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which he was inspired. Just as the Faith of Abraham was united with that of his wife and of his children, so the Faith of Moses was bound up with that of Israel. By Faith they overcame difficulties of nature (11:29), and the force of enemies (11:30); and called out responsive Faith even in aliens, so that a remnant of them was saved (11:31).

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

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

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

11:29. dievbhsan ] The subject has already been suggested by aujtw'n (11:28). The Faith of the people met the Faith of the leader. Theophylact rightly marks the importance of the transition: i{na mh; levgwsi Tiv fevrei" eij" mevson ajmimhvtou" a[ndra" ; h[gage kai; lao;n eij" uJpovdeigma .

Compare Ps. 106:9 ff.; 114:5; Is. 43:16; 51:10. The word diabaivnein is found in N. T. also in Lk. 16:26; Acts 16:9. JH

ejr. qavl. , the LXX. rendering of 5Ws+A : y" ‘the sea of weed,’ occurs again Acts

7:36.

h|" p. labovnte" ] Vulg. quod experti, which essaying to do , literally ‘of which ( i.e. sea) making trial.’ Katepovqhsan Ex. 15:12 (LXX.): Num. 16:30. Katapivnw is found not unfrequently in N. T. in a metaphorical sense: e.g., 1 Cor. 15:54; 1 Pet. 5:8.

Heb. 11:30. pivstei ... e[pesan ] Josh. 6. The walls fell overthrown by faith which was shewn through a long trial by leader, priests and people.

The fall of the walls of Jericho is the symbol of the victory of the Church: Matt. 16:18.

Heb. 11:31. pivstei JRaavb ...] The record of the separation of the people of God from Egypt is closed by the incorporation of a stranger.

Rahab at once looked forward with confidence to the triumph of Israel: Josh. 2:9. Comp. James 2:25; Clem. R. 1:12 ( dia; pivstin kai; filoxenivan ejswvqh ). Midr. Bemidbar R. 8 (on Num. 5:9; Wunsche , p. 136), (the ancestress of priests and prophets).

The addition of the title hJ povrnh places in a fuller light the triumph of Faith.

The list of the champions of Faith whose victories are specially noticed is closed by a woman and a gentile and an outcast. In this there is a significant foreshadowing of its essential universality. So Theodoret: qaumavsai de; a[xion th;n ajpostolikh;n sofivan, ma'llon de; uJmnh'sai proshvkei tou' qeivou pneuvmato" th;n ejnevrgeian, o{ti tw'/ Mwu>sei' ... kai; toi'" a[lloi" aJgivoi" ajllovfulon gunai'ka kai; povrnhn sunevtaxen, i{na kai; th'" pivstew" ejpideivxh/ th;n duvnamin kai; katasteivlh/ th;n jIoudaivwn ojfruvn .
ouj sunap. t. ajpeiq. ] perished not with them that were disobedient , Vulg. non periit cum incredulis. The form of expression places in relief the punishment of the disobedient; and the ground of their destruction. They too had heard of the wonders which God had wrought for His people and were not moved by them to submission.

For ajpeiqei'n (of which the force is lost by the Latin Vulgate) see John 3:36; Rom. 2:8; Heb. 3:18 note.


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