teleiou'n both of Christ (Heb. 2:10; 5:9; 7:28) and of men (10:14; 11:40; 12:23; elsewhere in the N. T. of the Lord only in Luke 13:32 ( th'/ trivth/ teleiou'mai ) in His own declaration of the course of His work), teleiwthv" (Heb. 12:2 unique), teleivwsi" (7:11, elsewhere only Lk. 1:45).
1. The words were already in use in the LXX. The adj. tevleio" is there applied to that which is perfect and complete, possessing all that belongs to the idea of the object, as victims (Ex. 12:5), men (Gen. 6:2); the heart (1 Kings 8:61 & c.). Compare Jer. 13:19 ajpoikivan teleivan (a complete removal); Ps. 139:22 (138:22) tevleion mi'so" . Hence the word is used of
mature Israelites, teachers: 1 Chron. 25:8 teleivwn ( $ yb`ime ) kai; manqanovntwn
(v. 7 $ yb+iMeh'AlK; pa'" suniwvn ).
The noun teleiovth" has corresponding senses. Judg. 9:16, 19; Prov. 11:3 (A); Wisd. 6:15; 12:17.
The verb teleiou'n is employed to render several Hebrew words: Ezek.
27:11 ( to; kavllo" ll'K; , H4005); 2 Chron. 8:16 ( to;n oi\kon : lev; , H8966); 1
Kings 7:22 ( to; e[rgon : m'T; , H9462); Neh. 6:16 ( hc;[; , H6913). Comp. Ecclus.
50:19 ( th;n leitourgivan ). And in the later books the word is used for men who have reached their full development: Wisd. 4:13 teleiwqei;" ejn ojlivgw/ ejplhvrwse crovnou" makrouv" . Ecclus. 24:10 (31:10) tiv" ejdokimavsqh kai; ejteleiwvqh ;
One peculiar use requires special attention. It is employed several
times in the rendering of dy: aLemi , teleiou'n ta;" cei'ra" , filling the hands,
which describes the installation of the priests in the actual exercise of their office (the making their hands perfect by the material of their work), and not simply their consecration to it: Ex. 29:9 (10)
teleiwvsei" jAarw;n ta;" cei'ra" aujtou'
;
id.
v. 29
teleiw'sai
(
jA. plhrw'sai, S. teleiwqh'nai
), 33; 35. Lev. 8:33
teleiwvsew"
; 16:32
o}n a]n teleiwvswsi ta;" cei'ra" aujtou' iJerateuvein
(
a[llo"
:
ou| ejplhrwvqh oJ tovpo" iJerateuvein
); Num. 3:3: and it is found absolutely in this connexion in Lev. 21:10 (some add
ta;" cei'ra" aujtou'
). The Hebrew phrase is elsewhere rendered by
ejmplh'sai
(
plhrou'n
)
ta;" cei'ra"
(
th;n cei'ra
): Ex. 28:37
(41); Judg. 17:5 (
S. ejteleivwsan t. c.
). The installation (
teleivwsi"
) of the priest was a type of that which Christ attained to absolutely. The priest required to be furnished in symbol with all that was required for the fulfilment of his office. Christ perfectly gained all in Himself.
The usage of the verbal teleivwsi" corresponds with that of the verb: Judith 10:9; Ecclus. xxxi (xxxiv.) 8. It is applied to Thummim (Neh. 7:65 some copies; comp. Aqu. and Theodot. on Lev. 8:8 and Field ad loc. ); espousals (Jer. 2:2); the inauguration of the temple (2 Macc. 2:9; comp. Athanas. Ep. ad
Const. § 14); and specially to the ram of installation ( : yaiLuMih' lae krio;"
teleiwvsew" ): Ex. 29:22, 26, 27, 31, 34; Lev. 7:37 (27); 8:21, 27, 28, 31, 33.
Comp. Philo, Vit. Mos. iii. § 17 (2.157 M.), o}n ( krio;n ) ejtuvmw" teleiwvsew" ejkavlesen ejpeidh; ta;" aJrmottouvsa" qerapeutai'" kai; leitourgoi'" qeou' teleta;" e[mellon iJerofantei'sqai .
The noun
teleiwthv"
is not found in the LXX.
2. In the Books of the N. T. (if we omit for the present the Epistle to the Hebrews) the adj.
tevleio"
is used to describe that which has reached the highest perfection in the sphere which is contemplated, as contrasted with