M.).
fainomevnwn to; blepovmenon ] The visible order, as one whole, is contrasted with the many elements which fall under the senses.
For
gegonevnai
see John 1:3 note. Heb. 11:4.
pivstei pl. q.
...
tw'/ qew'/
] Gen. 4:2 ff.
By faith Abel offered to
God a more abundant sacrifice than Cain
... Vulg.
Fide plurimam hostiam Abel quam Cain
....
The use of pleivwn in Heb. 3:3; Matt. 6:25 ( hJ yuch; plei'ovn ejsti th'" trofh'" , 12:41 plei'on jIwna' , id. vs. 42) has been supposed to justify the general sense of more excellent, better qualitatively only. But the narrative in Genesis suggests that the deeper gratitude of Abel found an outward expression in a more abundant offering. He brought of the firstlings and did not offer like Cain at the end of time, while he also brought of the fat of his flock. Comp. Philo, de conf. ling. § 25 (1.423).
It is impossible to determine certainly in what Abel's Faith consisted. The fact that he offered a more abundant sacrifice shews a fuller sense of the claims of God. It has been reasonably suggested that the sacrifice of animals, which were not yet given for food, indicates a general sense that life was due to the Living One alone.
For
pleivona parav
K. see Heb. 3:3; 1:4 note.
dij h|" ejmart.
]
i.e.
qusiva"
,
through which
sacrifice. The sacrifice was the sign of the righteousnessthe true relation to God by faithwhich he had inwardly. Through this the witness came, as
God bore witness on occasion of his gifts.
Comp. 5:7. The express title of righteous is not given to Abel in the
O. T. narrative, but to Noah first (v. 7). The character however is given to him, and the title in later times: Matt. 23:35; 1 John 3:12. For
ejpiv
see Heb. 9:10 note.
There is nothing in Scripture to shew in what way the divine witness was given to Abel (LXX. ejpei'den Gen. 4:4). A widespread legend current still among Mohammedans ( Kora=n , v. § 30 notes), related that fire came down and consumed his sacrifice:
Levgetai pu'r katelqo;n ajnalabei'n ta;" qusiva", ajnti; ga;r tou' ejpi; [Abel ejpevbleye kai; ejpi; ta;" qusiva" aujtou' oJ Kuvrio" [ oJ Suvro" ] kai; ejnepuvrisen ei\pen (Chrys. ad loc.: comp. Field Hex. ad Gen. 4.7). So Theophylact: ejpevblepen ejpi; ta;" qusiva" {Abel oJ Kuvrio" kai; ejnevprhse .
In the Gelasian and Gregorian Canon the three sacrifices of Abel, Abraham and Melchizedek are placed in significant connexion:
...digneris...accepta habere sicuti accepta habere dignatus es munera pueri tui justi Abel et sacrificium patriarchae nostri Abrahae et quod tibi obtulit summus sacerdos Melchisedech sanctum sacrificium, immaculatam hostiam.
According to an Eastern tradition the ram which Abraham offered was the ram of Abel's offering which was sent down from Paradise (Sale on
Kora=n
37.107). A similar thought finds expression in the Jewish legend (
Pirke R. Eliez.
31 ap. Biesenthal p. 297 n.) that the altar of Abraham's sacrifice was
that on which Adam, Abel and Noah had sacrificed (Gen. 22:9 j'B+ezMih'Ata, not
j'Bezmi , H4640).
On the fitness of the reference to Abel to the position of the Hebrews Primasius says (after Chrysostom): Ponit primum eum qui mala passus est et hoc a fratre, proprium illorum ponens exemplum: etenim eadem passi fuerant