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22.He now, by enumerating particular instances, lets them see more distinctly, that he would not by any means be found inferior, if matters came to a contest. And in the first place, he makes mention of the glory of his descent, of which his rivals chiefly vaunted. “” says he, “ boast of illustrious descent, I shall be on a level with them, for I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham.” This is a silly and empty boast, and yet Paul makes use of three terms to express it; nay more, he specifies, as it were, three different marks of excellence. By this repetition, in my opinion, he indirectly reproves their folly, inasmuch as they placed the sum-total (852) of their excellence in a thing that was so trivial, (853) and this boasting was incessantly in their mouth, so as to be absolutely disgusting, as vain men are accustomed to pour forth empty bravadoes as to a mere nothing.
As to the term Hebrews, it appears from Gen_11:15, that it denotes descent, and is derived from Heber; and farther, it is probable, that Abraham himself is so called in Gen_14:13, in no other sense than this — that he was descended from that ancestor. (854) Not altogether without some appearance of truth is the conjecture of those, who explain the term to mean those dwelling beyond the river. (855) We do not read, it is true, that any one was called so before Abraham, who had passed over the river, when he quitted his native country, and afterwards the appellation came to be a customary one among his posterity, as appears from the history of Joseph. The termination, however, shows that it is expressive of descent, and the passage, that I have quoted, abundantly confirms it. (856)
(852) “Proram et puppim;” — “ prow and stern.”
(853) “Vne chose si vaine, et de si petite consequence;” — “ thing so empty, and of so small importance.”
(854) “Qu’ estoit descendu d’ de pere en fils;” — “ he was descended from Heber, from father to son.”
(855) “Vray est que la coniecture de ceux qui disent qu’ sont ainsi appelez comme habitants outre la riuiere, n’ pas du tout sans eouleur;” — “ is true, that the conjecture of those who say that they are so called, as dwelling beyond the river, is not without some appearance of truth.”
(856) “The word Hebrew signified properly one who was from beyond, ( עכרי from עכר to pass, to pass over,) hence applied to Abraham, because he had come from a foreign land; and the word denoted properly a foreigner — a man from the land or country beyond ( עכר) the Euphrates. The name Israelite denoted properly one descended from Israel or Jacob, and the difference between them was, that the name Israelite, being a patronymic derived from one of the founders of their nation, was in use among themselves; the name Hebrew was applied by the Canaanite to them, as having come from beyond the river, and was the current name among foreign tribes and nations.” — Barnes. — Ed.