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Heb 6:6. Καὶ παραπεσόντας, and who have fallen away) A word of weighty import, suddenly occurring, strikes us with just terror. It is thus the LXX. translate the Hebrew מעל. He does not merely speak of those relapsing into their former condition, but of those falling away (præterlapsos, lapsing aside) from that entire state of highest glory, and at the same time from faith, hope, and love, into a new species of ruin, Heb 6:10, etc.; and that, too, of their own accord; ch. Heb 10:26. A fall such as this may be separated from the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, but yet the bitter state of their soul is nearly the same; comp. ch. Heb 10:29, note. The apostle does not say, that they to whom he is writing are such as these, but he hints that they may become so. The egg which held and lost the stamina of the chicken is not even fit to be eaten: the man who has lost his faith is in a more deplorable condition than he who never believed.-πάλιν ἀνακαινίζειν, to form anew [renew] again) A renewal (a forming anew) had been already made; therefore πάλιν, again, is added, and it corresponds to the ἅπαξ, once, Heb 6:4. But we must particularly observe, that ἀνακαινίζειν, to make anew or renew, is used in the active voice; it is impossible for men, not for GOD. Therefore the apostle undertook the doing of this which he is doing, on this very condition, if GOD permit; Heb 6:3, note; Mat 19:26. [There is a similar admonition, Heb 10:26.-V. g.] Men, ministers, have already done for such persons what they could; Tit 3:11. Ministers have a certain measure, and those obstinate persons have gone beyond it in their opposition: it remains for ministers to leave them to GOD, and (whether they in the meantime admonish them more or less, and entertain hopes concerning them) to wait what GOD will give, 2Ti 2:25, by means of special afflictions and operations. The Græco-Latin copy, Claromontanus, has in this place ἀδύνατον, ‘difficile.’[40]-ΕἸς ΜΕΤΑΝΟΊΑΝ, unto repentance) He appropriately mentions that, which is first in the foundation, Heb 6:1. But the other things are left to be supplied, considered either by themselves or in their effect.-ἀνασταυροῦντας, since they crucify afresh) He has described the subject by former participles: he now subjoins the reason (Ætiology, Append.) of that impossibility. The preposition in ἀνασταυροῦντας signifies upwards in Herodian, but in this passage again, for it is the echo of ἀνὰ in ἈΝΑΚΑΙΝΊΖΕΙΝ. ἙΑΥΤΟῖς, to themselves, which is added, makes an antithesis to παραδειγματίζοντας, making an open showing, viz. to others: see σταυρόω with the same case, Gal 6:14. From which it is manifest, that he is speaking of those who scoff at Christ from hatred and bitterness of spirit, for the sake of indulging their humour (deliberately and intentionally): truly, if these men had it in their power, they would do to Christ what the Jews did under Pontius Pilate. Those who deny the efficacy of the cross of Christ, which has been already endured, or think that He was justly crucified by the Jews, do the same as if they were to say, that He must still be crucified; Rom 10:6-7.
[40] Vulg. has “impossible.”-ED.