SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:18
para que por dos cosas inmutables, en las cuales es imposible que Dios mienta, tengamos un fortísimo consuelo, los que nos acogemos a unirnos a la esperanza propuesta;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hebrew 6:18
Verse 18. That by two immutable things] The promise and oath of God: the promise pledged his faithfulness and justice; the oath, all the infinite perfections of his Godhead, for he sware by himself. There is a good saying in Beracoth on Exod. xxxii. 13, fol. x22: Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self. "What is the meaning of by thine own self? Rab. Eleazar answered, Thus said Moses to the holy blessed God, Lord of all the world. If thou hadst sworn to them by the heavens and the earth, then I should have said, As the heavens and the earth shall pass away, so may thy oath pass away. But now thou hast sworn unto them by thy great name, which liveth, and which endureth for ever, and for ever and ever; therefore thy oath shall endure for ever, and for ever and ever." This is a good thought; if God had sworn by any thing finite, that thing might fail, and then the obligation would be at an end, but he has sworn by what is infinite, and cannot fail; therefore his oath is of eternal obligation. We might have a strong consolation] There appears to be an allusion here to the cities of refuge, and to the persons who fled to them for safety. As the person who killed his neighbour unawares was sure if he gained the city of refuge he should be safe, and had strong consolation in the hope that he should reach it, this hope animated him in his race to the city; he ran, he fled, knowing that, though in danger the most imminent of losing his life, yet, as he was now acting according to an ordinance of God, he was certain of safety provided he got to the place.
It is easy to apply this to the case of a truly penitent sinner. Thou hast sinned against God and against thy own life! The avenger of blood is at thy heels! Jesus hath shed his blood for thee, he is thy intercessor before the throne; flee to him! Lay hold on the hope of eternal life which is offered unto thee in the Gospel! Delay not one moment! Thou art never safe till thou hast redemption in his blood! God invites thee! Jesus spreads his hands to receive thee! God hath sworn that he willeth not the death of a sinner; then he cannot will thy death: take God's oath, take his promise; credit what he bath spoken and sworn! Take encouragement! Believe on the Son of God, and thou shalt not perish, but have everlasting life!
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 18. That by two immutable things , etc..] God's counsel and oath, which never change and alter, and from which he never varies: in which it was impossible for God to lie ; fail or deceive, nor, indeed, in anything else, besides his counsels, promises, and oath, (see Titus 1:2) we might have a strong consolation ; the saints often stand in need of consolation, by reason of sin, Satan, and the world; and it is the will of God that they should be comforted; and he would have them have strong consolation ; that which is solid and an abundance of it; and this much depends on the immutability of God's counsel and oath: who have fled for refuge ; either in allusion to mariners, as some think; who make all the haste they can to their port and haven, and are glad when they arrive there, and there cast anchor; of which mention is made in the next verse: or to runners in a race, who make up to the mark, in order to lay hold on the prize; hence Christ is afterwards spoken of as a forerunner: or rather to such as fled to the cities of refuge, which were a type of Christ; the names of these cities were, Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Romath, and Golan; ( Joshua 20:7,8) and the situation of them, according to the Jews f89 , was like two rows in a vineyard. Hebron in Judah was over against Bezer in the wilderness; Shechem in Mount Ephraim was over against Ramoth in Gilead; Kedesh in Mount Naphtali was over against Golan in Bashan: the names of these several cities agree with Christ; Kedesh signifies holy, as Christ is, both as God and man, and is made sanctification to his people; Shechem is the shoulder, and Christ has not only bore the sins of his people in his own body, on the tree, but he bears and carries their persons, and has the government of them on his shoulders, where they are safe and secure; Hebron may be interpreted fellowship, and the saints have not only fellowship with Christ; but with the Father through him; Bezer may be rendered a fortified place; Christ is a stronghold, a tower, a place of defence, whither the righteous run, and are safe; Ramoth signifies exaltations; and may fitly be applied to Christ, who is exalted at God's right hand, and who will exalt those that trust in him in due time: Golan may be translated manifested; Christ the Son of God has been manifest in the flesh, to destroy the works of the devil; and he will be revealed from heaven in a glorious manner at the last day: these cities were known to be such; and they were open to all Israelites and proselytes, that killed any person at unawares; and they were open at all times; and the way to them was made plain and large; every year care was taken to make the way good, to remove every hillock, or anything that hindered; if there was a river in the way, to make a bridge over it; and where more ways met, to set up pillars with a hand to them, and these words written on it, jlqm jlqm , refuge, refuge; nor was the road to be less in breadth than thirty two cubits f90 ; and there was always room in these cities; and whoever fled there was safe; but those that were found without died: thus Christ is known to be a refuge for distressed sinners; and he is open to all that come unto him, and at all times; the way of life and salvation by him is plainly pointed out in the Gospel, and by the ministers of it; who are appointed to direct unto him, and to remove all impediments and discouragements from such who are seeking to him; and though so many have been received and saved by him, still there is room for more; and whoever betake themselves to him are safe, but those that are without him die and perish: so Philo the Jew makes the divine Word, or Logos, to be the chief and most profitable refuge to fly unto, of all the six which he takes notice of; and the Jews have a notion that in the time to come, in the days of the Messiah, three other cities of refuge will be added f92 . There is in some things a difference between Christ and these cities of refuge; there were six of these, but there is no other than Christ; the cities of refuge were only for such who shed blood ignorantly, but Christ is a refuge for all sorts of sinners; they were in a kind of exile who fled to them, but in Christ is complete liberty; it was possible that such might die in them, but those that are in Christ never die the second death; and at best those who fled thither were only saved from a temporal death, whereas those who betake themselves to Christ are saved with an everlasting salvation. Now fleeing to Christ, implies danger in the persons that flee, as such are in danger, in themselves, of the curse and condemnation of the law, of the wrath of God, and eternal death; it supposes a sense of this danger, which when right comes from the Spirit of God; it shows guilt of conscience, and a consciousness of the insufficiency of other refuges, and a knowledge of Christ; as a suitable one; and is expressive of haste and hearty desire to be there: to lay hold on the hope set before us ; by which is meant, not the grace of hope, but either heaven hoped for, or rather Christ the object of hope; who is not only set down at God's right hand, but is set forth in the Gospel and in the ordinances, both by the Spirit of God, and by the ministers of the word; that men may look and go to him, and trust and believe in him, to the saving of their souls; where he is in sight, near at hand, accessible to; the way to him is straightforward; and here he abides: and he is set before us to be laid hold upon, which intends an act of faith; which grace lays hold on the person, blood, and righteousness of Christ; and is done in a view of fulness and safety in him, and under a sense of danger otherwise; it supposes grace, and that in exercise and somewhat strong; and some degree of resolution and courage of faith, and the steadfastness and continuance of it; the soul determining, if it perishes it will perish here; and it shows that Christ and his grace are to be touched and laid hold upon by faith.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-20 - The hope here meant, is a sure looking for good things promised through those promises, with love, desire, and valuing of them. Hop has its degrees, as faith also. The promise of blessedness God has mad to believers, is from God's eternal purpose, settled between the eternal Father, Son, and Spirit. These promises of God may safely be depended upon; for here we have two things which cannot change, the counsel and the oath of God, in which it is not possible for God to lie; it would be contrary to his nature as well as to his will. And a He cannot lie; the destruction of the unbeliever, and the salvation of the believer, are alike certain. Here observe, those to whom God ha given full security of happiness, have a title to the promises by inheritance. The consolations of God are strong enough to support his people under their heaviest trials. Here is a refuge for all sinner who flee to the mercy of God, through the redemption of Christ according to the covenant of grace, laying aside all other confidences We are in this world as a ship at sea, tossed up and down, and in danger of being cast away. We need an anchor to keep us sure an steady. Gospel hope is our anchor in the storms of this world. It is sure and stedfast, or it could not keep us so. The free grace of God the merits and mediation of Christ, and the powerful influences of his Spirit, are the grounds of this hope, and so it is a stedfast hope Christ is the object and ground of the believer's hope. Let u therefore set our affections on things above, and wait patiently for his appearance, when we shall certainly appear with him in glory __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ινα 2443 δια 1223 δυο 1417 πραγματων 4229 αμεταθετων 276 εν 1722 οις 3739 αδυνατον 102 ψευσασθαι 5574 5664 θεον 2316 ισχυραν 2478 παρακλησιν 3874 εχωμεν 2192 5725 οι 3588 καταφυγοντες 2703 5631 κρατησαι 2902 5658 της 3588 προκειμενης 4295 5740 ελπιδος 1680
Vincent's NT Word Studies
18. Two immutable things (duo pragmatwn ametaqetwn). His word and his oath.
Strong consolation (iscuran paraklhsin). jIscirov strong implies indwelling strength embodied or put forth either aggressively or as an obstacle to resistance; as an army or a fortress. For consolation rend. encouragement, and see on Luke vi. 24; 1 Cor. xiv. 3.
Who have fled for refuge (oi katafugontev). Only here and Acts xiv. 6. The compound verb is well rendered by A.V., since, as distinguished from the simple feugein to flee, it expresses flight to a definite place or person for safety. Hence often used in connection with an altar or a sanctuary. The distinction between the simple and the compound verb is illustrated in Hdt. iv. 23, where, speaking of the barbarous tribe of the Iyrcae, he says, "Whoever flees (feugwn) and betakes himself for refuge (katafugh) to them, receives wrong from no one." So Xen., Hellen. 1, 6, xvi. "Conon fled (efeuge) in swift vessels, and betakes himself for refuge (katafeugei) to Mitylene."
To lay hold upon the hope set before us (krathsai thv prokeimenhv). For krathsai to lay fast hold, see on Mark vii. 3; Acts iii. 11; Col. ii. 19. Prokeimenhv lying before or set before; destined or appointed. Mostly in Hebrews. Comp. 2 Cor. viii. 12; Jude 7. 198
