Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Hebrews 10:31
[It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God ] Fearful for the deliberate apostate and even for the penitent sinner (1Ch 21:13; 1Sa 24:14; LXX. Sir 2:18 ), and yet better in any case than to fall into the hands of man.
of the living God ] Heb 3:12.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God – There may be an allusion here to the request of David to fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of men, when it was submitted to him for the sin of numbering the people, whether he would choose seven years of famine, or flee three months before his enemies, or have three days of pestilence; 2 Sam. 24. He preferred to fall into the hands of the Lord, and God smote seventy thousand men by the pestilence. The idea here is, that to fall into the hands of the Lord, after having despised his mercy and rejected his salvation, would be terrific; and the fear of this should deter from the commission of the dreadful crime. The phrase living God is used in the Scripture in opposition to idols. God always lives; his power is capable of being always exerted. He is not like the idols of wood or stone which have no life, and which are not to be dreaded, but he always lives. It is the more fearful to fall into his hands because he will live forever. A man who inflicts punishment will die, and the punishment will come to an end; but God will never cease to exist, and the punshment which he is capable of inflicting today he will be capable of inflicting forever and ever. To fall into his hands, therefore, for the purpose of punishment – which is the idea here – is fearful:
(1)Because he has all power, and can inflict just what punishment he pleases;
(2)Because he is strictly just, and will inflict the punishment which ought to be inflicted;
(3)Because he lives forever, and can carry on his purpose of punishment to eternal ages; and
(4)Because the actual inflictions of punishment which have occurred show what is to be dreaded.
So it was on the old world; on the cities of the plain; on Babylon, Idumea, Capernaum, and Jerusalem; and so it is in the world of wo – the eternal abodes of despair, where the worm never dies. All people must, in one sense, fall into his hands. They must appear before him. They must be brought to his bar when they die. How unspeakably important it is then now to embrace his offers of salvation, that we may not fall into his hands as a righteous, avenging judge, and sink beneath his uplifted arm forever!
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Heb 10:31
A fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God
Is God love?
(With 1Jn 4:16):–A sermon on these two texts was published by Mr. Charles Voysey, and entitled, A challenge to the orthodox. The heading of the sermon puts the matter in an interrogative form: Is God love? OR, IS it a fearful thing to fall into His hands? The two ideas are regarded as incompatible, and evidently it is suggested that they are startling opposites. Now it will be for us to consider whether they are really opposites, and whether there is any contradiction of moral idea in them at all.
I. THIS SEEMING CONTRADICTION IS OFTEN HARMONISED IN HUMAN LIFE. Most of US have known the love of home, as amongst the dearest experiences of earthly life; and we shall not easily forget the dewy eyes that looked so carefully into the trunk that was being packed for us with sacrificial love. True! but yet we can remember times when it was a fearful thing to fall into our earthly fathers hands! The fatherly spirit seemed turned into a consuming flame of righteous anger. Nay, in cases of guilty betrayal, the deeper the parental love, the more intense the indignation at the harm done to some dear child of the home. And who can measure the terrible influences of sin in Gods fair universe? Is His voice the only voice that is to be silent? Is His hand the only one that is not to hold the sword of justice? Is He who is the author of the eternal moral law, and who is the inspirer and quickener of all moral intuition, to be assailed as wanting in love, if by the lips of one of His own inspired apostles He declares that it is a fearful thing to fall into His hands?
II. THIS SEEMING CONTRADICTION WAS HARMONISED IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST HIMSELF. All ages since the Redeemers advent have at least agreed in the testimony that He was a Lord of love. And yet, while His whole life is a revelation that God is love, He casts some clear light, upon the truth that it is a fearful thing to fall into His hands. Wicked men trembled as He read their hearts. He saw where sin was taking the forms of hypocrisy and hardness. And would any universe be beautiful or desirable that had not a retribution for such as these hardened hypocrites? Would it not be a fearful thing, if it were not a fearful thing for them to fall into the hands of God? Were they to devour widows houses for nothing? Were they to be full of all uncleanness, and yet meet no condemnation from the immaculate God? Where is justice in the universe, if they escape from the wrath to come?
III. THIS SEEMING CONTRADICTION IS NOT A CHRISTIAN ONE ALONE. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of Nature, if you disobey her laws. The tempest, will not let you play with the lightning; the precipice will not let you tempt her indulgence by plunging into the depths; the sea soon casts upturned and ghastly faces on to the shore if you tack amid the rocks, even though there be beauty at the prow, and pleasure at the helm! And what are we reminded of when Nature thus resents our negligence and ignorance? We are told that all these laws and powers could not be altered for one instant in the smallest degree without injuring man, and that to secure his welt-being and safety all these laws are established. What would be the good of saying, Now you must choose one horn of this dilemma–You cannot say, Nature is love, and yet it is a fearful thing to fall into her hands?
IV. THESE SEEMING CONTRADICTIONS HAVE BEEN HARMONISED WITHIN BY CONSCIENCE ITSELF. Instincts are often truer than arguments. We feel in relation to what is Called crime that a merely reformatory system is not enough. It would be wrong to pass over their crimes, wrong to make Nemesis impossible! What? with their miserable victims of yesterday tortured, pillaged, traduced, and murdered! Would it be right to say, as does Mr. Voysey, Love makes no bargain, and imposes no conditions; can never so betray itself as to say, Believe and thou shalt be saved, but, thou shalt be saved whether thou believest or not! A fearful enough universe such an one would be; an altogether unmitigated misery to live in it. Love imposes no conditions! Is it so? Is there to be no Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow? I venture to affirm that the righteous instincts of human nature say emphatically, Amen, as of old, to all these condemnations. (W. M.Statham, M. A.)
Future punishment a fearful thing
I. The text asserts that It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, and our first statement shall be, that SURELY IT IS SO; as we may certainly gather from several considerations.
1. It must be a fearful thing for impenitent sinners to fall into Gods hand when we remember the character of God as revealed in His judgments of Deu 7:10; Isa 66:6). What instances does the Scripture give of what Paul calls the severity of God, and how true is it that It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
2. Pursuing our heavy task, we shall not draw your solemn attention to the words of the Saviour. Our Lord Jesus Christ we believe to be the incarnation of God, and to represent our God under a most tender aspect. It is a very remarkable fact that no inspired preacher of whom we have any record ever uttered such terrible words concerning the destiny of the lost as our Lord Jesus Christ.
3. We feel that it must be a fearful thing to be punished for sin when you remember the atonement.
4. The conscience of every sinner tells him that there wilt be a wrath to come. Dying men who have lived in impenitence, have often exhibited fears that are not to be accounted for, except upon the supposition that the shadow of a terrible doom had cast itself upon their minds.
II. Let me urge you NOT TO ATTEMPT TO DEPRIVE YOURSELF OF THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT WHICH A PROPER CONSIDERATION OF THIS DOCTRINE WOULD HAVE UPON YOU.
1. Do not deny the fact, at any rate if you do, be consistent and deny Scripture altogether.
2. Do not have the edge of this truth taken off by those who suggest a hope that though you may be punished for a time in the next world you will ultimately be destroyed and annihilated.
3. Some suppose that instead of annihilation, restoration awaits the lost. What can there be about hell fire to change a mans heart?
4. Some ungodly men say, Well, you do not believe for a minute that there is any material fire, do you? But if it were not so, do you think that soul punishment is a trifle? Why, man, it is the very soul of punishment. It is far more dreadful than bodily pain.
III. CONSIDER HOW THIS TEXT IS PUT. The punishment to be endured is here described as falling into the hands of the living God. Will not that be fearful? But what could there be that would alarm the soul in falling into the hands of the living God? Let me remind you. You sinners, when you begin to think of God, feel uneasy. In a future state you will be compelled to think of God. That thought will torment you. You will have to think of God as one to whom you were ungrateful. You will feel remorse, but not repentance, as you recollect that He did honestly invite you to come to Him, that He did call and you refused. As you think of the happiness of those whose hearts were given to Him, it will make your miseries great to think of what you have lost. Well may the wicked gnash their teeth, as they note the overthrow of evil and the establishment of good!
IV. IF THESE THINGS BE SO, THEN ACT ACCORDINGLY. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The New Testament revelation of God
Not one jot or title of the old revelation of God as a God of Righteousness is lost or cancelled. The moral teaching is stern and uncompromising as ever. Gods love, which is Himself, is not the invertebrate amiability or weak good-naturedness to which some would reduce it. The New Testament, it has been said, with all its glad tidings of mercy is a severe book (Church). For the goodness and the severity of God are, as it were, the convex and the concave in His moral nature. (Aubrey L. Moore.)
Future punishment:
The Almighty will not appear as an injured individual avenging his wrongs, but as a righteous Judge administering the law. (J. Howard Hinton, M. A.)
The ethical value of a belief in retribution
David Mallet was a great free-thinker, and a very free speaker of his free thoughts; he made no scruple to disseminate his sceptical opinions whenever he could with any propriety introduce them. At his own table, indeed, the lady of the house (who was a staunch advocate for her husbands opinions) would often in the warmth of argument say, Sir, we Deists. She once made use of this expression in a mixed company to David Hume, who refused the intended compliment by asserting that he was a very good Christian; for the truth of which he appealed to a worthy clergyman present, and this occasioned a laugh, which a little disconcerted the lady and Mr. Mallet. The lecture upon the non credenda of the free-thinkers was repeated so often, and urged with so much earnestness, that the inferior domestics became soon as able disputants as the heads of the family. The fellow who waited at table, being thoroughly convinced that for any of his misdeeds he should have no after-account to make, was resolved to profit by the doctrine, and made off with many things of value, particularly plate. Luckily he was so closely pursued that he was brought back with his prey to his masters house, who examined him before some select friends. At first the man was sullen, and would answer no questions put to him; but being urged to give a reason for his infamous behaviour, he resolutely said, Sir, I had heard you so often talk of the impossibility of a future state, and that after death there was no reward for virtue, or punishment for vice, that I was tempted to commit the robbery. Well, but, you rascal, replied Mallet, had you no fear of the gallows? Sir, said the fellow, looking sternly at his master, what is that to you, if I had a mind to venture that? You had removed my greatest terror; why should I fear the lesser? (Thomas Davies, on David Mallet.)
In the hands of the living God
We are all, in one sense, in the hands of the living God (Psa 139:7-10). In conversion, too, the sinner, in some sense, falls into the hands of God. The alien is restored–the rebel is welcomed back again–the prodigal returns to his Fathers house, and sinks into his Fathers arms. Glorious privilege!–And yet, the sacred writer testifies, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Jehovah is here regarded as the God of vengeance. To fall into the hands of Jehovah as the unreconciled Thunderer, is certain ruin for the guilty soul of man. In that case, the righteous Governor fulfils upon the sinner the curses of the broken covenant of works; the dark and dreadful threatenings of His word upon the workers of iniquity are carried into execution; God meets men as an enemy, and His wrath blazes out against them. Nor does the mercy with which Christianity is suffused interfere with the execution of the threatenings of heaven upon those who finally reject the great salvation. The very greatness of that salvation, and the very meekness and gentleness of Christ, serve to aggravate their guilt, and to augment their punishment. Oh, now let the sinner fall into His hands as the hands of God in Christ, bidding him welcome to their kind and sheltering embrace; lest, hereafter, he fall into His hands as the hands of an avenging potentate–an unreconciled and desolating foe. (A. S.Patterson.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.] To fall into the hands of God is to fall under his displeasure; and he who lives for ever can punish for ever. How dreadful to have the displeasure of an eternal, almighty Being to rest on the soul for ever! Apostates, and all the persecutors and enemies of God’s cause and people, may expect the heaviest judgments of an incensed Deity: and these, not for a time, but through eternity.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The punishment of these apostates is further aggravated from the inflicter of it, the knowledge of which should make them tremble; the thoughts of it might affect them, as the hand-writing on the wall did Belshazzar, Dan 5:6. It should strike horror into their heart, trembling into their persons, Deu 28:65,66, by apostacy from him as a Father, to be subjected to him as a Judge, and as obnoxious to his severest judgment. Him in whose hand is power inexpressible, 1Ch 29:12, to avenge himself on his enemies, Psa 90:11, who have renounced him as their God, and provoked him to fury by it. A God that will not repent of vengeance, and who liveth ever to inflict it; who lifts up his hand to heaven, and saith, I live for ever, Deu 32:39,40; to punish with everlasting burning, and a devouring fire, such traitors to himself. So is he described, Isa 33:14; Mat 10:28. His vengeance on these apostates is like himself, everlasting.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
31. fearful . . . to fall into thehandsIt is good like David to fall into the hands of God,rather than man, when one does so with filial faith in hisfather’s love, though God chastises him. “It is fearful”to fall into His hands as a reprobate and presumptuous sinner doomedto His just vengeance as Judge (Heb10:27).
living Godthereforeable to punish for ever (Mt10:28).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. For this is to be understood not in a good sense; so in general all mankind may be said to fall into, or be in the hands of God, as they are the work of his hands, the care of his providence, and are subject to his sovereignty; and in especial manner, believers, whose times and persons are in God’s hand, which bespeaks his great affection for them, their nearness to him, the support they have by him, and protection from him; and they choose to fall into the hands of him as a chastising Father, rather than into the hands of men, and at death commend themselves into his hands: but here it is taken in a bad sense, and signifies to be arrested by justice as a criminal, and be brought to the bar of God, and receive the sentence of condemnation; when such will feel the weight of his hand, and the fierceness of his wrath; and this is “a fearful thing”: it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of men, injured and affronted, and that have power, and will show no mercy; it is very tremendous to fall into the hands of God, in the way of his judgments in this world; the apprehensions of a future judgment are terrible before hand; and the apparatus of the judgment, when it comes, will be very striking and surprising; but to stand before the Judge, charged with sin, naked, and without righteousness, speechless, and no one to speak in favour of them; to hear the dreadful sentence pronounced, and feel the wrath of God to the uttermost, how horrible must this be! the aggravations of this are, that it is into the hands “of God” that such fall, and not into the hands of men, or mere creatures; but of God, who is omniscient, and sees through all pretences; omnipotent, and none can rescue out of his hands by force; omnipresent, and so no escaping from him; just and faithful, and not to bribed, inexorable, immutable, and unalterable: and that he is “the living God”; in opposition to the lifeless deities of the Gentiles, and to mortal men; and is expressive of his eternity, and so of the duration of the sinner’s punishment, that falls into his hands.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
A fearful thing (). Old adjective (from , to frighten). In N.T. only in Heb. (Heb 10:27; Heb 10:31; Heb 12:21). The sense is not to be explained away. The wrath of God faces wrongdoers.
To fall ( ). “The falling” (articular infinitive second aorist active of , to fall in, followed here by ). We are not dealing with a dead or an absentee God, but one who is alive and alert (3:12).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
To fall, etc. Comp. LXX, 2Sa 24:14; Sir. 2 18.
Of the living God. The living God, revealed in the living Christ, will not suffer his sacrificial gift and his covenant to be slighted and insulted with impunity. See on ch. Heb 3:12.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “It is a fearful thing,” (phoberon) “A fearful thing it is,” or it exists as a thing to be feared,” a terrible thing, a thing fitted to produce fear; “to fear God and keep his commandments,” is the specific duty of gratitude every child of God owes him, Ecc 12:13; Exo 20:20; Deu 6:2; Deu 10:12-13.
2) “To fall into the hands,”(to empesein eis cheiras) “To fall into (the) hands,” to be brought low, to be punished as God’s erring, disobedient child. To fall into the hands of the living God, is to do wrong to the extent that he send, Divine chastisement, punishment upon the body of this flesh, though “he shall not be utterly cast down,” Psa 37:24; Psa 89:30-33.
3) “Of the living God,” (theou zontos) “Of a living God;” That there are mercies expressed in Divine chastisement of the children of God who do wrong is expressed by David, 2Sa 24:14. “Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.” For David’s sin of numbering Israel three forms of punishment were offered him by the Lord – – He chose the latter and God sent a pestilence that caused seventy thousand (70,000) people to die, 2Sa 24:10-25. While God may punish his children who do wrong, that punishment is limited to the flesh, in this life, and does not take from or deprive them of eternal life. For instance, though God took the life of Moses, deprived him of entering Canaan, he did not send him to hell; Instead, he appeared at the transfiguration with Jesus, Mat 18:1-3; He upholds all his children who fall into his hand, Psa 145:14.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(31) The living God.As in Heb. 3:12; Heb. 9:14 the exact meaning of the writers words is a Living God; and a reference to the first of these passages (and to Heb. 4:12) will show clearly what is their force in this place. There can be little doubt that Deuteronomy 32, from which he has been quoting, is still in his thought. See Deu. 32:40I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
31. Fall into the hands David, in 2Sa 24:14, preferred to fall rather into the hands of God than of man. The divine hands are a place of safety for the righteous; of terrible woe for the apostate and the transgressor.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Heb 10:31. It is a fearful thing, &c. To fall into the hands of God, imports the being punished more immediately by him, 2Sa 24:14. 1Ch 21:13 though in those places God is spoken of as a God graciously correcting; whereas here he is considered as a righteous and angry Judge taking vengeance on his adversaries: and his being the living God, or the God who lives and can take vengeance for ever, may justlyadd to the consideration of the terribleness of his vengeance. See Mat 10:28. This verse seems to refer to the just punishments inflicted by men for the breach of the Mosaic law, and to the unrighteous persecutions which Christians endured from their enemies: and it appears to be the apostle’s design to put them in mind, that the divine vengeance was incomparably more terrible than both.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Ver. 31. It is a fearful thing ] For who knoweth the power of his anger? even according to thy fear is thy wrath,Psa 90:11Psa 90:11 . A melancholy man can fancy vast and terrible fears, fire, sword, racks, strappadoes, scalding lead, boiling pitch, running bell metal, and this to all eternity; yet all these are nothing to that wrath of God which none can either avoid or abide.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
31 .] Axiomatic conclusion of these solemn warnings . It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (yet in reff. Kings, 1 Chron., David says, , , : and in ref. Sir. we have , , . But the two sentiments are easily set at one. For the faithful, in their chastisement, it is a blessed thing to fall into God’s hands: for the unfaithful, in their doom, a dreadful one. On , as a characteristic of , see on ch. Heb 3:12 . Here, the idea of life and energy, attached to the name of God, brings vividly out the with which He will consume His adversaries).
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
living God. See Heb 3:12.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
31.] Axiomatic conclusion of these solemn warnings. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (yet in reff. Kings, 1 Chron., David says, , , : and in ref. Sir. we have , , . But the two sentiments are easily set at one. For the faithful, in their chastisement, it is a blessed thing to fall into Gods hands: for the unfaithful, in their doom, a dreadful one. On , as a characteristic of , see on ch. Heb 3:12. Here, the idea of life and energy, attached to the name of God, brings vividly out the with which He will consume His adversaries).
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Heb 10:31. , to fall) It is a good thing to fall into Gods hands with faith, 2Sa 24:14 : it is a terrible thing to fall rashly into His hands, Heb 10:27; comp. Sir 8:1.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
a fearful: Heb 10:27, Isa 33:14, Luk 21:11
to fall: Heb 12:29, Psa 50:22, Psa 76:7, Psa 90:11, Mat 10:28, Luk 12:5
Reciprocal: Exo 22:24 – my wrath Lev 26:16 – terror Deu 28:58 – fear this glorious Jos 3:10 – living Jos 10:2 – they feared 1Ch 21:13 – let me fall Isa 47:3 – I will take Jer 10:10 – the living Jer 51:36 – take Eze 22:14 – Thine heart Eze 25:14 – and they shall know Eze 32:32 – General Mal 3:5 – I will come 1Co 10:22 – are 2Co 5:11 – the terror Heb 12:22 – of the
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Heb 10:31. All men and all things are ever in the hands of God in a general sense, and hence cannot fall into His hands. The verse therefore has a special meaning which is related to the mediation of Christ. There is no being in the universe who is between God and man but Christ, by whom man may escape the judgment mentioned in the preceding verse. Hence if a man repudiates Christ (as the Judaizers were doing), he deprives himself of any intercessor, and must take his chances with an avenging God who has declared vengeance against all who are not pardoned by the blood of Christ.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Heb 10:31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. His hands represent His power for work, whether in love or in wrath. To fall into His hands in faith is to have peace; but to fall into His hands in punishment is dreadful.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Our apostle, In these words, winds up his whole argument against the wilful despisers of the gospel, taken from the aggravation of that sin, with the severity of the punishment that would certainly befall them that are guilty of it.
Note here, 1. The description given of God, he is the Living God; so called, both by way of opposition unto all dead and dumb idols, and also with respect to his lively power and strength, whereby he is able to avenge the sins of men; and likewise to signify the eternal duration of his existence. He ever liveth to execute his wrath, and inflict vengeance on the apostate sinner.
Learn, That the name of the living God is full either of terror or comfort to the souls of men. O Lord! Thine attributes, which are the principal delight of all sincere Christians, and the special object of their hope and faith, are an eternal spring of dread and terror to all impenitent sinners.
Note, 2. What is the effect and fruit of all sin in general, and of apostasy in particular, namely, a falling into God’s hands. There is a threefold hand of God mentioned in Scripture; his protecting hand, his correcting hand, and his wrathful and revenging hand. It is safe and comfortable to fall into God’s protecting hand: It is profitable and beneficial, though not pleasing and delightful, to fall into God’s chastening and correcting hand; but to fall into his angry hand; his wrathful and revengeful hand, this is sad and fearful; either to fall under this sentence of his wrath in this life, or under the full and final execution of that wrath in the life to come.
Note, 3. THe tremendous dreadfulness of that wrath; it is a fearful, dreadful thing, that which no tongue can utter, no heart can conceive. Who knoweth the power of thy wrath? Psa 90:11.
Learn hence, That the wrath and vengeance which the ever-living God will certainly inflict upon all wicked sinners in general, and upon all wretched apostates in particular, is very dreadful and tremendous; and so must needs be, because it is a wrath inconceivably great, and unavoidably sure, and because it is the wrath of a just God, of an almighty God, and of an ever-living God.