non quomodocumque me tentaverunt, sed modis onmibus probarunt et explorarunt, ut, exempli gratia, dicentes: Estne Deus in nobis? Quis dabit nobis aquas? Numquid et pacem poterit dare? Et tamen viderunt opera mea magna et mirabilia, ut post omnem probationem nihil haberent causae, cur de meis promissis dubitarent. In Hebraeo quidem legitur: opus meum non opera mea. Sed singulare est positum pro plurali, quod in ea lingua frequens est. Pars illa: Quadraginta annis, utrum Apostolo sit finis sententiae praecedentis, an inchoatio sequentis, haud satis liquet. Illud constat, apud Psalmistam esse novi versus initium, non modo secundum distinctionem Hebraeorum, verum etiam in codicibus Graecis diversarum editionum. Ecclesia quoque in officiis divinis non aliter distinguit. His accedit, quod ipse etiam Apostolus ea distinctione paulo post utatur, dicens: Quibus autem infensus esl quadraginta annis? Unde Erasmus in annotat. et Sasboldus in comment. sentiunt, eo loco palam refelli distinctionem Graecorum interpretum eorum, qui partem hanc ad superiora referunt. Eadem est sententia Cajetani. Nec obest, quod post eam partem in textu sequatur illativa conjunctio propter quod, Graece 5i'o^ quae in oratione non postponitur, adeo ut Graecus scholiastes affirmet oportere sic legere: probaverunt me et viderunt opera mea quadraginta annis; deinde inferre, quasi ab alio principio: Propter quod infensus fui etc. Non obstat, inquam, quia sicut Latinorum idcirco, ideo, est communis ordinis, ita potest esse et illud 8i o. Quamquam si accuratius perpendas, est postpositivi duntaxat ordinis suapte vi, propter vira relativi in eo inclusam. Illud considerandum est, quod, quando populo Israelitico Deus fecit illam cum juramento comminationem, non intraturum in requiem ipsius, nondum viderat opera Domini quadraginta annos, sed unum tantum, post quem poenas murmurationum pertulit annos quadraginta, ut merito hic dicatur: Quadraginta annis infenstis fui generationi huic.
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10. Quadraginta annis; propterquod infensus fui generationi huic. Graece: generationi illi, id est quae tunc erat. Apostolus apposuit de suo: propter quod. Id enim apud Psalmistam non legitur, tametsi recte subintelligitur. Pro eo, quod interpres hoc loco vertit: infensus fui, et in Psalterio: offensus, Graece est: Trpocojx^t^oc. Quae vox duplicem habet signiiicationem; alteram, in sacris literis usitatam, offendi, fastidire, taedio affici. Sic apud LXX. Gen. 27.: Taedet me vitae meae. In qua significatione legitur item Lev. 18., Deut. 7., Ezech. 26., Eccl. 25. et 38. Interdum vero significat propinquare, appellere. Hinc est, quod secundum aliam ver&ionem legitur in Psalterio: Proximus fui generationi huic. Ubi tamen intellige proximationem, qualis est, dum res appropinquat alteri, a qua laeditur, offenditur, detrimentum accipit, velut navis impingens in scopulum, et caput allisum ad trabem. Sic Deus quasi impegit in durum illum populum, offensus et irritatus ejus contra se murmurationibus aliisque peccatis. Quo sane modo facile conciliantur diversae translationes Latinae ex Graeco, quarum una est Gallici Psalterii, correctoie Hieronymo, quod habet offensus, altera Psalterii vetustioris, quod Romanum vocatur, in quo legitur proximus. Utrumque recitat Ecclesia; alterum in festo Epiphaniae Domini, alterum in officio quotidiano. Veruntamen emendationi B. Hieronymi favet Hebraica veritas, quae ita sonat: Fastidivi in generatione. Pagninus quidem vertit: Litigavi cum generatione, sed Hieronymus ex eodem fonte Hebraeo: Displicuit mihi generatio; nam pronomen Hebraea non exprimunt, sed intelligendum relinquunt. Cum Hieronymi versione conveniimt Symmachus et Aquila, Graeci interpretes. Significatur autem Hebraea voce ea displicentia, cum quis, molestia rei cujuspiam victus, tandem eam a se abjicit. Quod et in Graeco vocabulo hujus loci a Graecis auctoribus est annotatum. Porro generationem Scriptura vocat homines ejusdem aevi, quasi eodem tempore genitos, id est qui eadem aetate vixerunt. Significantur autem, qui ex Aegypto per Mosen educti legem acceperant, et mirabilia Dei viderant. De quibus Num. 32. dicitur, quod circumduxit eos Dominus per desertum annis quadraginta, donec consumeretur universa generatio, quae fecerat malum in conspectu ejus.
Et dixi: Semper errant corde. Ita verterunt LXX., addito temporis adverbio semper, cum in Hebraeo sic ad verbum legatur: Et dixi: Populus errantium corde ipsi. Sed eam vim habet apud Hebraeos participium praesentis temporis, ut assiduitatem quandam denotet. Nec male quidam hanc partem causaliter exponunt, ut sensus sit: Dixi enim apud me: Hi, quamvis a me tot ac tantis affecti beneficiis, totiesque admoniti, semper tamen in errore animi sui persistunt. Nam ratio redditur offensionis divinae. Est autem sermo de errore circa Deum resque divinas, id est de infidelitate et vitiis affinibus, tentatione, murmuratione etc. Unde sequitur:
Ipsi autem non cognoverunt vias meas. Viae Domini bifariam dicuntur in Scripturis; aut quibus Deus ipse incedit, aut quibus nos incedere praecipit. Prioris modi sunt opera, quae Deus facit, ut opera potentiae, justitiae, misericordiae ejus; de quibus scriptum est Psalm. 24.: Universae viae Domini misericordia et veritas. Posterioris modi mandata, quae Deus facienda nobis praecipit. Unde et vocantur viae mandatorum, et justificationum, et testimoniorum Dei, Psalm. 118. De his dicit David Psalm. 17.: Custodivi vias Domini, nec impie gessi a Deo meo; et Psalm. 24.: Vias tuas, Domine, demonstra mihi, et semitas tuas edoce me. Locum igitur praesentem alii de viis mandatorum Dei intelligunt, hoc sensu: Mandata mea cognoscere noluerunt, ut in iis ambularent. Alii de viis operum Dei, quod est probabilius, quia tentriionis peccatum erat de operibus Dei, de quibus dixit: Viderunt opera mea. Secundum hanc acceptionem sensus est: Et opera potentiae, bonitatis et justitiae meae, quae coram eis feci in Aegypto, in mari rubro et in deserto, prae caecitate cordis non consideraverunt, nec eorum rationem habuerunt, ut mihi crederent.
3:11
11. Quibus juravi in ira mea. Graece: Sicut juravi etc., quemadmodum et in Psalterio legitur tam Romano, quam Gallicano. Sic et infra noster interpres vertit capite sequenti, ut verisimile sit, hoc etiam loco non aliter eum vertisse; quo sane modo et Clementina habet correctio, cum Graeca constanter utrobique habeant 0)<Zf non oTq. At in Hebraeo est relativum nt^*^» cujus tamen particulae varius est usus. Unde et hoc Psalmi loco varie eam transferunt, his v^idelicet modis: Quodj quibus, propterea, sicut. Nec laborandum, quod ex his eligas, cum sit ex earum particularum numero, quae interdum adhibentur vel ad solum ornatum orationis, vel ad connectenda sequentia cum praecedentibus. Quales etiam apud Graecos sunt nonnullae. Quare Hieronymus ex Hebraeo vertit sola conjunctione copulantc: Et juravi in furore meo. Bieviter sensus est: Quibus proinde iratus, juravi. Deus omnium perturbationum expers, irasci dicitur anthropopathice, quando ea facit, quae solent homines irati; ut, quando minatur aut percutit. Hoc autem loco sola adhuc erat comminatio seu denuntiatio poenae cum juramento. Caeterum, an Deo proprie competat jurare, dubitari potest. De quo commodius infra videbimus cap. sexto. Dicitur autem Deus jurare, quando, fixum et immobile suae voluntatis decretum significare volens, per se vel sues Prophetas utitur verbis juraloriis.
Si introibunt in requiem meam. Forma juramenti est, non qualiscumque, sed exsecratorii. Est enim oratio ecliptica ad hunc modum supplenda: Si introibunt in requiem meam, ne sim Deus, aut habear mendax, aut quid simile. Quemadmodum et alibi Psalmista loquitur in Dei persona, ut Psalm. 88.: Semel juravi in sancto meo; si David mentiar. Et in persona Davidis, Psalm. 131.: Si introiero in tabernaculum domus meae, si ascendero in lectum strati mtci etc. donec inveniam locum Domino, tabernaculum Deo Jacob. Ubi subauditur exsecratio consueta: Iloc aut illud faciat mihi Deus! Reticet autem exsecrationem Scriptura, non tam ad indicandum izd^QC, in hujusmodi seimone, ut quidam putant; quam ob reverentiam personae, quae sic jurans introducitur, de qua exsecratorium aliquid audire horrescunt ac refugiunt aures piae. Quae etiam causa est, cur interdum Scriptura de maledictione Dei loquens: benedictionem Dei reponat, ut 3 Keg. 21. et Job. 1. et 2. Ad istum modum explicant hanc juramenti formam post glossam ordinariam: S. Thomas, Titelmannus, Adamus, Vatablus, Genebrardus, Galenus et alii sacrae linguae periti, quibus et Cajetanus assentitur in expositione Psalterii. Nam hoc quidem loco partem eam reliquit intactam. Quod vero quidam vir doctus eam explicationem, rejicit hoc potissimum argumento, quia Scriptura nusquam exprimit ea, quae isti taceii dicunt, ex iis, quae jam diximus, perspicue solvitur. Reddita est enim causa, cur exsecratio non exprimatur in juramento, quod ex Dei persona commemoratur. At in aliis frequenter exprimi, constat, ut, quoties dicitur: Haec faciat mihi Deus, et haec addat, si hoc aut illud egero vel non egero. Nam quod dicunt, in juramentis voculam si pro non accipi more Hebraeo: si introibunt, id est non introibunt, nulla ratione probatur. Alioqui tam Graeci, quam Latini interpretes non si, sed non reddere debuissent; quandoquidem constet, si nusquam apud Latinos significare negationem. Adde, quod eadem ratione particula nisi in juramentis affirmationem significaret, ut 3 Reg. 19,, Job. 1., Jes. 5., quod nemo dixit, nec, nisi absurde, dici potest. Fatemur tamen, exsecratorium juramentum, in quo particula si ponitur, tandem in negationem resolvi, quemadmodum contra, factum per nisi, recidit in affirmationem. Qui enim jurat: Si introibunt in requiem meam, non sim Deus, jurat non intraturos. Atque hoc sensu Chrysostomus et alii intelligendi sunt si per non exposuisse. Qua ratione etiam concedi poterit, dictionem nisi in juramentis affirmativam esse. PoiTO requiem meam intellige: requiem a me promissam, id est terram Chanaan, in qua post longam servitutem et exilium erant accepturi sedes quietas. Et hoc quidem juxta literam Psalmi. Nam quae requies mystice significetur, Apostohis in sequentibus aperiet. Impletum autem fuit hoc juramentum in sexcentis tribus millibus quingentis et quinquaginta viris, quos Mosea in censum redegisse legitur Num. 1., solis Josue et Caleb exceptis. Nam Levitae, ut ex eodem loco patet, in eo censu non fuerunt comprehensi; ne quis miretur, si praeter Caleb et Josue etiam ex Levitis Eleazar et Ithamar inveniantur ingressi in terram promissam. Si (juaeras, ubi legatur Deus ad hunc modum jurasse, respondeo, factum id commemorari Num. 14. semel et iterum, ac deinde repeti a Mose Deut. 1. Quibus locis, etsi in nostra versione non legatur, nisi simplex juramentum, in Hebraeo tamen habetur imprecatorium, ccliptico germone significatum. Huc usquo Tiapev- OsTixwg interposita verba Psalmi, ex quibus Apostolus sibi sumit materiam exhortationis sequentis:
3:12
12. Vid<ite, fratres, ne forte sit in aliquo vestrum cor malum incredulitatis, discedendi a Deo vivo. Ne forte, Graece ijn^TroTS, ne quando. Sic enim ipee etiam interpres alibi vertit, ut 2 Tim. 2.: Ne quando Deus det illis poenitentiam. Cor malum increduUtatis est cor malum et infidele, aut cor infidelifcatis vitio corruptum. Quapropter, inquit, fratres, intuentes in haec majorum vestrorum exempla, videte, id est attendite et cavete, ne quando contingat, ut quisquam vestrum animo depravatus, abjecta fide Christi, discedat ac deficiat a Deo vivente. Significat Apostolus, eum, qui a Christo discedit, a Deo vivente discedere, vel quia Christus est Deus vivens, vel quia, qui negat Filium, nec Patrem habet, 1 Joan. 2. Unde Judaei, Christum negantes, frustra sibi blandiuntur de cultu unius Dei; non enim possunt Deo placere, qui Filium ejus non recipiunt. Pro veibo discedendi Graece est CLTZOOzy^yjai, a quo a.TzoaT<xoia, vocabulum apud Christianos infame. Notandum autem, Syrum interpretem ita vertisse: Et deficiatis a Deo vivo, scilicet abducti a fide per eum, in quo est cor malum incredulitatis. Qui sensus a Graeca lectione non est alienus, si suppleatur pronomen primae pers(»nae hoc modo: £v tco a%oozriva.i '^piae: aTco -^sotj CtwVTOC, id est, unde fiat, ut discedatis vos aut ex vobis aliqui a Deo vivente. Nam ille, in quo est cor malum incredulitatis, jam discessit a Deo vivente per incredulitafcem; sed cavendum, ne et alios faciat discedere. Juxta quem sensum conveniet hic locus cum eo, qui est cap. 12.: Ne qua radix amaritudinis sursum germinans impediat, et per illam inquinentur multi.
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13. Sed adhortamini vosmet ipsos per singulos dies. Vosmet ipsos dixit pro vos invicem, id est alius alium, Graece lauTOug. Monet, ut quotidianis exhortationibus se invicem animent atque exstimulent ad perseverantiam fidei; et si qui forte lapsi sint, non obdurentur, sed restituantur.
Donec hodie cognominatur. Graeco: Quoad usque hodie vocatur, id est, quamdiu hodiernus dies decurrit, dies, inquam, hujus vitae, cui diei nox succedit, in qua nemo poterit operari, Joan. 9. Accommodat exhortationi suae particulam hodie e testimonio Psalmi paulo ante recitato, tamquam diceret: Vestrum hodie, quo exhortandi estis et vocem exhortantium audire debetis, est vita praesens.
Ut non obduretur quis ex vobis falr- Jacta peccati. Respicit ad eam partem ejusdem Psalmi: Nolite obdurare corda vestra. Fallacia, Graece OLTidTrj, quam alii seductionem vertunt. Causa finalis quotidianae exhortationis significatur, et sensus est: Idcirco opus habetis quotidiana mutua cohortatione, ut ne quis vestrum, a peccato seductus, obduret cor suum adversus Dei verbum. Familiare Scripturis est, ut peccatum seu concupiscenlia dicatur homines seducere, decipere, abstrahere et illicere, ut Rom. 7., Dan. 13., Jac. 1. Id autem dicitur per quandam prosopopoeam, quatenus homo tentatione aliqua, velut suasione sollicitatus et inductus, peccato consentit, quasi ab ipso peccato persuasus. Fit autem miro modo, ut, dum cor emollitur delectatione peccati, paulatim obdurescat adversus praecepta Dei. Intelligitur autem peccatum in genere tamquam persona quaedam, ut dixi, sed quae introducitur, ut seducens et impellens ad hunc peculiarem actum peccati, qui est deficere a fide Christi; quemadmodum praecedentia et sequentia satis declarant. Porro cum non eadem sint seduci a peccato, et obdurare cor suum in peccato, sed hoc illo posterius ac deterius: recte monet, ne, si qui forte seducti sint a peccato, obdurent corda sua, sed statim resiliant per poenitentiam.
3:14
14. Participes enim Christi effecti sumus. Exhortans Hebraeos suos ad perseverantiam, illud prius statuit, in quo vult eos perseverare, scilicet, fidem Christi. Jam enim, inquit, per fidem insiti sumus et incorporati Christo, videlicet facti membra corporis ejus. Id alia metaphora superius dixit: Svinus domus ejus. Eundem sensum habet, quod Syrus vertit: Commixti sumus cum Christo, id est in unum corpus coagmentati cum capite Christo.
Si tamen initium substantiae ejus usgue ad finem firmum retineamus. Pronomen ejus non est in Graeco. Pro substantia, Graece UTMOTaoKZ, eadem vox, quae cap. 1.: Figura substantiae ejus, et quae cap. 11.: Fides est sperandarum substantia rerum. NonnuUi subsistentiam vertunt. Eam vero subsistentiam sive substantiam plerique interpretantur hoc loco, qua Christiani sumus, id est nova creatura in Christo. Cujus quidem substantiae iaitium et fundamentum est fides, qua in Christum credimus. Potest nihilominus per ipsam substantiam inteliTgi fides, eti^er initium substantiae fides jam inchoata, quandoquidem et cap. 11. substantiae nomen attribuit fidei. Ita sensus erit: Si tamen susceptam semel fidem, per quam in vita hac spirituali eubsistimus, aut quae est substantia, id est basis et fundamentum salutis ac spei nostrae, firmam et inconcussam retineamus usque ad exitum vitae. Huic intellectui favet versio Syriaca. Sic enim habet: Si ab initio usque ad finem substantiam hanc firmam rapiamus. De qua versione consule Galenum nostrum. Porro conditionalis sermo: Si tamen etc. exponendus est eo modo, quo expositum est illud superius: Quae domus sumus nosj si fiduciam etc. Sensus enim est, ita demum nobis profuturum ad salutem, quod Christi participes eflPecti sumus per fidem, si in ea perseveremus usque ad mortem. Unde evanescit annotatio cujusdam haeretici ad hunc locum, sine peiseverantia fidem non esse fidem, sed opinionem vanam. Id enim ex verbis simul et scopo Apostoli manifeste redarguitur. Non enim ad fidei perseverantiam Hebraeos horlaretur, sive perseveraturos, sive non, nisi veram fidem eos habere existimaret.
3:15
15. Dum dicitur: Hodie si vocem ejus audieritis, nolite obdurare corda vestra, quemadmodum in illa exacerbatione. Dum dicitur, Graece: Iv T(iJ XeYsaOat^ in dicendo, quod Erasmus vertit: In hoc, quod dicitur. Et ita sane vertendum erat juxta Graecorum commentarium, qui hic faciunt initium novae sententiae, eamque mox ab illa parte: Quidam enim audientes etc., longo hyperbato suspendunt nsquc ad initium capitis sequentis: Timeamus ergo etc. Sed non videntur illi advertisse ad phrasim Hebraicam, hic usurpatam ab Apostolo, qua nimirum temporis concurrentia significari solet. Exempla passim in Scripturis sunt obvia, velut Psalm. 9.: In conoertendo inimicos meos retrorsum; Psalm. 101.: In conveniendo populos in unum; Psalm. 125.: In convertendo Dominus captivitatem Sion. Hoc est: Dum convertuntur inimici mei; dum con veniunt populi; dum convertit Dominus. Unde plerumque Latinus interpres eam phrasim reddit adverbio dum, ut Psalm. 9.: Dum superhitimpius, incenditur pauper; Psalm. 26.: Dum appropiant super me nocentes, et 27.: Dum oro ad te; dum extendo manus meas; item Psalm. 41.: Dum dicitur mihi quotidie, ubi est Deus? Quo loco pro ea parte: Dum dicitur, idem plane, quod hic in Graeco, legitur: Iv Tm etc. Rectissime igitur interpres noster vertit: Dum dicitur, Id autem longe commodius cum superiori sententia connectitur, quam si hyperbato interjecto pendere dicatur et spectare ad initium capitis sequentis. Et hanc connexionem ipse Erasmus sequitur in paraphrasi. Sequitur etiam Syrus interpres, tametsi diverso usus adverbio: Sicut dicitur. Sed multo melius se habet: Dum dicitur. Est enim explicatio ejus, quod dixerat Apostolus: usque ad finem. Quasi diceret: Hortor vos, ut fidem constanter retineatis usque ad finem, hoc est, dum dicitur, seu quamdiu dicitur nobis voce prophetica: Hodie si vocem ejus audieritis etc. Id enim est, quod supra dixit: Donec hodie cognominatur, id est hac vita durante. Nam quod propheta suis dixit Hebraeis, ita vult Apostolus accipi, tamquam omnibus dictum sif; videlicet per accommodationem quandam, aut ob paritatem rationis. Porro Graecorum constructionem ipse etiam orationis contextus respuit. Nisi enim haec pars ad superiorem referatur, abrupte et incomposite post eam sequetur, nec illativa conjunctio in illa parte: Timeamus ergo, usum habebit. Quod incommodum nec Erasmum fugit in annot. Obiter admoneo, nihil esse varietatis in Graeco, dum interpres modo vertit: Sicut in exacerbatione; modo: Quemadmodum in iUa exacerbatione.
3:16
16. Quidam enim audientes exacerbaverunt. Audientes, Graece axouaavxeg, quum audissent, scilicet promissa et praecepta Dei. Exacerbaverunt autem primo quidem Mosen, juxta historiam Exod. 17. atque etiam Num. 14.; consequenter autem Deum, cujus vice Moses fungebatur. Sed cum historia sacra testetur, paene omnes exacerbasse, quando dictum est eis: Si introibunt in requiem meam, cur Apostolus dicit: Qidam enim etc, quasi non ita multi fuerint? Respondeo, id agere Apostolum, ut Hebraeos animet ad permanendum in fide. Id autem agendum statuit non tantum proposita punitione eorum, qui propter infidelitatem et inobedientiam suam'fuerunt exclusi a requie promissa, verum etiam adducto eorum exemplo, qal merito fidei et obedientiae requiem optatam sunt adepti. Ad eam rem autem non expediebat meminisse paucitatis istorum, ne suos Hebraeos inducere videretur ad desperationem. Adde, quod nec simpliciter pauci fuere, qui in requiem illam ingressi sunt, sed pauci duntaxat ex iis, qui secundo anno egressionis ex Aegypto recensiti fuerunt a viginti annis et supra. Nam qui viginti annis erant inferiores, iidemque postea in promissam requiem introducti, non utique pauci erant. Accedit, ut supra diximus, quod Levitae in illa recensione non comprehendebantur. Ad hos autem respicere Apostolum, apparet ex eo, quod sequitur.
Sed non universi, qui profecti sunt ex Aegypto per Mosem. Profecti, Graece egressi. Per Mosem, id est ductore Mose. Quod Sjrus, Hebraicam phrasim imitatus, dixit: In manu Mosi. Sicut et legitur Psahn. 76.: Deduxisti sicut oves populum tuum in manu Mosi et Aaron; tametsi Hebraice dicitur etiam: In Mose, id est per Mosem, ut Oseae 12.: In Propheta, videlicet Mose, eduxit Dominus Israel de Aegypto. Quomodo verum sit, non omnes ex Aegypto per Mosem egressos exacerbasse, jam declaratum est. Non enim id tantum veritatem habet in Caleb, et Josue, et Levitis quibusdam, sed etiam in multitudine corum qui biennio a tempore egressionis annum aetatis vigesimum nondum expleverant. Unde hi, tamquam novus populus et nova generatio, typum gesserunt filiorum novi Testamenti, qui Dei vocem obedienter audiunt.
3:17
17. Quibus autem infensus est quadraginta annis? Clarius, infensus fuit, quemadmodum supra: Propter quod infensus fui. Nam sermo de re longe praeterita. Prosequitur Apostolus reliquas Psalmi superius citati partes, ostendens, quomodo puniti fuerint exacerbatores illi in deserto, et quam ob causam puniti. Quo efficacior autem reddatur subsequens exhortatio, quibusdam interrogatiunculis orationem excitat atque accendit. De constructione partis illius: Quadraginta annis, jara supra diximus. Notanda est autem in ea parte synecdoche quaedam. Nam, ut liquet ex libro Num. 14. et aliunde, corarainatio poenae, cujus hoc loco raerainit Apostolus, facta demum fuit anno secundo post exitum Hebraeorum ex Aegypto. Sensus ergo est: Circiter quadraginta annis.
Nonne illiSy qui peccaverunt. Maltiplici genere peccatorum offensam Dei provocaverunt filii Israel, nt mr.rmnrando, concupiscendo. vitulum conflatilem adorando, desperando terram promissam; sed quorum omnium caput et causa fuerit infidelitas, qua Dei promisHis diffidebant, ut patet ex historia rei gestae, potissimum Num. 14. Unde et Apostolus in sequentibus solam nominat infidelitatem.
Quorum cadavera prostrata sunt in deserto. Cadavera, Graece membra, quemadmodum et Basilius legit in homelia de jejunio; Syriace ossa. Quamquam Graeca dictio xojXa etiam cadavera significat. Theophylactus quoque testatur ossa significari, sed majora, qualia sunt femorum. UsQS est auctor ea voce, quam legerat apud LXX. Num. 14. ter repetitam. Quae etiam apud eosdem legitur Jes. ult., ubi Hieronymus vertit: Et videbunt cadavera virorum. Sensus: Quorum proinde corpora juxta Dei comminationem variis mortibus consumpta sunt, ita ut innumera ossium multitudo relicta fuerit albentes deserti sparsa per agros. Respicit ad illa Domini comminantis verba: Vestra cadavera jacebunt in solitudine, Num. 14.
3:18
18. Quibus autem juravit non introire in requiem ipsius. Non introire, Lat^nins alii: non ingressuros. De hoe juramento satis dictum est supra.
Nisi illis, qui increduli fuerunt? Erasmus ex Graeco vertit: Nisi iis, qui non obedierant? Sed minus recte. Nam Graecum verbum aTici&sTv passim in Scripturis Apostolicis usurpatur pro eo, quod est nolle credere, noUe persuaderi, nolle acquiescere; ut positiva significetur infidelitas, qualis illa, de qua Dominus in Evangelio: Si non venissem et locutus fuissem eis, peccatum non haberent, Joan. 15. Eadem est significatio Syriacae vocis. Sensus igitur est: Nisi iis, qui post tot et tanta potentiae divinae signa exhibita nondum sibi in animum induxerunt, ut promissis Dei crederent?
3:19
19. Et videmus, quia non potuerunt introire propter incredulitatem. Quasi dicat: Causa, propter quam prohibiti fuerunt ab ingressu promissae requietis, clare expressa est ac proposita nobis in historia; nimirum, quia Dei promissis fidem non habuerunt.
3:1
… clothed with "power from on high" (Lk. 24, 49: which is the power of the Holy Spirit, Acts 1, 4-8). J. thus fulfills the other messianic prophecy, which promised for his days the outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord: Is. 32, 15; Joel 2, 28-32 [Hebr. 3, 1-5]. The outpouring of the Spirit brought with it confirmation in the apostolate, especially in its office of bearing witness to the Risen One: Acts 1, 8: "you will receive the power …
Joel (Heb. Yôʾēl "Yahweh Is God")
… Then follows the Lord's answer: cessation of the scourge, promise of great temporal blessings (2:18-27) and spiritual ones (2:28-32; Heb. 3:1-5). Judah will be freed from the enemies who will attempt to stifle it: their punishment and divine protection for Israel (3, Heb. 4).
The Epistle to the Hebrews depicts eternal joy in the Promised Land (cf. Mt. 5:4), transformed into a "heavenly calling" (Hebr. 3:1), which is a "rest" identical to the "rest of God" (ibid. 3:1-4:11). The faithful are journeying toward the "City of the living God" (ibid. 12:22; 13:14), the "higher" Jerusalem (Gal. …
3:3
… various names, among which the principal ones are: 'El, 'Elōhim, Jahweh; also fairly frequent is the form 'Elōah (cf. Is. 44:8; Ps. 17:32; Dan. 11:17 etc.), which designates divinity in general or is the proper name of the true God (cf. Deut. 32:15; Heb. 3:3 and often in Job). …
3:6
Perseverance is all the more worthy of praise the more long-lasting the endurance of difficulties is. Sacred Scripture exhorts to perseverance, joining it to patience as a condition for attaining the reward (cf. Eccli. 5, 12; Mt. 10, 22; 24, 13; Lk. 21, 19; Heb. 3, 6; 10, 36; Jas. 5, 11; Rev. 2, 10), and condemns those who, having begun a good work, turn back (Lk. 9, 62). But as a supernatural virtue, which disposes the soul to continue in good …
3:7
… According to Paul the Holy Spirit spoke to the Fathers through Isaiah (Acts 28:26-27 = Is. 6:9-10). In other texts the Old Testament is cited with only the name of the Holy Spirit, so that the human author passes into second place (for example, Hebr. 2:4; 3:7; 9:8; 10:15). Besides this series of texts, the New Testament presents two that can be called classic, namely: II Tim. 3:16 and II Pt. 1:20.
2. Hebrew revelation. — The existence of a divine revelation to the Hebrew people is one of the fundamental teachings of Christianity; to it Jesus and the Apostles explicitly appeal (Mt. 5:18, 21 ff.; 22:31; Acts 1:16; 28:25; Rom. 1:2; Heb. 1:1; 3:7). Christian revelation itself
3:8
… priests and prophets even by kings: II Reg. 6, 21; 8, 9; 13, 14; Iudc. 17, 10; 18, 19), as in the title of the treatise Aboth (v.); whence the teacher often calls the disciple "son" (Prov. 4, 10, 20; 5, 1, 20; 6, 1, 3; 7, 1, 24; Ps. 44 [45], 11; Eccli. [Hebr. 3, 8, 12, 17; 4, 1, 20; etc.). 6) Counselor (Gen. 45, 8: Egyptian usage according to H. K. Brugsch), as in Esth. 3, 13 ἑσύτερος πατὴρ (addition of the Septuagint); in Ahiqar 55 (ed. Nau) …
3:12
The religious meaning of the book is in general entrusted to this emphasis on the merciful and provident goodness of the Lord toward his faithful, though so little worthy of his predilection, but other teachings are gathered in particular episodes that mark the intervention of God (1 Cor. 10:1-11; Heb. 3:12-19; John 3:14-15) and above all in the messianic prophecy of the "star from Jacob... scepter from Israel" (24:17), which the foreign soothsayer uttered inspired by God.
3:15
The Peshitta of the New Testament (c. 400) translates with b. q. the "voice" (of God) in Acts 12:22 (běhót qólé), I Tim. 6:20; Heb. 3:15 (bat qólé). …
3:20
… The frisking of lambs in spring figures the exultation of Israel freed from Egypt (Sap. 19, 9) with which inanimate nature is associated (Ps. 113 [114], 4, 6; cf. Mal. 4, 2 [Hebr. 3, 20]: the calves).
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Rheims 1582), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.