to accept near · verb — present middle or passive deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Proverbs 3:12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
Psalms 119:75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Psalms 94:12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
Jeremiah 10:24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.
Deuteronomy 8:5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.
2 Samuel 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the chi…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Hebrews 12:4-17
Here the apostle presses the exhortation to patience and perseverance by an argument taken from the gentle measure and gracious nature of those sufferings which the believing Hebrews endured in their Christian course.
I. From the gentle and moderate degree and measure of their sufferings: You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin, Heb 12:4. Observe,
1. He owns that they had suffered much, they had been striving to an agony against sin. Here, (1.) The cause of the conflict was sin, and to be engaged against sin is to fight in a good cause, for sin is the worst enemy both to God and man. Our spiritual warfare is both honourable and necessary; for we are only defending ourselve…
(Rev 3:19.)
and--Greek, "yea and," "and moreover"; bringing out an additional circumstance.
scourgeth--which draws forth "blood" (Heb 12:4).
receiveth--accepts. Takes to Himself as a son "in whom He delighteth" (Pro 3:12).
Adam Clarke on Hebrews 12:6
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth - Here is the reason why we should neither neglect correction, nor faint under it: it is a proof of the fatherly love of God Almighty, and shows his most gracious designs towards us; from which we may be fully convinced that the affliction will prove the means of good to our souls, if we make a proper use of it.
And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth - Μαστιγοι δε παντα υἱον, ὁν παραδεχεται. This is a quotation, literatim from the Septuagint, of Pro 3:12, of which place our version is: Even as the father the son in whom he delighteth. But, howsoever near this may appear to be the Hebrew, it bears scarcely any affinity to the apostle's words. The He…
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,.... All men are not the objects of God's love, only a special people, whom he has chosen in Christ; for whom he has given his Son, when they were sinners and enemies; whom he quickens and calls by his grace, justifies, pardons, and accepts in Christ; and whom he causes to love him; these he loves with an everlasting and unchangeable love, and in a free and sovereign way, without any regard to any motive or condition in them. Now these are chastened by him, and loved while they are chastened; their chastening is in love, as appears from the nature of God's love to them, which changes not; from the nature of chastening itself; which is that of a father;…
The Church Fathers
"I will punish with the rod" your saints; "I will visit with a whip their sins." Why? So that "I may not take my mercy from them." For when he leaves someone, he no longer punishes or whips them, since he does not whip everyone, but "every son the Lord receives."
"For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." Thou canst not say that any righteous man is without affliction: even if he appear to be so, yet we know not his other afflictions. So that of necessity every righteous man must pass through affliction. For it is a declaration of Christ, that the wide and broad way leads to destruction, but the strait and narrow one to life. If then it is possible to enter into life by that means, and is not by any other, then all have entered in by the narrow way, as many as have departed unto life.
"because the Lord disciplines those he loves." Indeed, no one can show anyone to be righteous without affliction: for "narrow and hard is the way that leads to life." (Matt. 7:14) Therefore, as far as correction is concerned, God calls you, not to punishment. Therefore, in the very fact that they thought they were forsaken by God, namely because of afflictions, He persuades them that they are cared for by God; rather, in the opposite way: You would be forsaken, He says, if you acted without afflictions. "he accepts as his son." He who takes to himself, who accepts as his son. "Just as the Son offers himself to you, God." (Matt. 20:28) Therefore, since it is a sign of sons to be corrected, endure, he says, affliction. But the righteous are the sons of God.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Adoption — The giving to any one the name and place and privileges of a son who is not a son by birth. (1.) Natural. Thus Pharaoh’s daughter adopted Moses (Ex. 2:10), and Mordecai Esther (Esther 2:7). (2.)…
Proverbs, Book of — A collection of moral and philosophical maxims of a wide range of subjects presented in a poetic form. This book sets forth the “philosophy of practical life. It is the sign to us that the Bible does…
Adoption · SPIRITUAL — SPIRITUAL
Afflictions · Exhibit the love and faithfulness of God — Exhibit the love and faithfulness of God
Chastisement · FROM GOD — FROM GOD
Love Of God, The · Exhibited in: Chastisements — Exhibited in: Chastisements
Perseverance · 1:10,22,23;2:7; — 1:10,22,23;2:7;
Reproof · God gives reproof to his own children — God gives reproof to his own children
Resignation · 12:12; — 12:12;
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Hebrews 12:4-8
4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
4. Nondum ad sanguinem restitistis adversus peccatum certando.
5. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
5. Et obliti estic exhortationis quae vobis tanquam filiis loquitur, Fili mi, ne disciplinam Domini negligas, et ne deficias dum ab eo argueris:
6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
6. Quem enim diligit Dominus castigat, flegallat omnem filium quem suscipit.
7. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for wh…
In these verses, the encouraging words are quoted from Prov 3:11-12, a passage that regards hardship as the Lord’s loving discipline for his children. God can turn a wide variety of trials and difficulties to our good, training us in righteousness and holy character.
