Hebrews 12:22 - Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

Hebrews 12:22

20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: ^a“And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned¹ or shot with an arrow.”

21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ^a“I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”)

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,

23 to the¹ general assembly and church of ^athe firstborn ^bwho are registered in heaven, to God ^cthe Judge of all, to the spirits of just men ^dmade perfect,

24 to Jesus ^athe Mediator of the new covenant, and to ^bthe blood of sprinkling that speaks better things ^cthan that of Abel.

Hear the Heavenly Voice

25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For ^aif they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,

26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ^a“Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”

27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the ^aremoval of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we¹ may ^aserve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Commentaries:

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

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Hebrews 12:22-23

to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church—The city of God having been mentioned, the mention of its citizens follows. Believers being like the angels (Job 1:6; Job 38:7), "sons of God," are so their "equals" (Luke 20:36); and being reconciled through Christ, are adopted into God's great and blessed family. For the full completion of this we pray (Matthew 6:10). English Version arrangement is opposed: (1) by "and" always beginning each new member of the whole sentence; (2) "general assembly and Church," form a kind of tautology; (3) "general assembly," or rather, "festal full assembly," "the jubilant full company" (such as were the Olympic games, celebrated with joyous singing, dancing, etc.), applies better to the angels above, ever hymning God's praises, than to the Church, of which a considerable part is now militant on earth. Translate therefore, "to myriads (ten thousands, compare Deuteronomy 33:2; Psalms 68:17; Daniel 7:10; Judges 1:14; namely), the full festal assembly of angels, and the Church of the first-born." Angels and saints together constitute the ten thousands. Compare "all angels, all nations" Matthew 25:31-32. Messiah is pre-eminently "the First-born," or "First-begotten" (Hebrews 1:6), and all believers become so by adoption. Compare the type, Numbers 3:12, Numbers 3:45, Numbers 3:50; I Peter 1:18. As the kingly and priestly succession was in the first-born, and as Israel was God's "first-born" (Exodus 4:22; compare Exodus 13:2), and a "kingdom of priests" to God (Exodus 19:6), so believers (Revelation 1:6).

Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Hebrews 12:22:

Song of Solomon 2:11
Zechariah 4:7
Galatians 3:20
Hebrews 10:21

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