Hebrews 12:9

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.

{6} Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? (6) Thirdly, if all men yield this right to fathers, to whom next after God we owe this life, that they may rightfully correct their children, shall we not be much more subject to our Father, who is the author of spiritual and everlasting life?

Furthermore (εἷτα) Everywhere else in N.T. this particle marks a succession of time or incident. See Mark 4:17; Mark 8:25; Luke 8:12; 1 Corinthians 15:5, 1 Corinthians 15:7. Here it introduces a new phase of the subject under discussion. Fathers of our flesh (τοὺς μὲν τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν πατέρας) Up to this point the suffering of Christians has been explained by God's fatherly relation to them. Now the emphatic point is that their fathers, with whom God is compared, were only earthly, human parents. The phrase πατέρας τῆς σαρκὸς N.T.o , but kindred expressions are found Romans 4:1, Romans 9:3; Galatians 4:29; Hebrews 2:14. Which corrected (παιδευτὰς) Lit. "we have had fathers of our flesh as chasteners." Only here and Romans 2:20. In lxx, Sir. 37:19; Hosea 5:2; 4 Macc. 5:34; 9:6. Shall we not much rather be in subjection (οὐ πολὺ μάλλον ὑποταγησόμεθα) The comparison is between the respect paid to a fallible, human parent, which may grow out of the natural relation, or may be due to fear, and the complete subjection to the divine Father. To the Father of spirits (τῷ πατρὶ τῶν πνευμάτων) Contrasted with fathers of the flesh. Their relation to us is limited; his is universal. They are related to us on the fleshly side; he is the creator of our essential life. Our relation to him is on the side of our eternal being. Comp. John 4:23, John 4:24; Zechariah 12:1; Isaiah 57:16. The phrase N.T.o. Comp. lxx, Numbers 16:22; Numbers 27:16; Revelation 22:6.

Clement of Rome styles God the benefactor (εὐεργέτης) of spirits, the creator and overseer (κτίστης, ἐπίσκοπος) of every spirit, and the Lord (δεσπότης) of spirits. Ad 1 Corinthians 59, lxiv. And live (καὶ ζήσομεν) Have true life; not limited to the future life. Comp. John 5:26; John 6:57; 1 John 5:11; Revelation 11:11; Acts 16:28; Romans 6:11; Romans 14:8; 1 John 4:9, and see on living God, Hebrews 3:12.

Hebrews 12:9-11 . Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh — Natural parents, from whom we derived our bodies and mortal lives; which corrected us — For our faults; and we gave them reverence — Submitted patiently and quietly to their discipline, neither despising nor fainting under their correction; and shall we not much rather — From the strictest principles of filial duty; be in subjection — Submit with reverence and meekness; unto the Father of spirits — Who has regenerated our souls; and live — And thereby at length obtain eternal life, as a reward of our patience and obedience. “Here the apostle seems to have had Deuteronomy 21:18 in his eye, where the son that was disobedient to his father was ordered to be put to death. This is one of the many instances in which the apostle conveys the most forcible reason in a single word.” By distinguishing between the fathers of our flesh, and the Father of our spirits, the apostle seems to teach us that we derive only our flesh from our parents, but our spirits from God. See Ecclesiastes 12:7 ; Isaiah 57:16 ; Zechariah 12:1 .

For they verily for a few days — During our nonage, (so our corrections shall last only during our abode in this world, and how few are even all our days here!) chastened us after their own pleasure — As they thought good, though frequently they erred therein, either by too much indulgence or severity; but he — God, always, unquestionably; for our profit — That our corrupt inclinations might be more and more purged out, and a heavenly, divine nature more and more implanted in us; that we might be partakers of his holiness — That is, of himself, his glorious image, and heavenly divine nature. Now no chastening — Whether from God or man; for the present — That is, at the time it is inflicted; seemeth to be joyous, but grievous — Is not cause of joy, but of sorrow, to the person chastised; nevertheless afterward — Not indeed of its own nature, but being blessed and sanctified by God; it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness — That holiness and reformation which gives peace of conscience; to them who are exercised thereby — That receive the exercise as from God, and improve it according to his will. See on Isaiah 32:17 .

Hebrews 12:9 . With εἶτα a fresh phase of the argument is introduced. [Raphel in loc . is of opinion that εἶτα here as frequently in the classics is “nota interrogantis cum vehementia et quasi indignatione quadam”; but it gives a better construction if we take it in the sense of “further” as in 1 Corinthians 12:5 ; 1 Corinthians 12:7 , and Mark 4:28 , πρῶτον χόρτον , εἶτα στάχυν , εἶτα πλήρης σῖτος .] The argument is, “the fathers of our flesh we used to have as trainers, and we had them in reverence; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of our spirits and live?” The article before πνευμάτων makes it probable that there is no reference to angels but only an antithesis to τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν . The position of the two words σαρκός and πνευμάτων confirms this. καὶ ζήσομεν is unexpected, and is inserted to balance καὶ ἐνετρεπόμεθα [on this verb see Anz. p. 269] in the rhythm of the sentence. The thought is that only by subjection to the Father of our spirit can we have life. Delitzsch maintains that this verse strongly favours the theory of Creationism and quotes Hugo de S. Victore, “Nota diligenter hanc authoritatem, per quam manifeste probatur, quod animae non sunt ex traduce sicut caro”.

It is safer to say with Davidson, “It is as a spirit, or on his spiritual side, that man enters into close relation with God; and this leads to the conception that God is more especially the Author of man’s spirit, or Author of man on his spiritual side, and to designations such as those in Numbers 16:22 ”. Modern science scouts Creationism; although if Wallace’s idea of the evolution of man be accepted it might find encouragement.

Hebrews 12:9 . Εἶτα ) then . A particle, which follows the argument that had been laid down, and urges still further the hearer. See note on Chrysost. περὶ ἱερως ., p. 462.— τοὺς μὲν τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν πατέρας , the fathers indeed of our flesh ) An antithesis to τῷ πατρὶ τῶν πιευμάτων , to the Father of spirits . Generation by men is carnal; by GOD, is spiritual. Here the propagation of the soul by parents is not denied, even as by mentioning spirits it is not denied that our flesh, i.e. our nature, is formed by GOD.— εἴχομεν ) we had , we endured with equanimity, in early life.— καὶ ἐνετρεπόμεθα ) The fruit of discipline is to be turned to virtue and practice. Eustathius observes in Homer, ἐντρέπεσθαι , τὸ ἐπιστρέφεσθαι , μετα βάλλεσθαι ; but also the LXX. have ἐντρέπεσθαι for נכנע , 2 Chronicles 7:14 ; 2 Chronicles 12:7 ; 2 Chronicles 12:12 ; 2 Chronicles 30:11 ; 2 Chronicles 36:12 , etc.— τῷ Πατρὶ τῶν πνευμάτων , to the Father of spirits) An exquisite title; comp. πνεύμασι , to the spirits, Hebrews 12:23 . So LXX. Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πνευμάτων , the Lord God of the spirits, Numbers 27:16 , also Numbers 26:22 .— καὶ ζήσομεν , and we shall live) in the spiritual and everlasting life. This is explained in the following verse. Often spirit and life are mentioned together: καὶ , and, has the consecutive (consequential) power (and therefore, and so), as just before καὶ ἐνετρεπόμεθα , and we reverenced.

9 . unto the Father of spirits ] God might be called “the Father of the spirits,” as having created Angels and Spirits; but more probably the meaning is “the Father of our spirits,” as in Numbers 16:22 , “the God of the spirits of all flesh.” God made our bodies and our souls, but our spirits are in a yet closer relation to Him ( Job 12:10 ; Job 32:8 ; Job 33:4 ; Ecclesiastes 12:7 ; Zechariah 12:1 ; Isaiah 42:5 , &c.). If it meant “the Author of spiritual gifts,” the expression would be far-fetched and would be no contrast to “the father of our flesh.” Here and in Hebrews 7:10 theologians have introduced the purely verbal, meaningless, and insoluble dispute about Creationism and Traducianism—i.e. as to whether God separately creates the soul of each one of us, or whether we derive it through our parents by hereditary descent from Adam.

9. fathers … which corrected us—rather as Greek, "We had the fathers of our flesh as correctors." subjection—See the punishment of insubordination, De 21:18. Father of spirits—contrasted with "the fathers of our flesh." "Generation by men is carnal, by God is spiritual" [Bengel]. As "Father of spirits," He is both the Originator, and the Providential and Gracious Sustainer, at once of animal and spiritual life. Compare "and LIVE," namely, spiritually; also Heb 12:10, "that we might be partakers of His holiness" (2Pe 1:4). God is a spirit Himself, and the Creator of spirits like Himself, in contrast to men who are flesh, and the progenitors of flesh (Joh 3:6). Jesus our pattern "learned obedience" experimentally by suffering (Heb 5:8). and live—and so, thereby live spiritually and eternally.

(9) Furthermore we have had fathers. —Rather, Furthermore we had the fathers of our flesh as chasteners ( i.e., to chasten us). The thought of the former verses has been, “He chastens as a lather.” From likeness we here pass to contrast. The contrast drawn is between our natural parents and “the Father of spirits” (comp. Numbers 16:22 ; Numbers 27:16 ; Zechariah 12:1 )—the Creator of all spirits, who is the Giver of life to all, who knows the spirit which He has made (see Psalm 94:9-10 ) and can discipline it by His chastening. And live.—Since the life of the spirit subsists only in union with Him.