The doctrine of the high-priesthood of Christ. The Hebrew Christians were not familiar with Christ under the aspect of a high priest. ‘They did not understand the application of the title and office to him. They could not infer it from his early life, since he was not of the lineage af Aaron, nor from his ministry, since he claimed no special privilege of access to the temple, performed no priestly func- tions, and contradicted the whole Jewish conception of the priesthood.
* Though some, as Meyer and Ellicott, insist on the transitive sense— introduction.
432 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. ([Ca.V.
1. Every high priest (ads dpyiepeds). Every Levitical high priest. “Apxepeds OP.
Taken (AapBavopevos). Rend. being taken, or since he is taken: not who is taken. The point is that the high priest’s efficiency for men depends on his being taken from among men.
Is ordained (xa@icrarav). Constituted priest. See on Titra 5?
For men (urép avOperav). On behalf of men.
In things pertaining to God (7a mpos rov Oedv). As respects his relation to God. See on ch. ii. 17.
That he may offer (iva wpocdépn). Tpooddpev, lit. to bring to (the altar). Comp. Matt. v. 23. °P., who, however, has the kindred noun srpocgopa offering. Very oftenin LXX ; nineteen times in Hebrews, and always, with one exception (ch. xii. 7), in the technical sense, as here.
Gifts—sacrifices (6@pa—6Oucias). Adpa offerings gener- ally: Quotas bloody sacrifices. The distinction, however, is not constantly observed. Thus, @ve/ar, of unbloody offerings, Gen. iv. 8,5; Lev. 11.1; Num. v.15: édépa, of bloody offer- ings, Gen. iv. 4; Lev. i. 2, 3, 10.
For sins (o7rép duaptiav). In this the priest’s efficiency is especially called out, and he who has not genuine compassion for the sinful cannot do this efficiently. Hence the words which follow.
2. Have compassion (yerpiorabciv). N.T.°. °LXX. °Class. Originally of the rational regulation of the natural passions, as opposed to the Stoic aza@ea, which involved the crushing out of the passions. Often, in later Greek, of mod- erating anger. It is not identical with cuvra@joat (ch. iv. 5),
Cu. V.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 433
but signifies to be moderate or tender in judgment toward another’s errors. Here it denotes a state of feeling toward the ignorant and erring which is neither too severe nor too tolerant. The high priest must not be betrayed into irrita- tion at sin and ignorance, neither must he be weakly indul- gent.
The ignorant (rots ayvootor). Comp. ayvonudtwr igno- rances, ch. ix. T, and Num. xy. 22-31, where the distinction is drawn between sins of ignorance and sins of presumption. Atonement for sins of ignorance was required by the Leviti- cal law as a means of educating the moral perception, and of showing that sin and defilement might exist unsuspected : that God saw evil where men did not, and that his test of purity was stricter than theirs.
For that he himself also is compassed with infirmity (érret kal avros mepixetat acOéverav). Sympathy belongs to the high-priestly office, and grows out of the sense of per- sonal infirmity. The verb is graphic: has infirmity lying round him. Comp. ch. xii. 1, of the encompassing (repuxei- pevoy) cloud of witnesses. “Ac@dveav, the moral weakness which makes men capable of sin. This is denied in the case of Christ. See ch. vii. 28.
8. He ought (dde/Aev). It is his duty, growing out of the fact of his own infirmity.
4, The high priest must be divinely called. One thus compassed with infirmity would shrink from such an office unless called to it by God.
He that is called (cadXovpevos). The A. V. follows T. R., 6 xadovpevos. Thearticle should be omitted. Rend. but being called by God (he taketh it), as did Aaron.
5. Did not glorify himself to be made high priest. ’EdcEacer glorified is general, and is more specifically defined by yernOjvat apyvepéa to be made high priest.