suggested by the context: Jer. 38:32 (31:32 Heb. ) (quoted Heb. 8:9).
Hence the verb is used absolutely in the sense of helping: Ecclus. 4:11 hJ sofiva uiJou;" eJauth'/ ajnuvywse kai; ejpilambavnetai tw'n zhtouvntwn aujthvn . Is. 41:8, 9 (R. V.). Comp. Const. Apost. 7.38, 1 ejn tai'" hJmevrai" hJmw'n ajntelavbou hJmw'n dia; tou' megavlou sou ajrcierevw" jIhsou' Cristou' .
The versions generally give the sense of take hold of in the sense of
appropriating: Syr. he took not from angels ( $ m bsn )... i.e. he did not
appropriate their nature; O. L. adsumpsit , or suscepit. Vulg. apprehendit.
This sense is given, I believe, uniformly by the Fathers both Greek and Latin who understand the phrase of the fact and not of the purpose of the Incarnation:
tiv ejstin o{ fhsin
;
oujk ajggevlou fuvsin ajnedevxato ajllj ajnqrwvpou
(Chrys.).
ejpeidh; ajnqrwvpeion h\n o} ajnevlabe dia; me;n tou' pavqou" to; tw'n ajnqrwvpwn ajpevdwke crevo", dia; de; th'" tou' peponqovto" swvmato" ajnastavsew" th;n oijkeivan ajpevdeixe duvnamin
(Theodoret).
oujk ajggevlwn fuvsew" ejdravxato oujde; ajnevlaben ajllj ajnqrwpivnh"
(OEcum.).
But at the same time they recognise a secondary thought of laying hold of that which endeavours to escape:
ajpo; metafora'" tw'n diwkovntwn tou;" ajpostrefomevnou" aujtou;" kai; pavnta poiouvntwn w{ste katalabei'n feuvgonta" kai; ejpilabevsqai ajpophdwvntwn
(Chrysost.).
to; ejpilambavnetai dhloi' o{ti hJmei'" me;n aujto;n ejfeuvgomen oiJ a[nqrwpoi, oJ de; Cristo;" ejdivwke kai; diwvkwn e[fqase kai; fqavsa" ejpelavbeto
(OEcum.).
Quare dixit apprehendit , quod pertinet ad fugientem? Quia nos quasi recedentes a se et longe fugientes insecutus apprehendit (Primasius).
This sense however is inconsistent with the gavr , and the plural ajggevlwn , and would be a mere repetition of Heb. 2:14 a; while the sense taketh hold of to help, is both more in accordance with the usage of the word and falls in perfectly with the argument. This being so, it is remarkable that this interpretation was not given by any one, as far as I know, before Chatillon in his Latin Version; and it then called out the severe condemnation of Beza: ...exsecranda...est Castellionis audacia qui ejpilambavnetai convertit opitulatur ( ad loc. ). But, in spite of these hard words, this sense soon came to be adopted universally.
The present tense brings out the continuous efficacy of the help (v. 18,
v. 11
oJ aJgiavzwn
).
spevrmato" jAbraavm
] Christ took hold of
a seed of Abraham
, that is a true seed, those who are children of faith, and not of the seed of Abraham, the race descended from the patriarch. Comp. Lk. 1:55; John 8:33, 37; Gal. 3:16, 29; Rom. 9:7 ff.; 11:1; 2 Cor. 11:22 (compare
tevkna jA.
Matt. 3:9 || Lk. 3:8; John 8:39;
"iJoi; jA.
Gal. 3:7; Acts 13:26). The absence of the article shews that a character and not a concrete people (the Jews) is described. At the same time the phrase marks both the breadth and the particularity of the divine promise which was fulfilled by Christ. Those of whom Christ takes hold have a spiritual character (faith), and they find their spiritual ancestor in one who answered a personal call (Abraham). Sive igitur de Judaeis, sive de gentibus fideles,
semen Abrahae
sunt quod Christus
apprehendit
(Herv.).