the Fourth Week of Advent
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Revised Standard Version
Hebrews 1:1
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In the past God spoke to our people through the prophets. He spoke to them many times and in many different ways.
God in tyme past diversly and many wayes spake vnto the fathers by Prophetes:
God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets many times and in many different ways.
God, having of old time spoken to the fathers in the prophets by diverse portions and in diverse manners,
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake of old to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son;
God, who in ancient days spoke to our forefathers in many distinct messages and by various methods through the Prophets,
God, that spak sum tyme bi prophetis in many maneres to oure fadris, at the
God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners,
On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.
Long ago in many ways and at many times God's prophets spoke his message to our ancestors.
God, having spoken to the fathers long ago in [the voices and writings of] the prophets in many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the truth], and in many ways,
God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners,
In times past the word of God came to our fathers through the prophets, in different parts and in different ways;
In days gone by, God spoke in many and varied ways to the Fathers through the prophets.
God having spoken in many parts and in many ways formerly to the fathers in the prophets,
God, having spoken in former times in fragmentary and varied fashion to our forefathers by the prophets,[xr]
In manifold portions [fn] and in all manners, spake Aloha with our fathers by the prophets from the first: but in these last days he hath spoken with us by his Son;
IN many ways, and many forms, God anciently conversed with our fathers, by the prophets:
God who at sundry times, and in diuers manners, spake in time past vnto the Fathers by the Prophets,
Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets.
Long ago God spoke to our early fathers in many different ways. He spoke through the early preachers.
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
At sundry times and in diuers maners God spake in the olde time to our fathers by the Prophetes: in these last dayes hee hath spoken vnto vs by his Sonne,
FROM of old God spoke to our fathers by the prophets in every manner and in all ways; and in these latter days, he has spoken to us by his Son;
Whereas, in many parts and in many ways of old, God spake unto the fathers, in the prophets,
God, who, at sundry times and in divers manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all,
God which in time past, at sundrie tymes, and in diuers maners, spake vnto the fathers in the prophetes:
In the past God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets,
Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Although God spoke long ago in many parts and in many ways to the fathers by the prophets,
In many ways and in various ways of old, God spoke to the fathers in the prophets;
In many parts, and many ways, God of old having spoken to the fathers in the prophets,
God in tyme past dyuersly & many wayes, spake vnto ye fathers by prophetes,
God who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his SON,
Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors in different ways for centuries. Recently he spoke to us directly through his Son. By his Son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end. This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God's nature. He holds everything together by what he says—powerful words! After he finished the sacrifice for sins, the Son took his honored place high in the heavens right alongside God, far higher than any angel in rank and rule. Did God ever say to an angel, "You're my Son; today I celebrate you" or "I'm his Father, he's my Son"? When he presents his honored Son to the world, he says, "All angels must worship him." Regarding angels he says, The messengers are winds, the servants are tongues of fire. But he says to the Son, You're God, and on the throne for good; your rule makes everything right. You love it when things are right; you hate it when things are wrong. That is why God, your God, poured fragrant oil on your head, Marking you out as king, far above your dear companions. And again to the Son, You, Master, started it all, laid earth's foundations, then crafted the stars in the sky. Earth and sky will wear out, but not you; they become threadbare like an old coat; You'll fold them up like a worn-out cloak, and lay them away on the shelf. But you'll stay the same, year after year; you'll never fade, you'll never wear out. And did he ever say anything like this to an angel? Sit alongside me here on my throne Until I make your enemies a stool for your feet. Isn't it obvious that all angels are sent to help out with those lined up to receive salvation?
After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets,
John 1:1-4">[xr] God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
In the old days, God used to speak to us through cowboys who were called prophets.
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
God, having spoken long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
at: Genesis 3:15, Genesis 6:3, Genesis 6:13-22, Genesis 8:15-19, Genesis 9:1-17, Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 26:2-5, Genesis 28:12-15, Genesis 32:24-30, Genesis 46:2-4, Exodus 3:1-22, Luke 24:27, Luke 24:44, Acts 28:23, 1 Peter 1:10-12, 2 Peter 1:20, 2 Peter 1:21
in: Numbers 12:6-8, Joel 2:28
the fathers: Luke 1:55, Luke 1:72, John 7:22, Acts 13:32
Reciprocal: Genesis 15:1 - in Genesis 20:7 - a prophet Leviticus 15:1 - Aaron Deuteronomy 18:15 - like unto me 1 Samuel 3:21 - appeared Job 33:15 - a dream Song of Solomon 2:3 - my beloved Jeremiah 2:1 - the word Jeremiah 13:1 - Go Jeremiah 18:2 - and go Daniel 2:28 - in the Daniel 8:2 - I saw in Daniel 9:10 - which Matthew 13:35 - I will utter Matthew 13:37 - is Matthew 17:5 - hear Matthew 21:37 - last Mark 1:1 - son Mark 12:2 - a servant Mark 12:6 - his John 1:34 - this Acts 3:22 - him Romans 11:2 - of Elias Hebrews 2:1 - Therefore
Cross-References
And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
And God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth." And it was so.
The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also.
And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth,
And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens."
And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners,.... The apostle begins the epistle with an account of the revelation God has made of his mind and will in former times: the author of this revelation is God, not essentially, but personally considered, even God the Father, as distinguished from his Son in the next verse; for the revelation under the Old Testament is divine, as well as that under the New; in this they both agree, in whatsoever else they differ: and this revelation was made at several times, at different seasons, and to different persons; and consisted of a variety of things relating to doctrine and worship, and concerning the Messiah, his person and office; of whom, at different times, there were gradual discoveries made, both before and after the giving of the law, from the beginning of the world, or the giving forth of the first promise, and in the times of the patriarchs, of: Moses, David, Isaiah, and other prophets: and this was delivered in various manners; sometimes by angels; sometimes in a dream; at other times by a vision; and sometimes by Urim and Thummim: and this he
spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets; by Moses, and other succeeding prophets, as David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Zechariah, Malachi, and others; who were sent to the Jewish fathers, the ancestors of the people of the Jews, to whom they prophesied and declared the will of God, as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost: and the apostle suggests, by this way of speaking, that it was a long time since God spake to this people; for prophecy had ceased ever since the times of Malachi, for the space of three hundred years; and this time past includes the whole Old Testament dispensation, from the beginning to the end of it, or of prophecy in it.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
God who at sundry times - The commencement of this Epistle varies from all the others which Paul wrote. In every other instance he at first announces his name, and the name of the church or of the individual to whom he wrote. In regard to the reason why he here varies from that custom, see the introduction, section 3. This commences with the full acknowledgment of his belief that God had made important revelations in past times, but that now he had communicated his will in a manner that more especially claimed their attention. This announcement was of particular importance here. He was writing to those who had been trained up in the full belief of the truths taught by the prophets. As the object of the apostle was to show the superior claims of the gospel, and to lead them from putting confidence in the rites instituted in accordance with the directions of the Old Testament, it was of essential importance that he should admit that their belief of the inspiration of the prophets was well founded.
He was not an infidel. He was not disposed to call in question the divine origin of the books which were regarded as given by inspiration. He fully admitted all that had been held by the Hebrews on that heart, and yet showed that the new revelation had more important claims to their attention. The word rendered “at sundry times” - πολυμερῶς polumerōs - means “in many parts.” It refers here to the fact that the former revelation had been given in various parts. It had not all been given at once. It had been communicated from time to time as the exigencies of the people required, and as God chose to communicate it. At one time it was by history, then by prophecy, by poetry, by proverbs, by some solemn and special message, etc. The ancient revelation was a collection of various writings, on different subjects, and given at different times; but now God had addressed us by His Son - the one great Messenger who had come to finish the divine communications, and to give a uniform and connected revelation to mankind. The contrast here is between the numerous separate parts of the revelation given by the prophets, and the oneness of that given by his Son. The word does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament.
And in divers manners - - πολυτρόπως polutropōs. In many ways. It was not all in one mode. He had employed various methods in communicating his will. At one time it was by direct communication, at another by dreams, at another by visions, etc. In regard to the various methods which God employed to communicate his will, see Introduction to Isaiah, section 7. In contradistinction from these, God had now spoken by his Son. He had addressed us in one uniform manner. It was not by dreams, or visions; it was a direct communication from him. The word used here, also, occurs nowhere else in the New Testament.
In times past - Formerly; in ancient times. The series of revelations began, as recorded by Moses, with Adam Genesis 3:0, and terminated with Malachi - a period of more than three thousand five hundred years. From Malachi to the time of the Saviour there were no recorded divine communications, and the whole period of written revelation, or when the divine communications were recorded from Moses to Malachi, was about a thousand years.
Unto the fathers - To our ancestors; to the people of ancient times.
By the prophets - The word “prophet” in the Scriptures is used in a wide signification. It means not only those who predict future events, but these who communicate the divine will on any subject. See Romans 12:6 note; 1 Corinthians 14:1 note. It is used here in that large sense - as denoting all those by whom God had made communications to the Jews in former times.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE HEBREWS.
Chronological Notes relative to this Epistle.
-Year of the Constantinopolitan era of the world, or that used by the Byzantine historians, and other eastern writers, 5571.
-Year of the Alexandrian era of the world, 5565.
-Year of the Antiochian era of the world, 5555.
-Year of the world, according to Archbishop Usher, 4067.
-Year of the world, according to Eusebius, in his Chronicon, 4291.
-Year of the minor Jewish era of the world, or that in common use, 3823.
-Year of the Greater Rabbinical era of the world, 4422
-Year from the Flood, according to Archbishop Usher, and the English Bible, 2411.
-Year of the Cali yuga, or Indian era of the Deluge, 3165.
-Year of the era of Iphitus, or since the first commencement of the Olympic games, 1003.
-Year of the era of Nabonassar, king of Babylon, 810.
-Year of the CCXth Olympiad, 3.
-Year from the building of Rome, according to Fabius Pictor, 810.
-Year from the building of Rome, according to Frontinus, 814.
-Year from the building of Rome, according to the Fasti Capitolini, 815.
-Year from the building of Rome, according to Varro, which was that most generally used, 816.
-Year of the era of the Seleucidae, 375.
-Year of the Caesarean era of Antioch, 111.
-Year of the Julian era, 108.
-Year of the Spanish era, 101.
-Year from the birth of Jesus Christ according to Archbishop Usher, 67.
-Year of the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 63.
-Year of Albinus, governor of the Jews, 2.
-Year of Vologesus, king of the Parthians, 14.
-Year of Domitius Corbulo, governor of Syria, 4.
-Year of Matthias, high priest of the Jews, 1.
-Year of the Dionysian period, or Easter Cycle, 64.
-Year of the Grecian Cycle of nineteen years, or Common Golden Number, 7; or the second after the second embolismic.
-Year of the Jewish Cycle of nineteen years, 4, or the first after the first embolismic.
-Year of the Solar Cycle, 16.
-Dominical Letter, it being the third after the Bissextile, or Leap Year, B.
-Day of the Jewish Passover, according to the Roman computation of time, the IIId of the calends of April, or, in our common mode of reckoning, the thirtieth of March, which happened in this year on the fourth day after the Jewish Sabbath.
-Easter Sunday, the IIId of the nones of April, named by the Jews the 19th of Nisan or Abib; and by Europeans in general, the 3d of April.
-Epact, or age of the moon on the 22d of March, (the day of the earliest Easter Sunday possible,) 6.
-Epact, according to the present mode of computation, or the moon's age on New Year's day, or the Calends of January, 13.
-Monthly Epacts, or age of the moon on the Calends of each month respectively, (beginning with January,) 13,15,14,15,16,17,18, 19,20,20,22,22.
-Number of Direction, or the number of days from the twenty- first of March to the Jewish Passover, 9.
-Year of the reign of Caius Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar, the fifth Roman monarch, computing from Octavianus, or Augustus Caesar, properly the first Roman emperor, 10.
-Roman Consuls, C. Memmius Regulus and L. Verginius Rufus.
CHAPTER I.
Different discoveries made of the Divine will to the ancient
Israelites by the prophets, 1.
The discovery now perfected by the revelation of Jesus Christ,
of whose excellences and glories a large description is given,
2-13.
Angels are ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation, 14.
NOTES ON CHAP. I.
Verse Hebrews 1:1. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners — We can scarcely conceive any thing more dignified than the opening of this epistle; the sentiments are exceedingly elevated, and the language, harmony itself! The infinite God is at once produced to view, not in any of those attributes which are essential to the Divine nature, but in the manifestations of his love to the world, by giving a revelation of his will relative to the salvation of mankind, and thus preparing the way, through a long train of years, for the introduction of that most glorious Being, his own Son. This Son, in the fulness of time, was manifested in the flesh that he might complete all vision and prophecy, supply all that was wanting to perfect the great scheme of revelation for the instruction of the world, and then die to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. The description which he gives of this glorious personage is elevated beyond all comparison. Even in his humiliation, his suffering of death excepted, he is infinitely exalted above all the angelic host, is the object of their unceasing adoration, is permanent on his eternal throne at the right hand of the Father, and from him they all receive their commands to minister to those whom he has redeemed by his blood. in short, this first chapter, which may be considered the introduction to the whole epistle is, for importance of subject, dignity of expression, harmony and energy of language, compression and yet distinctness of ideas, equal, if not superior, to any other part of the New Testament.
Sundry times — πολυμερως, from πολυς, many, and περος, a part; giving portions of revelation at different times.
Divers manners — πολυτροπως, from πολυς, many, and τροπος, a manner, turn, or form of speech; hence trope, a figure in rhetoric. Lambert Bos supposes these words to refer to that part of music which is denominated harmony, viz. that general consent or union of musical sounds which is made up of different parts; and, understood in this way, it may signify the agreement or harmony of all the Old Testament writers, who with one consent gave testimony to Jesus Christ, and the work of redemption by him. To him gave all the prophets witness, that, through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins; Acts 10:43.
But it is better to consider, with Kypke, that the words are rather intended to point out the imperfect state of Divine revelation under the Old Testament; it was not complete, nor can it without the New be considered a sufficiently ample discovery of the Divine will. Under the Old Testament, revelations were made πολυμερως και πολυτροπως, at various times, by various persons, in various laws and forms of teaching, with various degrees of clearness, under various shadows, types, and figures, and with various modes of revelation, such as by angels, visions, dreams, mental impressions, c. See Numbers 12:6; Numbers 12:8. But under the New Testament all is done απλως, simply, by one person, i.e. JESUS, who has fulfilled the prophets, and completed prophecy who is the way, the truth, and the life; and the founder, mediator, and governor of his own kingdom.
One great object of the apostle is, to put the simplicity of the Christian system in opposition to the complex nature of the Mosaic economy; and also to show that what the law could not do because it was weak through the flesh, Jesus has accomplished by the merit of his death, and the energy of his Spirit.
Maximus Tyrius, Diss. 1, page 7, has a passage where the very words employed by the apostle are found, and evidently used nearly in the same sense: Τῃ του ανθρωπου ψυχῃ δυο οργανων οντων προς συνεσιν, του μεν ἁπλου, ὁν καλουμεν νουν, του δε ποικιλου και πολυμερους και πολυτροπου, ἁς αισθησεις καλουμεν. "The soul of man has two organs of intelligence: one simple, which we call mind; the other diversified, and acting in various modes and various ways, which we term sense."
A similar form of expression the same writer employs in Diss. 15, page 171: "The city which is governed by the mob, πολυφωνον τε ειναι και πολυμερη και πολυπαθη, is full of noise, and is divided by various factions and various passions."
The excellence of the Gospel above the law is here set down in three points:
1. God spake unto the faithful under the Old Testament by Moses and the prophets, worthy servants, yet servants; now the Son is much better than a servant, Hebrews 1:4.
2. Whereas the body of the Old Testament was long in compiling, being about a thousand years from Moses to Malachi; and God spake unto the fathers by piecemeal, one while raising up one prophet, another while another, now sending them one parcel of prophecy or history, then another; but when Christ came, all was brought to perfection in one age; the apostles and evangelists were alive, some of them, when every part of the New Testament was completely finished.
3. The Old Testament was delivered by God in divers manners, both in utterance and manifestation; but the delivery of the Gospel was in a more simple manner; for, although there are various penmen, yet the subject is the same, and treated with nearly the same phraseology throughout; James, Jude, and the Apocalypse excepted. See Leigh.
