service (
eujpoii?a
) is followed by that which expresses specially the help of alms. The two nouns form a compound idea (not
th'" eujp. kai; th'" koin.
). The word
eujpoii?a
is not found elsewhere in N. T. nor in LXX. For
koinwniva
compare 2 Cor. 9:13 (
aJplovthti th'" koinwniva" eij" aujtouv"
); Rom. 15:26
(
koinwnivan tina; poihvsasqai eij" tou;" ptwcouv"
);
Did.
4.8
sugkoinwnhvsei" pavnta tw'/ ajdelfw'/ sou
.
mh; ejpil.
] See Heb. 13:2 note.
toiauvtai" ga;r q
.] The direct reference appears to be to
eujpoii?a kai; koinwniva
, but praise has been already spoken of as a sacrifice, and is naturally included in the thought.
The construction
eujarestei'tai oJ qeov"
, Vulg.
promeretur (placetur) Deus
(
placetur Deo
Aug.), is found in late Greek, but not again in N. T. or
LXX.
( c ) The obligation to loyal obedience. The section began with a reference to leaders of the Church, and so it closes. The Hebrews have been charged to remember and imitate those who have passed away (13:7); now they are charged to obey and yield themselves to those who are still over them. This duty rests upon the most solemn nature of the relation in which they stand to them.
13:17. peivqesqe ... kai; uJpeivkete ] Vulg. obedite...et subjacete. Obedience to express injunctions is crowned by submission to a wish. The word uJpeivkein is not found elsewhere in N. T. or LXX. For toi'" hJg. see 13:7 note.
aujtoi; gavr
...] Vulg.
ipsi enim pervigilant
...The emphatic pronoun serves to bring out the personal obligation of the rulers with which the loyal obedience of the ruled corresponded;
for they
, and no other...Comp. James 2:6 f.; 1 Thess. 1:9; Matt. 5:3 ff. The image in
ajgrupnou'sin uJ. t. y.
is that of the watchmen in the O. T.: Is. 62:6; Ezek. 3:17.
For the word ajgrupnei'n compare Eph. 6:18; Ps. 127:1 (126:1) eja;n mh; oJ kuvrio" fulavxh/ povlin, eij" mavthn hjgruvpnhsen oJ fulavsswn . Wisd. 6:15. uJpe;r tw'n yucw'n ] The writer chooses this fuller phrase in place of the simple uJpe;r uJmw'n to suggest the manifold sum of vital powers which the Christian has to make his own: Lk. 21:19. Comp. 1 Pet. 1:9; 2:25; Heb. 10:39.
The Vulg. joins the clause with
lovg. ajpod.
quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri.
i{na meta; cara'"
...]
that they may do this
(
i.e.
watch)
with joy
....The
clause depends on
p. kai; uJp.
, the intervening words being parenthetical: Heb. 12:17 note.
Tunc vigilant praepositi cum gaudio quando vident subjectos suos proficere in Dei verbo, quia et agricola tunc cum gaudio laborat quando attendit arborem et fructum videt, quando attendit segetem et fructificare prospicit ubertatem (Herv.). Compare Herm. Vis. 3.9, 10.
For stenavzonte" see James 5:9; (Rom. 8:23; 2 Cor. 5:2, 4). jAlusitelhv" does not occur again in N. T. or in LXX. Lusitelei' is found Lk. 17:2.
The Greek Fathers gave a stern meaning to the words:
JOra'/" o{sh hJ filosofiva . stenavzein dei' to;n katafronouvmenon, to;n katapatouvmenon, to;n diaptuovmenon, mh; qarrhvsh/" o{ti se oujk ajmuvnetai : oJ ga;r stenagmo;" pavsh" ajmuvnh" ceivrwn : o{tan ga;r aujto;" mhde;n ojnhvsh/ stenavzwn