Unto him that was able to save him from death (apos Tov duvauevov cate avrov éx Oavdrov). Const. with prayers and supplications, not with offered. To save him from death may mean to deliver him from the fear of death, from the anguish of death, or from remaining a prey to death. In either case, the statement connects itself with the thought of Christ’s real humanity. He was under the pressure of a sore human need which required divine help, thus showing that he was like unto his brethren. He appealed to one who could answer his prayer. The purport of the prayer is not stated. It is at least suggested by Matt. xxvi. 39.
And was heard in that he feared (kal eicaxovabels amd Ths evAaBelas). Rend. was heard on account of his godly fear. *EvAaBea only here and ch. xii. 28. The verb evrAa Beto Oar to act cautiously, beware, fear, only ch. xi. 7. The image in the word is that of a cautious taking hold (AapBavev) and careful and respectful handling: hence piety of a devout and circumspect character, as that of Christ, who in his prayer took account of all things, not only his own desire, but his Father’s will. ’*EvAd@eva is ascribed to Christ as a human trait, see ch. xii. 28. He was heard, for his prayer was answered, whatever it may have been. God was able to save him from death altogether. He did not do this. He was able to sustain him under the anguish of death, and to give him strength to suffer the Father’s will: he was also able to deliver him from death by resurrection: both these he did. It is not impossible that both these may be combined in the statement he was heard.*
8. Though he were a Son (xaizep ov vids). For were rend. was. His training for the priesthood involved suffer- ing, even though he was a son. Connect with éuafev learned, not with the preceding clause, which would mean that his position as a son did not exempt him from the obligation to
* The rendering he was heard (and so delivered) from his fear (that which he feared) is untenable because edAdBeva cannot mean the object of fear. The: rendering he was heard by him who was his fear is absurd.
436 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu.V.
godly fear, which is true as a fact (see ver. 7), but is not the point of emphasis here.
Learned he obedience (éuaGev tiv traxonv). Omit he, since the subject of éuadev learned is ds who, ver. T. Jesus did not have to learn to obey, see J. viii. 29; but he required the special discipline of a severe human experience as a train- ing for his office as a high priest who could be touched with the feeling of human infirmities. He did not need to be dis- ciplined out of any inclination to disobedience ; but, as Alford puts it, “the special course of submission by which he became perfected as our high priest was gone through in time, and was a matter of acquirement and practice.” This is no more strange than his growth in wisdom, L. il. 52. Growth in experience was an essential part of his humanity.
By the things which he suffered (ad’ ov érafev). Or from the things, etc. Note the word-play, éuabev érabev. So Croesus, addressing Cyrus, says, Ta O¢ ot waOnpata, édvta axdpiota, pabjpara yéyover, “my sufferings, though painful, have proved to be lessons” (Hdt. i. 207): so Soph. Zrach. 142, unr’ éxpadBors rabodca, “mayst thou not learn by suffering.”
9. And being made perfect (xal rehewwGels). Comp. ch. ii. 10. The fundamental idea in tedeodv is the bringing of a person or thing to the goal fixed by God. Comp. ch. vii. 11, Ao 5 x03 ox. 1 14s xi. 40 3 xii, 23.0 Here ote Chriats having reached the end which was contemplated in his divinely-appointed discipline for the priesthood. The con- summation was attained in his death, Philip. ii. 8: his obedi- ence extended even unto death.