The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 147

Vers. 7, 8.-Who in the days of his 11.esh, pioit locum Gethsemane'•; (B~ngel). What, when he had offered up (rnther, when he then, ns seen in the light of these verses, was o.ffaed up) prayers and snpplioations to him the D'.leaning of the "prayer and tiUpplioa- that wa.s able to save him. from death, &nd tions'" in the garde!). of Gethsei:n11ue? Tho was heard in that he feared ; though he expression, Tliv $11v&,u•va" uc.\(uv- av,-/iv l1< Ba.- wore a Son, yet learned he obedience by the v,frov, corresponding with ,rCJ11'A BvvaTm uo, things w~ich he llll1fered. Here (according of Mark xiv. 36, confirms the view that the to the view tnkcn above of the chiastic "cup" which he prayed might pass from structure of the passage) we have the ac- him, was the death before him, o.nd that the count of how Christ fulfilled the human purport of his prayer wns, not to. be raised requirements of a High Priest, referred to from death after undergoing it, but to. be in vers. 2, 3. This main intention of saved from undergoing it. Such is the vers. 7, 8 must be kept in mind for a proper ordinary meaning of u~(,w l,c Bav,LT011 in understanding of them. Christ is in them reference to one still alive (cf. Ps. x:u:iii. reg-arded, not as executing his priestly 19: J as. v. 20). It does not indeed posi- office, but as being prPpa.rcd and conse- tively follow tho.t, because he prayed to One crated for it. His eternal priesthood is who was a.hie in this sense to save him, his conceived as entered on after the human ex- prayer was thnt he might be in this sense perience which is the subject of these verses saved. It is, however, the natural inference~ (cf. ,cal .-.>-.«o,Bm 1-ylv<TO (ver. 9), and what But, if so, two difficulties present them- was said under ver. 5). With regard to the selves. (1) How wae such a prayer consistent participial aorists, 1rpo1uvl-y,car, ,lua1<011uB.Cs, with his distinct knowledge that death it is 11. misapprehension of their proper force must be undergone, and his late strong to regard them as denoting 11 time _previoU8 rebuke to Peter for venturing to dissuade to that of lµ.aSo 1n ver. 8; as if the meaning him from it.? (2) How can he be said to were-having in Gethsemane "offered," et.c., have been heard (,lua,covuB,is), since he was and "been heard," he aftenl)ards " lee.rot not saved from death in the seµ.se intended? obedience" on the cross. All they express To tlie first of these questions the answer is is that in offering, et.c., and being heard, he that the prayer expressed, not the deliber11te learned obedience. The idea. of snbsequent desire of his Divine will, but only the time does not come in till ver. 9 ; "and inevitable shrinking of the human will being perfected," after thus learning obe- from such an ordeal o.s was before him. .AB ;lience, "he became," etc. Thw the only man, he experienced this shrinking to the question with regard to time in vers. 7, 8 is full, and as man he craved deliverance, whether they have reference to the agony in though with entire submission to the will the garden only, or both to the agony and of the Father. Hi~ human will did not the cross. That they refer m11inly, if not oppose itself to the Divine will: it conformed exclusively, to tLe agony is evident from the itself in the end entirely to it ; but this expressions used, corresponding so closely according to the necesso.ry conditions of with the Gospel history.. Tile view pre- humanity, through the :eower of prayer. sented is, as in the Gospels, of some intense Had it not been so with him, his participa- inward strug-gle, outwardly manifested, and tion in hum11n nature would have been expressing itself in repe11ted prayers ( observe incomplete; ho would not have been such the plural, li<rJ<TEIS 1<a! IKETTJpla.s) aloud for ae to be " touched with a feeling of our deliverance. It is true that the Gospels, as infirmities, being in all things tempted like we have them now, do not mention tear, ; as we are ; " nor woul,l he have stood fortb but these too are quite in keeping with the for ever as the great Example to mankind. bloody sweat specified by St. Luke, and St. John, who so deeply enters into and Epiphanius states that the original copies of interprets the mind of Christ, records an Luke xxii. 43, 44 contained the verb t1<- utterance before the agony which antioi- """"•· Some interpreters would identify pates its meo.ning (John xii): "The hour the 1<pall"y7) luxvp& of ver. 7 with the "loud is come" (ver. 23); and then (vor. 27), "Now voice ( .pc,,"1/ ,.,-,ib..,l)" from the cross (Matt. is my soul troubled ; and what shall I say? xxvii. 46; Mark xv. 34; Luke :uiii. 46). Father, save Ille from this hour [cf. uC:.(,w li< But there is nothing to suggest this; the Bav&Tov]; but for this cause came I unto "strong crying and tears" evidently de~ote this hour. Father, glorify thy Name." the manner of the " prayers and suppiic!I-" The "hour" was that of the drinking of tions; " and the thrice-repeated prayer 1n the cup (cf. Mark xiv. 85, "And prayed the garden recorded by the evangelists tbO:t, if it were possible, the hour might .pass mav be well conceived to have been thus from him"). "Fo.ther, eave me from this lou·c11y uttered, so as to be heard by the three hour" w11.11 the human craving of the agony; disciplts, a stoue's cast di8tant, befor~ ~Jeep hut still, "Fnther, glorify thy No.me" w11s overcame them. "In crucc clamasse dw1tur; the csseuce of the prayer; and perfoot sub, l.i,.cl.trywas,e nou dicitur. U~rnm horum res- misijicu to the Divine will was the outcome OH, '\", 1-14.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBilEWS. 139