13--15.
14. ᾿ Ἔχοντες οὖν ἀρχιερέα μέγαν, διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, ἸΙησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, κρατῶμεν τῆς ὁμολογίας.
ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα μὴ δυνάμενον συμπαθῆσαι
253
f ili. 1, et vi. 20, et vii. 26, et Vili. 1, et ix. 11, 24, et X. 23.
Peal, τος
15. Οὐ γὰρ
1 ἧς ἃἂσϑ , ς κα ταις GOVEVELALS ημων,
Esa. ΠΠ. 9; Luc. xxii. 28; 2 Cor. ν. 21; Phil. 11..7; 1 Peter ii. 22; 1 Joan. ili. 5.
1συµπαθ, in BeDcEKLP ;
clause; it is He πρὸς ὃν ἡμῖν ὃ λόγος, which, so far as the mere words go, might mean “οἵ whom we speak” (cf. i. 7 and ν. 11), but which obviously must here be rendered, as in A.V., ‘‘ with whom we have to do,” or “ with whom is our reckoning,” cf. xiii. 17.
From iy. 14 to x. 15 the writer treats of the Priesthood of the Son. The first paragraph extends from iv. 14-v. 1Ο, and in this it is shown that Jesus has the qualifications of a priest, a call from God, and the sympathy which makes inter- cession hearty and real. The writer’s purpose is to encourage his readers to use the intercession of Christ with con- fidence, notwithstanding their sense of sinfulness. And he does so by reminding them that all High priests are appointed for the very purpose of offering sacrifice for sin, and that this office has not been assumed by them at their own instance but at the call of God. It is because God desires that sinful men be brought near to Him that priests hold office. And those are called to office, who by virtue of their own experience are prepared to enter into cordial sympathy with the sinner and heartily seek to intercede for him. All this holds true of Christ. He is Priest in obedience to God’s call. The office, as He had to fill it, involved much that was repugnant. With strong crying and tears He shrank from the death that was necessary to the fulfil- ment of His function. But His godly caution prompted as His ultimate prayer, that the will of the Father and not His own might be done. Thus by the things He suffered He learned obedience, and being thus perfected became the author of eternal salvation to all that obey Him, greeted and proclaimed High Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Ver. 14. “Ἔχοντες οὖν . . . “ Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”
~ouvv-resumes the train of thought started at ifi: 1, where the readers were enjoined to consider the High Priest of their con- fession. But cf. Weiss and Kiibel. μέγαν is now added, as in x, 21, ΧΙ]. 20,
συνπαθ, in NAB*CD*H.
that they may the rather hold fast the confession they were in danger of letting go. The μέγαν is explained and justified by two features of this Priest: (1) He has passed through the heavens and entered thus the very presence of God. For διεληλ. τ. οὐρανούς cannot mean, as Calvin renders ‘qui coelos ingressus est”. As the Aaronic High Priest passed through the veil, or, as Grotius and Carpzov suggest, through the various fore courts, into the Holiest place, so this great High Priest had passed through the heavens and appeared among eternal realities. So that the very absence of the High Priest which depressed them, was itself fitted to strengthen faith. He was absent, because dealing with the living God in their behalf. (2) The second mark of His greatness is indi- cated in His designation ᾿Μησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν τ. Θεοῦ, the human name suggest- ing perfect understanding and sympathy, the Divine Sonship acceptance with the Father and pre-eminent dignity. κρατ- Gpev τ. ὁμολογίας. ‘Our confession ” primarily of this great High Priest, but by implication, our Christian confession, cf. Ale I. Vers Ἐ5: encouragement of ver. 14 and of the fact on which that encouragement is founded is given in the further idea: οὐ yap ἔχομεν ... “for we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but has been tempted in all points like us, without sin”. He repels an idea which might have found entrance into their minds, that an absent, heavenly priest might not be able to sympathise. Συνπαθέω [to be distinguished from συνπάσχω which occurs in Rom. viii. 17 and 1 Cor. xii. 26, and means to suffer along with one, to suffer the same ills as another] means to feel for, or sympathise with, and occurs also in x. 34, and is peculiar in N.T. to this writer but found in Aristotle, Isocrates and Plutarch, and in the touch- ing expression of Acts of Paul and Thekla, 17, ὃς μόνος συνεπάθησεν πλα- νωμένῳ κόσμῳ. Jesus is able to sym- pathise with ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν ‘ our