Hebrews 6:8

6:1-8 Every part of the truth and will of God should be set before all who profess the gospel, and be urged on their hearts and consciences. We should not be always speaking about outward things; these have their places and use, but often take up too much attention and time, which might be better employed. The humbled sinner who pleads guilty, and cries for mercy, can have no ground from this passage to be discouraged, whatever his conscience may accuse him of. Nor does it prove that any one who is made a new creature in Christ, ever becomes a final apostate from him. The apostle is not speaking of the falling away of mere professors, never convinced or influenced by the gospel. Such have nothing to fall away from, but an empty name, or hypocritical profession. Neither is he speaking of partial declinings or backslidings. Nor are such sins meant, as Christians fall into through the strength of temptations, or the power of some worldly or fleshly lust. But the falling away here mentioned, is an open and avowed renouncing of Christ, from enmity of heart against him, his cause, and people, by men approving in their minds the deeds of his murderers, and all this after they have received the knowledge of the truth, and tasted some of its comforts. Of these it is said, that it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance.

Not because the blood of Christ is not sufficient to obtain pardon for this sin; but this sin, in its very nature, is opposite to repentance and every thing that leads to it. If those who through mistaken views of this passage, as well as of their own case, fear that there is no mercy for them, would attend to the account given of the nature of this sin, that it is a total and a willing renouncing of Christ, and his cause, and joining with his enemies, it would relieve them from wrong fears. We should ourselves beware, and caution others, of every approach near to a gulf so awful as apostacy; yet in doing this we should keep close to the word of God, and be careful not to wound and terrify the weak, or discourage the fallen and penitent. Believers not only taste of the word of God, but they drink it in. And this fruitful field or garden receives the blessing. But the merely nominal Christian, continuing unfruitful under the means of grace, or producing nothing but deceit and selfishness, was near the awful state above described; and everlasting misery was the end reserved for him. Let us watch with humble caution and prayer as to ourselves.

But that which beareth thorns and briers (ἐκφέρουσα δὲ ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους) Wrong. As given in A.V. the illustration throws no light on the subject. It puts the contrast as between two kinds of soil, the one well-watered and fertile, the other unwatered and sterile. This would illustrate the contrast between those who have and those who have not enjoyed gospel privileges. On the contrary the contrast is between two classes of Christians under equally favorable conditions, out of which they develop opposite results. Rend. but if it (the ground that receives the rain) bear thorns and thistles, etc. Ἄκανθαι thorns, from ἀκή a point. Τρίβολος, from τρεῖς three and βέλος a dart; having three darts or points. A ball with sharp iron spikes, on three of which it rested, while the fourth projected upward, was called tribulus or tribolus, or caltrop. These were scattered over the ground by Roman soldiers in order to impede the enemy's cavalry. A kind of thorn or thistle, a land-caltrop, was called tribulus. So Virgil, "Subit aspera silva, Lappaeque tribulique." Georg. i.153. Is rejected (ἀδόκιμος) Lit. unapproved. See on reprobate, Romans 1:28. Nigh unto cursing (κατάρας ἐγγύς) See on Galatians 3:10. Enhancing the idea of rejected. It is exposed to the peril of abandonment to perpetual barrenness.

Whose end is to be burned (ἧς τὸ τέλος εἰς καῦσιν) Ἧς whose, of which, may be referred to cursing - the end of which cursing: but better to the main subject, γῆ the land. Τέλος is consummation rather than termination. Ἐις καῦσιν, lit. unto burning. Comp. lxx, Isaiah 40:16. The consummation of the cursed land is burning. Comp. John 15:6. The field of thorns and thistles is burned over and abandoned to barrenness.

Hebrews 6:8 . ἐκφέρουσα δὲ … “but if it brings forth thorns and thistles it is rejected and nigh unto a curse and its end is burning”. The other alternative, which corresponds to the possible state of the Hebrews, is here introduced. With all its advantages, the land may prove disappointing, may not stand the sole test ( ἀδόκιμος ) of land, its production of a harvest. ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβ . frequently conjoined in LXX, Genesis 3:17 , Hosea 10:8 , and expressive of useless and noxious products. [ τρίβολος , frequently τριβελής , three pointed, and originally meaning a caltrop]. ἀδόκιμος is used under the influence of the personal reference rather than of the figure. κατάρας ἐγγύς with a reference to Genesis 3:18 ἐπικατάρατος ἡ γῆ , and suggested by the εὐλογίας of the previous verse. Wetstein quotes from Aristides the expression κατάρας ἐγγύς , and from the ἐγγύς Chrys. and Theophyl. conclude, rightly, that the curse is not yet in action. ὁ γὰρ ἐγγὺς κατάρας δυνήσεται καὶ μακρὰν γενέσθαι . ἧς τὸ τέλος . What is the antecedent? γῆ , say the Geeek commentaries, Bengel, Riehm, Delitzsch, Lünemann, Alford; κατάρας , say Stuart, Bleek, Weiss, von Soden. The former seems distinctly preferable. Cf. Php 3:19 , ὧν τὸ τέλος ἀπώλεια . But here it is εἰς καῦσιν instead of καῦσις “for burning,” it serves for nothing else, and is thus contrasted with the use served by the productive land.

The burning has with an excess of literality been ascribed to the soil itself, and therefore the example of Sodom and Gomorrah has been adduced. But Grotius is right who finds a metonymy: “de terra dicitur quod proprie iis rebus convenit quae terrae superstant”. Reference may be made to Philo, De Agric . c. 4: ἐπικαύσω καὶ τὰς ῥίζας αὐτῶν ἐφιεῖσʼ ἄχρι τῶν ὑστάτων τῆς γῆς φλογὸς ῥιπήν . Cf. John 15:6 . Certainly it points not to a remedial measure, but to a final destructive judgment. Hebrews 6:9-12 , sudden transition, characteristic of the author, from searching warning to affectionate encouragement. “Startled almost by his own picture” he hastens to assure the Hebrews that he is convinced it does not represent their present condition. On the contrary he recognises in their loving care of Christ’s people a service God cannot overlook and which involves “salvation”. They have only to abound in hope as already they are rich in love, and they will no longer be slothful and inanimate but will reproduce in their lives the faith and endurance which have brought others into the enjoyment of the promised and eternal blessing.

Hebrews 6:8 . Ἐκφέρουσα , bearing ) This also coheres with πιοῦσα , drinking .— ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους , thorns and briars ) entirely, or at least chiefly.— ἀδόκιμος , rejected ) so that it may be left uncultivated.— κατάρας ἐγγὺς , nigh to cursing ) so that it may be overwhelmed with all evil.— ἧς ) viz. γῆς , of which land .— εἰς καῦσιν , for burning ) These words in this passage are expressive of great ἀποτομία , severity . Supply βλέπει or ἔρχεται ; comp. LXX., Proverbs 14:12-13 ; Proverbs 16:25 ; or ἐστὶ , comp. LXX., Isaiah 44:15 , ἵνα ᾖ ἀνθρώπος εἰς καῦσιν . The same ellipse is found at Hebrews 6:16 , πέρας εἰς βεβαίωσιν . Fire is the punishment of the Jews , Matthew 22:7 , and of their land . A prophetical stricture a very few years before that the city Jerusalem was burnt . Those of the Jews were the most desperate, who resisted the faith in the city and around it. Hebrews 6:8

8 . that which beareth thorns ] Rather, “if it bear thorns” ( Isaiah 5:6 ; Proverbs 24:31 ). This neglected land resembles converts who have fallen away. rejected ] The same word, in another metaphor, occurs in Jeremiah 6:30 . nigh unto cursing ] Lit, “near a curse.” Doubtless there is a reference to Genesis 3:18 . St Chrysostom sees in this expression a sign of mercy, because he only says “ near a curse.” “He who has not yet fallen into a curse, but has got near it, will also be able to get afar from it;” so that we ought, he says, to cut up and burn the thorns, and then we shall be approved. And he might have added that the older “curse” of the land to which he refers, was by God’s mercy over-ruled into a blessing. whose end is to be burned ] Lit., “whose end is for burning.” Comp. Isaiah 44:15 , “that it may be for burning.” It is probably a mistake to imagine that there is any reference to the supposed advantage of burning the surface of the soil (Virg. Georg . 1. 84 sqq. ; Pliny, H. N. xviii. 39, 72), for we find no traces of such a procedure among the Jews. More probably the reference is to land like the Vale of Siddim, or “Burnt Phrygia,” or “the Solfatara,”—like that described in Genesis 19:24 ; Deuteronomy 29:23 . Comp. Hebrews 10:27 .

(8) But that which beareth. —Rather, But if it bear thorns and briars it is rejected. We are told that the presence of briars ( i.e., caltrops) is a sure evidence of a poor soil, on which labour will be wasted. The words are partially a quotation from Genesis 3:18 . The change of translation here is important; if that very land, which has drunk in the abundant rain and has received careful culture still prove unfruitful, it is rejected. Man can do no more; and the curse of God is “near”; its end is “for burning.” The explanation of the last words is probably found in Deuteronomy 29:23 , which speaks of the land of Sodom which God overthrew, which “is brimstone and salt and burning.” The connection between these two verses and the preceding passages is obvious. In the case of the apostates there described, man is helpless; God’s curse is near. But, as Chrysostom says, in this very word there is mercy; “the end” is not yet come.

8. that which—rather as Greek (no article), "But if it (the 'land,' Heb 6:7) bear"; not so favorable a word as "bringeth forth," Heb 6:7, said of the good soil. briers—Greek, "thistles." rejected—after having been tested; so the Greek implies. Reprobate … rejected by the Lord. nigh unto cursing—on the verge of being given up to its own barrenness by the just curse of God. This "nigh" softens the severity of the previous "It is impossible," &c. (Heb 6:4, 6). The ground is not yet actually cursed. whose—"of which (land) the end is unto burning," namely, with the consuming fire of the last judgment; as the land of Sodom was given to "brimstone, salt, and burning" (De 29:23); so as to the ungodly (Mt 3:10, 12; 7:19; 13:30; Joh 15:6; 2Pe 3:10). Jerusalem, which had so resisted the grace of Christ, was then nigh unto cursing, and in a few years was burned. Compare Mt 22:7, "burned up their city" an earnest of a like fate to all wilful abusers of God's grace (Heb 10:26, 27).