Page images
PDF
EPUB

6

[ocr errors]

in the beginning, and has to be supplied in other instances. Thus also Ps. 44. 19, Our heart has not turned back from thee, neither (Heb. 'and') our steps declined from thy paths.' Again, Deut. 33. 6, Let Reuben live and not die; and let (not) his men be few, i. e. neither let his men be few.' The design is to intimate that the process of vegetation, which usually requires the genial aid of rain or dew, was now miraculously effected without either.

What is said in v. 7, of the formation of man? 'Of the dust; Heb. ' formed man the dust of the ground.'-Heb. Became to a living soul,' i. e. animated being.

[ocr errors]

an

What passage analogous to this may be cited from the N. T.? John 20. 22.

As Adam is the collective name of the whole human race deriving their animal life from him, and thus constituting one extended moral or mystical man, so under the Gospel there is the like development of a new spiritual man, embracing all true believers, who have been quickened in regeneration by the Holy Ghost. Accordingly our Lord Jesus Christ, by breathing upon the Apostles at the commencement of the Christian dispensation, when the 'new man' in the person of the first disciples began to germinate into being, performed substantially the same office for the spiritual man that the Creator did for the natural.

What remarkable expressions of the Apostle receive light from this view of the subject? Col. 3. 9, 10. Seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man which is renewed,' &c. Eph. 2. 15, Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.'

[ocr errors]

How does Paul speak of the first and second Adam? 1 Cor. 15. 45, 47.

The point of the Apostle's contrast is not only between

Adam personal, as the head of natural life, and Christ personal, as the head of spiritual life, but also between the respective mystical bodies or corporations which they severally animate and pervade. The import of the phrase living soul' embraces merely the efficacious or vivific principle of animal life, and 'quickening spirit' a similar principle of spiritual life.

Are the words 'soul' and 'spirit' as used by the sacred writers in reference to man, synony mous?

[ocr errors]

A very marked distinction is made between them in the following passages, 1 Thess. 5. 23; Heb. 4. 12. 'Spirit' usually signifies either, 1. The breath of the nostrils, its original import in all languages; or 2. The moral disposition, especially as the result of the operation of the Holy Spirit of God. In other cases its meaning seems to be identical with that of soul. 'Soul,' Heb. Nephesh, Gr. Psuche, is used to signify 1. The principle of animal or natural life. The original word is very frequently translated life; thus, Gen. 9. 4, But the flesh with the life thereof,' (Heb. soul thereof,') Ex. 4. 19. All the men are dead which sought thy life,' Heb. thy soul.') Mat. 2. 20, They are dead which sought the young child's life,' (Gr. 'soul.') 2. That principle of our nature which is the seat and subject of desire, love, propensity, or their contraries, loathing and aversion. Ps. 107. 9, To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.' Prov. 25. 25, As cold waters to a thirsty soul.' Prov. 27. 7, The full soul loatheth an honey-comb.' Ps. 27. 12, 'Deliver me not over unto the will (Heb. 'soul') of mine enemies.' Eph. 6. 6, Doing the will of God from the heart (Gr. from the soul.') 3. Person or individual; Gen. 14. 21, 'Give me the persons (Heb. 'souls') and take the goods to thyself.' 1 Pet. 3. 20, Wherein few, that is to say, eight souls,' i. e. persons, were saved by water.' Ex. 12. 15, That soul, i. e. that person, shall be cut off. 4. One's self; Gon. 27.

·

6

6

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

4, That my soul may bless thee before I die,' i. e. that I may bless thee. Deut. 4. 9, Keep thy soul diligently,' i. e. keep thyself diligently. So where one Evangelist, Mat. 16. 26, has lose his soul,' another, Luke 9. 25, has, lose himself."-2 Cor. 12. 15, And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you,' Gr. for your souls.'-5. A dead body; Num. 9. 6, And there were certain men who were defiled by the dead body (Heb. 'soul') of a man.' Num. 6. 6, Ye shall come at no dead body' (Heb. 'no soul.") Lev, 19. 28, Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead.' (Heb. ' for the soul.") So probably Ps. 16. 10, Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption,' i. e. thou wilt not suffer my dead body to continue long in the grave.

6

What does Solomon say of the 'spirit' of a man and of a beast respectively? Eccl. 3. 21. It is by no means clear that Solomon here refers to the state of the spirits either of men or of beasts after death. From the context it is more probable that he is describing the characteristic nature of each white living. As if he should say; Notwithstanding man has a noble nature, a 'spirit' that goeth' or aspireth upwards, soaring above the earth, and a beast on the other hand has a 'spirit,' an instinct that tends downwards, that grovels to the earth, yet, strange to say! that which befells the one befalls the other; a common destiny awaits them; as one dieth so dieth the other; a man hath no pre-eminence over the beast.

What is said in v. 8?

6

Planted;' rather had planted ;' i. e. on the third day. By what term is the original word for 'garden' rendered in the Sept., and what allusion do we elsewhere find to it?

Ans. Paradeisos; paradise, alluded to, Rev. 2. 7. This word is not of Hebrew, but of Arabic or Persian origin, and was used to signify a park, pleasure garden,

or woodland inclosure, surrounded by a wall, watered by running streams, and abounding with fruit and flower trees, and other objects fitted to regale the senses. Xenoph. Econ. iv. 13. The king of Persia takes particular care, wherever he is, to have gardens or inclosures, which are called Paradises, full of every thing beautiful and good that the earth can produce.' In these parks wild beasts were sometimes kept for game, and within their limits royal palaces or pavilions were erected. The term at length by a natural process came to be applied to any peculiarly fertile or delightful region, and was introduced into the Heb. language in the form of Pardes, in which it occurs Neh. 2. 8, rendered forest,' and Eccl. 2. 5, Cant. 4. 13, rendered orchard.' From its denoting a place abounding with enchanting scenery, paradise' became in process of time the term applied to the seat of the blessed after the resurrection, in which sense it imports a place wholly devoted to the worship of God, and replete with every thing which can constitute the felicity of an immortal being. See 1 Cor. 12. 4, Luke 23. 43. It is, we suppose, but another name for that blissful state described Rev. ch. 21 and 22, under the emblem of the New Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven.

6

What is the meaning of the word 'Eden,' and in what part of the world was the place situated?

Ans. Pleasure.' From the Heb. Eden comes also the Gr. Edone, signifying pleasure. As to the locality of Eden, see note on v. 10.

What is said of the productions of this happy region? v. 9.

The

Every tree;' i. e. every species of tree. phrase, 'in the midst,' often signifies merely within certain boundaries instead of implying an exactly central position. Thus Gen. 41. 48, Heb. In the midst of the same' (city;) Eng. In the same. 2 Kings 4. 13,

Heb. 'I dwell in the midst of mine own people;' Eng. I dwell among mine own people. Job 2. 8, Heb. He sat down in the midst of the ashes;' Eng. Among the ashes. Luke 8. 7, Gr. Fell in the midst of thorns;'

Eng. Among thorns. In like manner all that is implied here is, that the tree of life grew within the limits of the garden, while it was not found without. This is confirmed by Gen. 3. 22, 23, where the reason given of the man's being driven out of the garden is, 'lest he should put forth his hand and take of the tree of life.'

What is to be understood by the tree of life? Comparing this expression with a common idiom of the sacred writers, we gather that its primary literal import is living tree,' as the latter of two substantives connected by the preposition of, often has the force of an adjective. Thus Ps. 5. 7, Heb. 'Man of bloods ;' i. e. ' bloody man.' Num. 30. 13, Heb. ' Oath of bond ;' i. e. binding oath. Luke 4. 22, Gr.' Words of grace;' i. e. gracious words. Col. 3. 14, Gr.' Bond of perfectness;' i. e. perfect bond. Acts 9. 15, Gr. Vessel of choice;' i. e. chosen vessel. Col. 2. 11, Gr. Circumcision of Christ;' i. e. Christian circumcision. In like manner, Rev. 22. 1, River of water of life' is doubtless to be interpreted, ' river of living water.' So also in the present passage, we take the phrase, tree of life,' to be equivalent to living tree,' a species of tree continually fruitful and flourishing, possessing an undecaying vitality. To this tree there is evident allusion in the description of the heavenly Paradise, Rev. 22. 2, in which was the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month.' In both cases the trees seem to be named from their inherent property of perennial fruit-bearing. But this does not exhaust the full import of the appellation. The tree of life' in Eden undoubtedly conveyed to Adam a symbolical meaning, serving as a visible sign or pledge of the continu

[ocr errors]

·

« PreviousContinue »