by sin.
The completed atonement wrought by Christ (
having made
) is distinguished from His eternal being and His work through all time in the support of created things (
being, bearing
); and it is connected with His assumption of sovereign power in His double Nature at the right hand of God (
having made...He sat
...). Thus the phrase prepares for the main thought of the Epistle, the High-priestly work of Christ, which is first distinctly introduced in Heb. 2:17.
poihsavmeno"
] The Vulgate, from the defectiveness of Latin participles, fails to give the sense:
purgationem peccatorum faciens
(compare Heb. 1:1
loquens
). In 5:14 (
missi
) there is the converse error. The Old Latin had avoided this error but left the thought indefinite,
purificatione (purgatione) peccatorum facta.
The use of the middle ( poihsavmeno" ) suggests the thought which the late gloss dij eJautou' made more distinct. Christ Himself, in His own Person, made the purification: He did not make it as something distinct from Himself, simply provided by His power. Compare mneivan poiei'sqai Rom. 1:9; Eph. 1:16, c poiei'sqai dehvsei" 1 Tim. 2:1; Luke 5:33; John 14:23, & c. kaq. tw'n aJmartiw'n ] 2 Pet. 1:9 (personally applied). Compare Exod. 30:10 (LXX.); Job 7:21 (LXX.). Elsewhere the word kaqarismov" is used only of legal purification (Luke 2:22; Mark 1:44 || Luke 5:14; John 2:6; 3:25). The verb kaqarivzein is also used but rarely of sin: Heb. 10:2 (9:14); 1 John 1:7, 9. Comp. Acts 15:9; Eph. 5:26; Tit. 2:14 (2 Cor. 7:1; James 4:8).
There is perhaps a reference to the imperfection of the Aaronic purifications (compare Lev. 16:30) which is dwelt upon afterwards, Heb. 10:1 ff.
The genitive (
kaq. aJmartiw'n
) may express either
(1) the cleansing
of
sins,
i.e.
the removal of the sins. Compare Matt. 8:3; Job 7:21 (Ex. 30:10),
or (2) the cleansing (of the person)
from
sins. Comp. Heb. 9:15. The former appears to be the right meaning. See Additional Note.
tw'n aJmartiw'n
]
of sins
generally. Comp. Col. 1:14; Eph. 1:7. Elsewhere
hJmw'n
(or
aujtw'n
) is added: Matt. 1:21; Gal. 1:4; 1 Cor. 15:3; 1 John 4:10; Apoc. 1:5. Contrast John 1:29 (
th;n aJmartivan
). For the contrast of the sing. and pl. see Heb. 9:26, 28; 10:18, 26.
The result of this purification is the foundation of a Holy Church (comp. John 13:10 n.). The hindrance to the approach to God is removed. ejkavqisen ] Heb. 8:1; 10:12; 12:2. Comp. Eph. 1:20 ( kaqivsa" ); Apoc. 3:21. Kaqivsai (intrans.) expresses the solemn taking of the seat of authority, and not merely the act of sitting. Comp. Matt. 5:1; 19:28; 25:31.
The phrase marks the fulfilment of Ps. 110:1; Matt. 22:44 and parallels; Acts 2:34; and so it applies only to the risen Christ. Angels are always represented as standing (Is. 6:2; 1 Kings 22:19) or falling on their faces: and so the priests ministered, comp. Heb. 10:11. Only princes of the house of
David could sit in the court ( hr:z:[} , H6478) of the Temple (Biesenthal). Hence
the man of sin so asserts himself: 2 Thess. 2:4. Bernard says in commenting on the title thrones (Col. 1:16): nec vacat Sessio: tranquillitatis insigne est
(
de consid.
v. 4, 10).
ejn dexia'/
] 5:13. The idea is of course of dignity and not of place (dextra