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Heb_6:15. Καὶ οὕτως ] and in this way, i.e. since God on His part had in such manner afforded documentary evidence for the solemnity of His resolve. οὕτως belongs to ἐπέτυχεν . The combining of it with μακροθυμήσας , as is done by Stein, Tholuck,[79] and Bisping, and consequently taking the participle as an epexegesis of ΟὝΤΩς , is inadmissible, because in that case the ΜΑΚΡΟΘΥΜΊΑ of Abraham in particular must have been spoken of immediately before. The opinion of Delitzsch, however, who is followed by Maier, that “the combination of the two combinations” is “the right one,” refutes itself, since it requires that which is logically impossible.
ΜΑΚΡΟΘΥΜΉΣΑς ] because he showed [or: had shown] persevering stedfastness (sc. in the faith, comp. Heb_6:12), in particular by the fact that he had just now been so ready at God’s behest to sacrifice his son Isaac, although this soon appeared to afford the only hold for the realization of the divine promise.
ἐπέτυχεν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ] he obtained the promise, i.e. the thing promised, inasmuch, namely, as not only Isaac was given back alive to Abraham, but he further lived to see the time when two sons were born to Isaac (comp. Gen_21:5; Gen_25:7; Gen_25:26), and thus the divine promise was fulfilled in its earlier stage. Not a fulfilment, which Abraham first witnessed in the life beyond the grave (Maier, Hofmann), is intended. Nor have we here to take ἐπαγγελία , with Bleek, in the active sense [the giving of a promise], and to refer it to the Messianic salvation placed in prospect. For, apart from the consideration that in this case ἐπέτυχεν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας would, in relation to ἘΠΑΓΓΕΙΛΆΜΕΝΟς , Heb_6:13, indicate no advance, the emphatically preposed ἘΠΈΤΥΧΕΝ can be understood only of the obtaining possession of the promised object itself. The promise repeated to Abraham, Gen_22:17-18, presented itself under a two fold point of view. His seed was to be multiplied, and in his seed were all nations of the earth to be blessed. Only the first of these in its earlier stage could Abraham, from the nature of the case, live to see; the fulfilment of the latter was attached to the appearing of Christ upon earth, which was to be looked for in the distant future. The first-named reference obtains Heb_6:15. The last-named mode of contemplating the subject underlies the ΚΛΗΡΟΝΌΜΟΙς Τῆς ἘΠΑΓΓΕΛΊΑς , Heb_6:17. That, too, which we read Heb_11:13; Heb_11:39, is spoken from the last-named point of view, on which account there is not to be found in these passages a contradiction of ours.
[79] Who unaccountably advances, as an argument in support, the supposition that “then a parallel arises between the Christians, who, according to vv. 17, 18, are, on the ground of the divine oath, to hold fast the hope, and Abraham, who likewise did so.”