Hebrews 5

The apostle having declared the prophetical office of Christ proceeds in declaring of his priestly office and reherseth the properties which are necessary in an high priest 4 even as he must be lawfully called thereunto 5 testifieth that Christ was by his father called thereunto after the order of Mechilzedeck 7 and that he in the days of his flesh offered prayers and supplications 9 and so became a cause of our salvation and an high priest 1 of which mystery of Mechelzedeck seeing he would treat more at large be stirs up their hearts thereunto 12 for as much as many of them were yet much inexperienced and had more need of milk as children and then meat as strong men grown.

1. For every high priest [namely as they were who lawful priest of posterity of Aaron for Paul wrote this epistle while this temple stood and alludes to the manner of doing which was then yet sufficiently known]taken out of men is appointed for men [that is for man sake for their benefit and service to reconcile men to God or to procure some benefits from God] in the things which are to be done with God that he should offer gifts and sacrifices for sins [by this first fort are understood the offering which were offered as fruit and such like things by the seconds offerings of cattle and beast which slain at the altar and so offered]

2. Who can have due compassion [or moderate that is due measure the Greek word Metriopathein properly signifies to have compassion in measure or according to measure that is as much as is needful to help him that hath need of it]on the ignorant and the erring [that is sinners an Hebrew phrase and by the first is understood the sin which is committed out with ignorance or weakness of the understanding by the second the sin whereunto a man falls by reason he seduceth or gives away to himself and not without his own will proceed to sin although they be error with it when the understanding is darkened by the lust James 1:14,15 against both God ordained sacrifices of expiation see Levit chapter 4,5,6 but not for the willful sin against the holy ghost see Hebrews 10:26,27] for as much as he himself is compassed with infirmity [that is with sin as the following verse shows wherein Christ was unlike to the other high priest seeing indeed that he himself is like tempted in all manner yet without sin see Hebrews 4:15 and chapter 7.26,27]

3. And for the same infirmity sake must he [Gr he ought]as for the people so also for himself [see hereof Leviticus 4:3 and 9.7 and 16.6 when once a year he went into the holy of holies and offered first for his two sins afterwards for the sins of people and when he himself had committed any scandalous sin]offer for sins.

4. And o ma assumeth this honor [namely to be high priest he speaketh of them that were lawful priests]to himself [namely without a foregoing call] but he that is called of God in like manner as Aaron.

5. So also Christ glorified not himself to be the high priest but he that spoke unto him [that is God his father namely exalted him hereunto] thou art my son today I have begotten thee [some think that by these words is only described the person off the father who exalted the son into priestly office that the proof therefore followeth only in the sixth verse following others understands that arguments are always contained in this first verse that the father lawfully made him an high priest first in the words which follow therein the Psalm desire of me c forasmuch as this is the proper work for a priest to pray for the people as also in the word my son forasmuch as the first born son before the institution of the Levitical priesthood ordinarily administered the priesthood in the families after the death of their fathers see Genesis 25.31and chiefly in the words begotten by me this day whereby although the eternal generation of the son by father be especially understood Hebrews 1:5 yet they are also fitly applied by Paul to the manifestation of the same which was made in time principally by his resurrection from the dead Acts 13:33 which is a clear demonstration that he was lawfully made a mediator by the father and consequently also an high priest.]

6. As he also saith in the another place [namely in the 110 Psalm which Christ also interprets of the Messiah Matthew 22:44,45] thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedeck [that is after the manner and similitude of Melchizedeck as is declared chapter 7.15]

7. Who in the days of his flesh [that is when he had assumed our frail nature therein walked and suffered among us although he have our nature in heaven also yet notwithstanding he had put off the infirmities thereof]having offered [that is proposed to his father and having offered up his life for us into the hands of his father] prayers and supplications unto him who could deliver him from death unto strong crying and tears [the apostle hath here respect indeed unto the whole humiliation of Christ but principally unto the anguish and extreme distress of Christ in the garden when he sweat drops of blood and to his strong crying on the cross when he cried my God ,my God why hast thou forsaken me/] and being heard out of his fear [Gr Eulabeiase which word often signifieth fear as may be seen Acts 23:10 and is the same which Mark chapter 14.33 calls thambos and ademonian that is amazement and great anguish which was in Christ humane nature that is from the foresight and the fore test of the hellish torments which Christ should suffer in his soul for us on the cross nevertheless without sin considering that he always continued firm in faith and in all these things perfectly subjected himself to the will of his father out of which fear and terror he is here said to have been heard because by his prayer he was strengthened and assured that by the power of divine nature he should overcome all and also bring the devil and death itself under his feet others translate because this godliness sake as this word Eulabeia also signifieth but the Greek particle apo that is from out of can not suffer this interpretation]

8. Although he were the son he were not withstanding he learned obedience [that is experienced what is in such distress obediently to submit himself in all tings in the will of his father] by that which he suffered

9. And being sanctified [or being become perfect namely on the cross the eternal spirit speaks hereafter chapter 9.144 or being perfectly consecrated for all these signification hath this Greek word teleiotheis in it] to al that are obedient to him [that is who believe in him and consequently also company this faith with other parts of obedience as the scripture everywhere also calls faith obedience as the ground of all true obedience see John 3:36] he became a cause of eternal salvation.

10. And was by Gods name [or by God sir-name that is made or ordained by God for to whom God giveth the name to them he also giveth the thing itself] an high priest after the order of Melchizedeck ]

11. Of whom[namely Melchizedeck or of which namely thing]we have many thing [Gr speech] and difficult to be declared to say seeing such ye are become [in these words the apostle gives a reason of that which he had spoken that the things he had purposed to write were difficult to be declared namely not so much in respect of the thing itself as in respect of their dullness wherefore he hereby stirs them up to take notice] dull to hear [or flow in hearing of hearing]

12. For whereas ye ought to be teachers by reason of the time [or in respect of time namely that ye have been exercised in the doctrine of Christ] ye have need again to be taught which are the first principles [Gr the elements or alphabet of the beginning that is the first grounds and foundations of Christians doctrine which he will rehearse in the following chapter otherwise the ceremonies of the old testament whereunto the Hebrews easily fell relapsed and which they always hankered after are also called the first beginnings of the world an d weak elements Galatians 4:9 Colossians 2:8 because god by tem as an alphabet had led them to the spiritual doctrine of salvation from which the Hebrews must now go forward unto the thing signified thereby and increase therein more and more]of the words of God and ye are become as those that have need of milk [the same similitude the apostle useth also 1Corinthians 3.2 to cause them to understand their dullness and ignorance in the things of the masteries of the gospel as the following verse declares [and not strong meat [Gr food.]

13. For everyone that is partaker of milk he is inexperienced [that is not sufficiently instructed in the doctrine of the gospel wherein the true righteousness which withstands in Gods judgment and is required of us and is revealed] in the words of righteousness for he is a child [that is a child namely in knowledge see 1Corinthians 14.20 Ephesians 4:14]

14. But strong meat [that is even the necked and deepest mysteries and points of doctrine of Gods words opposed partly to the first principle of the doctrine partly to the ceremonies whereunto the Jews like children always relapsed] is for them that are perfect [that is that are full grown as 1 Corinthians 2:6 and 14.20 Ephesians 4:13]who through custom [that is by habit which a man gets by much practicing in any art of other thing]have their senses for their exercised[or have exercised sense the Greek word signifies the instruments by which the sense do their work and are exercised as eyes, ears, tongue &c whereby the inward instrument of the instruments are understood as reason understanding will and c which being enlightened and renewed by the power of the spirit must also by the exercise of Gods words be daily more strengthened to be able to reject that which is evil and false and to be able to embrace that which is good and truth] for discerning for both of good and evil.