The general construction of the sentence favours the latter view. The thought of a High-priest who has taken His seat on the right hand of God, who is King as well as Priest, is clearly the prominent thought in the sentence. It has not found distinct expression before; and it is the main point in the whole discussion on Christ's High-priestly work, from which the conviction of the efficacy of His one sacrifice follows. His Session on the divine throne shews that He is sovereign of the Kingdom which He has established by His Death; and at the same time this fact explains what seems to men His delay in the Sanctuary (Heb. 10:13).
The use of
kefavlaion
without the article in such a construction is strictly correct. It stands in apposition with the statement which follows. Comp. Rom. 8:3.
ejpi; toi'" legomevnoi"
] in the case of, in the consideration of,
the things which are now being said
, in the argument which we are now conducting. The reference is to the whole subject of Christ's High-priesthood which is still under discussion, and not to what has been advanced before (
toi'" eijrhmevnoi"
). For
ejpiv
compare Lk. 5:5; (Heb. 11:4).
toiou'ton
...
o}" ejkavqisen
...] The pronoun (
toiou'to"
) may be taken either as retrospective (we have such a High-priest as has been already described, and He sat down...), or as prospective (we have such a High-priest...as sat down...). The parallel in Heb. 7:26 f. is not decisive either way (see note). The context however seems to require that Christ's kingly dignity in the exercise of His priestly office should be specially emphasised, so that the second sense is to be preferred: We have a High-priest who fulfils His office in royal dignity, not as priests on earth; and the scene of His ministry is heaven.
o}" ejkavqisen
...] Compare Heb. 10:12; 12:2 (
kekavqiken
). The image is taken from Ps. 110 The writer of the Epistle is at length able to repeat, after gaining a full view of the significance of the statement, what he had said at the beginning Heb. 1:3
ejkavqisen ejn dexia'/ th'" megalwsuvnh" ejn uJyhloi'"
(note).
Tou'to
(the sitting down)
oujci; tou' iJerevw" ajlla; touvtou w|/ iJera'sqai ejkei'non crhv
(Chrys.).
qeo;n e[comen ajrciereva
:
to; ga;r kaqh'sqai oujdeno;" a[llou
h] qeou'
(Theophlct). The idea of taking the seat (
ejkavqisen
) is distinct from that of sitting (
kavqhtai
). Compare Heb. 1:13 note.
In this connexion the full meaning of passages like Apoc. 3:21 becomes clear. Christ makes His people also kings and priests. A striking illustration is quoted from
Shemoth R.
§ 8 (
Wunsche
, p. 74). A king of flesh and blood does not set his crown on another, but God (Blessed be He) will set His crown on King Messiah: Cant. 5:11; Ps. 21:3.
ejn dex. tou' qr. th'" megal.
] Latt.
in dextera sedis magnitudinis.
Comp.
Heb. 1:3 ejn dexia'/ th'" megalwsuvnh" and note. The power ( hr:WbGh' ) was a
common Rabbinic name for God in His Majesty: we heard it from the mouth of the Power. Comp. Buxtorf, Lex. s. v. ; and Mark 14:62 ejk dexiw'n th'" Dunavmew" .
The phrase the throne of the Divine Majesty is chosen with reference to the Glory which rested on the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies: Lev. 16:2; comp. Ex. 25:22.