Hebrews 12:5

12:1-11 The persevering obedience of faith in Christ, was the race set before the Hebrews, wherein they must either win the crown of glory, or have everlasting misery for their portion; and it is set before us. By the sin that does so easily beset us, understand that sin to which we are most prone, or to which we are most exposed, from habit, age, or circumstances. This is a most important exhortation; for while a man's darling sin, be it what it will, remains unsubdued, it will hinder him from running the Christian race, as it takes from him every motive for running, and gives power to every discouragement. When weary and faint in their minds, let them recollect that the holy Jesus suffered, to save them from eternal misery. By stedfastly looking to Jesus, their thoughts would strengthen holy affections, and keep under their carnal desires. Let us then frequently consider him. What are our little trials to his agonies, or even to our deserts? What are they to the sufferings of many others? There is a proneness in believers to grow weary, and to faint under trials and afflictions; this is from the imperfection of grace and the remains of corruption. Christians should not faint under their trials. Though their enemies and persecutors may be instruments to inflict sufferings, yet they are Divine chastisements; their heavenly Father has his hand in all, and his wise end to answer by all.

They must not make light of afflictions, and be without feeling under them, for they are the hand and rod of God, and are his rebukes for sin. They must not despond and sink under trials, nor fret and repine, but bear up with faith and patience. God may let others alone in their sins, but he will correct sin in his own children. In this he acts as becomes a father. Our earthly parents sometimes may chasten us, to gratify their passion, rather than to reform our manners. But the Father of our souls never willingly grieves nor afflicts his children. It is always for our profit. Our whole life here is a state of childhood, and imperfect as to spiritual things; therefore we must submit to the discipline of such a state. When we come to a perfect state, we shall be fully reconciled to all God's chastisement of us now. God's correction is not condemnation; the chastening may be borne with patience, and greatly promote holiness. Let us then learn to consider the afflictions brought on us by the malice of men, as corrections sent by our wise and gracious Father, for our spiritual good.

{5} And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: (5) Secondly, because they are testimonies of his fatherly good will towards us, in that they show themselves to be illegitimate, if they cannot abide to be chastened by God.

Ye have forgotten (ἐκλέλησθε) N.T.o. Common in Class., olxx. The simple verb λανθάνειν means to escape notice; to be unseen or unknown. Middle and passive, to let a thing escape; forget. Some render interrogatively, "have ye forgotten?" Speaketh unto you (ὑμῖν διαλέγεται) The verb always in the sense of mutual converse or discussion. See Mark 9:34; Acts 17:2; Acts 18:19. Rend. "reasoneth with you." My son, etc. From Proverbs 3:11, Proverbs 3:12. Comp. Job 5:17. Despise not (μὴ ὀλιγώρει) N.T.o. lxx only in this passage. Quite often in Class. It means to make little of (ὀλίγος). Chastening (παιδείας) Mostly in Hebrews. See on Ephesians 6:4, and see on 2 Timothy 3:16.

Hebrews 12:5-8 . And ye have forgotten, &c. — As if he had said, If you faint it will appear you have forgotten, the exhortation — Wherein God speaks to you with the utmost tenderness; as unto his own dear children, saying, My son, despise not thou — Do not slight or make light of; the chastening of the Lord — Do not impute it to chance or to second causes, but see and revere the hand of God in it; account it a great mercy, and improve it; nor faint, and sink, when thou art rebuked of him — But endure it patiently and fruitfully, avoiding the extremes of proud insensibility and entire dejection. For — All such dispensations spring from love; therefore neither despise them nor faint under them; whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth — Or correcteth for their faults, in order to their amendment; and that he may try, exercise, and thereby increase their faith, hope, love, resignation, patience, meekness, and other graces; and that he may purify them by such fires, as gold and silver are purged in the furnace from their dross. And scourgeth — With seeming severity; every son whom he receiveth — Into his peculiar favour. See note on Proverbs 3:11-12 , &c. If ye endure, &c. — If God correct you, and cause you to endure chastening, he dealeth with you as wise and affectionate parents deal with their beloved sons; for what son is he whom the father — Namely, the person who performs the duty of a father; chasteneth not — More or less?

There are scarce any children who do not sometimes need correction, and no wise and good parent will always forbear it. But if ye be without chastisement — “If ye pass your lives without experiencing sickness of any kind, or worldly losses, or affliction in your families, or death of children, or injuries from your neighbours, or any of the other troubles to which the children of God are exposed, certainly you are treated by your heavenly Father as bastards, and not as sons.” Ye are not owned by God for his children.

Hebrews 12:5 . Καὶ ) And nevertheless already.— ἐκλέλησθε , you have forgotten ) You have dismissed from your memory and from your mind. So to remember is used both of the memory and of the mind generally.— τῆς παρακλήσεως , the exhortation ) An illustrious testimony to the authority of the books of Solomon. Comp. 1 Peter 3:6 ; 1 Peter 4:8 ; 1 Peter 4:18 , notes; and ch. Hebrews 5:5 ; 2 Peter 2:22 . This exhortation should have more influence with you, than all the words of exhorters with those who are striving in the world.— ὡς νἱοῖς , as to sons ) For it is said, υἱέ μου , my son , most affectionately.— υἱέ μου , my son ) Proverbs 3:11-12 , LXX. υἱὲ ; the rest, as far as ταραδέχεται , in the same words: and they usually translate בני , υἱέ . For thus Solomon frequently calls him, whom in the Proverbs he instructs in the name of GOD.— μὴ ὀλιγώρει [73]) אל תמאם (comp. מאס , Isaiah 8:6 ), i.e. do not despise with contumacious mind. Υποταγὴ , subjection , is enjoined, Hebrews 12:9 , in respect of chastening or discipline ( ΠΑΙΔΕΊΑς ), which is of a gentler character.— ΜΗΔῈ ἘΚΛΎΟΥ ) ואל תקץ (comp. קץ , Isaiah 7:16 ), do not flee back with a faint or weak mind . ὙΠΟΜΟΝῊ , patience , Hebrews 12:7 , is commanded in respect ἐλέγχου , of rebuke, wherewith one is more severely rebuked . [73] Ὀλιγώρει — ἐκλύου ) two extremes: ὀλιγωρεῖν refers to a contumacious mind: ἐκλύεσθαι , to one that is broken down and weak.

5 . And ye have forgotten ] “Yet ye have utterly forgotten,” or possibly the words may be intended interrogatively “Yet have ye utterly forgotten?” the exhortation ] “the encouragement,” or “strengthening consolation.” speaketh ] “discourseth,” or “reasoneth” ( dialegetai ). My son … ] The quotation is from Proverbs 3:11-12 , and is taken mainly from the LXX. There is a very similar passage in Job 5:17 , and Philo, de Congr. quaerend. erudit. gr . (Opp. i. 544). despise not ] “Regard not lightly.” the chastening ] Rather, “the training.” nor faint … ] In the Hebrew it is “and loathe not His correction.” rebuked ] Rather, “tested,” “corrected.”

5. forgotten—"utterly," so the Greek. Compare Heb 12:15-17, in which he implies how utterly some of them had forgotten God's word. His exhortation ought to have more effect on you than the cheers and exhortations of the spectators have on the competitors striving in the games. which—Greek, "the which," of which the following is a specimen [Alford]. speaketh unto you—as in a dialogue or discourse, so the Greek, implying God's loving condescension (compare Isa 1:18). despise not—literally, "Do not hold of little account." Betraying a contumacious spirit of unbelief (Heb 3:12), as "faint" implies a broken-down, weak, and desponding spirit. "Chastening" is to be borne with "subjection" (Heb 12:9); "rebuke" (more severe than chastening) is to be borne with endurance (Heb 12:7). "Some in adversity kick against God's will, others despond; neither is to be done by the Christian, who is peculiarly the child of God. To him such adverse things occur only by the decree of God, and that designed in kindness, namely, to remove the defilements adhering to the believer, and to exercise his patience" [Grotius].

(5) In this cowardly avoidance of trouble and persecution they have been shrinking from that chastening which every son receives from the Lord. Which speaketh unto you.—Better, which holds converse (or, reasoneth) with you as with sons. The words which follow are taken from Proverbs 3:11-12, and agree with the text of the LXX., except that for “son” we have “my son,” and for “reproveth” (Hebrews 12:6) “chasteneth.” In the original passage Solomon is the speaker, and it is the second verse only that speaks of God’s fatherly love. It may be so here also, but the exhortation of the Scripture seems to be quoted as if spoken directly by God Himself to His sons. Despise.—Better, think not lightly of. In the next clause the Hebrew (“and loathe not His correction”) denotes rather a spirit that rejects and chafes under divine discipline. As the words are found here, they point to losing heart and hope.