Hebrews

5:7-10

Christ faithful and merciful, 3:1-5:10

vii] The source of eternal salvation

The writer to the Hebrews now defines the qualifications of Jesus the High Priest, explaining that he is a genuine High Priest, far superior to any of the descendents of Aaron, and therefore, someone we can rely on to speak for us before the throne of God's grace. The first qualification of Christ's high priestly rule is given in v5-6, namely, that he is appointed by God. The second qualification is that Christ is a perfect High Priest, able to renew our relationship with God, v7-10.

oJV en taiV hJmeraiV thV sarkoV "During the days of Jesus life on earth" - who in the days of the flesh of him. "While Jesus was living an earthly life"; "in the days of his earthly life", NEB.

prosenegkaV (prosferw) aor. part. "offered" - having offered. Offered to God, but not in a sacrificial sense. Offered in the sense of "prayed / entreated God." Many commentators focus on Jesus' Gethsemane prayer, although if this was a prayer to be spared the cross, then the prayer was not answered. Schauffler suggests it was a prayer, not so much as to escape the cross, but rather for the strength to reach it. "Made his prayers and requests", TEV.

ek qanatou (oV) "from death" - Some argue that the preposition her means "out of" such that Jesus prayed that he may be saved "out of the midst of death", ie. rescued from the grip of Hades and so rise again. Westcott says that the prepositional phrase can mean either, "from death" or "out of death."

eisakousqeiV (eisakouw) aor. pas. part. "was heard" - having been heard, answered. "God answered him."

thV eulabeiaV (a) "reverent submission" - devout God-fearing faithfulness, reverence toward God. "Humble submission", NEB.

kaiper wn uiJoV "Although he was a son" - although being a son. "Son though he was", NEB. Although there is no definite article, son still should have a capital. He is not a son. "God's son", TEV.

emaqen (manqanw) aor. "learned" - disciplined learning. "learned" and "suffered" have a similar sound, ie. they rhyme in Gk. The words were often used together in Greek literature to make the point that learning comes only by suffering. "Suffering was the way to learn obedience", Barclay; although Phillips gives a better sense, "he had to prove the meaning of obedience through all he suffered", Phillips.

teleiwqeiV (teleiow) aor. pas. part. "made perfect" - having been made perfect, complete, finished. "Having been perfected" in the sense of fully completing his mission through obedience and now enthroned at the right hand of the Ancient of Days. Eusebius, writing about the martyr Marinus, said, "having been led off to death, he was perfected." The difference of course is that Jesus was perfect, while Marinus' perfection, like ours, is only his as a gift in Christ.

uJpakouousin (uJpakouw) pres. part. "obey" - obeying. Is this the obedience of faith? If so, then the sense could be "those who follow him", as in "believe in him."

prosagoreuqeiV (prosagoreuw) aor. pas. part. "was designated" - having been designated, called. "Designated", Attridge, as in the sense of addressing with a particular title, recognize as. Other possibilities: "named", NEB; "called", CEV; "given ..... the title of", Barclay; "declared", TEV; "acclaimed by God with the title of", NJB.

Melcisedek gen. "of Melchizedek" - The priestly order of Melchizedek is explained in chapter 7. The genitive may not be possessive, but rather descriptive, so "just like Melchizedek", CEV.

Hebrews Introduction.

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