distinctness to two aspects of hope, its immovable stability, and its penetrative vigour. Perhaps however such a division is artificial, so that it is best to connect the whole description with the principal subject (hope).
The stability of hope is twofold. It is undisturbed by outward influences ( ajsfalhv" ), and it is firm in its inherent character ( bebaiva ). Comp. Heb. 2:2 note. Spes in nobis similitudinem exercet anchorae, quae navem ne ad scopulos frangatur retinet, et tutam facit ut non timeat submergi, atque firmam ne vel titubare possit (Herv.).
The participle
eijsercomevnhn
presents hope as ever entering afresh into the Divine Presence encouraged by past experience.
eij" to; ejswvt tou' katap.
] Hope enters to the innermost Sanctuary, the true Holy of Holies, that Presence of God, where Christ is (comp. Heb. 7:19). The
katapevtasma
was the inner veil separating the Holy from the Most Holy
place ( tk,r&oP; , H7267 Matt. 27:51; Heb. 10:20) as distinguished from the
outer veil ( Ës;m; , H5009 kavlumma ). The distinction of the two is not strictly
preserved in the LXX. see also Heb. 9:3 meta; to; deuvteron katapevtasma . Comp. Ex. 40:5, 19.
Compare Philo de vit. M. iii. § 5 (2.148 M.) ejk tw'n aujtw'n tov te katapevtasma kai; to; legovmenon kavlumma kateskeuavzeto . to; me;n ei[sw kata; tou;" tevssara" kivona" i{nj ejpikruvpthtai to; a[duton, to; de; e[xw kata; tou;" pevnte ...: and so § 9. See also de gig. § 12 (1.270 M.) for a spiritual interpretation.
Hope, like the anchor, is fixed on the unseen: Nautis arenae quibus anchora figitur et haeret sunt tectae nec videri possunt, et tamen nautae sunt in securitate, licet illa videre non possint quibus anchorae brachia firmiter adhaesere. Sic et nos in hujus saeculi fluctibus positi caelestia non videmus, et tamen illis ita per spem conjuncti sumus ut nullo timoris incursu moveri possimus (Herv.). Compare Primasius: Spes interiora velaminis penetrat dum per mentis contemplationem futura bona conspicit, dum caelestia praemia absque ulla dubitatione credit sibi provenire, sperat, amat, operibusque ostendit quid credat et quid speret.
Heb. 6:20. Hope enters where Jesusthe Son of manhas entered as the forerunner of redeemed humanity, on our behalf ( uJpe;r hJmw'n ), to make atonement and intercession for us, and, yet more, to prepare an entrance and a place for us also. Comp. John 14:2.
Thus to the fulfilment of the type of the High-priest's work another work is added. The High-priest entered the Holy of Holies on behalf of the people, but they never followed him. Christ enters heaven as forerunner of believers. Comp. Heb. 10:19 ff. Proevdramen i{na tou;" eJpomevnou" eijsagavgh/ (Euth. Zig.).
The word provdromo" was used especially of the men or troops which were sent to explore before the advance of an army. Comp. Wisd. 12:8 (Ex. 23:28). In Num. 13:21 (22) it is used, in a different connexion, of the earliest fruits.
The use of the word eijsh'lqen fixes attention on the fact of Christ's entrance into the Holiestthe transition from the seen to the unseenand not on His continuance as our High-priest within the Veil (Heb. 9:28).
For uJpe;r hJmw'n compare 9:24; 2:9 ( uJpe;r pantov" ).
jIhsou'" ... ajrc. genovmeno" ] The human name of the Lord, placed emphatically at the end of the sentence (see Heb. 2:9 note), is here used