humanity as it is, and the personal imperfections and sins of the particular priest. The use of the sing. ( ajsqevneia ) and the plur. ( ajsqevneiai ) is always instructive.
For sing. in the Epistles see Rom. 6:19; 8:26; 1 Cor. 2:3; 15:43; 2 Cor. 11:30.
For plur. Heb. 4:15; 2 Cor. 12:5, 10. The sing. and plur. occur together, 2 Cor. 12:9. Compare Matt. 8:17. oJ l. th'" oJrkwm. th'" m. t. n. ] the word of the oath , spoken in Psalm 110:4, which was taken after the Law ... The oath-taking and not the word is the emphatic element ( oJrk. th'" meta; t. n. not oJ meta; t. n. ). The oath came after the Law, and must therefore have had respect to it, and so prospectively annulled it. In this respect the oath takes up the promise. Comp. Gal. 3:17. uiJovn, eij" t. aij. tetel. ] The idea of Son (Heb. 1:1 ff.; 3:6; 4:14 to;n uiJo;n tou' qeou' ) is now combined with that of High-priest. Our High-priest is not only a Son, but a Son who having become man has been raised above all the limitations of humanity. The complete idea of the Person of the High-priest of the new Dispensation is thus gained before His work is unfolded in detail.
Compare THEODORET: ouj mh;n a[llon uiJo;n nohtevon para; to;n fuvsei uiJo;n ajlla; to;n aujto;n kai; fuvsei o[nta uiJo;n wJ" qeo;n kai; pavlin decovmenon th;n aujth;n proshgorivan wJ" a[nqrwpon .
And PRIMASIUS: Ponit hic Apostolus Filii nomen ad distinctionem servorum qui fuerunt in lege; quia servi infirmi fuerunt sive quia peccatores sive quia mortales erant: Filium vero perfectum ostendit, quia semper vivit et sine peccato est.
teteleiwmevnon
] For the idea of
teleivwsi"
see 2:10 note. Hitherto the idea of Christ's consummation has been regarded in its historic realisation (2:10
teleiw'sai
, Heb. 5:9
teleiwqeiv"
). Now it is regarded in its abiding issues. Comp. 2:18
pevponqen
note.
The participle, as contrasted with the adjective tevleio" , forms a complete antithesis to e[cwn ajsqevneian . The perfection is gained through the experience of a true human life (Heb. 7:7-9).
The realisation of the Priesthood of Christ necessarily carries with it the abrogation of the typical priesthood of the Law. The presence of weakness in the Levitical priests was realised in the consequences of imperfection and death. Such a priesthood could not bring
teleivwsi"
, and it was of necessity interrupted. On the other hand Christ took upon Himself human nature (4:15) subject to temptation and death, that so He might
taste death for all
, but as High-priest in His glory He is raised wholly above all infirmity and death, though still able to sympathise with those who are subject to them (cf. Heb. 5:1 f.). Compare Additional Note.
Additional Note on Hebrews 7:1. The significance of Melchizedek.
The appearance of Melchizedek in the narrative of the Pentateuch is of deep interest, both (1) from the position which he occupies in the course of Revelation; and (2) from the manner in which the record of his appearance is treated in the Epistle.
1. Melchizedek appears at a crisis in the religious history of the world as the representative of primitive revelation, or of the primitive relation of God and man still preserved pure in some isolated tribe. If, as on the whole seems