Hebrews 10:7

Here the apostle raises up and exalts the Lord Jesus Christ, as high as he had laid the Levitical priesthood low. He recommends Christ to them as the true high priest, the true atoning sacrifice, the antitype of all the rest: and this he illustrates,

I. From the purpose and promise of God concerning Christ, which are frequently recorded in the volume of the book of God, Heb 10:7. God had not only decreed, but declared by Moses and the prophets, that Christ should come and be the great high priest of the church, and should offer up a perfect and a perfecting sacrifice. It was written of Christ, in the beginning of the book of God, that the seed of the woman should break the serpent's head; and the Old Testament abounds with prophecies concerning Christ. Now since he is the person so often promised, so much spoken of, so long expected by the people of God, he ought to be received with great honour and gratitude.

II. From what God had done in preparing a body for Christ (that is, a human nature), that he might be qualified to be our Redeemer and Advocate; uniting the two natures in his own person, he was a fit Mediator to go between God and man; a days-man to lay his hand upon both, a peace-maker, to reconcile them, and an everlasting band of union between God and the creature - "My ears hast thou opened; thou has fully instructed me, furnished and fitted me for the work, and engaged me in it," Psa 40:6. Now a Saviour thus provided, and prepared by God himself in so extraordinary a manner, ought to be received with great affection and gladness.

III. From the readiness and willingness that Christ discovered to engage in this work, when no other sacrifice would be accepted, Heb 10:7-9. When no less sacrifice would be a proper satisfaction to the justice of God than that of Christ himself, then Christ voluntarily came into it: "Lo, I come! I delight to do thy will, O God! Let thy curse fall upon me, but let these go their way. Father, I delight to fulfil thy counsels, and my covenant with thee for them; I delight to perform all thy promises, to fulfil all the prophecies." This should endear Christ and our Bibles to us, that in Christ we have the fulfilling of the scriptures.

IV. From the errand and design upon which Christ came; and this was to do the will of God, not only as a prophet to reveal the will of God, not only as a king to give forth divine laws, but as a priest to satisfy the demands of justice, and to fulfil all righteousness. Christ came to do the will of God in two instances. 1. In taking away the first priesthood, which God had no pleasure in; not only taking away the curse of the covenant of works, and canceling the sentence denounced against us as sinners, but taking away the insufficient typical priesthood, and blotting out the hand-writing of ceremonial ordinances and nailing it to his cross. 2. In establishing the second, that is, his own priesthood and the everlasting gospel, the most pure and perfect dispensation of the covenant of grace; this is the great design upon which the heart of God was set from all eternity. The will of God centers and terminates in it; and it is not more agreeable to the will of God than it is advantageous to the souls of men; for it is by this will that we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, Heb 10:10. Observe, (1.) What is the fountain of all that Christ has done for his people - the sovereign will and grace of God. (2.) How we come to partake of what Christ has done for us - by being sanctified, converted, effectually called, wherein we are united to Christ, and so partake of the benefits of his redemption; and this sanctification is owing to the oblation he made of himself to God.

V. From the perfect efficacy of the priesthood of Christ (Heb 10:14): By one offering he hath for ever perfected those that are sanctified; he has delivered and will perfectly deliver those that are brought over to him, from all the guilt, power, and punishment of sin, and will put them into the sure possession of perfect holiness and felicity. This is what the Levitical priesthood could never do; and, if we indeed are aiming at a perfect state, we must receive the Lord Jesus as the only high priest that can bring us to that state.

VI. From the place to which our Lord Jesus is now exalted, the honour he has there, and the further honour he shall have: This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down at the right hand of God, henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool, Heb 10:12, Heb 10:13. Here observe, 1. To what honour Christ, as man and Mediator, is exalted - to the right hand of God, the seat of power, interest, and activity: the giving hand; all the favours that God bestows on his people are handed to them by Christ: the receiving hand; all the duties that God accepts from men are presented by Christ: the working hand; all that pertains to the kingdoms of providence and grace is administered by Christ; and therefore this is the highest post of honour. 2. How Christ came to this honour - not merely by the purpose or donation of the Father, but by his own merit and purchase, as a reward due to his sufferings; and, as he can never be deprived of an honour so much his due, so he will never quit it, nor cease to employ it for his people's good. 3. How he enjoys this honour - with the greatest satisfaction and rest; he is for ever sitting down there. The Father acquiesces and is satisfied in him; he is satisfied in his Father's will and presence; this is his rest for ever; here he will dwell, for he has both desired and deserved it. 4. He has further expectations, which shall not be disappointed; for they are grounded upon the promise of the Father, who hath said unto him, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool, Psa 110:1. One would think such a person as Christ could have no enemies except in hell; but it is certain that he has enemies on earth, very many, and very inveterate ones. Let not Christians then wonder that they have enemies, though they desire to live peaceably with all men. But Christ's enemies shall be made his footstool; some by conversion, others by confusion; and, which way soever it be, Christ will be honoured. Of this Christ is assured, this he is expecting, and his people should rejoice in the expectation of it; for, when his enemies shall be subdued, their enemies, that are so for his sake, shall be subdued also.

VII. The apostle recommends Christ from the witness the Holy Ghost has given in the scriptures concerning him; this relates chiefly to what should be the happy fruit and consequence of his humiliation and sufferings, which in general is that new and gracious covenant that is founded upon his satisfaction, and sealed by his blood (Heb 10:15): Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness. The passage is cited from Jer 31:31, in which covenant God promises, 1. That he will pour out his Spirit upon his people, so as to give them wisdom, will, and power, to obey his word; he will put his laws in their hearts, and write them in their minds, Heb 10:16. This will make their duty plain, easy, and pleasant. 2. Their sins and iniquities he will remember no more (Heb 10:17), which will alone show the riches of divine grace, and the sufficiency of Christ's satisfaction, that it needs not be repeated, Heb 10:18. For there shall be no more remembrance of sin against true believers, either to shame them now or to condemn them hereafter. This was much more than the Levitical priesthood and sacrifices could effect.

And now we have gone through the doctrinal part of the epistle, in which we have met with many things dark and difficult to be understood, which we must impute to the weakness and dulness of our own minds. The apostle now proceeds to apply this great doctrine, so as to influence their affections, and direct their practice, setting before them the dignities and duties of the gospel state.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Heb 10:7. Τότε, then) We shall speak of this particle at Heb 10:8. The parallels are, then; I am come; in the book: and corresponding, I said; of Me; it has been written.—ἥκω, I am here at hand, I am come) It corresponds to the Hebrew preterite, באתי.[59] The verb, ἥκω, is treated of at Rev 2:25.—ἘΝ ΚΕΦΑΛΊΔΙ ΒΙΒΛΊΟΥ ΓΈΓΡΑΠΤΑΙ ΠΕΡῚ ἘΜΟῦ, in the volume of the book it is written of Me) מגלת ספר, LXX., ΚΕΦΑΛῚς ΒΙΒΛΊΟΥ here, and Eze 2:9. מגלה is rendered by the same translators ΚΕΦΑΛῚς, Eze 3:1-2, Ezr 6:2. This phrase (nomenclature) cannot be understood of any particular part of the Pentateuch (for, except it, no other prophetical writings, to which the psalm might seem to refer, existed in the time of David), for many, nay, all the parts, treat of Christ; nor can it be understood of the whole Pentateuch, for although the whole volume of the law is often quoted, yet it never receives this appellation. Moreover, the sacrifices in this passage are called ΤῸ ΠΡΏΤΟΝ, the first, Heb 10:9: wherefore the volume of the book does not denote the book which contained the very account also of the sacrifices heretofore offered. Also, the Divine rejection of sacrifices (Thou wouldest not), and the Messiah’s exhibition of Himself to do the will of GOD, came after the perpetual offering of them, and not previously. What, then, is the volume of the book? We do not require to go far to learn; it is the very page on which this very psalm was written. There are these two parallels: I have said, lo! I come; and, in the volume of the book it is written עלי, concerning Me, of Me: by this very writing I undertake to do Thy will. The Messiah places Himself as surety by both expressions; and hence the presence, in the highest degree, of the Spirit of prophecy is perceived. David had before his eyes, and in his hand, the book in which the psalm was written, and shows this very book as the written contract of the Messiah; comp. Neh 10:1. From that very day when this psalm was written, it became incumbent on Christ, by some new way, to do the will of GOD. It is consistent with all this, that it is not said, in Thy book, or in the book of the Lord, as in Psa 139:16, and Isa 34:16, but simply, in the book. Comp. note on the following verse. Augustine understands “the volume of the book,” here, of the beginning of the book of Psalms; but at that time the Psalms had not yet been collected into one volume. Others have understood it of the whole Scripture; but even the writings of the Old Testament which then existed, had not been so collected into one, as to be called one book.—τὸ θέλημά σου, Thy will) That GOD wills and has pleasure in something different from the legal sacrifices, was evident from this very fact, that the flesh of oxen and the blood of goats did not afford Him satisfaction; but what His will is, we deduce from the very preparing of the Messiah’s body, by which, when it was offered, we were to be sanctified; Heb 10:10. Christ, in the Psalms, acknowledges and embraces this as the will of GOD.

[59] I come, or rather, I have come, was the creed (symbolum), as it were, of the Lord Jesus. I am come, says He, to fulfil the law, Mat 5:17 : to preach, Mar 1:38 : to call sinner’s to repentance, Luk 5:32 : to send a sword, and to set men at variance, Mat 10:34-35 : I have come down from heaven to do the will of Him that sent Me, Joh 6:38-39. These are the very words of the fortieth Psalm. I am sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Mat 15:24 : I am come into this world for judgment, Joh 9:39 : I have come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly, Joh 10:10 : to save what had been lost, Mat 18:11 : to save men’s lives, Luk 9:56 : to send fire on the earth, Luk 12:49 : to minister, Mat 20:28 : to seek and to save that which was lost, Luk 19:10, comp. with 1Ti 1:15 : I am come into the world the Light, Joh 12:46, etc.: to bear witness to the truth, ch. Joh 18:37. See, Reader, that thy Saviour obtain what He aimed at in thy case. But do thou, for thy part, say why thou art come here. Dost thou, then, also do the will of God? from what time? and in what way?—V. g.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heb_10:7. Τότε εἶπον] then said I. In the sense of the writer of the epistle: then, when Thou hadst prepared for me a body. In the sense of the composer of the psalm: then, when such deeper knowledge was revealed to me. Contrary to the usage of the language, Carpzov, Stein, and others take τότε as equivalent to ideo, propterea, while just as capriciously Heinrichs makes it redundant as a particle of transition.

ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ] is a parenthesis; so that τοῦ ποιῆσαι depends not on γέγραπται, as Paulus thinks, but upon ἥκω: Lo, I come to do, O God, Thy will. Comp. Heb_10:9. Otherwise truly with the LXX. (and in the Hebrew), where τοῦ ποιῆσαι is governed by the closing verb ἠβουλήθην, which is omitted in the Epistle to the Hebrews (τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου, ὁ θεός μου, ἠβουλήθην: to do Thy will, O God, is my delight).

ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ is in the Hebrew differently connected and applied. In the sense of our author: in the prophecies of the O. T. it is written of me.

κεφαλίς, little head, then the knob at the end of the staff, around which the manuscript roll was wound in antiquity. κεφαλὶς βιβλίου consequently denotes the book-roll, volume. Elsewhere also the LXX. translated the Hebrew מְגִלָּה (volumen), with and without the addition of βιβλίου, by κεφαλίς. Comp. Eze_2:9; Eze_3:1-3; Ezr_6:2.

τὸ θέλημα] in the sense of our author: the obedient presentation of the body as a sacrifice for the redemption of mankind.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I come--rather, "I am come" (see on Heb 10:5). "Here we have the creed, as it were, of Jesus: 'I am come to fulfil the law,' Mat 5:17; to preach, Mar 1:38; to call sinners to repentance, Luk 5:32; to send a sword and to set men at variance, Mat 10:34-35; I came down from heaven to do the will of Him that sent me, Joh 6:38-39 (so here, Psa 40:7-8); I am sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Mat 15:24; I am come into this world for judgment, Joh 9:39; I am come that they might have life, and might have it more abundantly, Joh 10:10; to save what had been lost, Mat 18:11; to seek and to save that which was lost, Luk 19:10; compare Ti1 1:15; to save men's lives, Luk 9:56; to send fire on the earth, Luk 12:49; to minister, Mat 20:28; as "the Light," Joh 12:46; to bear witness unto the truth, Joh 18:37. See, reader, that thy Saviour obtain what He aimed at in thy case. Moreover, do thou for thy part say, why thou art come here? Dost thou, then, also, do the will of God? From what time? and in what way?" [BENGEL]. When the two goats on the day of atonement were presented before the Lord, that goat on which the lot of the Lord should fall was to be offered as a sin offering; and that lot was lifted up on high in the hand of the high priest, and then laid upon the head of the goat which was to die; so the hand of God determined all that was done to Christ. Besides the covenant of God with man through Christ's blood, there was another covenant made by the Father with the Son from eternity. The condition was, "If He shall make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed," &c. (Isa 53:10). The Son accepted the condition, "Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God" [BISHOP PEARSON]. Oblation, intercession, and benediction, are His three priestly offices.

in the volume, &c.--literally, "the roll": the parchment manuscript being wrapped around a cylinder headed with knobs. Here, the Scripture "volume" meant is the fortieth Psalm. "By this very passage 'written of Me,' I undertake to do Thy will [namely, that I should die for the sins of the world, in order that all who believe may be saved, not by animal sacrifices, Heb 10:6, but by My death]." This is the written contract of Messiah (compare Neh 9:38), whereby He engaged to be our surety. So complete is the inspiration of all that is written, so great the authority of the Psalms, that what David says is really what Christ then and there said.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 7. In the volume of the book] במגלת ספר bimgillath sepher, "in the roll of the book." Anciently, books were written on skins and rolled up. Among the Romans these were called volumina, from volvo, I roll; and the Pentateuch, in the Jewish synagogues, is still written in this way. There are two wooden rollers; on one they roll on, on the other they roll off, as they proceed in reading. The book mentioned here must be the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses; for in David's time no other part of Divine revelation had been committed to writing. This whole book speaks about Christ, and his accomplishing the will of God; not only in, The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent, and, In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, but in all the sacrifices and sacrificial rites mentioned in the law.

To do thy will] God willed not the sacrifices under the law, but he willed that a human victim of infinite merit should be offered for the redemption of mankind. That there might be such a victim, a body was prepared for the eternal Logos; and in that body he came to do the will of God, that is, to suffer and die for the sins of the world.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. In the volume or chapter of the book, etc. Volume is properly the meaning of the Hebrew word; for we know that books were formerly rolled up in the form of a cylinder. There is also nothing unreasonable in understanding book as meaning the Law, which prescribes to all God’s children the rule of a holy life; though it seems to me a more suitable view to consider him as saying, that he deemed himself to be in the catalogue of those who render themselves obedient to God. The Law, indeed, bids us all to obey God; but David means, that he was numbered among those who are called to obey God; and then he testifies that he obeyed his vocation, by adding, I come to do thy will; and this peculiarly belongs to Christ. For though all the saints aspire after the righteousness of God, yet it is Christ alone who was fully competent to do God’s will.

This passage, however, ought to stimulate us all to render prompt obedience to God; for Christ is a pattern of perfect obedience for this end, that all who are his may contend with one another in imitating him, that they may together respond to the call of God, and that their life may exemplify this saying, Lo, I come. To the same purpose is what follows, It is written, that is, that we should do the will of God, according to what is said elsewhere, that the end of our election is, to be holy and unblamable in his sight. (Colossians 1:22.)

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(7) Lo, I come.—Rather, Lo, I am come—I am here. The original meaning of the following words is not quite certain. The Hebrew admits of two renderings. (1) Then I said, Lo, I am come! in the roll of the Book it is prescribed unto me; (2) Then I said, Lo, I am come with the roll of the Book that is written concerning me. The “roll of the Book” is the roll containing the Divine Law. The next clause is quite distinct in construction: “I delight to do Thy will, O God; yea, Thy law is within my heart.” The omission of the words “I delight,” alters the connection of the words; but it will be seen that, though the Hebrew verses are condensed, their meaning is exactly preserved.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. Lo, I come] Rather, “I am come.” This 40th Psalm is one of the special Psalms for Good Friday.

in the volume of the book] The word kephalis, here rendered volume, does not occur elsewhere in the N. T. It means the knob (umbilicus) of the roller on which the vellum was rolled. The word in the Hebrew is Megillah, “a roll.” It cannot be rendered “in the chief part” or “in the beginning.” The words “it is written of me” may mean in the Hebrew “it has been prescribed to me,” and others take the clause to mean “l am come with the roll of the book which is written for me.” If we ask what was “the book” to which the author of the Psalm referred the answer is not easy; it may have been the Law, or the Book of God’s unwritten counsels, as in Psa_139:16. The writer of the Epistle, transferring and applying David’s words to Christ, thought doubtless of the whole O.T. (comp. Luk_24:26-27, “He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself).

to do thy will] The writer has omitted the words “I delight.” Slavish accuracy in quotation is never aimed at by the sacred writers, because they had no letter-worshipping theory of verbal inspiration. They held that the inspiration lay in the sense and in the thoughts of Scripture, not in its ipsissima verba. Hence they often consider it sufficient to give the general tendency of a passage, and frequently vary from the exact words.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then said I, lo, I come,.... Christ observing that legal sacrifices were not acceptable to God; that there was a body prepared for him; and that it was written of him in the book of God, that he should come; and the time being now come, with a note of attention and admiration, the matter being of great moment and concern, he cheerfully expresses his readiness to come, immediately, without any compulsion, even he himself, and not another.

In the volume of the book it is written of me; in the book of the law, as the, Targum and Kimchi on Psa 40:7 interpret it; and which may design the Bible in general, the whole book of the Scriptures of the Old Testament: so "the book", is used for the whole Bible (r), and it is said (s), all the whole law, that is, all Scripture, is called "a volume"; accordingly there are things written of Christ in all the writings of the Old Testament, in the law, and in the prophets, and in the psalms. Jarchi interprets it of the law of Moses, and so it may design the pentateuch, or the five books of Moses; and there are several places therein, in which it is written of Christ, and particularly in Genesis, the first of these books, and in the head, the beginning, the frontal piece, the first part of that book; namely, Gen 3:15 which may be principally designed. Books were formerly written in rolls of parchment, and hence called volumes; See Gill on Luk 4:17, See Gill on Luk 4:20. The end of his coming is next expressed by him,

to do thy will, O God; which, when he came, he set about with the utmost delight, diligence, and faithfulness, in preaching the Gospel, performing miracles, doing good to the bodies and souls of men, and in finishing the great work of man's redemption, which was the main part of his Father's will he came to do; and which he did, by fulfilling the law in its precept and penalty; by offering himself a sacrifice to God; by suffering death, the death of the cross; by destroying all his and our enemies, and so working out everlasting salvation.

(r) T. Hieros, Megilla, fol. 73. 4. (s) T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 60. 1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

Ver. 7. Lo, I come] As an obedient servant bored through the ear, Exo 21:6; Psa 40:6-7, wise and willing to be obsequious. Servus est nomen officii, a servant is the master’s instrument, and ολως εκεινου, saith Aristotle, wholly at his beck and obedience.

It is written of me] Christ is author, object, matter, and mark of Old and New Testament. Therefore if we will profit thereby, we must have the eyes of our minds turned toward Christ, as the faces of the cherubims were toward the mercy seat.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then said I - “I the Messiah.” Paul applies this directly to Christ, showing that he regarded the passage in the Psalms as referring to him as the speaker.

Lo, I come - Come into the world; Heb 10:5. It is not easy to see how this could be applied to David in any circumstance of his life. There was no situation in which he could say that, since sacrifices and offerings were not what was demanded, he came to do the will of God in the place or stead of them. The time here referred to by the word “then” is when it was manifest that sacrifices and offerings for sin would not answer all the purposes desirable, or when in view of that fact the purpose of the Redeemer is conceived as formed to enter upon a work which would effect what they could not.

In the volume of the book it is written of me - The word rendered here “volume “ - κεφαλίς kephalis - means properly “a little head;” and then a knob, and here refers doubtless to the head or knob of the rod on which the Hebrew manuscripts were rolled. Books were usually so written as to be rolled up, and when they were read they were unrolled at one end of the manuscript, and rolled up at the other as fast as they were read; see notes on Luk 4:17. The rods on which they were rolled had small heads, either for the purpose of holding them, or for ornament, and hence, the name head came metaphorically to be given to the roll or volume. But what volume is here intended? And where is that written which is here referred to? If David was the author of the Psalm from which this is quoted Ps. 40, then the book or volume which was then in existence must have been principally, if not entirely, the five books of Moses, and perhaps the books of Job, Joshua, and Judges, with probably a few of the Psalms. It is most natural to understand this of the Pentateuch, or the five books of Moses, as the word “volume” at that time would undoubtedly have most naturally suggested that.

But plainly, this could not refer to David himself, for in what part of the Law of Moses, or in any of the volumes then extant, can a reference of this kind be found to David? There is no promise, no intimation that he would come to “do the will of God” with a view to effect what could not be done by the sacrifices prescribed by the Jewish Law. The reference of the language, therefore, must be to the Messiah - to some place where it is represented that he would come to effect by his obedience what could not be done by the sacrifices and offerings under the Law. But still, in the books of Moses, this language is not literally found, and the meaning must be, that this was the language which was there implied respecting the Messiah; or this was the substance of the description given of him, that he would como to take the place of those sacrifices, and by his obedience unto death would accomplish what they could not do.

They had a reference to him; and it was contemplated in their appointment that their inefficiency would be such that there should be felt a necessity for a higher sacrifice, and when he should come they would all be done away. The whole language of the institution of sacrifices, and of the Mosaic economy, was, that a Saviour would hereafter come to do the will of God in making an atonement for the sin of the world. That there are places in the books of Moses which refer to the Saviour, is expressly affirmed by Christ himself Joh 5:46, and by the apostles (compare Act 26:22, Act 26:3), and that the general spirit of the institutions of Moses had reference to him is abundantly demonstrated in this Epistle. The meaning here is, “I come to do thy will in making an atonement, for no other offering would expiate sin. That I would do this is the language of the Scriptures which predict my coming, and of the whole spirit and design of the ancient dispensation.”

To do thy will, O God - This expresses the amount of all that the Redeemer came to do. He came to do the will of God:

(1)By perfect obedience to his Law, and,

(2)By making an atonement for sin - becoming “obedient unto death;” Phi 2:8.

The latter is the principal thought here, for the apostle is showing that sacrifice and offering such as were made under the Law would not put away sin, and that Christ came in contradistinction from them to make a sacrifice that would be efficacious. Everywhere in the Scriptures it is held out as being the “will of God” that such an atonement should be made. There was salvation in no other way, nor was it possible that the race should be saved unless the Redeemer drank that cup of bitter sorrows; see Mat 26:39. We are not to suppose, however, that it was by mere arbitrary will that those sufferings were demanded. There were good reasons for all that the Saviour was to endure, though those reasons are not all made known to us.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

In capite libri, Greek: en kephalidi bibliou. The Greek and Latin seems to signify no more than in the volume, or book itself; Greek: kephalis, says Suidas, Greek: oper tinos eilema, alicujus involucrum, ab Greek: eileo. No need of translating, in the front of the book.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Then said I, Lo, I come: when the Father declared the sacrifices of beasts and birds would not please him, nor be accepted for expiating sins, then I said, I appeared in person, and declared, Lo, I come with a fit and proper sacrifice; I approach myself with my human nature, fully resolved to offer that to thee as a propitiatory sacrifice, Joh 12:27; compare Psa 40:7.

In the volume of the book it is written of me: κεφαλις, the head; our translators keep to the Hebrew, ספר במצלת the volume of the book, Psa 40:7. Books, with the Hebrews, were rolls of parchment stitched at the top, and so rolled up. In this book was Christ every where written and spoken of, as he testifieth himself before his death, Joh 5:39, after his resurrection, Luk 24:44-46. The Septuagint render it, the head, as beiag in the top and beginning of the whole roll to wit, in the books of Moses; compare Luk 24:27. And in the entrance of them the Spirit testifieth of his Deity, and of his union to the humanity, being to be conceived and born of a virgin, and offering himself a sacrifice to expiate sin, and reconcile sinners, Gen 3:15; compare Joh 5:46,47.

To do thy will, O God; to obey his Father’s command, of dying an expiatory sacrifice for sinners. It was his Father’s will that he should so offer himself for satisfying his justice, making way for his mercy, and so redeeming and recovering lost souls. This will of God was in his heart, he delighted to obey it, Psa 40:8; and his own natural will that would regret it, he would deny, and would not use his Divine power to deliver himself from it, Mat 26:39,46; Joh 18:11.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. In the volume of the book—Note, Mat_1:1. The book may be the Pentateuch. David had been already anointed king by Samuel; and he doubtless understood that Jacob’s dying prophecy predicting that the royalty should be in Judah’s line, was now being fulfilled in him. In obedience to the prediction of the book, he has now come to do Jehovah’s will upon the throne, as Saul did not.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In the volume of the book - In this very psalm it is written of me. Accordingly I come to do thy will - By the sacrifice of myself.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

7. Then said I, Lo, I come. The Psalmist represents Christ, who comes simply to do the will of God, completely surrendered to his will. In the volume of the book. In the roll of the law it is written of me; that is, there I am predicted.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

7. Ἰδοὺ ἥκω. “I am come.” This 40th Psalm is one of the special Psalms for Good Friday.

ἐκ κεφαλίδι βιβλίου. The word κεφαλίς, here rendered volume, does not occur elsewhere in the N. T. It means the knob (umbilicus) of the roller on which the vellum was rolled. The word in the Hebrew is מְנִלָּה, “a roll.” See LXX. Eze 2:9; Eze 3:1. It cannot be rendered “in the chief part” or “in the beginning.” The words “it is written of me” may mean in the Hebrew “it has been prescribed to me,” and others take the clause to mean “I am come with the roll of the book which is written for me.” If we ask what was “the book” to which the author of the Psalm referred the answer is not easy; it may have been the Law, or the Book of God’s unwritten counsels, as in Psa 139:16. The writer of the Epistle, transferring and applying David’s words to Christ, thought doubtless of the whole O. T. (comp. Luk 24:26-27, “He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself”).

τοῦ ποιῆσαι ὁ θεὸς τὸ θέλημά σου. The writer has omitted the words “I delight” (LXX. ἠβουλήθην) and has made the gen. of purpose depend on ἥκω. Slavish accuracy in quotation is never aimed at by the sacred writers, because they had no letter-worshipping theory of verbal inspiration. They held that the inspiration lay in the sense and in the thoughts of Scripture, not in its ipsissima verba. Hence they often consider it sufficient to give the general tendency of a passage, and frequently vary from the exact words.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7.] then I said (viz. when Thou hadst prepared a body for me), Behold, I am come, in the volume of the book it is written concerning me, to do, O God, thy will (the connexion and construction are somewhat differently given from those in the LXX. There it stands, τότε εἶπον Ἰδοὺ ἥκω, ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ, τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου, ὁ θεός μου, ἠβουλήθην, καὶ τὸν νόμον σου ἐν μέσῳ τῆς καρδίας μου: where τοῦ ποιῆσαι depends on ἠβουλήθην. And so in the Hebrew: see E. V. As our text stands, τοῦ ποιῆσαι depends on ἥκω, and ἐν κεφ. τ. βιβ. γέγρ. περὶ ἐμοῦ is parenthetical: see ver. 9. κεφαλίς is the LXX rendering of מְנִלָּה, a roll, or volume, as also in reff. Suid., κεφαλὶς βιβλίου, ὅπερ τινὲς εἵλημά φασι. κεφαλίς appears to have got this meaning from signifying the heads or knobs which terminated the cylinder on which the mss. were rolled, and which were called in Latin umbilici. On ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου, Thl. says, θέλημα δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ πατρὸς τὸ τὸν υἱὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κόσμου τυθῆναι κ. δικαιωθῆναι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους οὐκ ἐν θυσίαις ἀλλʼ ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ: and Chrys., τοῦ ἐμαυτόν φησιν ἐκδοῦναι, τοῦτο τοῦ θεοῦ θέλημα).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In the volume of the book [εν κεφαλιδι βιβλιου] . Kefaliv, N. T. o, is a diminutive, meaning little head. Lat. capitellum or capitulum. The extremity or end, as the capital of a column. See Exo 26:32, 37. Sometimes the column itself, as Exo 40:18; Num 3:36. Said to be used of the tips or knobs of the rollers around which parchments were rolled, but no instances are cited. A roll of parchment, a book - roll, Eze 2:9. Meaning here the Scriptures of the O. T. for Hebrew megilla. Kefaliv is found in LXX with bibliou book, only Eze 2:9; Psa 39:7. For, biblion book, see on 2Ti 4:13.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. τότε εἶπον...) then said I... at the time when the Divine Will was made clear: when it was seen that no euvharistic offerings could satisfy the divine claim to grateful service; and no expiatory offorings do away with ain.

ἥκω) Jum come, not ‘I will come’ or ‘I come.’ Obodionce is immodiate and complote. This senso of the will of God was, as it were, the Master's call in the heart, and the servant's answer was in the new connexion: ‘Here am I’ (Is. vi. 8).

1 John v. 20; ». 37.

dy κεφ. β. y.] Vulg. in capite (Ο. L. volumine) libri. The interpretation

of the original ("by 2anp 7HErNdI3 dy εἴλήματι β. Aqu.) is uncertain. Per-

The Latin fathers, taking the translation in capite, were inclined to explain it of some special passage of Scripture, as Gen. i. 1; or Pa. i.; or of Lov. i. 3, as interpreted of Christ. Quidain intolligunt hic initium Genesis, ubi scriptum est Jn principio, id est in Fillo, fecit Deus calum et terram. Quidam primum Psalmum

...8ed quia in his nihil de morte Christi preofigurator...molius videtur intelligi do initio libri Levitici diotum...(Primas.).

τοῦ wotjoa...] The shortening of the verse brings the purpose of the speaker into closer connexion with His coming. At the samo time the Greek of the Lxx. placos that which God willed (τὸ θέλημα) in sharp contrast with that which did not represent His will (οὐκ ἠθέλησα.) The words in the original are different ΟΔΥΊ, BYPITN?),

τὸ θέλημά σου] The will of God answers to the fulfilment of man’s true destiny; and this, as things actunily are, in spite of the Fall. Christ, as Son of man, made this will His own and accomplished it. The utterance of the King of Israel expressed man's true aim, which was beyond human reach, and so rightly belongs to the Messiah who attained it. Compare John iv. 34; viii. 29.

It is of interest to notice how constantly ‘the will of God’ is connected with the redemption and consummation of man: John iv. 34; v 30; vi. 38 f.; Eph. i. 5,9, 113; 1 Tim. . ii. 4; and in one special aspect:

1 Thess. iv. 3 Compare Apoe. iv. 11.

On the construction rot ποιῆσαι 860

Brooke Foss Westcott (1825–1901), The Epistle to the Hebrews (1889) and The Epistles of St John (1883) — public domain (pre-1929). Text recovered from Internet Archive / Google Books OCR scans. Westcott’s Gospel of John commentary is not included (its OCR lost the chapter running-heads required for reliable verse-keying). Some Greek quoted in the Hebrews volume is imperfectly rendered by the OCR.