John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses , etc..] Moses was counted worthy of glory and honour, and had it given him, both by God and by men; by God, as appears from the work he called him to, to deliver his people Israel, to reveal his mind and will to them, and to rule and govern them; and from the favours he showed him, as the miracles he did by him, the near converse he admitted him to, and the view he gave him of his glory, which he made to pass before him, and his regard to him at his death and burial, as well as the testimony he gave of him; and he was counted worthy of honour by men, and who gave it him, as Pharaoh and his people, and the Israelites. The Jews give very great commendations of him; they call him a father in the law, a father in wisdom, and a father in prophecy f44 ; and say, that he is the father, master, head, and prince of all the prophets f45 ; yea, the great prophet expected in the last days, they say, will be but next to Moses, their master f46 : they observe, that there were more miracles wrought by, and for him, than were wrought by, and for all the prophets that have been since the world began f47 ; so that he not only exceeded them in the excellency and sublimity of prophecy, but in the multitude of miracles; but Christ is worthy of more glory than Moses, and has it given him by God, angels, and men: he is a greater Saviour than Moses; Moses was but a temporal saviour, but he is the author of spiritual and eternal salvation: he is a greater prophet than Moses, being the only begotten Son of God, who lay in the bosom of the Father, and has declared him, his mind and will, his Gospel, grace, and truth, as Moses never did: he is a greater King than he, being made higher than the kings of the earth: he did more miracles than Moses, and had a greater testimony from God than he had, as that he was his beloved Son, and to be heard; he was also raised, from the dead, and is set down at the right hand of God, and is appointed Judge of all; he is ministered to, and worshipped by angels, is believed on by men, who ascribe the whole glory of their salvation to him. Inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house ; this house, or temple, as the Arabic version renders it, is the church, of which Christ is the builder; though not to the exclusion of the Father and the Spirit, who are coefficient builders with him, nor of ministers of the Gospel as instruments, nor of believers in a private capacity, who build up one another; but he has the chief concern in the building, which lies in the conversion of souls, and in the edification of them, and is carried on by his Spirit in the ministry of the word and ordinances, and from hence he has a glory; (see Zechariah 6:12,13) a greater glory than Moses, seeing he was but a part of this house, at most but a pillar in it; but Christ is the builder, foundation, and cornerstone.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - Christ is to be considered as the Apostle of our profession, the Messenger sent by God to men, the great Revealer of that faith which we profess to hold, and of that hope which we profess to have. As Christ the Messiah, anointed for the office both of Apostle and High Priest As Jesus, our Saviour, our Healer, the great Physician of souls Consider him thus. Consider what he is in himself, what he is to us and what he will be to us hereafter and for ever. Close and seriou thoughts of Christ bring us to know more of him. The Jews had a hig opinion of the faithfulness of Moses, yet his faithfulness was but type of Christ's. Christ was the Master of this house, of his church his people, as well as their Maker. Moses was a faithful servant Christ, as the eternal Son of God, is rightful Owner and Sovereig Ruler of the Church. There must not only be setting out well in the ways of Christ, but stedfastness and perseverance therein to the end Every meditation on his person and his salvation, will suggest mor wisdom, new motives to love, confidence, and obedience.
Greek Textus Receptus
πλειονος 4119 A-GSF-C γαρ 1063 CONJ δοξης 1391 N-GSF ουτος 3778 D-NSM παρα 3844 PREP μωσην 3475 N-ASM ηξιωται 515 5769 V-RPI-3S καθ 2596 PREP οσον 3745 K-ASN πλειονα 4119 A-ASF-C τιμην 5092 N-ASF εχει 2192 5719 V-PAI-3S του 3588 T-GSM οικου 3624 N-GSM ο 3588 T-NSM κατασκευασας 2680 5660 V-AAP-NSM αυτον 846 P-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. Was counted worthy (hxiwtai). Used both of reward which is due (1 Timothy v. 17) and of punishment (Heb. x. 29).Of more glory (pleionov doxhv). Comp. ch. ii. 8, 9.
Inasmuch as (kaq oson). Rend. by so much as. The argument is based on the general principle that the founder of a house is entitled to more honor than the house and its individual servants. There is an apparent confusion in the working out, since both God and Christ appear as builders, and Moses figures both as the house and as a servant in the house. The point of the whole, however, is that Moses was a part of the O.T. system - a servant in the house; while Christ, as one with God who established all things, was the founder and establisher of both the Old and the New Testament economies.
