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The idea of "relieving" or "helping" it fitly expressed by antilambanomai (Luke 1: 54;
Acts 20: 35; I Tim. 6: 2), but the writer of Hebrews passes by this word. The reader is
probably no wiser by all this than before, and we have endeavoured to indicate the
exceedingly ambiguous results of past scholarship in elucidating this passage. We shall
therefore be justified in saying, that as there is no agreement among the learned
themselves, we must turn once more to the Fountain-head. One writer complains that the
other usages of the word "to take hold" do not help him; the reason seems that they do
not help his idea of what it means. Let us examine the word afresh, epilambanomai.
Matt. 14: 31
"Stretched forth His hand, and caught him."
Mark 8: 23
"He took the blind man by the hand."
Luke 9: 47
"And Jesus . . . . . took a child."
Luke 14: 4
"He took him, and healed him."
Luke 20: 20, 26
"Take hold of His words."
Luke 23: 26
"They laid hold upon one Simon."
Acts 9: 27
"But Barnabas took him."
Acts 16: 19
"They caught Paul and Silas."
Acts 17: 19
"They took him."
Acts 18: 17
"The Greeks took Sosthenes."
Acts 21: 30, 33
"They took Paul."
Acts 23: 19
"Took him by the hand."
I Tim. 6: 12, 19
"Lay hold on eternal life."
Heb. 2: 16
The passage under consideration.
Heb. 8: 9
"I took them by the hand."
An impartial examination shews that the word is colourless. There is no moral
meaning inherent to it.
We have already observed that the A.V. italics make Heb. 2: 16 a somewhat needless
repetition. May there not be some meaning which has been on the surface all the while?
We believe there is. There is a footnote in the Emphatic Diaglott which reads, "For truly
it", i.e. the fear of death, or death itself, "does not lay hold of, or seize on angels, but of
the seed of Abraham it does lay hold" (Theolog Ref. and Kneeland). Those of our readers
who are not conversant with the original must know that "he" or "it" is contained within
the verb epilambanomai, and epilambanetai means equally it, as well as He, takes hold.
Let us look at the structure again, verses 14-16 are included together there under one
member:
C | 14-16. Oneness in death and deliverance.
This member is made up of parts, and we can test the congruity of this new suggestion
here.
C | 14-16. |
A | The death of Christ.
The destruction of the Devil who had the strength of death.
A | The deliverance of those subject to bondage of fear of death.
The seed of Abraham laid hold of by fear of death.