rt
of the signification "discourse," "preaching;" it is that which has
been heard by some one, "rumour," "report." In Heb. iv. 2 (as also in 1
Thess. ii. 13) [Greek: logos akoes], is the word which they heard. That
passage: [Greek: ouk ophelesen ho logos tes akoes ekeinous, me
sunkekramenos te pistei tois akousasi], may simply be considered as a
paraphrase of our: Who believes that which we hear. A second argument
in favour of our explanation: "That which we hear" lies in the relation
[Pg 276] to the preceding, which, only when thus explained, arranges itself
suitably: "Those understand what they formerly did not hear; Israel, on
the contrary, does not believe that which they have heard." Of great
importance, _finally_, is the circumstance, that it is only with this
interpretation that the unity of the speaker in vers. 1-10 can be
maintained. In the sequel, the _we_ everywhere refers to the _believing
Church_. But, for this reason, it is difficult to think here of the
order of the teachers, which must be the case when we translate: "Who
believes our preaching." It has been objected that, even in this case,
no real change of subject takes place, but that, in both cases, the
Prophet is speaking, with this difference only, that, in ver. 1, he
numbers himself among the proclaimers of the message, while, in ver. 2
ff., he reckons himself among the believing Congregation. But we shall
be obliged not to bring in the Prophet at all. In ver. 2 ff., the
speaker is the believing Church of the _Future_, in the time after the
appearance of the Saviour, and just so, in ver. 1, the preaching, if it
should be spoken of at all, cannot belong to the Prophet and his
contemporaries, but to those only who came forward with the message of
the manifested Saviour; just as in John xii. 38; Rom. x. 16, our verse
is referred to the unbelief of the Jews in the manifested Saviour. The
cause of the unbelief over which ver. 1 laments is indeed, according to
vers. 2 and 3, the appearance of the Saviour in the form of a Servant,
and His bitter suffering. That, then, must first have taken place,
before the unbelief manifested itself.[5] _Stier_ rightly remarks:
"Between 'the arm of God,'and ourselves, a [Hebrew: wmveh] is placed
as the medium, and the point is to believe in it." It is the gospel,
the tidings of the manifested Saviour. By the side of the joy over the
many Gentiles who with delight hear and understand the message of the
Servant of God, the