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Heb_10:30. The χείρονος ἀξιωθήσεται τιμωρίας , Heb_10:29, is a matter for the most serious consideration. This the declarations of God Himself in the Scriptures prove.
οἴδαμεν γὰρ τὸν εἰπόντα ] for we know Him who hath spoken, i.e. we know what it means when God makes predictions like those which follow.
The first utterance is without doubt from Deu_32:35. It deviates from the Hebrew original ( ìÄé ðÈ÷Èí åÀùÑÄìÌÅí ), but still more from the LXX. ( ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐκδικήσεως ἀνταποδώσω ); on the other hand, it agrees to so great an extent with Paul’s mode of citing the same in Rom_12:19, that even the λέγει κύριος , which is wanting in Deuteronomy, is found in both these places. This agreement arises, according to Bleek, de Wette, Delitzsch, and Reiche, Comm. Crit. p. 97 (comp. also Böhme), from a deriving of the citation from the Epistle to the Romans; while according to Meyer (at Rom. xii. 19, 2, 3, and 4 Aufl.) the identical words: ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω , are to be traced back to the paraphrase of Onkelos ( åÇàÂðÄà àÂùÑÇìÌÅí ) as the common source employed by Paul and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Yet with much greater probability is the coincidence to be explained by the supposition that the utterance, in the form adopted here as with Paul, had become proverbial. This was also the later view of Meyer (see Meyer on Rom. xii. 19, 5 Aufl. p. 551 f.).
The second utterance: κρινεῖ κύριος τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ , attached by means of καὶ πάλιν (Heb_1:5, Heb_2:13), is found in like form, Deu_32:36 and Psa_135:14. This κρίνειν τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ has, in the mind of the author of the epistle, the general signification of the holding of judgment upon His people, so that the recreant members among the same will not be able to escape punishment. Different is the sense of the original: He shall do justice for His people. Delitzsch, it is true, who is followed therein by Maier, Kluge, Moll, and Hofmann, will not acknowledge such diversity of the sense. But he is able to remove such diversity only, in that—manifestly led thereto in the interest of a mistaken harmonistic method—he foists upon the author of the epistle the statement: “the Lord will do justice for His church, and punish its betrayers and blasphemers;” a statement of which the first half—as opposed to the grammatical meaning of κρίνειν , as well as to the connection with Heb_10:26, since this latter leads of necessity not to the idea of rendering justice to any one, but exclusively to the idea of punitive judgment—is only arbitrarily imported.
At Heb_10:31 the whole train of thought, Heb_10:26-30, is briefly summed up, and with this the warning brought to a close. Fearful is it to fall into the hands of the living God, i.e. to fall a victim to the divine punitive judgment. Comp. Mat_10:28; Luk_12:4-5.
ἐμπίπτειν εἰς χεῖρας κυρίου occurs also with the LXX. 2Sa_24:14, 1Ch_21:13, Sir_2:18, but is there used in the mild sense, in that it is opposed to falling into the hands of men. Bengel: Bonum est incidere cum fide; temere terribile.
θεοῦ ζῶντος ] see at Heb_3:12.