Ver. 17, 18.—Wherefore [hence] it behoved him to [it was meet he should | be made like unto his [the] brethren in all things [every manner of way], that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the things of [ pertaining unto] God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that [whereas] he hath suffered being [when he was] tempted, he is able to succour [come in to the help of | them that are tempted.
_In these two verses the apostle illustrates what he had taught before, and confirms what he had asserted concerning the Son’s par- ticipation of flesh and blood in like manner with the children, from one especial end thereof. And this end is his being a high priest; which that the Messiah was to be, both the Hebrews granted and he himself intended more largely afterwards to demonstrate. More- over, he was to be such a high priest as was settled and suited for the discharge of his office unto the benefit of them for whose good he was to minister therein. This the wisdom of God and the nature of the thing itself do require. Now, they being persons obnoxious unto temptations and sufferings of all sorts, he must in an especial manner be able to help, relieve, and save such persons. And all this the apostle declares in these verses, in the opening whereof we may consider,—
1. The importance of the illative expression in the entrance: “ wherefore,” or “hence.” 2. The necessity intimated of what is here assigned to the Messiah: “it behoved him,” or, “it was meet that he should.” 3. What the apostle repeats and re-asserts, namely, that he was “in all things” (or “every manner of way”) “to be
VOL. XX. 30
466 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP It.
made like unto his brethren;” 4. The general end of this his neces- sary conformity unto the brethren: “that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest.” 5, The especial work and end of that office which he was so prepared for: “in the things of God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” 6. A further enforcement of the necessity of the foregoing assertion, taken from a double con- sideration ;—(1.) Of what he did, or what befell him, in the condi- tion wherein he was made like unto the brethren: he “suffered being tempted,” or “when he was tempted;” (2.) Of the blessed effect and consequence thereof, both in his own preparation unto the further discharge of his office, and the benefit of them whom he ministers in it for: “he is able to succour them that are tempted.”
1. There is the alation intimated in the word édsy, “ wherefore.” Now, this may respect either what had been before discoursed, or what is further insisted on in the words ensuing. In the first way the apostle would seem to infer the necessity of his being “made like unto his brethren in all things,” from what he had before proved of his participation of human nature; but this seems not to be the meaning of the word. That expression, “'T'o be made like unto his brethren in all things,” is only a recapitulation of what the apostle had before taught concerning his incarnation and sufferings; and here his design is to show the reason or end thereof, namely, that he might be a high priest, and discharge his office unto the benefit of the people. He gives, therefore, an account of what he had delivered, and declares the end of it: “ Wherefore” (or “ there- fore”) “ought he thus to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful high priest.” And thus did Chrysostom understand the connection of these words. “Ive ov, saith he, rpossvéyun Suosav duvapevgy jutig nabapious, dick rodro yéyovev c&vdpwmog-—“ Therefore was he made man, that he might be a sacrifice able to purge our sins.”
2. The necessity of the matter of the apostle’s assertion is ex- pressed in the word agerre, “ he ought,” “it must be so;” it could not be otherwise, on supposition that he was to be a high priest. God having designed him unto that office and the work thereof, it was indispensably necessary for him to be made like unto his brethren in all things.
3. That which the apostle thus asserts, is his being “made like unto his brethren in all things.” The proposition is of the nature of them that are xadérov ws ju) xedddou,—universal, but not universally to be | understood. For that expression, xar& wévra, is capable of sundry limitations; as, first, It respects only all those things which are necessary unto the end assigned; and, secondly, In them also there may be a great difference. ‘The things it respects are nature with — the essential properties thereof, attended with temptations and suffer-
VER. 17, 18. EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 467 >
ings. But whereas the brethren are sinners, he was not made like unto them in sin; which exception the apostle elsewhere puts in unto this assertion, chap. iv. 15: for this would have been so far from conducing unto the end aimed at, that it would have been utterly destructive thereof. In the things also wherein he was made like unto them, still the regulation from the end is to be carried along with us. That therein which was needful thereunto, this assimila- tion or conformity extends unto; that which was otherwise it sup- poseth not. And as the first part of this double limitation is made evident in the instance of sin, so the truth and necessity of the latter will appear in the consideration of the things wherein this confor- mity doth consist; as,—