SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:12
Porque debiendo ser ya maestros de otros , si miramos el tiempo, tenis necesidad de volver a ser enseados, de cules sean los primeros elementos de las palabras de Dios, y sois hechos tales que tenis necesidad de leche, y no de mantenimiento firme.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hebrew 5:12
Verse 12. For when for the time] They had heard the Gospel for many years, and had professed to be Christians for a long time; on these accounts they might reasonably have been expected to be well instructed in Divine things, so as to be able to instruct others. Which be the first principles] tina ra stoiceia? Certain first principles or elements. The word tina is not the nominative plural, as our translators have supposed, but the accusative case, governed by didaskein? and therefore the literal translation of the passage is this: Ye have need that one teach you a second time (palin) certain elements of the doctrines of Christ, or oracles of God; i.e. the notices which the prophets gave concerning the priesthood of Jesus Christ, such as are found in Psa. cx. , and in Isa. l3: By the oracles of God the writings of the Old Testament, are undoubtedly meant.
And are become such] The words seem to intimate that they had once been better instructed, and had now forgotten that teaching; and this was occasioned by their being dull of hearing; either they had not continued to hear, or they had heard so carelessly that they were not profited by what they heard. They had probably totally omitted the preaching of the Gospel, and consequently forgotten all they had learned. Indeed, it was to reclaim those Hebrews from backsliding, and preserve them from total apostasy, that this epistle was written.
Such as have need of milk] Milk is a metaphor by which many authors, both sacred and profane, express the first principles of religion and science; and they apply sucking to learning; and every student in his novitiate, or commencement of his studies, was likened to an infant that derives all its nourishment from the breast of its mother, not being able to digest any other kind of food. On the contrary, those who had well learned all the first principles of religion and science, and knew how to apply them, were considered as adults who were capable of receiving sterea trofh, solid food; i.e. the more difficult and sublime doctrines. The rabbins abound with this figure; it occurs frequently in Philo, and in the Greek ethic writers also. In the famous Arabic poem called (Arabic) al Bordah, written by Abi Abdallah Mohammed ben Said ben Hamad Albusiree, in praise of Mohammed and his religion, every couplet of which ends with the letter (Arabic) mim, the first letter in Mohammed's name, we meet with a couplet that contains a similar sentiment to that of the apostle:-( Arabic) "The soul is like to a young infant, which, if permitted, will grow up to manhood in the love of sucking; but if thou take it from the breast it will feel itself weaned." Dr. Owen observes that there are two Sorts of hearers of the Gospel, which are here expressed by an elegant metaphor or similitude; this consists, 1. In the conformity that is between bodily food and the Gospel as preached. 2. In the variety of natural food as suited to the various states of them that feed on it, answered by the truths of the Gospel, which are of various kinds; and, in exemplification of this metaphor, natural food is reduced to two kinds: 1. milk; 2. strong or solid meat; and those who feed on these are reduced to two sorts: 1. children; 2. men of ripe age. Both of which are applied to hearers of the Gospel.
1. Some there are who are nhpioi, babes or infants, and some are teleioi, perfect or full grown. 2. These babes are described by a double properly: 1. They are dull of hearing; 2. They are unskilful in the word of righteousness.
In opposition to this, those who are spiritually adult are, 1. They who are capable of instruction. 2. Such as have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
3. The different means to be applied to these different sorts for their good, according to their respective conditions, are expressed in the terms of the metaphor: to the first, gala, milk; to the others, steoea trofh, strong meat. All these are compromised in the following scheme:- The hearers of the Gospel are, I. nhpioi? BABES or INFANTS. II. teleioi? PERFECT or ADULT Who are Who are 1. nwqroi taiv akoaiv? Dull of 1. fronimoi? Wise and hearing. prudent. 2. apeiroi logou dikaiosunhv? 2. ta aisqhthria gegumnasmena Inexperienced in the econtev? And have their doctrine of righteousness. senses properly exercised. These have need These have need galaktov? Of milk. stereav trofhv? Of solid food.
But all these are to derive their nourishment or spiritual instruction ek twn logiwn tou qeou, from the oracles of God. The word oracle, by which we translate the logion of the apostle, is used by the best Greek writers to signify a divine speech, or answer of a deity to a question proposed. It always implied a speech or declaration purely celestial, in which man had no part; and it is thus used wherever it occurs in the New Testament. 1. It signifies the LAW received from God by Moses, Acts vii. 38.
2. The Old Testament in general; the holy men of old having spoken by the inspiration of the Divine Spirit, Rom. iii. 2, and in the text under consideration.
3. It signifies Divine revelation in general, because all delivered immediately from God, 1 Thess. ii. 13; 1 Pet. iv. 11. When we consider what respect was paid by the heathens to their oracles, which were supposed to be delivered by those gods who were the objects of their adoration, but which were only impostures, we may then learn what respect is due to the true oracles of God.
Among the heathens the credit of oracles was so great, that in all doubts and disputes their determinations were held sacred and inviolable; whence vast numbers flocked to them for advice in the management of their affairs, and no business of any importance was undertaken, scarcely any war waged or peace concluded, any new form of government instituted or new laws enacted, without the advice and approbation of the oracle. Croesus, before he durst venture to declare war against the Persians, consulted not only the most famous oracles of Greece, but sent ambassadors as far as Libya, to ask advice of Jupiter Ammon. Minos, the Athenian lawgiver, professed to receive instructions from Jupiter how to model his intended government; and Lycurgus, legislator of Sparta, made frequent visits to the Delphian Apollo, and received from him the platform of the Lacedemonian commonwealth. See Broughton.
What a reproach to Christians, who hold the Bible to be a collection of the oracles of God, and who not only do not consult it in the momentous concerns of either this or the future life, but go in direct opposition to it! Were every thing conducted according to these oracles, we should have neither war nor desolation in the earth; families would be well governed, and individuals universally made happy.
Those who consulted the ancient oracles were obliged to go to enormous expenses, both in sacrifices and in presents to the priests. And when they had done so, they received oracles which were so equivocal, that, howsoever the event fell out, they were capable of being interpreted that way.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers , etc..] These Hebrews had had great advantages; they were not only descended from Abraham, and had the law of Moses, and the writings of the Old Testament, but some of them had enjoyed the ministry of Christ, and however of his apostles; and it was now about thirty years from the day of Pentecost, in which the gifts of the Holy Ghost were bestowed in such an extraordinary manner, and a large number were converted, and a church state settled among them; and therefore considering the length of time, the opportunities and advantages they had enjoyed, it might have been expected, and indeed it is what should have been, that they would have been teachers of others, some in a private, and some in a public way: from whence it may be observed, that to have time for learning, and yet make no proficiency, is an aggravation of dulness; moreover, that men ought to be hearers, and make some good proficiency in hearing, before they are fit to be teachers of others; also, that persons are not only to hear for their own edification, but for the instruction of others, though all hearers are not designed for public teachers; for to be teachers of others, requires a considerable share of knowledge: to which may be added, that the churches of Christ are the proper seminaries of Gospel ministers. But this was so far from being the case of these Hebrews, that the apostle says of them, ye have need that one teach on again which be the first principles of the oracles of God ; by the oracles of God are meant the Scriptures, not the law of Moses only, but all the writings of the Old Testament, which were given by the respiration of God, and are authoritative and infallible; and by the first principles of them are intended, either the first promises in them, concerning the Messiah; or the institutions, rites, and ceremonies of the law, which are sometimes called stoiceia , elements, ( Galatians 4:3,9) where the same word is used as here; and which were the alphabet and rudiments of the Gospel to the Jews: or else the apostle designs the plain doctrines of the Gospel, which were at first preached unto them, in which they needed to be again instructed, as they were at first; so that instead of going forward, they had rather gone back: and are become such as have need of milk ; of the types, shadows, and figures of the law, which were suited to the infant state of the church, who by sensible objects were directed to the view of Gospel grace; or of the plain and easier parts of the Gospel, comparable to milk for their purity, sweetness, nourishing nature, and being easy of digestion: and not of strong meat : such as the deep things of God, the mysteries of the Gospel; those which are more hard to he understood, received, and digested; such as the doctrines of the Trinity, of God's everlasting love, of eternal election and reprobation, of the person of Christ, the abrogation of the law, etc..
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-14 - Dull hearers make the preaching of the gospel difficult, and even thos who have some faith may be dull hearers, and slow to believe. Much i looked for from those to whom much is given. To be unskilful, denote want of experience in the things of the gospel. Christian experience in a spiritual sense, taste, or relish of the goodness, sweetness, an excellence of the truths of the gospel. And no tongue can express the satisfaction which the soul receives, from a sense of Divine goodness grace, and love to it in Christ __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 γαρ 1063 οφειλοντες 3784 5723 ειναι 1511 5750 διδασκαλοι 1320 δια 1223 τον 3588 χρονον 5550 παλιν 3825 χρειαν 5532 εχετε 2192 5719 του 3588 διδασκειν 1321 5721 υμας 5209 τινα 5101 τα 3588 στοιχεια 4747 της 3588 αρχης 746 των 3588 λογιων 3051 του 3588 θεου 2316 και 2532 γεγονατε 1096 5754 χρειαν 5532 εχοντες 2192 5723 γαλακτος 1051 και 2532 ου 3756 στερεας 4731 τροφης 5160
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. When for the time ye ought to be teachers (ofeilontev einai didaskaloi dia ton cronon). Rend. for when ye ought to be teachers by reason of the time. A.V. entirely obscures the true meaning, which is that, because of the time during which the readers have been under instruction, they ought to be able to instruct others.
Again (palin). Not with teach you, as A.V., but with ye have need. The position of the word is emphatic. Again ye have need of being taught the very rudiments of divine truth which ye were taught long ago.
Which be (tina). A.V. takes the pronoun as interrogative (tina). Better indefinite as subject of didaskein teach. Rend. "ye have need that some one teach you."
The first principles of the oracles (ta, stoiceia thv ajrchv twn logiwn). Lit. the rudiments of the beginning of the oracles. The phrase stoiceia thv ajrchv N.T.o . It is = primary elements. For stoiceia see on Gal. iv. 3. logion is a diminutive, meaning strictly a brief utterance, and used both in classical and biblical Greek of divine utterances. In Class. of prose oracles. Philo uses it of the O.T. prophecies, and his treatise on the Ten Commandments is entitledperi twn deka logiwn. In LXX often generally - "the word or words of the Lord," see Num. xxiv. 16; Deut. xxxiii. 9; Psalm xi. 6; xvii. 30, etc. It was used of the sayings of Jesus, see Polycarp, Ad Phil. 7. From the time of Philo, of any sacred writing, whether discourse or narrative. Papias and Irenaeus have ta kuriaka logia dominical oracles. 190 The meaning here is the O.T. sayings, especially those pointing to Christ.
And are become (kai gegonate). As in ver. 11, implying degeneracy. The time was when you needed the strong meat of the word.
Milk (galaktov). Comp. 1 Cor. iii. 2. Answering to rudiments. Strong meat (stereav trofhv). Lit. solid meat. See on steadfast, 1 Peter v. 9. More advanced doctrinal teaching. The explanation of the Melchisedec priesthood to which the writer was about to pass involved the exhibition for the first time of the opposition of the N.T. economy of salvation to that of the old, and of the imperfection and abrogation of the O.T. priesthood. To apprehend this consequence of N.T. revelation required alert and matured minds. This is why he pauses to dwell on the sluggish mental and spiritual condition of his readers.
