Albert Barnes Commentary Hebrews 12:9

"Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" — Hebrews 12:9 (ASV)

Furthermore. As an additional consideration to encourage us to receive discipline with submission, the argument in this verse is derived from the difference in the spirit and design with which we are corrected by God and by an earthly parent. In God, everything is without any intermingling of passion or any improper feeling.

In an earthly parent, there is often much that is the result of hasty emotion, of an irascible temper, perhaps of the mere love of power. There is much that is inflicted without due reflection, and that produces only pain for the parent himself when he reflects on it. Yet, with all this imperfection of parental government, we were patient and unmurmuring. How much more should we submit to one whose paternal discipline is caused by no excited feeling, by no love of power, by no want of reflection, and which never gives cause for regret!

Fathers of our flesh. Earthly fathers; those from whom we have derived our being here. They are contrasted here with God who is called the Father of spirits, not because the earthly father does not act as a father to the soul as well as the body, but to designate the nature of the dominion over us.

The dominion of God is that which pertains to a spiritual kingdom, having more direct reference to the discipline of the soul, and being designed to prepare us for the spiritual world. In contrast, that of the earthly father pertains primarily to our condition here. His discipline is designed to subdue our unruly passions, to teach us to restrain our appetites, to inculcate maxims of health and prosperity, and to prevent those things which would impede our happiness in the present world.

See, however, many curious instances of the manner in which these phrases were used by the Jewish writers, collected by Wetstein.

We gave them reverence. We submitted to them; honored them; loved them. Painful at the time as correction may have been, yet when we have fully understood its purpose, we have loved them the more. The effect of such discipline, properly administered, is to produce real veneration for a parent—for he who, in a timely and appropriate manner restrains his child is the only one who will secure ultimate reverence and respect.

Shall we not much rather be in subjection. Since God's government is so much more perfect, since He has so much better right to control us, and since His administration is free from all the defects that accompany parental discipline on earth, there is a much higher reason for bowing with submission and reverence to Him.

The Father of spirits. Thus in Numbers 16:22, God is called the God of the spirits of all flesh. So also Numbers 27:16 .

The idea seems to be that, as the soul is the most important part of a human being, this name is given to God to signify His preeminence, meaning He is eminently and supremely our Father. It was His to create the immortal part, and He is Father to that spirit which is never to die.

The earthly father is parent to the person as mortal; God is the Father of the person as immortal. God is Himself a Spirit. Angels and human souls, therefore, may be represented as peculiarly His offspring.

It is the highest designation that could be given to God to say that He is at the head of the universe of mind. This does not imply that He is not also at the head of the material universe, but it intends to highlight this high characteristic of the Almighty: that all created minds throughout the universe relate to Him as children. To this Great Being we should, therefore, more cheerfully subject ourselves than to an earthly parent.

And live. Meaning that His fatherly discipline is suited to secure our spiritual life. He corrects us that He may promote our final happiness, and His inflictions are the means of saving us from eternal death.