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Heb_3:12-13. Close of the period begun with διό , Heb_3:7.
βλέπετε ] beware, take heed.
μή ποτε ἔσται ] μή after βλέπε , ὅρα , and similar words, with the indicative future (comp. Col_2:8), expresses at the same time with the warning, the fear that the warning will be slighted. Comp. Winer, Gramm., 7 Aufl. p. 468 f.; Hartung, Partikellehre, II. p. 140. The enclitic ποτε appended to the μή , not: at any time (Beza and others), but: haply [Heb_2:1; Luk_14:29; Act_5:39; Mat_4:6, etc.].
ἔ τινι ὑμῶν ] different from ἐν ὑμῖν . Calvin: Nec tantum in universum praecipit apostolus, ut sibi omnes caveant, sed vult ita de salute cujusque membri esse sollicitos, ne quem omnino ex iis, qui semel vocati fuerint, sua negligentia perire sinant. Comp. Heb_3:13; Heb_10:24; Heb_12:15.
καρδία πονηρὰ ἀπιστίας ] an evil heart of unbelief; comp. Heb_4:2-3. Wrongly Schulz and others: of faithlessness or ἀπείθεια , Heb_4:6; Heb_4:11, Heb_3:18; for the latter is only the consequence of the ἀπιστία . ἀπιστίας is either genitive of origin, which proceeds from unbelief (Owen, Bleek, Stengel, and others), or genitive of result, which leads to unbelief, renders inclined to the same (de Wette, Bisping, al.), or genitive of reference to a more precise characterization of πονηρά : a heart evil (on account) of unbelief, which is then equivalent to καρδία πονηρίαν ἀπιστίας ἔχουσα (so Winer, Gramm., 7 Aufl. p. 183; Ebrard, Alford, Meyer, Moll, and Hofmann). The last acceptation is to be preferred, since thereby ἀπιστίας is more clearly brought out as the main idea (for καρδία πονηρά is only a clothing of the same attaching itself to ἀεὶ πλανῶνται τῇ καρδίᾳ , Heb_3:10).
ἐν τῷ ἀποστῆναι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ζῶντος ] more precise definition[60] to ἈΠΙΣΤΊΑς for the declaration of the outward form of appearance, in which the inner unbelief comes forth: in the falling away from the living God, or in such wise that a falling away from the living God takes place. God (not Christ: Gerhard, Dorscheus, Calov, S. Schmid, Schöttgen, Carpzov, al.) is called living, not in opposition to the dead works of the law (Heb_9:14, Heb_6:1; Bleek), nor in opposition to the idols of the heathen, similarly as 2Ki_19:16, 1Th_1:9, 2Co_6:16, Act_14:15 (Böhme and others),—both of which must have been suggested by the context,—but because He does not allow His declared will to be slighted with impunity. Comp. Heb_10:31. That which is meant is the relapse from Christianity into Judaism. Limborch: Defectio hic intelligitur a religione Christiana; quia enim illa continetur ultima ac perfecta Dei voluntas, hinc sequitur, quod is, qui a religione Christiana deficit, ab ipso Deo deficiat. Ergo quicunque deserta fide Christiana ad Judaismum redeunt, a Deo deficiunt; licet enim Deum non abnegent, qui legis Mosaicae auctor est, tamen, quia Deus nunc non secundum legis praecepta se coli velle testatur, sed juxta evangelium illique credentibus fidem in justitiam imputaturum, etiam, qui illud deserunt, a Deo deficere dicendi sunt. Deus enim multis ac evidentissimis signis ac miraculis se Christum misisse ostendit, et voce e caelo demissa testatus est eum esse suum filium, in quo sibi complacuit jussitque ut eum audiant. Ergo praecepta ejus sunt praecepta Dei, etc.
[60] Schlichting: Duplex est enim incredulitas; una eorum, qui nunquam Deo credunt; altera eorum, qui credere desinunt, h. e. a Deo desciscunt seu apostatae fiunt.