Hebrews 5
Milligan-HHebrews 5:1-4
AND DESIGN
OF THE ; AND THE
OF THOSE
WHO WOULD IN THE HIGH PRIEST’S OFFICE
Hebrews 5:1 —For every high priest, etc.—The object of the Apostle in this paragraph, as above indicated, is to further encourage his Hebrew brethren to draw near at all times to the Throne of grace, and there, in the name of Jesus, to seek for seasonable help. This he insists we should feel encouraged to do from the fact that God has himself appointed the priesthood for the very purpose of aiding and supporting us in the discharge of our religious duties. For every High Priest, he says, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; being able to have compassion for the ignorant and erring, since he himself is compassed with infirmity; and on this account, he is under obligation, as for the people, so also for himself to offer for sins. Since, then, it was God’s benevolent intention in the ordination of the priesthood to comfort and support us in the discharge of our religious duties, we should especially feel encouraged to approach the Throne of grace in the name of Jesus, who, as our ever living High Priest, is so eminently qualified to help our infirmities, bear our weaknesses, and procure for us through the sacrifice of himself the pardon of our sins, and that full measure of grace which is necessary for our support under all the trials, temptations, and conflicts of life.
Hebrews 5:1 —is ordained for men—It was not for the benefit of God, but of men, that the priesthood was instituted. God does not need any such help, so far as it respects himself. He was infinitely happy before the sacerdotal office was created, and he would still be so, even if all the laws and ordinances of the priesthood were forever abrogated. Nevertheless, he so loved and pitied our poor, lost, and ruined race, that he gave his own Son to die for it; and in order to make the benefits of Christ’s death available to all, God instituted the priesthood and many other ordinances as media of blessings to mankind. Surely, then, it is not the will of God that any should perish, but that all should be brought to repentance and to the enjoyment of the great salvation. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
Hebrews 5:1 —in things pertaining to God,—That is, in religious matters. Aaron and his son were not appointed to any secular calling. It was not their province to cultivate the soil, to carry on commerce, or even to investigate the laws and ordinances of nature. They were called to minister in holy things; and especially to “offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” The words gifts (dora) and sacrifices (tlmsiai) are sometimes used interchangeably, as in Genesis 4:3-5. But when contrasted, as they are in this case, and also in 8: 3; 9: 9, the former is used for bloodless offerings, and the latter for such as required the life of the victim.
Hebrews 5:2 —Who can have compassion on the ignorant,—The word rendered have compassion (metriopatheo) means to feel moderately. “It comes,” says Delitzsch, “from the mint of Greek ethical philosophy; and it was employed by Academics, Peripatetics, and Skeptics, to indicate the right mean between a slave-like passionateness and a stoical apathy. It is used by Philo to describe Abraham’s sober grief on the loss of Sarah (volume ii. 37), and Jacob’s imperturbable patience under afflictions (volume ii. 45). Transferred from the language of the schools to general literature, it signifies the disposition of mind which keeps the right mean between excessive feeling and sheer indifference; and here it indicates a pathetic judgment which is neither too severe nor too lenient ; but reasonable, sober, indulgent, and kind.”
Such a quality of head and heart was peculiarly necessary in every High Priest; for to him it belonged to decide, in any given case, whether or not a sacrifice could be legally offered for the sin committed. See Leviticus 10:8-11; Deuteronomy 17:8-13 Deuteronomy 24:8 Deuteronomy 33:10; Mai. 2:7. If a man sinned through ignorance or in error, that is, either without a knowledge of God’s will in the case, or under such temptations as might serve to obscure for the time being his consciousness of guilt, then in that event and under such circumstances a sacrifice might be offered, and the sin might be forgiven. (Numbers 15:22-29.) But not so if the sin was committed with a high hand, that is, in a spirit of haughty insolence and open rebellion against God and his government. In that event, there was no room for repentance, and none for sacrifice. The presumptuous sinner was always to be put to death, “at the mouth of two or three witnesses.” (Numbers 15:30-31; Deuteronomy 17:6.) See notes on 6: 4-6. But in many cases it might be difficult to determine the exact nature and character of the offense.
What the Jews were wont to call, by a species of euphemism, a sin of ignorance, might under some circumstances seem, for a time at least, to be a presumptuous sin. And hence the necessity under the Law, as well as under the Gospel, of using all lawful means to bring the offending party to repentance. This was especially the duty of the High Priest, who, as the head of the sacerdotal order, was charged, on the one hand, with faithfully executing the law of God against all high-handed transgressors; and, on the other, with exercising all due forbearance and compassion towards the ignorant and the erring.
Hebrews 5:2 —for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.—A proper sense of our own infirmities enables us to bear with more becoming patience the infirmities of others. “I have,” says Paul, “great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh; for I myself was once, like them, wishing to be accursed from Christ.” (Romans 9:2-3.) And just so it was with Aaron and his successors. They, too, like their brethren, were compassed about, and, as it were, clothed with all the weaknesses and infirmities common to our fallen nature. Aaron’s folly in making the golden calf (Exodus 32:1-6) was to himself, no doubt, a source of much grief and painful experience; but it served, nevertheless, to make him deal more tenderly with others who were afterward overcome by similar temptations.
Hebrews 5:3 —And by reason hereof, etc.—On account of the infirmity which constantly beset him, and which rendered imperfect even his most solemn services, the High Priest was required to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. This he did not only on special occasions and for special offenses (Leviticus 4:3-12), but also in all the regular daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly sacrifices that were offered for the sins of the nation; in all these there was an acknowledgement of his own guilt, as well as of the guilt of his brethren. And on the Day of atonement, he was required to go into the Most Holy Place, and there make an offering for his own sins, before he was allowed to offer for the sins of the people. This of course served to make him deal more tenderly and compassionately with the ignorant and the erring.
Much of what is said in this paragraph is very beautifully and impressively illustrated by the symbolical dress of the High Priest; several parts of which indicate very clearly the holy and representative character of his office, and also the righteous and benevolent design of his administration. These articles of clothing were (1) a pair of Drawers; (2) a long Coat or Tunic; (3) a Girdle; (4) a Mitre; (5) the Robe of the Ephod; (6) the Ephod; (7) the Breastplate; and (8) the Plate of the Mitre. The first four of these were called “linen garments,” because they were made of fine white linen, which in all ages has been regarded as a symbol of purity and holiness. See 1 Chronicles 5:12; Revelation 19:8. And hence these were called also “holy garments.” (Leviticus 16:4.) The four other pieces were also called “holy garments” (Exodus 28:2 Exodus 28:4); and by the Jews they were frequently designated as “The golden garments,” because they all consisted more or less of gold, either plated or interwoven with their texture. See Exodus 28.
The first of these, the Robe of the Ephod was a long, sky-blue robe, without a seam, and was worn directly under the Ephod. Around its lower border were tassels made of blue, and purple, and scarlet, in the form of pomegranates, alternating with golden bells. The Rabbis say there were seventy-two of each. See Exodus 28:31-35. The Ephod (from to bind) was a short coat worn over the Robe, and with its “curious girdle” was made of “gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.” To the shoulder pieces were attached two onyx stones, on which were engraved the names of the twelve sons of Jacob, “according to their birth.” (Exodus 28:10.) This phrase, “according to their births,” is differently understood by the Jewish Rabbis, as well as by Christian writers. Some place the names of the six oldest sons on the right shoulder, and the names of the six youngest on the left, as follows:
LEFT
RIGHT
Gad
Reuben
Asher
Simeon
Issachar
Levi
Zebulun
Judah
Joseph
Dan
Benjamin
Naphtali
Others arrange them alternately on the right and left; placing first in order the six sons of Leah (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issa- char, and Zebulun) ; next, the two sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid (Dan and Naphtali) ; next, the two sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid (Gad and Asher), and lastly, the two sons of Rachel (Joseph and Benjamin), as follows:
£ad
The Breastplate was a sort of pouch or bag, half a cubit square. It was made of gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine- twined linen. To each of the four corners was attached a gold ring by means of which it was, fastened to the Ephod. On the inside of its face were four rows of precious stones set in sockets of gold, through which they were exposed to view on the outside. And on the external faces of these stones were engraved the names of the Twelve Tribes of the children of Israel, most likely according to their birth, as follows :
Carbuncle
Topaz
Sardius
Diamond
Sapphire
Emerald
Amethyst
Agate
Ligure
Jasper
Onyx
Beryl
In this Breastplate were placed the Urim and Thummim (Lights and Perfections) ; names which seem to have been given to the twelve stones, because of their being made, in some miraculous way, the medium through which God made known his will to the High Priest. See Numbers 27:21; Judges 20:27-28; 1 Samuel 23:9 1 Samuel 28:6; Ezra 2:63; and Joseph. Ant. iii. 8, 9. The fourth and last article of the High Priest’s golden attire was the plate of gold which was fastened to the Mitre by a blue fillet. On this Plate was inscribed Holiness to Jehovah. These articles of clothing are mostly, except the drawers, which are of course concealed by the outer garments.
Hebrews 5:4. And no man taketh this honor unto himself, etc.—Our author refers here to another essential qualification of every High Priest. He must be “called of God, as was Aaron.” And the man who claims this honor for himself as did Korah (Num. 16), though sustained by the highest human authority, is really not a High Priest, but a usurper (Acts 23: 5). It is hardly necessary to add that the honor which is here spoken of is simply the honor of being a High Priest, and that it has no reference whatever to the calling of the Christian ministry.
Hebrews 5:5-10
PRE-EMINENT OF CHRIST TO
AS OUR HIGH PRIEST, WITH FURTHER
TO BELIEVE AND OBEY HIM.
Hebrews 5:5 —So also Christ glorified not himself, etc.—He took not on himself the honor and glory of becoming a High Priest. This honor was bestowed by God the Father, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, thus demonstrating to the world that he was the Son of God, and of course also the promised Prophet, Priest, and King, who was to bring in everlasting righteousness and reign over the house of David forever. See Deuteronomy 18:18; Psalms 110:4; Zechariah 6:13; Isaiah 33:6-7; Daniel 9:24-27. That the citation from Psalms 2:7 has reference to the resurrection of Christ, as the first-born from the dead, is manifest from the application which Paul makes of it in Acts 13:33. See note on Hebrews 1:5. And it seems to follow, therefore, from our premises, that the beginning of Christ’s priesthood, as well as the beginning of his mediatorial reign, was subsequent to his resurrection.
Before he could be thus honored, he must by the grace of God taste death for every man. He must go down into the lowest depths of human suffering, before he could be raised to the royal and sacerdotal honors of the kingdom of grace which he came to inaugurate through the medium and efficacy of his own blood.
These honors were in fact bestowed on him as the rewards of his sufferings; and must therefore of necessity come after them. But as already intimated in our notes on 2: 17, it will not do to infer hence that he had never, in any case, previous to his resurrection, acted as a King or a Priest. We often embarrass ourselves by prescribing for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit the same narrow and technical formulae which govern us in our imperfect operations. It must not be forgotten that Christ was God, one with the Father, and that his whole earthly ministry was, in fact, but a preparation for his mediatorial reign and everlasting priesthood. During this period of preparation he performed some acts involving of necessity the exercise of both his royal and sacerdotal prerogatives. But these acts were all preparatory and extraordinary, so that we may still without doing violence to the Scriptures, assume the resurrection of Christ as the beginning of those honors which resulted in his being made both the High Priest, and the King of the new Institution. See notes on Hebrews 7:17 Hebrews 7:27.
Hebrews 5:6 —As he saith also in another place, etc.—In quoting as above from Psalms 2:7, the Apostle makes no special reference to the honors of the priesthood. His object is more general. He aims simply to prove that God had honored Christ, as his own Son, by raising him from the dead and placing him at his own right hand as the anointed Sovereign of the universe. And from this it might, of course, be fairly inferred that the office of the priesthood, as well as all the other honors of the Son, was bestowed on him by the Father. But the special proof of this, the Apostle now brings forward in a quotation from Psalms 110, where David says, “Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand till I make thy enemies thy footstool.” Then addressing the Messiah whom he here calls his Lord, he says, Jehovah shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion; rule thou in the midst of thy enemies. Thy people shall be free-will offerings in the day of thy power; in ornaments of holiness ; from the womb of the morning shall be to thee the dew of thy youth.
And then he adds, “Jehovah has sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.” That this is a Messianic Psalm, and that the Holy Spirit speaks here of the priesthood of Christ, is manifest from the scope of the Psalm itself, as well as from the several references which are made to it in the New Testament. See note on 1: 13. And hence the evidence is conclusive, that Christ glorified not himself by assuming the honors of the priesthood, but that he has been made both a King and a Priest by the decree of Jehovah.
The word forever means here, as in many other passages of Scripture, while time endures. As the duration of the Aaronic priesthood was coextensive with the Jewish age (Exodus 40:15; Numbers 25:13), so also is the duration of Christ’s priesthood to be coextensive with the Christian age. But at the close of the Christian dispensation, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24), then also he will doubtless cease to act as a Priest; for then the object of his priesthood, as well as of his mediatorial reign, will have been accomplished. In the New Jerusalem there will be no sin, and of course no more need of a sin- offering.
Hebrews 5:6 —after the order of Melchisedec.—The proper import of this expression is more fully and clearly set forth in the seventh chapter. Suffice it to say in this connection, that as Melchisedec was a king upon his throne, as well as a priest so also is Christ. (Zechariah 6:13.) In this respect, as well as in several others, the rank (taxis) of Melchisedec was superior to that of Aaron. See notes on Hebrews 7:1-10.
Hebrews 5:7 —Who in the days of his flesh,—That the pronoun “who” in this connection refers to Christ, as the proper subject of the discourse, and not to Melchisedec, is quite obvious. But what is its proper predicate? What did Jesus do, when, in the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death? The proper answer to this question is given in the eighth verse, as will be seen by simply omitting the pleonastic “he” of the English Version. Thus, “Who . . . though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered.” The object of the Apostle in these verses, is manifestly to show that Jesus was not only called of God from among men to officiate as a High Priest for men in things pertaining to God; but that having passed also through the deepest scenes of human suffering, and having thereby learned lessons of practical obedience and submission to the will of his Father, he is now most eminently qualified to sympathize with us, and also to aid and comfort us in all our trials, temptations, and afflictions. But let us now look more narrowly into the meaning of the several words and phrases of this profoundly interesting passage. “In the days of his flesh” means simply the period of his humiliation, while he appeared here on Earth as a man. “Flesh and blood,” we are told (1 Corinthians 15:50), “can not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Christ’s body is now glorified and freed from all the weaknesses and infirmities of the flesh. (Philippians 3:21.) But it was not so while he tabernacled here on Earth. Then, he had a body in all respects such as we now have, save that it was in no sense defiled and corrupted by sin.
Hebrews 5:7 —when he had offered up prayers and supplications, etc.— This expression restricts the meaning of the preceding remark to a particular period of Christ’s earthly mission. True, indeed, during his whole life, and particularly during the period of his public ministry, he learned obedience from what he suffered. But it is evident that the Apostle has special reference here to his final sufferings, beginning with his agony in Gethsemane and ending with his greater agony on the cross. From these especially, he learned obedience. And while suffering in the garden, he poured out his prayers and supplications, no doubt, with strong crying and tears “to Him who was able to save him from death.” Such at least is the natural inference from the following testimony of Luke. He says, “when he [Jesus] was at the place [Gethsemane], he said unto them [his disciples], Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven strengthening him. And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly ; and his sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:40-44.) From this it seems that his mental agony was so intensely great as to cause both his sweat and blood to issue from the pores of his oppressed body. Instances of a like nature, under excessive passion, are mentioned by Aristotle, Diodorus, Siculus, Galen, Sir John Chardin, Voltaire, and others. And hence it is reasonable to suppose, that under the extreme agony of the hour, the prayers and supplications of Christ would be mingled, as our author says, with loud exclamations and tears of the deepest anguish.
The Greek words rendered prayers and supplications (deeseis te kai hiketerias) are often used interchangeably for prayers in general. But when used together, as in this instance, the former denotes such petitions as flow from a sense of our wants; and the latter, such as are prompted by a deep sense of our own helplessness. The word hiketeria is properly an adjective; and with the noun elaia expressed or understood, it was used by the Greeks to denote the olive branch, borne by supplicants in token of their very humble and earnest entreaties. And hence it came, by metonymy, to signify the prayer of anyone, who, in an humble and servile manner, asks help of another. The following brief extract from Livy will serve to illustrate this passage: “Ten delegates from the Socrians, squalid and covered with rags, came into the hall where the consuls were sitting, holding out in their hands olive branches covered with wool, according to the custom of the Greeks; and prostrated themselves on the ground before the tribunal with a lamentable cry.” (L. xxix. 16.) Their supplications were availing. By a decree of the Roman Senate, the consul, Q Pleminius, the oppressor of the Socrians, was arrested, loaded with chains, and confined in a dungeon, where he finally expired.
Hebrews 5:7===to him who was able to save him from death,—These words are well explained by a remark which Jesus made to Peter, when he drew his sword to defend Jesus from the violence of the multitude. (Matthew 26:53-54.) “Thinkest thou,” said he. “that I can not now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?” Ah, yes, that was the difficulty. “How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled?” Jesus well knew that either he himself must die for mankind, or otherwise that the whole race must perish forever. There seems to have been no other possible alternative. And therefore, bitter as the cup was, he did not hesitate to drink it to its very dregs.
Hebrews 5:7 —and was heard in that he feared;—This has long been a perplexing passage to most expositors. Delitzsch renders the Greek text as follows: “and having been heard because of his piety”; Alford, thus: “and he was heard by reason of his reverent submission.” With these learned authors, agree substantially many other able commentators. But to my mind this rendering is not satisfactory. For (1) it gives a very unusual meaning to the Greek preposition apo, which generally corresponds with the Latin ab or abs, and means from. Winer says, “It is used to denote simply the point from which motion or action proceeds; and hence it implies distance or separation.” (2) While it is, of course, conceded that the word eulabia may mean “piety” or “reverent submission,” I cannot think but that the rendering “godly fear,” or “reverential fear,” is more suitable to the occasion, and that it better harmonizes with the terms and conditions of the context. This, too, corresponds well with the etymology of the word and also with Greek usage. “Eulabeia,” says Prof.
Trench, “which occurs only twice in the New Testament (Hebrews 5:7 Hebrews 12:28) and on each occasion signifies piety contemplated on the side on which it is a fear of God, is of course from eu lambanesthai\ the image underlying the word being that of a careful taking hold of, the cautious handling of some precious yet delicate vessel, which with ruder or less anxious handling might be broken. But such a carefulness and cautiousness in the conducting of affairs, springing as no doubt it does in part from a fear of miscarriage, easily lies open to the charge of timidity.
Thus Demosthenes claims for himself that he was only eitlabes [cautious], where his enemies charged him with being deilos [timid] and atolmos [cowardly]. It is not wonderful then that fear should have come to be regarded as an essential element of eulabeia; though, for the most part, no dishonorable fear; but such as a wise and good man might not be ashamed to entertain.” (Syn. of the N. Test.) (3) I am at a loss to see why the piety of Christ should be assigned as a reason for his being heard on this or any other particular occasion. This sounds too much as a mere truism. Who that believes in Christ as the Son of God ever doubted this? “I know,” said he, addressing his Father, “that thou hearest me always.” (John 11:42.)
For these reasons chiefly I am constrained to think with Calvin, Beza, Erasmus, Bengal, Hammond, Wetstein, Storr, Ernesti, Kuinoel, DeWette, Stuart, Tholuck, Ebrard, and others, that the expression should be rendered substantially as in our Common Version, “he was heard from his pious fear”; that is, he was heard and so delivered from his pious and reverential fear. The word heard (eisakoustheis) is used in a pregnant sense, as in Psalms 22:21; where David, speaking as a type of Christ, says in reference to his last sufferings, “Thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns” ; which is equivalent to saying, Thou hast heard my supplications, and delivered me from the horns of the unicorns. Such instances of brachylogy occur very frequently in the Holy Scriptures.
We conclude, then, that Christ’s prayers and supplications were heard, and that he was in a measure delivered from his reverential fear. But what was the object of this fear? Not death, as Calvin and others suppose; for from this he was not delivered in the sense of the context. He had to meet and suffer death in its most appalling forms, soon after his agony in the garden. But be it remembered (1) that Christ was a man; and that, as a man, he possessed all the sinless feelings and propensities of our nature. As a man, he had a heart to fear and tremble, like other men, in view of great undertakings and responsibilities. (2) That while in the garden, he was on the eve of incurring, not merely physical death, for that was only a circumstance, but a degree of mental agony, arising from his feelings of moral obligation, ^at which even the angels might have stood appalled.
He was about to stand between God and man, and meet in his own person the claims of the Divine government against the sinner. He knew that in a little while his Father’s face would be hid from him; and that his frail human nature would be literally crushed under the tremendous weight of the responsibilities which he had incurred.
And (3) it should also be remembered, that the hour of his adversaries had come, and that he was then delivered up to be most severely tried and tempted by the Evil One. (Luke 22:53.) Christ knew this; and he earnestly warned his disciples to be vigilant and to pray, lest indeed they should all be overcome by the Tempter. (Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38; Luke 22:40.) But it was of course against Christ himself that Satan was about to direct most of his fiery darts. The Tempter came, and doubtless presented every motive that Hell could invent that might serve to terrify him; to weaken his trust and confidence in God; to make him apprehensive that he might not be equal to the occasion; and to induce him to shrink back from the appalling scene that was before him. The temptation to do so was no doubt very great, and his agony became most alarming. His whole physical frame was so impressed by his mental emotions that sweat and blood, as we have seen, issued from the pores of his oppressed body. But his prayers were heard. An angel was sent to strengthen him. (Luke 22:43.) He was now in a measure delivered from his pious and fearful apprehensions; and he rose from the ground, returned to his disciples, and calmly met the ruthless mob that were coming to lead him to the cross.
But there a still more intense agony awaited him. Though somewhat relieved from his pious yet fearful apprehension that, as a man, he would not be equal to the occasion; and that he might per- adventure fail to so meet and satisfy the claims of the Divine government on man as to make it possible for God to justify penitent believers, he had nevertheless now to meet and endure the solemn and awful reality. He had to pass through such a spiritual ordeal as no creature had ever before experienced. The nails that pierced his hands and his feet were but as nothing. Persons of ordinary strength generally lived on the cross from one to four or five days, and sometimes even longer. But Jesus, though in the prime of manhood, survived but six hours after his crucifixion.
The weight of our indebtedness to the Divine government fell like a mountain avalanche on his soul. The light of God’s countenance was withheld; and a horror of appalling darkness overwhelmed his spirit. He could bear no more. He said, “It is finished.” His heart broke under the weight of his mental agony; and he meekly bowed his head and expired! See Dr. Stroud’s treatise “On the Physical Cause of the Death of Christ.”
Hebrews 5:8 —Though he were a Son, etc.—Though he was the Son of God, he claimed no special privileges on that account; but as a loyal subject of the Divine government, he submitted willingly to all that was required of him as the Redeemer of the world. And thus he not only magnified God’s law and “made it honorable”; but he also, as a man, learned experimentally both the duty and the necessity of obedience, from what he suffered.
Hebrews 5:9 —And being made perfect,—By means of these sufferings, he was made a perfect Savior; that is, he was thereby fully qualified in every respect to become the Redeemer of mankind. See note on 2: 10. And now he offers salvation freely to all them that obey him. It is not his purpose to save men in their sins, but to save them from their sins. And hence, though he has by the grace of God tasted death for every man and so made an atonement for all, he nevertheless bestows salvation only on those who obey him. “Not every one,” says he, “that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7 Matthew 21.)
- Hebrews 5:10 —Called of God an high priest—This is the title of honor which the Father bestowed on the Son,Three examples of punishment from the Old Testament, as evidence of the fact that the heretics of which he warned would not escape the vengeance of God.
(a) The unfaithful Israelites in the wilderness. (Jude 1:5; Jude 1:8.)
(b) The angels which sinned. (Jude 1:6; Jude 1:9.)
(c) The cities of the plain. (Jude 1:7; Jude 1:10.)
- Three instances of individual wickedness. (Jude 1:11.)
When he set him at his own right hand in the heavenly realms. There he will reign as a King, and thereHow very encouraging is the thought that we have now a great High Priest in the heavens, through whose efficacious atonement and intercession, the throne of the universe has become a throne of grace to all penitent believers. (4: 14-16.) Though in and of ourselves utterly unworthy of the least of all God’s mercies, we can nevertheless now approach him in the name of Jesus, and through the rich merits of his atoning blood, find grace sufficient to supply all our wants. “For this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us.” (1 John 5:14.) “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?” “Ask,” then, “and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
What a marvelous thing it is, then, that all men do not, in obedience to the Divine Call, approach the Throne of grace; and in the name of our ascended High Priest seek for those blessings which we all so much need. Like the poor thoughtless wayward prodigal, millions are perishing in a strange land, for want of the bread of life; while in our Father’s house there is enough for all and to spare. “Come now,” says God to his erring children, “come, and let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18.) And again he says, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money [come] ; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isaiah 55:1.) And yet the poor demented sinner goes on in his follies, as careless and indifferent as if no blood had been shed for him, and as if no Throne of grace had been provided for his benefit! What a marvelous illustration we have in all this of the exceeding sinfulness and deceitfulness of sin.
Religion has been provided for the benefit of mankind. (Hebrews 5:1-4.) Not only is every High Priest, taken from among men, ordained for men, in things pertaining to God; but the whole scheme of redemption has been provided for a like purpose. It is for our sake that Jesus became incarnate. For us, he suffered, and bled, and died. For us, he ascended to the heavens, and paid the ransom price of our redemption. For us, he sent the Holy Spirit to be in us as a well of water springing up into everlasting life. For us, he has founded the Church, and endowed it with all the ordinances of his grace.
For us, he has provided the Holy Scriptures and all things else pertaining to life and godliness. And hence it follows, that if we are straitened in any respect, it is simply in ourselves, and not in God, nor in the bountiful provisions of his grace. “Ye will not come unto me,” says Christ, “that ye may have life.” (John 5:40.)
How infinitely great must have been the sufferings of Christ for us. (Hebrews 5:5-10.) These we shall never be able to comprehend fully. The claims of the Divine government on fallen man is a question that far transcends the reach and capacity of our finite reason. And hence we can never compute the ransom that was paid for our redemption. But we may form some faint conception of what Jesus suffered on our account from what is recorded in the last few pages of his memoirs. How very significant, for instance, were the loud exclamations which he uttered, and the briny tears which he shed in the garden of Gethsemane! How expressive were the drops of bloody sweat which then and there fell from his oppressed body to the Earth!
And above all, what a world of mental agony is indicated by the rupture of his heart! Remember, dear sinner, that all this was endured for us. For what the Law of Moses could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God has done by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and by an offering for sin has condemned sin in the flesh; so that the righteousness required by the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4.) Who, then, can withhold his heart and his affections from such a Savior ? Who that understands this matter as he should, is not constrained to give up his soul, his life, and his all to the service of him who has done so much for our redemption ?
And this, be it observed, is just what every man is required to give, who would enjoy the great salvation that has been so freely procured for us through the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. He has become “the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him” (verse 9). We are of course saved by grace through faith; and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8.) But nevertheless, it has pleased God to make our enjoyment of the purchased blessings depend on a willing observance of all that is required of us in the Gospel. Thus it is that God permits and enables us to show our loyalty to him and to his government; to educate and prepare ourselves for Heaven; and at the same time, to do good to all men as we may have opportunity. he will intercede for his people as a Priest upon his throne, until he shall have perfected the redeemed, and delivered up the Kingdom to the Father. After that there will be no more need of either a Mediator or an Intercessor.
There can be no doubt, therefore, that Jesus is eminently qualified to act as a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God. For (1) he has received his appointment directly from God as did Aaron. (2) Being the Son of God, he occupies a rank far above all created intelligences; and is able therefore to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him. (3) He has borne temptations, trials, and afflictions, incomparably greater than those endured by any other man. And hence he knows well how to sympathize with the afflicted, and how to support and deliver those that are tempted. (4) He has by his own obedience unto death learned the necessity of a strict compliance with all the requirements of the Divine law. And hence he knows how to support and save those that obey him.
Hebrews 5:11-14
AN TO THE HEBREW
ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR
TO THE STUDY OF GOD’S WORD
Hebrews 5:11 —Of whom—(peri hou) concerning which. These words have been variously applied (1) to Melchisedec, (2) to Christ, and (3) to the priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchisedec, as the leading and proper subject of the discourse. The last of these views is adopted by Hofmann, Delitzsch, Moll, and others: and it is certainly the view which harmonizes best with the context. The reference to Christ, as Delitzsch justly remarks, is too remote; and the reference to Melchisedec is too narrow. It is not of Christ personally, nor is it of Melchisedec personally, that our author has so much to say; but is of the priesthood of Christ, the subject of the last section, about which he wishes to say much to his readers. This is obvious from what immediately follows this digression, in the course of the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth chapters.
Hebrews 5:11 —hard to be uttered,—(dusermenentos) difficult of interpretation. There is no profounder theme, nor is there any one that is more difficult of interpretation, than the priesthood of Christ. To treat of it fully involves the consideration of man’s fallen and sinful state; his indebtedness to the Divine government; the shedding of Christ’s blood and all that he endured for the sins of the world; the ransom which he paid for our redemption; the efficacy of his blood and his intercessions, through which the gates of Heaven have been opened wide for the reception of every poor penitent sinner who comes to God by ‘him.
Hebrews 5:11 —dull of hearing.—The word rendered dull (nothroi) means sluggish, indolent, slow to move; and that which is rendered hearing (tais akoais) means the ears or perceptive faculties of the soul. These were sluggish and inert. Instead of quickening the powers of their understanding and the susceptibilities of their heart, by the regular and systematic study of God’s word, many of the Hebrew Christians had become (gegonate) dull in their apprehension of spiritual things.
Hebrews 5:12 —For when for the time—From what is said in this verse, Mynster, Ebrard, and some others, confidently infer that the Epistle was not sent to the Church of Jerusalem. For this, we know, was the mother of all the churches; and as 3he enjoyed for some time the instruction of all the Apostles, and the instruction of James the Less, son of Alphaeus, till about A.D. 62, according to Josephus (Ant. xx. 9, 1) ; or even to A.D. 69, according to Hege- sippus and Eusebius (Eccl. Hist. ii. 23) ; it is thought that such ignorance of the word of God, as is here implied, could not be fairly ascribed to this most favored of all the primitive churches. This is certainly a very plausible objection against the commonly received hypothesis that the Epistle was addressed primarily to the saints living in and around Jerusalem. But be it observed (1) that there had evidently been a backward movement among the disciples for whom this Epistle was written. Ye have become (gegonate) dull in your hearing, says the Apostle; and ye have become such as have need of milk and not of solid food.
They had evidently seen and known more prosperous times; but they had ceased to be diligent students of the word of God, and had therefore relapsed somewhat into the darkness and errors of the judaiz- ing party. (2) This is not at all wonderful, when we consider the very unfavorable state of affairs that was then prevailing in Jerusalem, and indeed throughout Palestine. The same spirit of persecution that seized and imprisoned Paul in A.D. 58, continued to rage in Judea, until Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70.
And hence it is not at all remarkable that, under such circumstances, many of the weaker brethren should become somewhat disheartened. (3) We are not to suppose that the Apostle here describes the actual condition of all the disciples to whom the Epistle was written. Perhaps no more than a minority of them are really included in this severe admonition. Paul often speaks in this general way, when he has really reference to only a part of those that are addressed. See, for example, 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 1 Corinthians 5:2 1 Corinthians 6:5-6. This, he manifestly does in this instance. Some of the Hebrew converts had become discouraged.
Their hands were hanging down, and their knees were feeble. (Hebrews 12:12-13.) They were almost ready to abandon the Christian conflict, and fall back again into the embrace of Judaism. Others were daily becoming more and more slothful; and there was therefore great need just at this crisis, of the severe rebuke which the Apostle here administers to them, as well as of the many encouragements with which he labors to sustain and support them.
But that many of his readers were still strong in the faith, and fully prepared to comprehend even the highest mysteries of the Gospel, when properly unfolded and illustrated, is evident from the fact, that after making this brief digression, he proceeds at once to the regular and systematic discussion of Christ’s priesthood. There seems, therefore, to be no just ground for the above allegation of Ebrard and others, that the Epistle was not addressed to the Hebrew Christians living in and around Jerusalem.
Hebrews 5:12 —ye ought to be teachers,—The Apostle does not mean by this, that the Hebrew brethren should all be teachers in a public and official sense; but simply that they should be able to explain the Gospel to others in their several places and relations, as parents, neighbors, and friends. The Church of Christ is a school for the improvement of all its members; and while it is certainly impossible for everyone to become an efficient Elder or Evangelist, it is nevertheless the duty of all to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18.)
Hebrews 5:12 —ye have need, etc.—Instead of going forward, they had, it seems, rather gone backward in their knowledge of Divine things; so that they had need to be instructed again in the very elements of the Christian Religion. Our author does not mean to say, as in our English Version, that his readers had need to be instructed again as to “which be [are] the first principles of the Oracles of God.” It is not of their incapacity to distinguish between the rudiments of the Gospel and its more profound and mysterious principles, but of their ignorance of the rudiments themselves, that the Apostle here complains. And ‘hence with Luther, Calvin, Bleek, Alford, etc., I would render the passage as follows: “Ye again have need that some one teach you the rudiments of the beginning of the Oracles of God.” The word oracle (logion) means simply a Divine utterance, a communication from God. It occurs but four times in the New Testament (Acts 7:38; Romans 3:2; Hebrews 5:12; 1 Peter 4:11), in all of which it clearly means the inspired utterances of God. In this instance, it has reference to the communications of God made known to us in the Gospel; the elements of Which are given in Hebrews 6:1-2.
Hebrews 5:13 —For every one that useth milk, etc.—This language is of course metaphorical. As newborn babes in the kingdom of nature need to be fed on milk, so also it is with babes in the Kingdom of Christ. They, too, must be fed with “the pure milk of the word” that they may grow thereby. (1 Peter 2:2.) And hence Paul says to the brethren in Corinth, “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat [solid food] ; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it; neither yet now are ye able.” (1 Corinthians 3:2.) And so also he says here to the Hebrew brethren, “Ye are become such as have need of milk [the mere rudiments, or elementary lessons, of the Christian Religion], and not of solid food [the more difficult and profound instructions of the Gospel]. “For every one,” he says, “that partakes of milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness; for he is but a babe in Christ.” By the “word of righteousness/’ the Apostle means simply the word of the Gospel, in which God’s plan of righteousness by faith is revealed in order to faith (Romans 1:17) ; so that being justified by faith we may attain to the righteousness that is required of every believer.
Hebrews 5:14 —But strong meat belongeth, etc.—In both this and the preceding verse, there is a blending together of the literal and the figurative; but not to such an extent as to obscure in any way the sense of either passage. Indeed, the meaning is so very plain in both cases, that our author does not deem it necessary to complete the allegory; but having introduced his subject by means of an illustrating metaphor, he very beautifully and with laconic brevity combines the literal and the figurative in the same clause. The analogy may be stated fully as follows: As solid food belongs only to those who are of full age, and who, by reason of habitual exercise, have their senses so perfectly educated, as to be able to discern through them the physical properties of bodies; so also the more profound and abstruse principles of the Christian Religion, such as the priesthood of Christ, his atonement, etc., are suitable only for those, who, from long study and experience in the school of Christ, have their inward senses so trained as to be able to discriminate accurately between the right and the wrong, the good and the evil. The idea is, that discipline of both head and heart is essentially necessary in order to qualify Christians for the right apprehension and just appreciation of the more difficult parts of the Christian system. Every faculty of man’s intellectual and moral nature, as well as every part of his physical organization, is developed, strengthened, and quickened, by means of a judicious course of exercise. And the disciple who habitually neglects this course of discipline, can never attain to the stature of a perfect man in Christ Jesus.
By the necessities of his own nature, he will ever remain but, as it were, a babe in Christ; if indeed he does not utterly fall away from all the hopes and consolations of the Gospel. This neglect of study and moral discipline was the great error and misfortune of the Hebrews. Many of them, it would seem, had never progressed beyond the mere alphabet of the Christian Religion. And hence they were but illy prepared to enter with the Apostle on the consideration of the many difficult and sublime themes that are discussed in the following chapters.
The word rendered senses (aistheteria) means properly the physical organs of sensation, such as the eyes, the ears, and the fingers, through which we perceive the qualities and properties of things that are material. But metaphorically, it signifies, as in this connection, the faculties of the soul, by means of which we discriminate between those things which differ in their moral qualities.