4. To whom Addressed.—That the parties to whom this epistle was addressed were converted Jews, the epistle itself plainly shows. Ancient tradition points out the church at Jerusalem, or the Christians in Palestine generally, as the recipients. Stuart contends for the church at Csarea, not without some show of reason ; but the preponder ance of evidence is in favour of the ancient tradition. Two things make this clear, says Lange, the one is, that only the Christians in Jerusalem, or those in Palestine generally, formed a great Jewish-Christian church in the proper sense ; the other is, that for the loosening of these from their religious sense of the Temple-worship there was an immediate and pressing necessity (Apostol. Zeitalt. 176). We know of no purely Jewish-Christian community, such as that addressed in this epistle, out of Pales tine ; whilst the whole tone of the epistle indicates that those for whom it was intended were in the vicinity of the Temple. The inscription of the epistle, rpas'Eppalour, which is of great antiquity, favours the same conclusion (Roberts, Discussions on the Gospels, p. 215, ff.) An early opinion that the epistle was first written in Hebrew or Aramaic, and then translated into Greek, has found in Michaelis a strenuous defender (Introd. iv., p. 221). The arguments he adduces, however, are more specious than sound ; and it has been abundantly shown by Lardner, Hug, Eichhorn, and others, that this opinion is unten able. Why Paul should have written in Greek to persons residing in Judma is best answered by the reasons which Hug (Introa'., p. 326, seq.) and Dio dati (De Christo Grace loquente exercilatio, etc., edited by O. T. Dobbin, LL.B., Lond. 1843) have adduced, to shew that Greek was at that time well known to the mass of the Jews (comp. Tholuck, i. 78).
5. Some have doubted whether this composition be justly termed an epistle, and have proposed to regard it rather as a treatise. The salutations, however, at the close, seem rather to favour the common opinion ; though it is of little moment which view we espouse.
6. The design of this epistle is to dissuade those to whom it is written from relapsing into Judaism, and to exhort them to hold fast the truths of Chris tianity which they had received. For this purpose the apostle shows the superiority of the latter dis pensation over the former, in that it was introduced by one far greater than angels, or than Moses, from whom the Jevvs received their economy (i.-iii.), and
in that it affords a more secure and complete salva tion to the sinner than the former (iv.-x.) In de monstrating the latter position the apostle shows that in point of dignity, perpetuity, sufficiency, and suitableness, the Jewish priesthood and sacrifices were far inferior to those of Christ, who was the substance and reality, whilst these were but the type and shadow. He shows, also, that by the appear ance of the anti-type the type is necessarily abolished; and adduces the important truth, that now, through Christ, the privilege of personal access to God is free to all. On all this he founds an exhortation to a life of faith and obedience, and shows that it has ever been onlybya spiritual recognition and worship of God that good men have participated in his favour (xi.) The epistle concludes, as is usual with Paul, with a series of practical exhortations and pious wishes (xii.-xiii.) 7. Litonture.—For the critico-historical ques tions respecting this epistle, see, besides the intro ductions of Michaelis, Eichhorn, De Wette, Horne, Davidson, Bleek, Reuss, Alford, etc., the following special treatises :—Seyffarth, De Ep. ad Heb. indole maxime peculiari, Lips. 1821 ; Hofstede de Groot, Efi. ad Heb. cunt Paulinis Epp. comparatur, Traj. 1826 ; Thiersch, De Ep. ad Heb., Marb. 1848 ; Moll, De Chtistologia Ep. a d Heb., Hal. 1854 ; Forster, Apostolical Authority of the Ep. to the Hebrews, Lond. 1838 ; Lechler, Ap. Zeitalt., p. 159 ; Lange, Ap. p. 175, ff ; Wiescler, Krit. Untersuchung iiber d. H. B., Kiel, 1861.
Commentaries.—Owen, 4 vols. fol., Lond. 1668 84, best edit. by Goold, 7 vols. 8vo, Edin. 1854; Braun, 4to, Amst. 1705; Stark, 4to, Lips. 1740 ; Rambach, 1742 ; Pierce and Hallet, 4to, Lond. 1733, translated into Latin by Michaelis, Halle, 1747 ; Carpzov, Helmst. 175o ; Baumgarten, 4to, Halle, 1763 ; Storr, 1789 and 1809 ; Emesti, Lips. 1795 ; Schulz, Bresl. 1818 ; Maclean, 2 vols. 8vo, Lond. 1819 ; Bohme, Lips. 1825 ; Stuart, vols. 8vo, Land. 1828 ; Bleek, vols. Berl. 1828-40 ; Kuinoel, Lips. 1831 ; Paulus, Heidelb. 1833 ; Tholuck, Hamb. 1836, translated by Hamilton and Ryland, 2 vols. Edin. 1842 ; Stein, Leipz. 1838 ; Stier, 2 VOIS. 1842 ; De Wette, Leipz. 1844 ; Ebrard, Konigs. 185o, trans lated by Fulton, Edin. 1853 ; Liinemann, Gott. 1855 ; Delitzsch, Leipz. 1857 ; Moll (in Lange's Bibelwerk), 1861.—W . L. A.