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(4) Heb. 11:23-31. The Faith of Conflict and Conquest. The Faith which has been hitherto regarded under the discipline of patience and sacrifice is now considered in action. Under this aspect it is traced both ( a ) in the great leader, Moses (11:23-28), and ( b ) in the people whom he led (11:29-31).

( a ) The Faith of Moses the leader of Israel (11:23-28). Moses ‘the first Redeemer,’ like Abraham ‘the father of the faithful,’ is treated at some length. His Faith is shewn ( a ) in its personal (11:23-26) and ( b ) in its public working (11:27, 28).

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw the child was goodly to look on; and they feared not the king's order.

24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called son of Pharaoh's daughter ,

25 choosing rather to be evil entreated with the people of God than to have enjoyment of sin for a season ,

26 since he counted the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked unto the recompense of reward.

27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

28 By faith he kept (he hath kept) the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, that he who destroyed the firstborn should not touch them.

( a ) 11:23-26. The Faith of Moses was prepared, as it were, by the Faith which he called out in his parents (11:23). When the time came his choice shewed his own Faith (11:24-26).

11:23. p. M. ... uJpo; tw'n patevrwn aujtou' ] In Ex. 2:2 (Heb.) the mother of
Moses only is mentioned as concealing the child; but the LXX. renders the text
ijdovnte" aujto; ajstei'on ejskevpasan . There is no ground for supposing that the reference is to Kohath and Amram to the exclusion of Jochebed. The general term (Vulg. a parentibus suis ) marks, so to speak, the social character of the faith; and oiJ patevre" (like patres ) is used in the same sense as oiJ gonei'" (Lk. 2:27, 41 ff.; John 9:2 ff.).
diovti ... tou' basilevw" ] Faith under two forms moved the parents of Moses to preserve him. Something in his appearance kindled hope as to his destiny; and then looking to God for the fulfilment of His promise they had no fear of the king's orders.

The word ajstei'o" (Vulg. elegans ) occurs in this connexion Ex. 2:2
(LXX.); Acts 7:20; (Judg. 3:17; Judith 11:23). Compare Philo,
de vit. Mos. i. § 3 (2:82) gennhqei;" ou\n oJ pai'" eujqu;" o[yin ejnevfhnen ajsteiotevran h] katj ijdiwvthn wJ" kai; tw'n tou' turavnnou khrugmavtwn ejfj o{son oi|ovn tj h\n tou;" gonei'" ajlogh'sai . De conf. ling. § 22 (i. p. 420 M.).

The word diavtagma occurs here only in the N. T. Heb. 11:24. mevga" genovmeno" ] when he was grown up (Ex. 2:11), in contrast with gennhqeiv" (Vulg. grandis factus ). As an infant he had quickened faith: as a man he shewed it.
hjrnhvsato ...] The tenses hjrnhvsato ... eJlovmeno" ... hJghsavmeno" ... point to a crisis when the choice was made, as distinct from Moses' habitual spirit
(
ajpevblepen ).

On hjrnhvsato OEcumenius says, to; meta; spoudh'" ajllotriw'sai eJauto;n dhloi' . The use of levgesqai (as distinguished from kalei'sqai,


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