§. 5. Of the Hebrewes.
THe People to whom in speciall the Apostle directed this Epistle, are stiled He∣brewes: whereby that Nation which descended from Abraham is meant.
This Title Hebrewes, is oft used in the old and new Testament. It was first given to Abraham himself (Gen. 14. 13.) Then to Ioseph when he was a servant in Egypt, (Gen. 39. 14, 17.) Afterwards to all that stock, Gen. 40. 15. Exod. 2. 6. 1 Sam. 4. 6, 9. Acts 6. 1. Phil. 3. 5.
Abraham the father of this people was stiled an Hebrew in two especiall respects.* 1.1
1. Because he came from Heber, who was pronepos, the third from Shem, Gen. 11. 10. 14, 25. Shem after the world was divided to the sonnes of Noah, was the first fa∣ther of the blessed Seed, Gen. 9. 26. After that the whole world began again to fall from God, and rebelliously conspired to build a Tower that might keep them safe from another flood; so as God, to hinder that work confounded their Languages: but Heber separated himself from that impious society; and thereupon the name Heber was given him; which importeth a passing over, or departing from: which name was given by a propheticall prediction before the thing was done (as Noahs name was, Gen. 5. 29.) or for a memoriall of his piety after he had given that proof thereof, as Israels name was, Gen. 32. 28.
Heber separating himself from those rebels, is further manifested by his retaining the primary, pure Language, when among all the rebels it was confounded, Gen. 11. 9. For that primary Language is called the k 1.2 Hebrew tongue, which in the confu∣sion of tongues Heber retained, and propagated to his posterity.* 1.3
Thus Heber became another father, and a preserver of the Church. Hence* 1.4 is it that the first father Shem, is said to be the father of all the children of Heber (Gen. 10. 21.) that is of the Church which descended from Heber, which were the Hebrewes.
As Heber withdrew himself from the wicked world in his time, so did Abram in his time; being called of God (Gen. 12. 1.) and so became another father of the Church: whereupon, as he was called an Hebrew from Heber, so all his posterity were called Hebrewes from him.
2. The other respect why Abraham was called an Hebrew, was because he passed over from his own country to Canaan. In which journey he passed over much Land and sundry Rivers; as Tigris, Euphrates and Iordan: for the verbl 1.5 Habar, signifieth to passe over: the nounm 1.6 Heber, and the wordn 1.7 Hebrew, one that passeth over.* 1.8
o 1.9 The ancient Greek Interpreters of the old Testament, commonly called the Sep∣tuagint