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the contrary as applied to Christ describe a humiliation. This application is facilitated by the LXX. rendering, but does not depend upon it. The essential idea is that the true destiny of man described by the Psalmist, which experience teaches us that man himself has missed, was fulfilled otherwise than had been expected. Words which were used of man in himself became first true of One Who being more than man took man's nature upon Him. In such a case the description of dignity was of necessity converted initially into a description of condescension.

Heb. 2:6. The thought of man's frailty comes first. According to a remarkable Jewish tradition the words were addressed by the ministering angels to God when ‘Moses went up to receive the Law.’ ‘O Lord of the world,’ they said, ‘wilt Thou give to flesh and blood that precious thing which Thou hast kept for 974 generations? (Ps. 8:5). Give Thy glory rather to heaven’ (Sabb. 88, 1).

2:5, 6. ouj ga;r ajgg. ... diemart. dev ...] The form of the construction is
expressive. The sovereignty was not indeed designed for angels; but provision was made for it. When there is a direct and sharp opposition,
ajllav follows a negative not...but. When the negative marks a sentence which is complete in itself, and another statement is added as a fresh thought, this, though it does in fact oppose the former, is introduced by dev . Comp. Heb. 2:8, 9 ou[pw dev ; 4:13; 6:12; Acts 12:9, 14.
diem. d. pouv ti" ] In this quotation only in this epistle (4:7 is not a case in point) is there a reference to the human author of the words; and here God is addressed directly. At the same time the reference is as general as possible. The form of reference is found in Philo, de temul. § 14 (1.365 M.) ei\pe gavr pouv ti" (Gen. 20:12). For pouv see Heb. 4:4 note.

Diamartuvromai is used absolutely Luke 16:28; Acts 2:40 (8:25); 1 Thess. 4:6.
tiv ejstin ] i.e. how little outwardly, and at first sight, compared with the stately magnificence of Nature.

Comp. Ps. 144:3; Job 7:17. The interpretation ‘how great is man,’ i.e. in consequence of God's love shewn to him, is quite foreign to the course of thought. Nor again is there any reference to the fact of the Fall.

a[nqrwpo" ] v/na‘ , H632, man, with the secondary idea of weakness.

uiJo;" ajnqrwvpou ] : d:a;A $ B, not oJ uiJo;" tou' ajnqrwvpou ( : d:a;h;A $ B, ).

mimnhvskh/ ... ejpiskevpth/ ] The twofold regard of thought and action. jEpiskevptesqai is used almost exclusively in the LXX. as in the N. T., of a visitation for good. Luke 1:68, 78; 7:16; Acts 15:14. The word was especially used of the ‘visits’ of a physician. Comp. Matt. 25:36; James 1:27.

Heb. 2:7, 8 a. In spite of his frailty man recognises his divine affinity. He is more glorious than the world which seems to crush him, in nature, endowment, destiny.

2:7. hjlavtt. br. ti ...] Thou madest him a little lower ...Vulg. Minuisti (Old Lat. minorasti ) eum paulo minus ab angelis. Bracuv ti is used here of degree (compare 2 Sam. 16:1), and not of time (Is. 57:17 LXX. ‘for a little while’). The Hebrew is unambiguous; and there is no reason to depart from the meaning of the original either in this place or in Heb. 2:9.

parj ajggevlou" ] The original : yhiløa‘me , rendered literally by Jerome a

deo , is thus interpreted by the Targum and Syr. and by the Jewish


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