large measure of human design and wholly of human construction. But God Himself frames and constructs the heavenly city (Heb. 11:16) no less than the heavenly sanctuary: Heb. 8:2. Comp. Heb. 12:22 f.; 13:14; Apoc. 21:2; Gal. 4:26 (and Lightfoot's note); (Is. 33:20; Ps. 84). See Additional Note.
The idea of
tou;" qem. e[c.
is that of the one city which has the eternal foundations. To this outwardly the tents of the patriarchs offered the most striking contrast. Comp. Apoc. 21:14.
h|" tecn. kai; dhm. oJ qeov"
]
whose designer and maker is God.
Vulg.
cujus artifex et conditor Deus.
The word
tecnivth"
in this connexion refers to the plan and
dhmiourgov"
to the execution of it.
Tecnivth"
occurs in the more general sense of craftsman Acts 19:24, 38; Apoc. 18:22:
dhmiourgov"
is not found again in N. T.
For
tecnivth"
compare Wisd. 13:1; Philo
Leg. Alleg.
1.7 (1:47 M.)
ouj tecnivth" movnon ajlla; kai; path;r w]n tw'n gignomevnwn
:
De mut. nom.
§ 4 (1.583
M.)
oJ gennhvsa" kai; tecniteuvsa" pathvr
: and for
dhmiourgov"
Clem. R. 1:20, 26, 33, 35; Philo
de incorr. mundi
§ 4 (2.490 M.).
Heb. 11:11, 12. (iii) The Faith of influence. Abraham had to sustain yet a third trial before the promise received an initial fulfilment. The son through whom the blessing was to come was not born while his birth was naturally to be expected and according to man's reckoning possible. But Sarah, who was at first unbelieving, was at last inspired with her husband's Faith by his example and influence; and the promise found amplest accomplishment.
11:11.
pivstei kai; aujth; Savrra
...]
By faith even Sarah herself
...though she more than doubted. Sarah is evidently regarded in the closest union with Abraham (11:12
ajfj eJnov"
). She was one with him. Her faith was a condition for the fruitfulness of his faith.
jEgevlase to; prw'ton oujk eijdui'a tou' uJpiscnoumevnou th;n fuvsin kai; th'" ajnqrwpeiva" fuvsew" tou;" o{rou" ejpistamevnh
...
u{steron mevntoi maqou'sa to;n uJposcovmenon kai; ejpivsteuse kai; ejgevnnhsen wJ" ejpivsteuse
(Theodt.).
eij" katab. sp.
] Vulg.
in conceptionem seminis.
The translation for the founding of a race is altogether unnatural. The thought here extends no farther than to the direct personal issue of Sarah's Faith. She was enabled to become the mother of Abraham's son. She co-operated on her part with Abraham towards the fulfilment of the promise. The promise was to Abraham, and the work of faith was primarily his (hence
eij" katabolh;n sp.
[e.g., Chrys.
Ad illum.
ii. § 1
ejn hJmevra/ mia'/ dunato;n oJmou' kai; spevrmata katabalei'n kai; ajmhto;n poihvsasqai
] and not
eij" suvllhyin sp.
or the like), but it was needful that Sarah should join by faith with him.
jEnedunamwvqh eij" to; uJpodevxasqai kai; krath'sai to; katablhqe;n eij" aujth;n spevrma tou' jAbraavm
(Theophlct.).
kai; para; k. hJl.
] Even against the natural expectation of the age which she had reached,
w{ste diplh'n ei\ce phvrwsin, thvn te ajpo; fuvsew" o{ti stei'ra h\n kai; th;n ajpo; tou' ghvrw"
(Theophlct.). Comp. Plat.
Theaet.
149 c
tai'"
...
dij hJlikivan ajtovkoi"
.
For
pisto;n hJg. to;n ejpagg.
, compare Heb. 10:23.
12.
dio; kai; ajfj eJnov"
]
Wherefore also
children
were born
through her
from one, and that
from one
as good as dead
... Though Sarah is lost, so to speak, in Abraham with whom she was united (
ajfj eJnov"
), yet her act of Faith completing his Faith is made the reason of the fulfilment of the promise (
diov
).