Verse 12
12. be not—Greek, "become not." In :-, he said, "Ye have become dull (Greek, 'slothful') of hearing"; here he warns them not to become "slothful absolutely," namely, also in mind and deed. He will not become slothful who keeps always the end in view; hope is the means of ensuring this.
followers—Greek, "imitators"; so in :-, Greek; 1 Corinthians 11:1.
patience—Greek, "long-suffering endurance." There is the long-suffering patience, or endurance of love, 1 Corinthians 13:4, and that of faith, Hebrews 6:15.
them who . . . inherit the promises—Greek, "who are inheriting," c. to whom the promises are their inheritance. Not that they have actually entered on the perfect inheritance, which Hebrews 11:13; Hebrews 11:39; Hebrews 11:40 explicitly denies; though doubtless the dead in Christ have, in the disembodied soul, a foretaste of it; but "them (enumerated in Hebrews 11:2-40) who in every age have been, are, or shall be, inheritors of the promises"; of whom Abraham is an illustrious example (Hebrews 11:40- :).
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