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that self-surrender which was required, even to death upon the cross (comp. Phil. 2:8).

The Lord's manhood was (negatively) sinless and (positively) perfect, that is perfect relatively at every stage; and therefore He truly advanced by ‘learning’ (Luke 2:52, 40 plhrouvmenon ), while the powers of His human Nature grew step by step in a perfect union with the divine in His one Person. th;n uJpakohvn ] obedience in all its completeness, the obedience which answers to the idea. It is not said that the Lord ‘learned to obey.’ For the difference between e[maqen th;n uJpak. and e[m. uJpak. see 1 John 3:10 note; and contrast 2 Cor. 10:5 eij" th;n uJpak. t. cr. with Rom. 1:5 eij" uJpak. Pist. The word ‘obedience’ contains a reference to the occasion of sin. Man's fall was due to disobedience: his restoration comes through obedience. Comp. Rom. 5:19.

The alliteration in the phrase e[maqen ajfj w|n e[paqen is common in Greek literature from the time of Herodotus downwards: Hdt. 1.207 ta; dev moi paqhvmata ejovnta ajcavrista maqhvmata gevgonen . AEsch. Agam. v.177 pavqei mavqo" (comp. 250); Philo, de Somn. ii. § 15 (1.673 M.) ajnafqevgxetai o} (so read, not oJ ) paqw;n ajkribw'" e[maqen . de spec. leg. 6 (2.340 M.) i{na ejk tou' paqei'n mavqh/ . Wetstein has collected many examples.

Heb. 5:9, 10. Christ, it has been seen, satisfies the conditions of High- priesthood. He has received divine appointment: He is inspired with the completest sympathy. But His High-priesthood goes immeasurably beyond that of the Levitical system in its efficacy. As He is in His humanity superior to Moses (Heb. 3:1 ff. note), so He is superior to Aaron. The one fact has been affirmed directly (3:5 f.): the other fact is shewn in a type (Melchizedek). And this superiority is further shewn in the action of Christ as High-priest. The Levitical High-priest entered into the Holy of Holies through the blood of goats and calves , but Christ through His own blood to the presence of God Himself (comp. Heb. 9:11 ff.). Yet further, the reference to Ps. 110 necessarily includes the thought of the Royal priesthood which is developed afterwards. 5:9. kai; teleiwqeiv" ...] and having been made perfect ... Vulg. et consummatus ... Syr. and thus was perfected and ... Comp. 2:10 note.

This perfection was seen on the one side in the complete fulfilment of man's destiny by Christ through absolute self-sacrifice, and on the other in His exaltation to the right hand of God, which was in the divine order its due consequence. Comp. Heb. 2:9 dia; to; pavqhma . Phil. 2:9. Thus the word, which carries with it the conception of Christ's complete preparation for the execution of His priestly office, suggests the contrast between His priestly action and that of Aaron.
ejgevneto ] became in the fulfilment of what we conceive of as a natural law. It is said ‘became’ and not ‘becomes’ or ‘is,’ because on the divine side and in the eternal order the issue of Christ's work is complete. For genevsqai see Heb. 5:5; 1:4; 2:17; 6:20; 7:22, 26.

Comp. Rom. 8:29 f.; Col. 3:1 ff. pa'sin toi'" uJpakouvousin ] to all that obey Him , Gentiles as well as Jews. Comp. John 1:7. In this connexion continuous active obedience is the sign of real faith (contrast 4:3 oiJ pisteuvsante" ). The obedience of the believer to Christ answers to the obedience of the Son to the Father. By obedience fellowship is made complete. Si obedientia Filii causa est salutis humanae,


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