Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
All Commentaries on Hebrews 4:13 Go To Hebrews 4
John Chrysostom
AD 407
And why speak I of men? He says. For even if you speak of Angels, of Archangels, of the Cherubim, of the Seraphim, even of any creature whatsoever: all things are laid open to that Eye, all things are clear and manifest; there is nothing able to escape it; All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him, with whom we have to do.
But what is opened ? [It is] a metaphor from the skins which are drawn off from the victims. For as in that case, when a man has killed them, and has drawn aside the skin from the flesh, he lays open all the inward parts, and makes them manifest to our eyes; so also do all things lie open before God. And observe, I pray you, how he constantly needs bodily im ages; which arose from the weakness of the hearers. For that they were weak, he made plain, when he said that they were dull, and had need of milk, not of strong meat. All things are naked, he says, and opened unto the eyes of Him, with whom we have to do. c. v. 11, 12
3. But what is, after the same example of unbelief? As if one should say, why did they of old not see the land? They had received an earnest of the power of God; they ought to have believed, but yielding too much to fear and imagining nothing great concerning God, and being faint-hearted,— so they perished. And there is also something more to be said, as, that after they had accomplished the most part of the journey, when they were at the very doors, at the haven itself, they were sunk into the sea. This I fear (he says) for you also. This is [the meaning of] after the same example of unbelief.
For that these also [to whom he is writing] had suffered much, he afterwards testifies, saying, Call to mind the former days, in which after that you had been enlightened, you endured a great fight of afflictions. Hebrews 10:32 Let no man then be faint-hearted, nor fall down near the end through weariness. For there are, there are those who at the beginning engage in the fight with the full vigor of zeal; but a little after, not being willing to add to all, they lose all. Your forefathers (he says) are sufficient to instruct you not to fall into the same [sins], not to suffer the same things which they suffered. This is, After the same example of unbelief. Let us not faint, he means (which he says also near the end [of the Epistle]. Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees): lest any man, he says, fall after the same example. Hebrews 12:12 For this is to fall indeed.
Then, lest when you hear, any man fall after the same example, you should conceive of the same death which they also underwent, see what he says: For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. For the Word falls upon the souls of these [men] more severely than any sword, causing grievous wounds; and inflicts fatal blows. And of these things he need not give the proof, nor establish them by argument, having a history so fearful. For (he would say) what kind of war destroyed them? What sort of sword? Did they not fall simply of themselves? For let us not be careless because we have not suffered the same things. While it is called Today, it is in our power to recover ourselves.
For lest on hearing the things that belong to the soul we should grow negligent, he adds also what concerns the body. For then it is as a king, when his officers are guilty of some great fault, first strips them (say) of their command, and after depriving them of their belt, and their rank, and their herald, then punishes them: so also in this case the sword of the Spirit works.
4. Next he discourses of the Son, with whom we have to do, he says. What is with whom we have to do? To Him (he would say) we have to render account for the things we have done? Even so. How then [must we act] that we fall not, nor be faint-hearted?
These things indeed (he would say) are sufficient to instruct us. But we have also a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. Because he added [it], for this reason he went on, For we have not an High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Therefore he said above, In that He has suffered Himself being tempted, He is able to succor them which are tempted. See then how here also he does the same. And what he says is to this effect: He went (he says) the road which we also [are going] now, or rather even a more rugged one. For He had experience of all human [sufferings].
