The  first  extended  from  the  commencement
of  the  .Hebrew  nation  to  the  Babylonian  cap
tivity,  the  second  from  the  captivity  till  the
language  ceased  to  be  spoken.  During  the
golden  age,  while  the  Jews  were  generally
indepeiident,  their  language  remained  com
paratively  pure.  During  the  silver  age  it
was  corrupted  by  a  continually  increasing  in
flux  of  Aramaic,  till  the  latter  tongue  super
seded  it  altogether.  The  Aramaic  in  the
time  of  our  Lord  had  taken  the  place  of  the
genuine  Hebrew  as  the  colloquial  language
(Mark  v.  41),  and  had  usurped  its  name ;  and
Aramaic  is  intended  by  the  Hebrew  lan
guage,  or  the  Hebrew  tongue,  or  the  Hebrew,
or  simply  Hebrew,  in  John  v.  2 ;  xix.  13,  17,
20;  Acts  xxi.  40;  xxii.  2;  xxvi.  14;  Rev.  ix.
11.
He'brews,  E-pis'tle  to  the.
The  fourteenth  of  the  N.  T.  epistles  as  they
are  arranged  in  the  English  Bible.  That  it
was  addressed  to  Jewish  Christians  is  clearly
shown  by  its  contents.  To  no  others  would
its  arguments  be  so  appropriate.  They  were
in  danger  of  returning  to  Judaism  through


Hebrews


283


Hebrews


the  pressure  of  outward  trial  and  opposition    !
(ii.  1 ;  iii.  12  ;  iv.  1,  11  ;  v.  12  ;  vi.  6  ;  x.  23-
25.  29).   They  had  been  early  converts  (v.  12)    :
and  had  received  the  gospel  from  its  first
preachers  (ii.  3).     They  had  long  ago  been    !
persecuted   (x.  32-34)   and  had  often  minis-    j
tered  to  the  saints  (vi.  10 ;  x.   34).     There  is
no  reference  to  gentile   members   in   their   j
churches,  and  their  danger   lay  in  a  return
not  so  much   to  the   law  as  to  the  ritual.
