Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews

The Targums are here silent of him, for they principally attend unto those places which make mention of his Kingdom. Rashi refers the words unto the series of Prophets, which were afterwards raised up; Aben Ezra to Joshua; others to Jeremiah upon the rejection of whose warnings, the people were carried into captivity, which they collect from v. 19. Whatever now they pretend, of old they looked for some one signal Prophet from this place, which should immediately come before the Messiah himself; Thence was that Question in their Examination of John Baptist; Art thou that Prophet, John 1.21. namely whom they looked for from this Prediction of Moses. But it is the Messiah himself and none other that is intended. For First, None other ever arose like unto Moses. This is twice repeated; in the words of Moses unto the people; v. 15. God will raise thee up a Prophet, [Greek or Hebrew], like unto me; and in the words of God to Moses; v. 18. I will raise them up a Prophet [Greek or Hebrew] like unto thee, as thou art. Lipman a blasphemous Jew in his Nizzachon contends that Jesus cannot be intended; because he was not like Moses; for Moses was a man only, Jesus declared himself to be God; Moses had Father and Mother, Jesus had not as we say; But the comparison intended, doth not at all respect their Persons, or their Natures, but their Office. It was in the Prophetical Office that the Prophet foretold, was to be like unto Moses: It is a Law-giver, one that should institute New Ordinances of Worship by the Authority of God for the use and Observance of the whole Church, as Moses did; one that should reveal the whole will of God, as Moses did, as to that season wherein God employed him. That this could not be Joshua, nor any of the Prophets that ensued, is evident from that Testimony of the Holy Ghost, Deut. 34. v. 10. There arose not since a Prophet in Israel like unto Moses. This must therefore be referred unto some singular Prophet who was then to come, or there is an express contradiction in the Text. And this is none other but the Messiah, concerning whom they acknowledge that he shall be a Prophet above Moses. Secondly, the extermination threatened unto the people, upon their disobedience unto this Prophet, here promised, v. 19. never befell them, until they had rejected the Lord Jesus, the true and only Messiah.

The Targums are here silent of him, for they principally attend unto those places which make mention of his Kingdom. Rashi refers the words unto the series of Prophets, which were afterwards raised up; Aben Ezra to Joshua; others to Jeremiah upon the rejection of whose warnings, the people were carried into captivity, which they collect from v. 19. Whatever now they pretend, of old they looked for some one signal Prophet from this place, which should immediately come before the Messiah himself; Thence was that Question in their Examination of John Baptist; Art thou that Prophet,