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suggests the grandeur of the position in which the Christian is placed as compared with that of the Jew: ‘ Let us therefore , trusting the divine power and the human sympathy of ‘Jesus the Son of God,’ draw near , as priests ourselves in fellowship with our High-priest,—and not remain standing afar off as the congregation of Israel,— to the throne of grace , no symbolic mercy- seat, but the very centre of divine sovereignty and love...’
prosercwvmeqa ] The word occurs here for the first time in the Epistle (comp. Heb. 7:25 note; 10:1, 22; 11:6). It is used in the LXX. for the priestly approach to God in service: e.g., Lev. 21:17, 21; 22:3, though it has also a wider application. That right of priestly approach is now extended to all Christians. Comp. Apoc. 1:6; 5:10; (20:6); 1 Pet. 2:5, 9. See also ejggivzomen , Heb. 7:19, note.

The power of sympathy in our High Priest is made effective by the power of help: per hoc enim quod similia passus est potest compati; et per hoc quod Deus est in utraque substantia potest misereri (Primas. ad c. v.). meta; parrhsiva" ] Latt. cum fiducia. (The Syr. Pesh. gives, as elsewhere, ‘ with eye (face) open. ’) So Acts 2:29; 4:29, 31; 28:31. St Paul uses ejn parrhsiva/ Eph. 6:19; Phil. 1:20; Col. 2:15; St John parrhsiva/ 7:13 c h] mhde;n pro;" th;n pivstin distavzonte", h] o{ti nenivkhke to;n kovsmon (John 16:33), dh'lon ou\n o{ti nikhvsei kai; tou;" nu'n hJma'" qlivbonta" (OEcum.). The phrase is perhaps used here in the primary sense, ‘giving utterance to every thought and feeling and wish,’ though the word parrhsiva is used more generally elsewhere in the epistle: Heb. 3:6; 10:19, 35.
tw'/ qrovnw/ th'" cavrito" ] The phrase is to be compared with qrovno" dovxh" (Matt. 19:28; 25:31; 1 Sam. 2:8; Jer. 14:21; 17:12; Ecclus. 47:11); oJ qrovno" th'" megalwsuvnh" (Heb. 8:1), qrovno" ajnomiva" (Ps. 93:20 (94:20)), qrovno" aijsqhvsew" (Prov. 12:23). The gen. in each case seems to express that which is shewn in a position of sovereign power. Thus the ‘throne of grace’ is that revelation of God's Presence in which His grace is shewn in royal majesty. Of this revelation the glory over the mercy-seat was a faint symbol.

Philo speaks also of oJ ejlevou bwmov" de exsecr. § 7 (2.434 M.); and Clement describes Christians as having come uJpo; to;n zugo;n th'" cavrito" [ tou' kurivou ] (1 Cor. 16).

Qrovno" cavritov" ejstin (Ps. 110:1) ouj qrovno" krivsew" nu'n ... qrovno" cavritov" ejstin e{w" kavqhtai carizovmeno" oJ basileuv", o{tan de; hJ suntevleia gevnhtai, tovte ejgeivretai eij" krivsin (Chrys.).

On this ‘throne of grace’ Christ Himself is seated: i{na mh; ajkouvsa" aujto;n ajrciereva nomivsh/" eJstavnai eujqevw" aujto;n ejpi; to;n qrovnon a[gei, oJ de; iJereu;" ouj kavqhtai ajllj e{sthken (Chrys.).
i{na lavbwmen e[. kai; c. eu{rwmen ] that we may receive mercy and find grace. The twofold aim corresponds with the twofold necessity of life. Man needs mercy for past failure, and grace for present and future work. There is also a difference as to the mode of attainment in each case. Mercy is to be ‘taken’ as it is extended to man in his weakness; grace is to be ‘sought’ by man according to his necessity. Ut misericordiam consequamur, id est, remissionem peccatorum, et gratiam donorum Spiritus Sancti (Primas.).

For cavri" compare Heb. 2:9; 10:29; 12:15, 28; 13:9, 25. For labei'n compare John 1:16; 20:22; Rom. 8:15; 1 Pet. 4:10; and for euJrei'n Luke 1:30; Acts 7:46; 2 Tim. 1:18.


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