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Selected Verse: Hebrews 10:28 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Heb 10:28 |
King James |
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Compare Heb 2:2-3; Heb 12:25.
despised--"set at naught" [ALFORD]: utterly and heinously violated, not merely some minor detail, but the whole law and covenant; for example, by idolatry (Deu 17:2-7). So here apostasy answers to such an utter violation of the old covenant.
died--Greek, "dies": the normal punishment of such transgression, then still in force.
without mercy--literally, "mercies": removal out of the pale of mitigation, or a respite of his doom.
under--on the evidence of. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
He that despised Moses' law - That is, the apostate from the religion of Moses. It does not mean that in all cases the offender against the Law of Moses died without mercy, but only where offences were punishable with death, and probably the apostle had in his eye particularly the case of apostasy from the Jewish religion. The subject of apostasy from the Christian religion is particularly under discussion here, and it was natural to illustrate this by a reference to a similar case under the Law of Moses. The Law in regard to apostates from the Jewish religion was positive. There was no reprieve; Deu 13:6-10.
Died without mercy - That is, there was no provision for pardon.
Under two or three witnesses - It was the settled law among the Hebrews that in all cases involving capital punishment, two or three witnesses should be necessary. That is, no one was to be executed unless two persons certainly bore testimony, and it was regarded as important, if possible, that three witnesses should concur in the statement. The object was the security of the accused person if innocent. The "principle" in the Law was, that it was to be presumed that two or three persons would be much less likely to conspire to render a false testimony than one would be, and that two or three would not be likely to be deceived in regard to a fact which they had observed. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
He that despised (ἀφετήσας τις)
Lit. one that despised; any transgressor. The verb only here in Hebrews. The kindred noun ἀθέτησις only in Hebrews. See Heb 7:18; Heb 9:26.
Died (ἀποθνήσκει)
Lit. dieth. According to the ordinance as it now stands in the law.
Without mercy (χωρὶς οἰκτιρμῶν)
The phrase N.T.o. For the noun see on Co2 1:3.
Under two or three witnesses (ἐπὶ δυσὶν ἢ τρισὶν μάρτυσιν)
As in lxx, Deu 17:6. Ἐπὶ with dative signifying on condition of two or three witnesses testifying. Comp. Ti1 5:17, where the same phrase occurs with the genitive, before, in the presence of. Comp. also Deu 19:15. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| He that, in capital cases, despised (presumptuously transgressed) the law of Moses died without mercy - Without any delay or mitigation of his punishment. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
He that despised Moses' law - Αθετησας· He that rejected it, threw it aside, and denied its Divine authority by presumptuous sinning, died without mercy - without any extenuation or mitigation of punishment; Num 15:30.
Under two or three witnesses - That is, when convicted by the testimony of two or three respectable witnesses. See Deu 17:6. |
2 If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant,
3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;
4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel:
5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.
6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
7 The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.