have spoken unto you--"spake" (so the Greek aorist means) during their lifetime. This Epistle was among those written later, when many of the heads of the Jerusalem Church had passed away.
whose faith--even unto death: probably death by martyrdom, as in the case of the instances of faith in [He 11:35]. Stephen, James the brother of our Lord and bishop of Jerusalem, as well as James the brother of John ([Ac 12:2]), in the Palestinian Church, which Paul addresses, suffered martyrdom.
considering--Greek, "looking up to," "diligently contemplating all over," as an artist would a model.
the end--the termination, at death. The Greek, is used of decease ([Lu 9:31]; [2Pe 1:15]).
of their conversation--"manner of life": "religious walk" ([Ga 1:13]; [Ep 4:22]; [1Ti 4:12]; [Jas 3:13]). Considering how they manifested the soundness of their faith by their holy walk, which they maintained even to the end of that walk (their death by martyrdom).
7. Two manifestations of "brotherly love," hospitality and care for those in bonds.
Be not forgetful--implying it was a duty which they all recognized, but which they might forget to act on ([He 13:3], [7, 16]). The enemies of Christianity themselves have noticed the practice of this virtue among Christians [Julian, Epistles, 49].
entertained angels unawares--Abraham and Lot did so ([Ge 18:2]; ). To obviate the natural distrust felt of strangers, Paul says, an unknown guest may be better than he looks: he may be unexpectedly found to be as much a messenger of God for good, as the angels (whose name means messenger) are; nay more, if a Christian, he represents Christ Himself. There is a play on the same Greek word, Be not forgetful and unaware; let not the duty of hospitality to strangers escape you; for, by entertaining strangers, it has escaped the entertainers that they were entertaining angels. Not unconscious and forgetful of the duty, they have unconsciously brought on themselves the blessing.
8. This verse is not, as some read it, in apposition with "the end of their conversation" ([He 13:7]), but forms the transition. "Jesus Christ, yesterday and to-day (is) the same, and (shall be the same) unto the ages (that is, unto all ages)." The Jesus Christ (the full name being given, to mark with affectionate solemnity both His person and His office) who supported your spiritual rulers through life even unto their end "yesterday" (in times past), being at once "the Author and the Finisher of their faith" ([He 12:2]), remains still the same Jesus Christ "to-day," ready to help you also, if like them you walk by "faith" in Him. Compare "this same Jesus," [Ac 1:11]. He who yesterday (proverbial for the past time) suffered and died, is to-day in glory ([Re 1:18]). "As night comes between yesterday and to-day, and yet night itself is swallowed up by yesterday and to-day, so the "suffering" did not so interrupt the glory of Jesus Christ which was of yesterday, and that which is to-day, as not to continue to be the same. He is the same yesterday, before He came into the world, and to-day, in heaven. Yesterday in the time of our predecessors, and to-day in our age" [Bengel]. So the doctrine is the same, not variable: this verse thus forms the transition between [He 13:7] and [He 13:9]. He is always "the same" ([He 1:12]). The same in the Old and in the New Testament.
9. about--rather, as oldest manuscripts read, "carried aside"; namely, compare [Ep 4:14].
divers--differing from the one faith in the one and the same Jesus Christ, as taught by them who had the rule over you ([He 13:7]).
strange--foreign to the truth.
doctrines--"teachings."
established with grace; not with meats--not with observances of Jewish distinctions between clean and unclean meats, to which ascetic Judaizers added in Christian times the rejection of some meats, and the use of others: noticed also by Paul in [1Co 8:8], ; ; [Ro 14:17], an exact parallel to this verse: these are some of the "divers and strange doctrines" of the previous sentence. Christ's body offered once for all for us, is our true spiritual "meat" to "eat" ([He 13:10]), "the stay and the staff of bread" ([Is 3:1]), the mean of all "grace."
which have not profited--Greek, "in which they who walked were not profited"; namely, in respect to justification, perfect cleansing of the conscience, and sanctification. Compare on "walked," [Ac 21:21]; namely, with superstitious scrupulosity, as though the worship of God in itself consisted in such legal observances.
10. Christianity and Judaism are so totally distinct, that "they who serve the (Jewish) tabernacle," have no right to eat our spiritual Gospel meat, namely, the Jewish priests, and those who follow their guidance in serving the ceremonial ordinance. He says, "serve the tabernacle," not "serve IN the tabernacle." Contrast with this servile worship ours.
an altar--the cross of Christ, whereon His body was offered. The Lord's table represents this altar, the cross; as the bread and wine represent the sacrifice offered on it. Our meat, which we by faith spiritually eat, is the flesh of Christ, in contrast to the typical ceremonial meats. The two cannot be combined ([Ga 5:2]). That not a literal eating of the sacrifice of Christ is meant in the Lord's Supper, but a spiritual is meant, appears from comparing [He 13:9] with [He 13:10], "with GRACE, NOT with MEATS."
11-12. For just as "the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by ... are burned without the camp," so "Jesus also that ... suffered without the gate" of ceremonial Judaism, of which His crucifixion outside the gate of Jerusalem is a type.
for--reason why they who serve the tabernacle, are excluded from share in Christ; because His sacrifice is not like one of those sacrifices in which they had a share but answers to one which was "wholly burned" outside (the Greek is "burnt completely," "consumed by burning"), and which consequently they could not eat of. [Le 6:30], gives the general rule, "No sin offering whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place, shall be eaten; it shall be burnt in the fire." The sin offerings are twofold: the outward, whose blood was sprinkled on the outward altar, and of whose bodies the priests might eat; and the inward, the reverse.
the sanctuary--here the Holy of Holies, into which the blood of the sin offering was brought on the day of atonement.
without the camp--in which were the tabernacle and Levitical priests and legal worshippers, during Israel's journey through the wilderness; replaced afterwards by Jerusalem (containing the temple), outside of whose walls Jesus was crucified.
13. therefore--This "therefore" breathes the deliberate fortitude of believers [Bengel].
without the camp--"outside the legal polity" [Theodoret] of Judaism (compare [He 13:11]) "Faith considers Jerusalem itself as a camp, not a city" [Bengel]. He contrasts with the Jews, who serve an earthly sanctuary, the Christians to whom the altar in heaven stands open, while it is closed against the Jews. As Jesus suffered without the gate, so spiritually must those who desire to belong to Him, withdraw from the earthly Jerusalem and its sanctuary, as from this world in general. There is a reference to [Ex 33:7], when the tabernacle was moved without the camp, which had become polluted by the people's idolatry of the golden calves; so that "every one who sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation (as Moses called the tabernacle outside the camp), which was without the camp"; a lively type of what the Hebrews should do, namely, come out of the carnal worship of the earthly Jerusalem to worship God in Christ in spirit, and of what we all ought to do, namely, come out from all carnalism, worldly formalism, and mere sensuous worship, and know Jesus in His spiritual power apart from worldliness, seeing that "we have no continuing city" ([He 13:14]).
bearing--as Simon of Cyrene did.
his reproach--the reproach which He bare, and which all His people bear with Him.
14. here--on earth. Those Hebrews who clung to the earthly sanctuary are representatives of all who cling to this earth. The earthly Jerusalem proved to be no "abiding city," having been destroyed shortly after this Epistle was written, and with it fell the Jewish civil and religious polity; a type of the whole of our present earthly order of things soon to perish.
one to come--([He 2:5]; , 14, 16; 12:22; [Php 3:20]).
15. As the "altar" was mentioned in [He 13:10], so the "sacrifices" here (compare [1Pe 2:5], namely, praise and doing good, [He 13:16]). Compare [Psa 119:108]; [Ro 12:1].
By him--as the Mediator of our prayers and praises ([Joh 14:13], ); not by Jewish observances ([Psa 50:14], ; , ; ; ). It was an old saying of the rabbis, "At a future time all sacrifices shall cease, but praises shall not cease."
of praise--for salvation.
continually--not merely at fixed seasons, as those on which the legal sacrifices were offered, but throughout all our lives.
fruit of our lips--([Is 57:19]; [Ho 14:2]).
giving thanks--Greek, "confessing." Bengel remarks that the Hebrew, "todah," is beautifully emphatic. It literally means "acknowledgment" or "confession." In praising a creature, we may easily exceed the truth; but in praising God we have only to go on confessing what He really is to us. Hence it is impossible to exceed the truth, and here is genuine praise.
16. But--But the sacrifice of praise with the lips ([He 13:15]) is not enough; there must be also doing good (beneficence) and communicating (that is, imparting a share of your means, [Ga 6:6]) to the needy.
with such--and not mere ritualistic sacrifices.
17. Obey them that have the rule over you--(Compare [He 13:7], ). This threefold mention of the rulers is peculiar to this Epistle. In other Epistles Paul includes the rulers in his exhortations. But here the address is limited to the general body of the Church, in contrast to the rulers to whom they are charged to yield reverent submission. Now this is just what might be expected when the apostle of the Gentiles was writing to the Palestine Christians, among whom James and the eleven apostles had exercised a more immediate authority. It was important he should not seem to set himself in opposition to their guides, but rather strengthen their hands; he claims no authority directly or indirectly over these rulers themselves [Birks]. "Remember" your deceased rulers ([He 13:7]). "Obey" your living rulers; nay, more, not only obey in cases where no sacrifice of self is required, and where you are persuaded they are right (so the Greek, for "obey"), but "submit yourselves" as a matter of dutiful yielding, when your judgment and natural will incline you in an opposite direction.
they--on their part; so the Greek. As they do their part, so do you yours. So Paul exhorts, [1Th 5:12], .
watch--"are vigilant" (Greek).
for--Greek, "in behalf of."
must give account--The strongest stimulus to watchfulness ([Mr 13:34-37]). Chrysostom was deeply struck with these words, as he tells us [On the Priesthood, 6], "The fear of this threat continually agitates my soul."
do it--"watch for your soul's eternal salvation." It is a perilous responsibility for a man to have to give account for others' deeds, who is not sufficient for his own [Estius, from Aquinas]. I wonder whether it be possible that any of the rulers should be saved [Chrysostom]. Compare Paul's address to the elders, [Ac 20:28]; [1Co 4:1-5], where also he connects ministers' responsibility with the account to be hereafter given (compare [1Pe 5:4]).
with joy--at your obedience; anticipating, too, that you shall be their "joy" in the day of giving account ([Php 4:1]).
not with grief--at your disobedience; apprehending also that in the day of account you may be among the lost, instead of being their crown of rejoicing. In giving account, the stewards are liable to blame if aught be lost to the Master. "Mitigate their toil by every office of attention and respect, that with alacrity, rather than with grief, they may fulfil their duty, arduous enough in itself, even though no unpleasantness be added on your part" [Grotius].
that--Grief in your pastors is unprofitable for you, for it weakens their spiritual power; nay, more, "the groans (so the Greek for 'grief') of other creatures are heard; how much more of pastors!" [Bengel]. So God will be provoked to avenge on you their "groaning" (Greek). If they must render God an account of their negligence, so must you for your ingratitude to them [Grotius].
18. Pray for us--Paul usually requests the Church's intercessions for him in closing his Epistles, just as he begins with assuring them of his having them at heart in his prayers (but in this Epistle not till [He 13:20], ), [Ro 15:30]. "Us," includes both himself and his companions; he passes to himself alone, [He 13:19].