26-28. Sketch of the ideal priest.
26. Became us (xiv éperev). See on ch. ii. 10. For the verb see on Tit. ii. 1. There was an essential fitness in the gift of our great high priest. Comp. ch. ii. 17.
* See Westcott’s note. VOL. Iv. — 30
466 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. ([Cu. VI.
Holy (do10s). See on L.i. 75. Always with a relation to God; never of moral excellence as related tomen. Of Christ, Acts ii. 27; xiii. 85: of a bishop, Tit. i. 8.
Harmless (d«axos). Rend. guileless. Free from malice and craft. Only here and Rom. xvi. 18. Undefiled (auiav- ros), see on 1 Pet. i. 4.
Separate (xeywpiopuévos). Rend. separated: denoting a condition realised in Christ’s exaltation. Comp. Rom. vi. 10.
Higher than the heavens (tnAdrepos Tay ovpavev). Comp. Eph. iv. 10; Heb. iv. 14.
27. Who needeth not daily (ca? judpav). Apparently in- consistent with ch. ix. 7: but the sense is, “‘ who hath no need day by day as the high priest had (year by year) to offer sacrifices,” etc. The great point is repetition, whether daily or yearly.*
Once (épd7a&). Rend. once for all. Contrasted with daily.
When he offered up himself (éavrév dvevéyxas). A new
thought. For the first time Christ appears as victim. Comp. Chix 2,14 eae. 2.
28. Summarising the contents of vv. 26, 27. —The law constitutes weak men high priests. God’s sworn declaration constitutes a son, perfected forevermore. ’AvOparous men, many in number as contrasted with one Son. “Eyovras dc-
* All explanations must be rejected which seek to modify the sense of nad? juépav, as ‘‘on each day of atonement” ; or ‘‘ very often’’; or ‘‘as the high priest daily feels the need.’’ It is urged by some (as Ménégoz) that the high priest took part in the daily sacrifices; but if such participation took place it was only occasional. Bleek thinks that the ceremonies of the great Day of Atonement were throughout before the writer’s mind as the archetypal features of the high priest’s ministry, and that these were in some sort reproduced in the daily sacrifices,
Cu. VIII.) THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 467
Odvecav having infirmity, stronger than doeveits weak, which might imply only special exhibitions of weakness, while having infirmity indicates a general characteristic. See on J. xvi. 22.
A son. Again the high-priesthood is bound up with son: ship, as in ch. v. 5, 6.