their hearts," "provoked not God," but believed and obeyed his voice; hence God was "not angry with them," "sware not against them," their "carcasses fell not in the wilderness," but they "entered into the rest of God." And thus will it be with them who shall continue to believe and obey the gospel.' 5. He adds a general conclusion, as the sum of what he had evinced out of the words of the psalm; which also he intended further to improve, as he doth in the next chapter, verse 19. Ver. 15-19.—Εν τῷ λέγεσθαι· Σήμερον, ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε· μὴ σκληρύνησε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ. Τινὲς γὰρ ἀκούσαντες παρεπίκραναν, ἀλλ ̓ οὐ πάντες οἱ ἐξελθόντες ἐξ Αἰγύπτου διὰ Μωυσέως. Τίσι δὲ προσώχθισε τεσσαρακόντα ἔτη; οὐχὶ τοῖς ἁμαρ τήσασιν, ὧν τὰ κῶλα ἔπεσον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ; Τίσι δὲ ὤμοσε μὴ εἰσελεύσεσθαι εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν αὑτοῦ, εἰ μὴ τοῖς ἀπειθήσασι; Καὶ βλέπομεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν εἰσελθεῖν δι' ἀπιστίαν. Some few differences there are amongst translations; such as may, some of them, give light into the sense of the words may be remarked. Ver. 15.—Ev T λéycobaı. Beza, “interim dum dicitur,”—“in the meantime, while it is said." "Interim dum," are not amiss supplied, if that be the sense of the words, which generally is supposed so to be. Erasmus, "in hoc quod dicitur,"-" in this that is said," or, "whereas it is said;" which is suited unto the trajection of the words supposed by the Greeks before mentioned. Syriac, N, "sicut dictum est,"-" as it is said," respecting a repetition of the testimony, "again." Arias, "in dici," that is, "in dicendo,""in saying;" so the Arabic, Vulgar Lat., "dum dicitur;" and so we, "while it is said." I had rather, for reasons after to be mentioned, render the words, "whereas it is said;" which also is the proper sense of iv T λiyodal,—the infinitive with a preposition being often to be construed by the subjunctive mood. Ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ. Beza and the Vulg. Lat., "quemadmodum in illa exacerbatione,”—" as in that provocation;" expressing the article, which Erasmus and most translators omit: neither is it needful to be expressed, it being a mere repetition of the words, and not a reference unto them, that the apostle hath in hand. Syriac, "harden not your hearts, to provoke him," or "that you should provoke him," ,” “to anger," "exasperate him;" respecting the sin feared in them, when it is the past sin of their forefathers that is intended. Ethiopic, "Because he saith, To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, for they provoked him who heard." Ver. 16.-Tives yàp dnovcavтes Tapeπíxpavav. The Syriac begins here the interrogatory part of this discourse: "For who are they that when they have heard provoked him?" But Tis is indefinite, and not interrogative, as the following words manifest, for the process is not by a redditive pronoun, but an exceptive adverb. Aid Mavolws,,-"By the hands of Moses;" a frequent Hebraism for guidance or conduct. Ver. 17.—Tíos dè πpooúxbice; Beza, "quibus infensus fuit?"—"with whom was he angry," or "provoked?" Vulg. Lat., "infensus est," in the present tense; which is blamed by Erasmus, and corrected by Vatablus and Arias, as that which regards what was long since past. Arabic, as before, "whom did he curse?" Syr., "who were a weariness to him?" Of the ground of which variety we spake before, on verse 10. *Dy và xãha ëñяσov. Beza, “quorum artus conciderant,”—“ whose members fell;" Vulg. Lat., “ quorum cadavera prostrata sunt,"—" whose carcasses were cast down;" Erasmus, "quorum membra;" Syr., 7,-"and their bones:" whose members, bodies, bones, carcasses, fell in the wilderness. Of the proper signification of the word I shall speak afterwards. Ver. 18.-El pù toïc àñeidhoaoi. Beza and Erasmus, “nisi iis qui non obedierunt,"—" but unto them who obeyed not." Arias, "si non incredulis,"—" if not unto the unbelievers." Vulg. Lat., "iis cui increduli fuerunt;" which our Rhemists render, “but unto them which were incredulous." Syr., "qui non acquieverunt," "qui assensum non præbuerunt,"" who gave not assent,” that is, to the word or voice of God which they heard.' Ver. 15.—Whereas it is said, To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. Ἐν τῷ λίγεσ Das. The introduction unto the ensuing discourse is in these first words, 'Ev rã Xéyɛodaı, “Whilst it is said;" so we, after the Vulgar Latin, and sundry other interpreters, " dum dicitur," or 9 to that purpose, as was observed. Thus these words are a reintroduction of the former exhortation; and therefore some supply in or nun unto them, "to you," or "to us,"-" Whilst it is said to you" (or "us"), "To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts:" and so this exhortation is enforced, with new considerations, unto the end of the chapter. But this seems not to be the meaning of the apostle, and so not the due connection or construction of the words. For the same exhortation being before laid down from the psalmist, and applied unto the Hebrews, verses 7, 8, with a full improvement of it in the verses following, it is not reasonable to think that he should immediately again repeat it, and that in the same words, only somewhat more obscurely expressed. For in this way the meaning of the words must be, 'While it is day with you, while you enjoy the season that is so called, harden not your hearts.' But this is far more clearly expressed, verse 13,— "Exhort one another DAILY, while it is called To-day," with respect to what was before spoken, verses 7, 8. Others, therefore, as Erasmus, render the words by "In hoc quod dicitur,"—" In this that," 1 VARIOUS READINGS.-It is evident, even from the train of thought, that the true reading is Tíves, Tío, and not, with Ecum., Theoph., Luther, Calvin, Grotius, etc., TIDÈS, TIO, "only some." The author could infer only from the universality of sin in the time of Moses that the Israelites entered not into their rest, and therefore that the promise still awaited its fulfilment; he could not have inferred this from the fact that "only some had sinned at that time, and had been punished." So far Ebrard; in which view he agrees with Griesbach and Tischendorf, who both point these clauses interrogatively. EXPOSITION.-Azaά, in a series of questions, and standing at the head of a question, means vero, porro. It serves to connect and give intensity to the interrogation. So here; daná, truly, indeed, certè. The meaning is, 'Might I not ask, Did not all who came out of Egypt rebel?'-Stuart. TRANSLATIONS.AT. Disobedient.-Conybeare and Howson. Καὶ βλέπου p. We see then, or, thus we see.-Stuart, Turner.-ED. or, "Whereas it is said." And so a new exhortation should be intended, whose application, after a digression in a long hyperbaton unto the end of this chapter, is laid down in the first verses of the next. But this sense also we rejected in opening the general design of these verses. The words, therefore, are to be taken simply and absolutely, so as to indicate a repetition of the former testimony, and its improvement unto some further ends and purposes. 'Ev Léysolar, TNT, "Whereas it is said,"-"Whereas these words are used in the psalmist, and are recorded for our instruction.' And herein the apostle intends,-1. Not only the repetition of the precise words here mentioned, but by them calls over again the whole story that depends upon them, which is usual in such quotations. Out of the whole he intends now to take new observations unto his purpose in hand; for there are yet remaining some particular circumstances of the matter of fact insisted on of great importance, and much conducing unto his design, and to the establishment of the conclusion that he lays down, verse 19, which the apostle, in his first view of the words, had not yet considered or improved, as not lying in the way of his discourse then in hand. For their sakes doth he give this review unto the whole. 2. As of the story, so of his own exhortation upon it, the apostle lays down these words as a recapitulation, which gives influence unto the process of his discourse,-"For some, saith he," when they had heard, did provoke," verse 16. As if he had said, 'Consider what hath been spoken, that the same befall not you as did them who provoked and perished.' And we may see hence, Obs. I. That every circumstance of the Scripture is instructive. The apostle having before urged the authority of the psalm, and the example recorded in it unto his purpose, here he again resumes the words before insisted on, and from sundry cir cumstances of them, with the matter contained in them, further argues, reasons, and carrieth on his exhortation. For he considers, -1. Who they were that sinned and provoked God; wherein he observes that it was "some" of them, and not absolutely all who came out of Egypt: which how useful it was unto his purpose we shall afterwards declare. 2. What became of them who so sinned. "Their carcasses," saith he, "fell in the wilderness;" which circumstance doth not a little set forth the indignation of God against their sin, and his severity against their persons. 3. He presseth in particular the consideration of the oath of God, and manifests its exact accomplishment, that none who shall fall under the same condition may ever expect or hope for an escape. Lastly, From the consideration of the whole, he collects what was evidently the direct and especial sin that procured so great a destruction, and peremptorily excluded that people out of that rest of God, namely, their “unbe lief." These are the apaλóusva that the apostle gathers up in these verses, which, belonging unto the subject he insisted on, fell not before orderly under his consideration. Obs. II. God hath filled the Scripture with truth. Whence one said well, "Adoro plenitudinem Scripturarum," "I reverence the fulness of the Scriptures." Ps. cxxxviii. 2, "He hath magnified his word above all his name;" or made it more instructive than any other way or means whereby he hath revealed himself. For not only doth the whole Scripture contain the whole counsel of God, concerning his own glory and worship, our faith, obedience, and salvation, but also every parcel of it hath in it such a depth of truth as cannot by us be perfectly searched into. Ps. cxix. 18, "Open thou mine eyes," saith the psalmist, "that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." There are wonderful things in the word, if God be pleased to give us light to see it. It is like a cabinet of jewels, that when you pull out one box or drawer and search into it, you find it full; pull out another, it is full; and when you think you have pulled out all, yet still there are some secret recesses in the cabinet, so that if you search further you will find more. Our apostle seems to have drawn out all the boxes of this cabinet, but making a second search into the words, he finds all these things treasured up, which he had not before intimated nor touched upon. It was said by some of old, that the "Scripture hath fords where a lamb may wade, and depths where an elephant may swim." And it is true in respect of the perspicuity of some places, and the difficulty of others. But the truth is also, that God hath in his grace and wisdom so ordered its concernments, that,—1. What from the nature of the things themselves, which are suited unto the various states, conditions, and apprehensions of the minds of men; 2. What from the manner of their expression, on which a character of divine wisdom is impressed; 3. What from the authority of God putting itself forth in the whole and every particular; 4. What from its being not only "propositio veritatis," but "vehiculum gratiæ;" many, most, yea, all the particular places of it and passages in it, are such as through which a lamb may wade safely, and an elephant swim without danger of striking against the bottom. Let any lamb of Christ come, in that order, with that reverence unto the reading or hearing the word of God (the Scripture itself I mean) which is required, and he will find no place so dark or difficult but that it will yield him that refreshment which is suited unto him and safe for him, and something of God he will obtain; for either he will find his graces excited, or his mind enlightened, or his conscience peculiarly brought into a reverence of God. And let the wisest, the most learned and experienced person, that seems like an elephant in spiritual skill and strength amongst the flock, come to the plainest place, to search out the mind and will of God in it, if he be humble as well as learned,-which if he be not he is not wise, he will scarce boast that he hath been at the bottom of it, and hath perfectly comprehended all that is in it, seeing whatever we know," we know but in part." And they may all of them, elephants and lambs, meet at the same passages of this river that makes glad the city of God, these waters of rest and quietness, Ps. xxiii. 2, where the lambs may wade safely, and the elephants swim together. The poorest of the flock, in the right use of means, may take enough for themselves, even suitable direction and refreshment, from those very places of Scripture whose depths the learnedest guides of the church are not able to sound or fathom. Not only in several places, but in the same place, text, or testimony of Scripture, there is food meet for the several ages of Christians, whether babes and children or strong men; with light and direction for all sorts of believers, according to the degrees of their own inward light and grace. It is like manna, which, though men gathered variously according to their strength and appetite, yet every one had that proportion which suited his own eating. When a learned man, and one mighty in the Scriptures, undertakes the consideration of a place of Scripture, and finds, it may be, in the issue, that with all his skill and industry, with all his helps and advantages, though attended in the use of them with fervent prayer and holy meditation, he is not able to search it out unto perfection, let him not suppose that such a place will be of no advantage unto them who are not sharers in his advantages, but rather are mean and unlearned; for they may obtain a useful portion for themselves where he cannot take down all. If any one look on this river of God like behemoth on Jordan, "trusting that he can draw it up into his mouth," or take up the whole sense of God in it, he of all others seems to know nothing of its worth and excellency. And this ariseth, as was observed, principally from the things themselves treated of in the Scripture. For, divine and spiritual truths having God not only as their immediate fountain and spring, but also as their proper and adequate object, there is still somewhat in them that cannot be searched out unto perfection. As he said, "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?" Job xi. 7, my nbpany NYA,-"find him out to a perfect comprehension," or "to a consummation of knowledge," that it should be perfect. This neither the nature of God nor our condition will admit of. We do at best but "follow after," that we may in our measure "apprehend that for which we also are apprehended of Christ Jesus," Phil. iii. 12. And these things are so tempered by divine wisdom unto the faith and light of believers, and therein unto the uses of their consolation and obedience, that something hereof is plainly exhibited to every spi |