# Commentary on The Letter to the Hebrews **1:1-4** Hebrews opens with a contrast between two periods of history: the *past,* where the revelation of God through the prophets was piecemeal and provisional, and the *present,* where the disclosure of his plan through the Son is complete and definitive. No new revelation will be given to supplant or surpass the faith that was \"once for all delivered to the saints\" (Jude 3). All has been finalized through Christ, who is the divine Creator (Heb 1:2), Sustainer (1:3), and Redeemer of the world (1:3) (CCC 65, 320) **1:1 many and various ways:** OT revelation came at many different times (primeval, patriarchal, Mosaic, etc.) and in many different ways (dreams, visions, theophanies, etc.). **God spoke:** A towering theme in Hebrews, linked with divinely sworn oaths (3:11; 6:17-18; 7:21) and with the divine voice speaking in the Scriptures (1:5, 7, 13; 2:11-12; 3:7; 4:3-5; etc.) **1:2 these last days:** An expression used in the Greek OT for the messianic age (Num 24:14; Is 2:2; Dan 10:14; Hos 3:5). **heir of all things:** As all things were created through the Son as an instrument, so they return to him as an inheritance. Christ is thus the legal \"first-born\" (1:6) who inherits the cosmic estate of the Father (Col 1:15-16). See word study: **First-born.** • If the Son is the heir of all things, then he must be distinct from all things. If God created the world through him, then he cannot be one of its creatures, since he existed before them. No creature has its origin before the foundation of the world but is created in time. Only the Son exists timelessly with the Father and the Holy Spirit (cf. St. Cyril of Alexandria, *Treasury of the Trinity* 32). **the ages:** Or \"the world\" ---the Greek term can refer to space as well as to time (e.g., in 11:3, the world/ages refers to all that is \"seen\" in the visible universe) **1:3 reflects the glory**: Christ is the divine \"brightness\" or \"radiance\" that shines forth from the Lord. As such, he is Light from Light, true God from true God (CCC 464). • The author is using a term from Wis 7:26, where the divine Wisdom of God is described as the \"reflection of eternal light\". See note on Col 1:15-20. stamp of his nature: Also testifies to the divinity of Christ, who is said to bear the \"character\" or \"imprint\" of God\'s eternal Being. his word: The context implies that Christ himself is the Word of God, in contrast to the fragmentary expressions of God\'s word that came through the prophets (1:1). See word study: **Word** at Jn 1:1. purification . sat down: Jesus is both priest and king. Later chapters will show that his enthronement is not his retirement, but merely the beginning of his royal-priestly ministry in heaven (7:23-25; 9:24; CCC 662) **1:4 name . more excellent:** The superior name is \"Son\" (1:5, 8). However, since the angels are collectively called \"sons of God\" in Scripture (Job 1:6; 38:7), it is possible that the author is thinking specifically of Christ as the \"first-born\" Son (Heb 1:6), as this would certify his unique preeminence over the angels. See word study: **First-born.** . **1:5-13** Seven quotations from the OT are cited to support the exalted description of Christ in the opening verses: he is the Son and heir of the Father (1:2 and 1:5), the mediator of creation (1:2 and 1:10), the eternal God (1:3 and 1:8, 11), and the enthroned king (1:3 and 1:13). • The passages cited are Ps 2:7, 2 Sam 7:14, the LXX Greek version of Deut 32:43, Ps 104:4, Ps 45:6-7, Ps 102:25, and Ps 110:1. Together these texts affirm the divinity (Son of God) and royal dignity (son of David) of Jesus Christ **1:14 ministering spirits:** The angels are protectors of the saints, mediators of grace, and ministers who offer the prayers of God\'s people in heaven (Ps 91:11; Acts 12:11; Rev 8:3-4) (CCC 331-36). • All angels have the same nature among themselves; nevertheless, some of them stand over nations, while others are present beside each one of the faithful (St. Basil the Great, *Against Eunomius* 3, 1) **2:1-18** Hebrews 1 established the exaltation of Christ *above* the angels; Hebrews 2 looks back on the humiliation of Christ when he stooped *lower* than the angels. There is also a contrast between the angels as mediators of the Old Covenant and the Lord Jesus as the mediator of the New Covenant (2:1-4). Later chapters will show that Christ is superior to other covenant mediators, such as Moses and Joshua (chaps. 3-4), as well as Aaron and the Levitical priests (chaps. 5-7) # Word Study > [!NOTE] Word Study > *First-born* (Heb 1:6) ^b7beqk - *Prōtotokos* (Gk.): \"first-born\" or \"oldest son\". The term is used three times in Hebrews (1:6; 11:28; 12:23) and five times in the rest of the NT (Lk 2:7; Rom 8:29; Col 1:15, 18; Rev 1:5). In Israel, primogeniture, or first-born sonship, was a mark of fraternal distinction. Socially, the first-born of an Israelite family was entitled to the largest share of his father\'s inheritance (Deut 21:15-17; 2 Chron 21:3). In patriarchal times, the first-born son succeeded his father as the ruling and religious head of the family. This helps to explain why first-born sonship and priesthood are closely associated in Scripture. Through the Mosaic covenant, Yahweh consecrates his \"first-born son\" Israel (Ex 4:22) to be a \"kingdom of priests\" over the family of nations (Ex 19:6). Through the Davidic covenant, Yahweh established David and Solomon as his \"first-born\" sons (Ps 89:27) to act as kings and priests over Israel (2 Sam 6:12-19; 1 Kings 3:15; 8:62-63). This sets the stage for messianic times, when the Father enthrones his Son as the first-born, priest, king, and heir of all things (Heb 1:2-13; 5:5-6). In union with the First-born, other brothers and sisters in the faith (Heb 12:23) become fellow heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17), as well as a royal and priestly people (1 Pet 2:9; Rev 1:6). See note on Rom 8:29. ^75scag **2:1 lest we drift:** Warnings against falling away and forsaking the Christian faith punctuate the Letter to the Hebrews (3:12-14; 4:1-2; 6:4-12; 10:26-31; 12:15-17) **2:2 declared by angels:** Jewish and Christian tradition held that angels delivered the Torah to Moses at Sinai (Acts 7:53; Gal 3:19; Josephus *Antiquities* 15, 136). For the author, this implies that NT revelation, which came directly from the divine Lord Jesus, is not only superior to OT revelation, but comes with more severe consequences for those who reject it. • Angelic mediation of the Law is connected with the Greek version of Deut 33:2, where the \"flaming fire\" burning around Yahweh on Sinai is rendered \"angels\" **2:3 attested to us:** The apostles of Jesus were the primary witnesses to all that he had said and done (Acts 1:21-22; 10:39). The author of Hebrews was not among this original group, but he was part of a second wave of missionary preachers whose message was derived from them. Many read this as evidence against the tradition of Pauline authorship. The argument is not decisive, however, since Paul was not an eye-and-ear witness to the earthly ministry of Jesus; in fact, his preaching had to be confirmed by the original apostles (Gal 2:1-6) and was partly derived from them in the form of apostolic tradition (1 Cor 11:23; 15:3) **2:4 signs . wonders . miracles:** The proclamation of the gospel was sometimes accompanied by dramatic displays of God\'s power (Mk 16:17-18; Acts 4:29-30). The list here corresponds to the same three signs that, according to Paul, authenticate a genuine apostle (2 Cor 12:12) (CCC 156) **2:5 subjected the world:** The angels are ministers of the created order according to Jewish tradition (e.g., *Jubilees* 2, 2). Jesus, now enthroned above heaven and earth, is the sovereign Lord of creation, not merely one of its servants (Heb 1:6-14). • Christ is shown to be Lord by the fact that God has subjected the earth to him. The earth is not subject to angels as to a lord but as to a vice-regent, for the whole of visible creation is administered by angels (St. Thomas Aquinas, *Commentary on Hebrews* 2, 2) **2:6-8** The Greek version of Ps 8:4-6. It differs from most modern translations of the psalm at two points. First, the Hebrew expression normally rendered \"little less\" is taken in a temporal sense to mean **little while.** Second, the Hebrew term most often translated \"God\" or \"gods\" is read as a reference to **angels.** Both are legitimate as interpretive translations of the original text. • The Psalmist marvels that man, so small and frail, was created to share in God\'s dominion over the world (Gen 1:28). The Greek version envisions two distinct stages in this human vocation: man is first **made** in subordination to the angels, yet he is destined to be **crowned** and elevated over the angels. This vocation is fully realized only in Jesus, who experienced in his human nature both humiliation and subsequent exaltation (Heb 2:8-9). Many scholars detect a contrast between Jesus and Adam, because of whom man never reached the goal for which he was made (cf. Rom 5:12-21) **2:9 taste death:** A Semitic expression (Mt 16:28; Jn 8:52). • Perhaps it recalls how Adam, in choosing to *taste* the forbidden fruit, subjected the human race to spiritual and biological *death* (Gen 3:17-19). **for every one:** Jesus died on behalf of the entire human family. This was a representative act of consenting to death in filial obedience to the Father (Phil 2:8) and out of fraternal love for us (Eph 5:2) (CCC 624) **2:10 the pioneer:** The Greek expression refers to a \"forerunner\", who leads the way for others to follow (12:2; Acts 5:31). God, in glorifying his first-born Son, has opened the way for other sons to attain glory as well. **make . perfect through suffering:** See word study: **Made Perfect** at Heb 5:9 **2:11 one origin:** Christ and his brethren have one and the same Father and so form one covenant family (Jn 17:11; Rom 8:29) **2:12-13** Three quotations from the OT. • In the first, the righteous man recounts to his kinsmen how God delivered him from the affliction of his enemies (Ps 22:22). In the second and third, the prophet Isaiah, being warned against fearing earthly threats more than the Lord, resolves to trust in God and to teach his children to do the same (Is 8:17-18). The author of Hebrews puts these oracles on the lips of Jesus, not as a claim that he uttered them during his lifetime, but as a literary device to illustrate how Christ is both a brother (Heb 2:12) and father figure to the children of God (2:13) **2:14 flesh and blood:** A Semitic idiom for \"human beings\" or \"human nature\", with some emphasis on man\'s weakness and limitations (Mt 16:17; 1 Cor 15:50). **partook of the same:** The Son of God assumed our mortal nature in order to die and, through this means, to rob the devil of his claim over our lives (Wis 2:24; 1 Jn 3:8; CCC 635, 2602) **2:15 fear of death:** Human nature cowers from pain, privation, and death. This can overpower our desire to love and obey God in the face of suffering. Even Jesus feared death as a man; nevertheless, he gave consent to suffering and death out of a reverential fear of God (5:7). In this respect, he was prefigured by those saints of the OT who preferred persecution and martyrdom to apostasy (11:17-38). Such heroism speaks directly to the original readers, who had already endured hostility for their faith (10:32-39) and were edging closer to shedding their blood (12:4) **2:16 descendants of Abraham:** This could be taken in a biological sense, referring to the family of Israel descended from Abraham, or, more likely, in a Christian sense of the family of Jews and Gentiles who together imitate the faith of Abraham (Rom 4:9-13) and inherit the blessings that Yahweh pledged to the patriarch by oath (Gen 22:16-18; Gal 3:6-29). Either way, the point is that Jesus came to rescue, not angels, but fallen men **2:17 high priest:** The first of many passages in Hebrews that expound the priestly ministry of Christ. The emphasis is on his credentials: as one experienced in human suffering, Jesus is able to show sympathy and mercy to his brothers undergoing their own trials (4:15); as one victorious over temptations, he can give his brothers the grace and help needed to triumph as he did (4:16). • The description evokes 1 Sam 2:35, where God promised to raise up a \"faithful priest\" to do his will. The oracle was read as a messianic prophecy in Jewish tradition. **to make expiation:** I.e., \"to wipe away sin\". For related terms, see note on Rom 3:25 and word study: **Expiation** at 1 Jn 2:2 **3:1-5:10** The next section of the letter develops the description of Christ introduced in 2:17, showing him to be a \"faithful\" (3:1-4) and merciful high priest (4:14-5:10) **3:1 holy brethren:** Believers are \"holy\" because they are sanctified (2:11) and \"brethren\" because they share in the Sonship of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity (2:14, 17). **a heavenly call:** A summons that comes from heaven and leads us to heaven (Phil 3:14). **the apostle:** I.e., the One sent by God. This is the only time the NT gives this title to Christ, though the notion that Jesus is the One sent into the world by the Father is expressed in other terms (Mt 10:40; Lk 10:16; Jn 3:17, etc.) **3:2 God\'s house:** A reference to the People of God (3:6). In Hebrew usage, a father\'s family is often called his \"house\" or \"household\" (e.g., Num 1:2; Josh 7:14) **3:3 more glory . honor:** Just as Jesus was crowned with glory and honor over the angels (2:9), so too he is elevated above Moses, whom Judaism revered as the greatest saint of biblical times, even \"equal in glory\" to the holy angels (Sir 45:2). In stressing the superiority of Christ to other covenant mediators, the author is preparing to show in later chapters how the New Covenant surpasses the Old (Heb, chaps. 8-10; 2 Cor 3:4-11) **3:5-6** Moses and Jesus are compared. • The backdrop is Num 12:7, where Moses is honored as the Lord\'s \"servant\", who is put in charge of his \"house\", i.e., the whole covenant people. Jesus is also a father figure over the household of God\'s people, not as a servant, however, but as the faithful first-born Son (1:4-6). Some perceive an additional allusion to Nathan\'s oracle, where the messianic heir of David is designated the \"son\" of God and the one who will \"build\" a \"house\" for God (2 Sam 7:13-14; 1 Chron 17:13-14) **3:7-11** A citation from Ps 95:7-11. • The Psalmist reflects on the apostasy of the Exodus generation. The Hebrew version of Ps 95 focuses on the defiance of Israel at Massah and Meribah (Ex 17:1-7), but the Greek version quoted here laments the rebellion at Kadesh, where the Israelites, paralyzed by fear of the Canaanites, refused to seize possession of the Promised Land (Num 14:1-38). For this, the Lord swore an oath of disinheritance that condemned that entire generation (except Joshua and Caleb) to die in the wilderness without setting foot in Canaan. The readers of Hebrews face the same critical decision: like the Exodus generation, they too have experienced the salvation of God and now stand on the threshold of a heavenly inheritance; only by a faith in God that overcomes fear will they enter the eternal rest that awaits them **3:14 firm to the end:** The Letter to the Hebrews is adamant that even true believers can forfeit their salvation by forsaking the Lord (6:4-8; 10:26-31; 12:14-17). This warning applies to genuine Christian \"brethren\", who can \"fall away\" from God if they allow their hearts to become \"evil\" and \"unbelieving\" (3:12) **3:15 Today, when you hear:** The author, alluding to Psalm 95 (quoted in 3:7-11), identifies the **voice** of God with the gospel message spoken through his Son (1:2; 2:3; 4:2) (CCC 1165) **3:19 because of unbelief:** The Exodus generation refused to believe that God could give them a land occupied by fearsome Canaanite warriors (Num 13:25-33). See note on Heb 3:7-11 **4:1-11** A theological explanation of **rest,** a term held in common by Ps 95:11 (3:11; 4:3-4) and Gen 2:2 (4:4). • The interpretation of these passages is typological, i.e., the land of Canaan in the psalm and the Sabbath day in Genesis are interpreted as spatial and temporal representations of heaven. Life itself is like a wilderness journey toward a better land and like a week of labor that leads to a day of refreshment. Readers are urged to persevere in faith lest they fail to enter the rest prepared for them by God (4:11) (CCC 624, 1720). • There are three rests of which he speaks: the first is the Sabbath, in which God rested from his works; the second is Palestine, in which the Jews found rest from their hardships; and the third is rest indeed ---the kingdom of heaven --- in which those who obtain it rest from their labors and troubles (St. John Chrysostom, *Homilies on Hebrews* 6) **4:1 the promise . remains:** The opportunity to take hold of salvation remains \"today\" but will soon pass by (3:13; cf. 2 Cor 6:2) **4:4 God rested:** A citation from Gen 2:2. • God rested on the seventh day after creating the world in six days. The point is not that God was tired and needed a break; rather, he was showing us *our* need to live and work for the rest that lies ahead. The call to enter his rest is a call to unite ourselves with God ---weekly on the Sabbath (Ex 20:8-11) and ultimately in the attainment of salvation (Rev 14:13) (CCC 345) **4:7-8** The author demonstrates that the land of Canaan was only an earthly sign of a heavenly country (11:16). • His logic is historical: had **Joshua** given Israel the fullness of rest promised by God (Josh 1:10-13), **David** would not have reissued the invitation to enter God\'s rest long after the tribes had settled down in the land (Ps 95:7-11) **4:12 the word of God:** Penetrates into the hidden recesses of the heart. If God finds the heart hard and unbelieving (3:8, 10, 12, 15), his word becomes a weapon that destroys. If he finds it full of faith, his word becomes a pledge and help toward salvation (2:3; 4:2). **living and active:** Emphasizes that God\'s word is the instrument of his will, i.e., he always does what he declares (Gen 1:3; Is 55:11). **sword:** A sword with both sides of the blade sharpened can maim and kill, but the divine word is more lethal still, for it can bring eternal death and destruction (10:26-31). • The danger that readers could \"fall\" by the sword (4:11) recalls the rebellion of the Exodus generation, which has dominated the thoughts of the author since 3:7. The sword imagery seems to be drawn from this episode: because Israel feared it would \"fall by the sword\" if the people followed the Lord into Canaan (Num 14:3), the word of God descended upon them as an oath of disinheritance and death (Num 14:20-34). Unable to reverse this tragedy, Moses had to warn the people not to advance into Canaan lest they \"fall by the sword\" (Num 14:43). Note that the oath Yahweh swears at the end of the Exodus period compares his word to a sharpened \"sword\" that cuts down his enemies (Deut 32:40-41; Ezek 21:8-17). **soul and spirit:** The spiritual elements of man. These are not hidden from God any more than the interior components of his body, such as his **joints and marrow.** See note on 1 Thess 5:23 **4:14-7:28** The next section of the letter examines the Melchizedekian priesthood of Jesus, showing how it supersedes the Levitical priesthood of Aaron **4:14 passed through the heavens:** Christ ascended into the most intimate presence of God in heaven (9:24). Jewish tradition sometimes speaks of multiple levels of heaven. See note on 2 Cor 12:2 **4:15 without sinning:** One of several NT passages that assert the sinlessness of Jesus (2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 Jn 3:5). Having triumphed over temptation as a man (Mt 4:1-11), he understands our struggles and is able to help us through them (2:18; 4:16) (CCC 612, 2602) **4:16 confidence:** Or, \"boldness\" (CCC 2778). **the throne of grace:** The heavenly throne of the Father (8:1; 12:2), in whose presence Christ intercedes for us as high priest (7:25). • In ancient Israel, the Lord sat enthroned on the wings of the cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant (2 Sam 6:2; Is 37:16). Given the Tabernacle imagery that permeates the theology of Hebrews, the throne of the Father is probably envisioned as the Ark of the heavenly sanctuary (Rev 11:19). It is here that God gives us **mercy** after we sin and **grace** to keep us from sin (CCC 2795) **5:1-4** Priests are mediators between man and God. As such, they must be united with men and called by God. The priests of Israel, who traced their lineage to Aaron and his sons, were united with men in the weakness of human sin and were called by God to an earthly priesthood (Ex 28:1-4; 40:12-15). Jesus, too, was united with men in his human nature (Heb 2:14); however, unlike the Aaronic priests, he was free from sin (4:15) and was called by God to a heavenly priesthood (5:5-6; 8:1-4). Priestly ministry is a vocation from God, not volunteer work that men can take upon themselves (CCC 1539, 1578) **5:2 ignorant and wayward:** May refer to two classes of sin distinguished in the Torah: those committed unwittingly (Num 15:27-29) and those committed willfully (Num 15:30-31) **5:3 his own sins:** The author has in mind the Day of Atonement, the annual feast when the high priest of Israel carried sacrificial blood into the presence of God to expiate his own personal sins (Lev 16:11), as well as those of the people (Lev 16:15) **5:5-6** Two enthronement psalms concerning the Davidic Messiah. • In the first, Yahweh declares the anointed king to be his own **Son** (Ps 2:7). In the second, Yahweh swears an oath to ordain the anointed king as a **priest** in the order of Melchizedek (Ps 110:4). For the implied link between sonship and priesthood, see essay: **The Order of Melchizedek** at Heb 7:1-28 **5:7 days of his flesh:** Recalls the agony of Jesus in Gethsemane (Mk 14:32-42) and possibly his suffering and prayers on the Cross (Mk 15:34; Lk 23:34, 46). **offered up:** The Greek term is closely linked with priestly sacrifices in Hebrews (5:1, 3; 8:3-4; 9:7, 9; etc.). **able to save him:** Jesus acknowledged that the Father, had he willed it, could have delivered him from torment and death (Mt 26:53; Mk 14:36). **he was heard:** The Father heeded the prayers of the Son, not by sparing him the experience of death, but by rescuing him from death in the Resurrection (13:20). **godly fear:** The reverential fear of God that proved stronger in Jesus than his human fear of death. His reverence was manifest as heroic obedience to the will of the Father (Mt 26:39; Phil 2:8) (CCC 612, 2606) **5:8 learned obedience:** Not by trial and error, but from the experience of passing through the human trials and ordeals that test our commitment to God. • Christ, being eternally divine, possessed the fullness of knowledge from the first instant of his conception as a man. He was ignorant of nothing, so he could not learn anything new by simple recognition. But there is also knowledge acquired by experience, and in this sense he learned obedience through what he suffered. Having accepted our weakness, he learned how difficult it is to obey, for he obeyed in the most difficult of circumstances, even unto death on a cross (St. Thomas Aquinas, *Commentary on Hebrews* 5, 2) **5:11-14** Readers are reprimanded for culpable immaturity. In terms of Christian formation, they are more like infants than the mature believers they should be (1 Cor 3:2). The author exhorts them with words of warning (Heb 6:1-8) and encouragement (6:9-20) **5:14 good from evil:** Points to a childish and underdeveloped moral sense (Deut 1:39) **6:1-2** A summary of Christian catechesis in a Jewish context. It was necessary to explain **(1)** how sacramental Baptism differed from other **baptisms,** such as the baptism of John (Acts 1:5) and the ritual washings of the Torah (Num 19:11-13), **(2)** how the imposition of hands in conferring the Spirit (Acts 8:17; 19:6) and priestly ordination (1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6) differed from other forms of the **laying on of hands** in ancient Judaism (Num 8:10; Deut 34:9), and **(3)** how the traditional Jewish doctrines of **resurrection** and **judgment** (Dan 12:2) must now be understood in relation to Christ (2 Cor 5:10; 1 Thess 4:16) (CCC 1288) **6:4-8** Even a baptized Christian can forfeit salvation and end up cursed rather than blessed (6:8). This dreadful prospect is noted elsewhere in Hebrews at 10:26-31 and 12:15-17. Some interpret this passage as if the author envisions, not a genuine believer, but one who only *seems* to be a Christian. This has no basis in the text. The person described has come to enlightenment, has partaken of the Spirit, and is capable of falling away through apostasy. Moreover, the illustration in 6:6-7 is meaningless if the individual has not already been showered with heaven\'s gifts like a field doused with rain (CCC 679) **6:4 enlightened:** Perhaps a reference to Baptism, which was called \"enlightenment\" in early Christian times. This developed from the notion that incorporation into Christ, which is the effect of Baptism (Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27), is described in the NT as an enlightening of the believer (2 Cor 4:6; Eph 5:14; 1 Pet 2:9) (CCC 1216). • We are enlightened when we are baptized. The rite is called enlightenment since by it we behold the holy light of salvation, that is, we come to see God clearly (St. Clement of Alexandria, *Christ the Teacher* 1, 6, 26). **heavenly gift:** Probably a reference to the Eucharist. The life-giving humanity of Jesus received in the sacrament is the Father\'s gift of manna from heaven (Jn 6:32-58). **partakers of the Holy Spirit:** I.e., sharing the indwelling presence of the Spirit (Acts 2:38; Rom 8:11) and endowed with his spiritual gifts (Heb 2:4; 1 Cor 12:4-11) > [!NOTE] Word Study > *Made Perfect* (Heb 5:9) - *Teleioō* (Gk.): means \"to complete\" or \"to perfect\". The verb is used nine times in Hebrews and 14 times elsewhere in the NT. It can describe a mission accomplished (Lk 13:32), a prophecy fulfilled (Jn 19:28), a faith brought to completion (Jas 2:22), or the perfection of unity and love (Jn 17:23; 1 Jn 4:12, 17-18). In the Letter to the Hebrews, the author uses the term to stress that the ritual observances of the Old Covenant cannot penetrate beyond the body to perfect the soul (Heb 7:19; 9:9; 10:1; 12:23). He also uses the verb with reference to Jesus, who was perfected through his Passion (Heb 2:10; 5:9; 7:28). At one level, the humanity of Jesus, being fired in the furnace of human suffering, came out a perfect image of filial obedience as well as a perfect instrument of our salvation. At another level, the author seems to adopt the language of the Greek OT, where *teleioō* often renders a Hebrew idiom (\"fill up the hands\") for the rite of priestly ordination (Ex 29:29, 35; Lev 8:33; 16:32; 21:10; etc.). It can be said that, viewed against this backdrop, obedient suffering ordained the humanity of Christ for priestly ministry, which he now exercises in heaven above (Heb 8:1-2; 9:24) (CCC 609). ^ewd9qz **6:6 commit apostasy:** The Greek verb means \"to fall away\" in the sense of failing to make good on a commitment. Here the apostate is compared to an executioner who crucifies and humiliates Jesus all over again (CCC 598) **6:8 thorns and thistles:** Brushwood is good for nothing but firewood. Jesus uses a similar analogy in Jn 15:5-6. • The expression comes from Gen 3:18, where the sin of Adam brings a curse upon the ground, making it yield \"thorns and thistles\" **6:9 better things:** Shows that the author was cautioning his readers, not condemning them, in the preceding verses (6:4-8). Their works of service and love show that they are indeed bearing some fruit (6:10) **6:11 until the end:** A call to perseverance (6:12). See note on Heb 3:14 **6:13-20** Readers are urged to press ahead in the faith by considering the reliability of God. Because God never lies (Tit 1:2), he can always be taken at his word (Jn 17:17). Nevertheless, because of human weakness, God not only made a verbal *promise* to bless the world through Abraham (Gen 12:3), but later he strengthened that promise by swearing an irrevocable *oath* (Gen 22:16-18). In this way, God gave his people a double assurance of what he intended to do (Heb 6:18) **6:13 swore by himself:** Oaths involve calling upon God to be a witness and guarantor of the pledge being made (6:16). However, when God swears an oath, he has no superior, so he can invoke only himself (Is 45:23; Jer 22:5) **6:14 Surely I will bless:** An excerpt from Gen 22:17. • This is the historic moment when the promise of God to bless the world through Abraham (Gen 12:3) is upgraded to a divinely sworn oath (Gen 22:16-18). The occasion is Abraham\'s sacrifice of Isaac, who is rescued at the last minute and chosen to be the instrument of worldwide blessing. Christian tradition sees the sacrifice of Isaac as a prophetic preview of the sacrifice of Jesus, whose death fulfilled God\'s oath to bless all nations through the offspring of Abraham (Acts 3:25-26; Gal 3:14-16). See note on Rom 8:32 **6:15 Abraham . patiently endured:** The patriarch waited about 25 years between God\'s promise to bless him with countless descendants (Gen 15:4-5) and the birth of his first descendant, Isaac (Gen 21:1-5) **6:17 heirs of the promise:** The family of Abraham by faith. See note on Heb 2:16 **6:18 the hope:** The confident desire for \"glory\" (2:10), \"rest\" (4:1), and \"blessing\" (6:7). It can keep the believer from drifting (2:1), just as an anchor secures a boat (6:19) (CCC 1820) **6:19 the inner shrine:** The dwelling place of God in the heavenly sanctuary. Its earthly counterpart is the \"Holy of Holies\" (9:3), also called the \"most holy place\", the innermost chamber of the Tabernacle where the presence of God was curtained off by a decorated veil (Ex 26:31-34) **7:1-28** The priesthood of Christ is examined at two levels: it is *connected* with the royal priesthood of Melchizedek and *contrasted* with the Levitical priesthood of Aaron (CCC 1544) **7:2 king of righteousness:** The meaning of \"Melchizedek\" in Hebrew. **king of peace:** The city name \"Salem\" is related to the Hebrew term for \"peace\" **7:3 without father . mother:** Not literally, but in contrast to the requirements for priestly ministry in Israel, where a prospective candidate had to show proof of Aaronic descent on his father\'s side and a compatible genealogy on his mother\'s side. Failure to meet these requirements rendered aspiring men ineligible for priestly service (Ezra 2:61-63; Neh 7:63-65). Neither Melchizedek nor Jesus was bound by these restrictions; indeed, neither had a Levitical genealogy (Heb 7:6, 14). Some take the silence of Scripture about the life-span and parents of Melchizedek as an allegorical sign of the eternal generation of God the Son. This is a valid theological point, but it is not the point being made in Hebrews. **neither beginning . nor end:** Not literally, but in contrast to the age limits set for the Aaronic priesthood, where ministry began at 30 and ended at 50 (Num 4:3, 43). Melchizedek was not limited to two decades of ministry, for no such age restriction was in force in pre-Levitical times. Jesus likewise exercises his priesthood for as long as he lives --- for ever (Heb 7:24). **for ever:** The Greek expression here is both different and weaker than the one translated \"for ever\" in 6:20 and 7:17, 21, 28. The sense is that Melchizedek was priest \"for a long time\", whereas Jesus remains a priest \"for all eternity\" **7:4-10** Genesis implies that Melchizedek outranks Abraham, first, because he **blessed** the patriarch (Heb 7:6; Gen 14:19) and, second, because he received a **tithe** from the patriarch just as a priest receives offerings from the laity (Heb 7:4; Gen 14:20) **7:5 the law to take tithes:** A reference to Num 18:21-29. • The tribe of Levi was given no land inheritance in Israel but was supported by the lay tribes in return for its ministerial service. A tithe is 10 percent of a family\'s produce and income **7:8 mortal men:** Levitical priests (7:23). **he lives:** Melchizedek (7:3) **7:11-19** God\'s oath to reestablish the priesthood of Melchizedek (7:17) implies that the priesthood of Aaron was deficient and destined to pass away. The problem: its laws and liturgies were powerless to cleanse and perfect the worshiping People of God (7:19; 9:9-10; 10:1-4). For a similar line of reasoning, See note on Heb 8:7 **7:12 change in the priesthood:** Insofar as Ps 110:4 envisions a change from the Levitical priesthood of Aaron to the Melchizedekian priesthood of Christ, it follows that the Mosaic laws of worship must also give way to the messianic laws of worship (7:18-19). Essentially this is a change from sacrificial rites that involve the blood of animals (10:4) to sacramental rites such as Baptism (10:22) and the Eucharist (6:4; 13:10), whose efficacy derives from the blood of Christ (9:11-14). In all probability, the maxim that a new priesthood brings new laws is based on a pattern established in the Bible. In fact, when the family priesthood of patriarchal times gave way to the clerical priesthood of Aaron in Mosaic times, this change was followed by the promulgation of an extensive code of law concerning the rites of liturgical worship (mainly in the Book of Leviticus). For more details, see essay: *Priesthood in the Old Testament* at Num 18 **7:14 from Judah:** Jesus was not a Levite of the priestly family of Aaron but a Judahite of the royal family of David (Mt 1:1-16) **7:17 You are a priest for ever:** The words of Ps 110:4. • This is the oath of perpetual priesthood that Yahweh swore to confer on the royal heir of David. It has provisional reference to Solomon, who exercised a limited priestly ministry (1 Kings 3:15; 8:63; 9:25), just as David had done (2 Sam 6:12-19). But only the Davidic Messiah, risen to an immortal life (Heb 7:16), qualifies for the everlasting priesthood envisioned by the psalm (Heb 7:23-25) **7:21 without an oath:** The priesthood of Aaron, established without a divine oath, is a revocable and changeable arrangement **7:22 the surety:** A legal term for someone who puts his life on the line for someone else (Sir 29:15; cf. Gen 43:9) **7:25 lives to make intercession:** Jesus exercises an ongoing priestly ministry in heaven, where he intercedes for the saints at the Father\'s right hand (8:1-2; Rom 8:34; CCC 519, 662) **7:27 daily . his own sins:** The author appears to telescope the *daily* sacrifices offered by priests every morning and evening (Num 28:1-8) and the *annual* sacrifices of the Day of Atonement, which the high priest offered for the sins of Israel, including his own (Lev 16:11-19). This is in contrast to Christ, who offered only one sacrifice, and that for his people and not for himself. For a similar use of this technique, see note on Heb 9:12. **once for all:** Several times Hebrews stresses how the single sacrifice of Jesus is definitive and unrepeatable (9:12, 26) (CCC 1085) # The Order of Melchizedek **O**NLY four verses in the OT mention the royal priest Melchizedek (Gen 14:18-20; Ps 110:4). Given such minimal attention, one might think him an insignificant figure in the great drama of biblical history. Yet, in the Letter to the Hebrews, the priesthood of Melchizedek looms large as an anticipation of the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Some investigation into the background of this mysterious priest-king is called for if we are to understand and appreciate the Melchizedek argument in Hebrews. MELCHIZEDEK THE PRIEST > Let us begin with some basic facts. Melchizedek is the first person in > Scripture who is explicitly called a \"priest\" (Gen 14:18). Indeed, > he is the only figure in Genesis who is identified as a priest of > \"God Most High\", the same God that Abraham knows as \"the LORD\" who > made \"heaven and earth\" (Gen 14:22). The only others to bear the > title \"priest\" in Genesis are pagan clerics who served the idol gods > of Egypt (Gen 41:45, 50; 46:20; 47:22, 26). Secondly, Melchizedek is > identified as the king of \"Salem\" (Gen 14:18). Psalm 76:2 identifies > this city as Zion, i.e., Jerusalem, as does a long stream of Jewish > tradition. This is the holy city that would later become the spiritual > center of Israelite religion and the political capital of the Davidic > kings. Thirdly, Melchizedek ministers to Abraham as a priest, not only > by blessing him (Gen 14:19), but also by bringing forth \"bread and > wine\" (Gen 14:18). These are probably the elements of a thank > offering made to God Most High in gratitude for a successful mission, > and as such they would constitute a communion sacrifice to be consumed > by the priest and participants alike (cf. Lev 7:12-15). Abraham > reciprocates these actions by giving a tithe of his spoils to > Melchizedek (Gen 14:20), suggesting that a priestly and spiritual > service has indeed been performed for the patriarch and his company > (cf. Num 18:21). MELCHIZEDEK\'S PRIESTLY ORDER > The Letter to the Hebrews finds theological significance, not only in > the person of Melchizedek as an individual, but also in his > priesthood. This is why the phrase \"the order of Melchizedek\" > appears five times in the span of three chapters (Heb 5:6, > 10; > 6:20; > 7:11, > 17). The expression itself is > taken from Psalm 110, where the Lord swears an oath of ordination to > the Davidic Messiah, making the *king* at his right hand (Ps > 110:1) a *priest* after the order of Melchizedek (Ps 110:4). > The statement is striking, since for well over a thousand years, > Israel knew only the Levitical priesthood of Aaron and his descendants > established by the Mosaic covenant (Ex 40:12-15). No other priesthood > was acknowledged by the Law or permitted to officiate on behalf of the > covenant people (Num 17:1-13; 18:1-7). So what is this \"order\" > linked with Melchizedek? > Genesis implies that the order of Melchizedek is the patriarchal > order of priesthood that functioned for many centuries before the > ordination of Aaron and his sons took place at Mount Sinai (Lev > 8:1-36). In other words, it is the original, pre-Levitical form of the > priesthood that was exercised during the long stretch of pre-Mosaic > history. This was the age of natural religion, an era when priestly > authority was rooted in the authority structure of the family. In > these ancient times, the father of the family conducted public rites > of worship, and his sons became his successors in the ministry. In > particular, the first-born son, by the natural right of primogeniture, > was the primary heir who stood to receive the full measure of his > father\'s priestly and ruling responsibility. This is what we see > throughout Genesis, where the Patriarchs ---not a professional class of > clerical priests ---exercised spiritual leadership by building altars > (Gen 12:7-8; 13:18), calling upon the Lord in prayer (Gen 21:33; > 26:25), con --- secrating natural landmarks (Gen 28:18-22), pouring out > libations (Gen 35:14), and offering sacrifice on behalf of the family > (Gen 8:20; 46:1; Job 1:5). MELCHIZEDEK\'S IDENTITY > Such is the historical context in which Melchizedek exercised his > priesthood. Being a patriarch, he possessed ruling authority as a > \"king\" as well as religious authority as a \"priest\" (Gen 14:18). > Beyond this, it is interesting to note that the link between > Melchizedek and the patriarchal priesthood is even closer according to > Jewish and Christian tradition. Several ancient sources identify > Melchizedek with the patriarch Shem, the first-born of Noah (Gen > 6:10), whose genealogy in Genesis indicates that he lived into and > beyond the lifetime of Abraham (Gen 11:10-11). This tradition appears > in the oldest translations of Genesis into Aramaic (*Targum > Neofiti* and *Fragmentary Targum* at Gen 14:18), in > rabbinic commentaries on the Pentateuch (*Genesis Rabbah* 43, > 6; *Leviticus Rabbah* 25, 6; *Numbers Rabbah* 4, 8), > in the Babylonian Talmud (b. *Nedarim* 32b), and in other > religious works as well (e.g., *Pirqe de Rabbi Eliezar* 8, > 2). It was also aired in ancient Christian writings, such as those of > St. Ephraem the Syrian (*Commentary on Genesis* 11, 2), St. > Jerome (*Letters* 73), and St. Thomas Aquinas (*Commentary on > Hebrews* 7, 1). Noted theologians such as Alcuin, Peter > Lombard, and Nicholas of Lyra also found insight in the identification > of Melchizedek as Shem, as did the *Glossa Ordinaria,* the > running commentary that filled the margins of the medieval Latin > Bible. Martin Luther accepted this interpretation as late as the > sixteenth century (*Lectures on Genesis* 14, 18). Admittedly, > it is uncertain whether the author of Hebrews ever knew or accepted > this tradition, but it would certainly enhance the parallelism between > Melchizedek and Jesus, who is hailed as the Father\'s \"first-born\" > (Heb 1:6). MELCHIZEDEK TYPOLOGY IN THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS > With this background in mind, let us examine how the priesthood of > Christ is linked with the order of Melchizedek. (1) *Royal > Priesthood.* In the theology of Hebrews, Jesus is both king > and high priest, just like Melchizedek. For much of the Old Testament > period, these two offices were entrusted to two different families: > Aaron and his descendants from the tribe of Levi were the priests, > while David and his descendants from the tribe of Judah were the > kings. However, in the ancient order of Melchizedek, the patriarch, > and eventually his first-born heir, wore the two crowns of ruling and > religious authority. (2) *Priesthood in Salem.* The ministry > of Melchizedek in the earthly Salem foreshadows the ministry of Jesus > in the \"heavenly Jerusalem\" (Heb > 12:22). According to Hebrews, > this is the celestial city that the Lord has \"prepared\" for the > saints (Heb 11:16); it is the > city high above, whose \"builder and maker is God\" (Heb > 11:10). There Jesus ministers > as king and high priest of the People of God (Heb > 8:1-5), having entered into > heaven when he ascended into glory (Heb > 4:14; > 9:24). (3) *Inheritance of the > Son.* The patriarchal form of the priesthood, based in the > natural order of the family, is an earthly model of what is now > established in the divine family of God. The Father has raised up > Jesus as a Son, indeed, as the \"first-born\" Son (1:6), exalting him > over the angels (Heb 1-2) as > well as over the Levitical mediators of the Mosaic covenant (Heb > 5-10). Being the Father\'s > eldest Son in the family of faith (Rom > 8:29), he is the designated > heir who is given authority over the entire created order (Heb > 1:2-3). His relational identity > is thus akin to a father figure, for he ministers to believers both as > his \"brethren\" (Heb 2:11) > and as his \"children\" (Heb > 2:13). (4) *Signs of Bread and > Wine.* In the heavenly sanctuary, Jesus offers the Father his > \"body\" (Heb 10:10) and his > \"blood\" (Heb 9:12). This > messianic sacrifice is perceived by faith but is veiled from our > senses. So for us who eat from his \"altar\" (Heb > 13:10), these have the > sacramental appearance of bread and wine (Mt > 26:26-28), the very elements > once offered in thanksgiving by the royal priest Melchizedek (Gen > 14:18). « Back to Hebrews 8:1. # **7:28 men in their weakness:** The high priests of Israel were sinful (7:27) and mortal (7:23), and the Law they administered brought nothing to perfection (7:19). The high priest of the New Covenant is sinless (7:26) and immortal (7:24), and he embodies the perfection of humanity (5:9) made possible in the new economy of grace (10:14; 12:23) (CCC 1540) **8:1-10:39** The climax of Hebrews, where the author demonstrates the superior excellence of the New Covenant over the Old. He shows that the cultic and liturgical traditions of Israel, especially the Tabernacle and the rites of the Day of Atonement, are earthly and historical signs that teach us about heavenly realities and help us to understand the priestly work of Christ (CCC 522) **8:1 the point:** The main idea of the book. **the right hand:** An allusion to Ps 110:1, also referred to in Heb 1:3 and cited explicitly in 1:13. • Psalm 110 provides the template for the presentation of Jesus in Hebrews. It is a messianic psalm that describes how the Lord will *enthrone* the anointed One in *heaven* and ordain him an eternal *priest* in the order of Melchizedek (Ps 110:1-4) **8:2 true tent:** The sacred dwelling place of God in heaven. The Mosaic Tabernacle was only a model and reflection of this eternal reality (8:5), also called his \"holy tent\" (Wis 9:8) **8:3 something to offer:** Levitical priests offered the blood of bulls and goats in the earthly sanctuary (Lev 16:14-15). In a similar but superior way, Christ offers his own humanity, his body (10:10) and blood (9:12-14), as an atonement sacrifice in the sanctuary of heaven (9:24) **8:4 he would not be a priest:** Because Jesus descended, not from the priestly tribe of Levi, but from the royal tribe of Judah (7:14) **8:5 See that you make:** A citation from Ex 25:40. • Moses spent 40 days on Sinai (Ex 24:18) receiving instructions on how to build the Tabernacle and its furnishings (Ex 25:1-27:19). Its blueprint was based on a vision of the heavenly sanctuary that God had shown him (Acts 7:44) **8:7 first covenant:** The Mosaic covenant ratified at Sinai (Ex 19-24) and administered by the Levitical priests (Lev 1-16). Because the prophet Jeremiah later spoke of a \"new covenant\" (Heb 8:8), which the author calls a **second** covenant, he infers that the first is deficient and destined to pass away. For a similar line of reasoning, see note at Heb 7:11-19 **8:8-12** A citation from Jer 31:31-34. • Jeremiah gives one of the clearest prophecies of the New Covenant in the OT. He defines it over against the Mosaic covenant established during the Exodus period. The Old Covenant was engraved on stone tablets (Ex 31:18) and transgressed by Israel (Ex 32:1-6); it prescribed sacrifices to remind the people of their sins (Heb 10:3). The New Covenant, by contrast, is inscribed on the heart (8:10), makes a deeper knowledge of God possible (8:11), and wipes away the memory of sin through an efficacious remission of guilt (8:12) (CCC 580, 1965) **8:13 ready to vanish:** This is the strongest hint in Hebrews that the sanctuary (Jerusalem Temple) and apparatus (Levitical cult and priesthood) of the Old Covenant were still operating when the letter was written. Other passages, such as 8:4-5 and 10:1-3, give the same impression. The overall perspective of the letter confirms this, as well: it is inconceivable that readers would be tempted to revert to the system of Levitical worship after the Temple and priestly leadership of Jerusalem were destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. *See introduction to Hebrews: *Date.** . **9:1-14** The layout of the Mosaic Tabernacle. The sanctuary proper was composed of two chambers: the outer tent or Holy Place, where the priests of Israel performed regular duties, and the inner tent or Holy of Holies, where the high priest alone could enter once a year. For the author, the first and second chambers of the Tabernacle symbolize the first (Mosaic) and second (New) covenants (8:7), as well as earth and heaven. Thus, the Aaronic high priest, who passed from the first tent to the second once a year, is a type of Christ, who passed from the Old Covenant into the New once for all time when he ascended into the presence of God in heaven (4:14; 9:24). • The distinction between the first and second tents can be explained in two ways. In one sense, the first tent represents the Old Covenant, and the second tent the New. In another, the first signifies the Church, and the second the glory of heaven (St. Thomas Aquinas, *Commentary on Hebrews* 9, 1) **9:2 Holy Place:** The outer tent where priests performed daily and weekly rituals (9:6). It was furnished with a lampstand (Ex 25:31-37), a table overlaid with gold (Ex 25:23-29), and 12 loaves of the bread of Presence (Ex 25:30; Lev 24:5-8) **9:3 second curtain:** The embroidered veil that hung as a partition between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (Ex 26:31-33). A similar veil separated the Holy Place from the outer courtyard. **Holy of Holies:** The most sacred chamber of the Tabernacle, inaccessible to all but the high priest once a year (9:7). It housed the Ark of the Covenant, the golden chest that served as the earthly throne of Yahweh (Ex 25:10-15). The Ark was topped with the mercy seat and its two cherubim (Ex 25:17-22), and inside it were the tablets of the covenant (Ex 25:16), a jar of manna (Ex 16:33), and the rod of Aaron (Num 17:8-10) **9:4 altar of incense:** Scripture normally puts the incense altar in the Holy Place, not the Holy of Holies (Ex 30:1-10; 40:26). Perhaps the author is alluding to the Day of Atonement liturgy, when incense was taken from the altar into the presence of the Ark (Lev 16:12-13) **9:5 mercy seat:** The slab of pure gold that formed the lid of the Ark (Ex 25:17-22) **9:7 once a year:** On the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:29-34). • On this day, the high priest offered sacrifices for himself (bull calf) and the people (goat) and took the blood of the victims into the Holy of Holies to sprinkle it on the mercy seat of the Ark (Lev 16:14-15). The event was an annual renewal of the Mosaic covenant ratified at Sinai, which Aaron promptly broke when he fashioned the golden calf (Ex 32:4) and which the people continued to break by worshiping goat idols in the Sinai wilderness (satyrs, Lev 17:7). See note on Lev 9:1-24 **9:8 not yet opened:** The definitive passage from the old order to the new, and thus from earth to heaven, was pioneered by Christ, who leads the way for his people to follow (2:10; 4:14-16) **9:9 present age:** The age of the Old Covenant, which at the time of the author was nearing its end (8:13; 9:26) **9:11 greater . tent:** The heavenly sanctuary that Christ entered when he ascended to the right hand of the Father (4:14; 8:1; 9:24) (CCC 662). **not made with hands:** I.e., not earthly. See essay: **Not Made with Hands** at 2 Cor 5 **9:12 once for all:** In marked contrast to the \"once a year\" (9:7) entrance of the high priests of Israel (9:25). **Holy Place:** The Greek is better rendered \"sanctuary\", as in 8:2 and 9:24. **blood of goats and calves:** The author appears to telescope two different liturgical events: the *ratification* of the Mosaic covenant at Sinai, where the Greek OT specifies that young calves were sacrificed (Ex 24:5), and the *renewal* of the Mosaic covenant on the Day of Atonement, when a goat was sacrificed for the transgressions of the people (Lev 16:15). The effect is to show that the sacrificial blood of Christ both ratifies a New Covenant and truly atones for the sins committed under the Old (Heb 9:15) (CCC 592). For a similar use of this technique, See note on Heb 7:27 **9:13 ashes of a heifer:** The ashes of a red heifer, burned with its blood, were mixed with water in order to purify persons defiled by contact with the dead (Num 19:1-13). In a more powerful way, the blood of Christ cleanses us from the guilt of \"dead works\" (Heb 9:14) **9:14 the eternal Spirit:** The Spirit carried the risen humanity of Jesus beyond the veil of creation into the heavenly sanctuary (Acts 1:9-11). **offered himself:** Jesus is both priest and sacrificial victim. **without blemish:** Animals offered in sacrifice had to be free of physical defects (Lev 1:3, 10; 3:1, 6; etc.). Christ is free of every moral and spiritual defect (Heb 7:26; 1 Pet 1:19). **to serve:** Redemption from sin brings a new freedom for worship (12:28; 13:15-16) **9:15 mediator:** One who brings God and his people together. See word study: **Mediator** at 12:24. **promised . inheritance:** The heavenly blessings pledged to the world through Abraham (6:17; Gen 22:16-18) **9:17 takes effect:** Or, \"is confirmed\" **9:18** Refers to the ratification of the Sinai covenant described in Ex 24:3-8 **9:20 This is the blood:** A citation from Ex 24:8. • Since the Hebrew and Greek versions of this passage begin with the word \"Behold\" instead of \"This\", it is likely that the author of Hebrews has deliberately adjusted the words of Moses to evoke the eucharistic words of Jesus: \"*T*his is my blood of the covenant\" (Mt 26:28). If so, then he is drawing a parallel between the founding of the Old Covenant at Sinai and the founding of the New Covenant at the Last Supper (Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). See note on Heb 13:10 **9:22 the shedding of blood:** Blood was a key element in the atonement and purification rites of Israelite religion. This was especially so on the Day of Atonement, when blood was used to purify the priests and people as well as the Tabernacle and its furnishings (Lev 16:11-19) **9:24 made with hands:** The Mosaic Tabernacle was an earthly tent, i.e., part of this creation (9:11) [[will-or-covenant|Will or Covenant?]] # **9:25 repeatedly:** The continuous cycle of high priests offering sacrifices and going in and out of the Holy of Holies year after year stands in contrast to Christ, who appeared once for all (9:26), died once for all (7:27; 9:28), and entered the heavenly sanctuary once for all (9:12) **9:26 end of the age:** The final stretch of the Old Covenant era, which the author perceives is \"ready to vanish away\" (8:13). *See introduction: *Date.** . **9:27 to die once:** No man dies twice, and so neither does Christ, who shared fully in our humanity (2:14; Rom 6:9) (CCC 1013). **judgment:** Everyone will experience a personal judgment by God immediately after death (CCC 1021-22) **9:28 bear the sins of many:** An allusion to Is 53:12. • Isaiah describes the rejection and death of the Messiah, who makes himself a sin offering for the transgressions of his people (Is 53:10). The oracle resonates with several of the same themes that echo throughout Hebrews. **a second time:** Christ will come again from heaven to retrieve the saints destined for glory (1 Thess 4:16-17) **10:1 a shadow:** The sacrifices of the Law merely prefigured the perfect sacrifice of Christ (Col 2:16-17) (CCC 128). **the true form:** Or, \"the true image\". The expression implies that the liturgy of the New Covenant, which celebrates the saving work of Christ, still utilizes visible and sacramental signs for worship. So, for example, the ceremonial \"food and drink\", as well as the \"baptisms\" of the Levitical order (Heb 9:10), foreshadow the sacraments of the Eucharist (13:10) and Baptism (10:22) (CCC 1145-52). See notes on Heb 6:4 and 13:10 **10:3 reminder of sin:** The annual repetition of sacrifice on the Day of Atonement (10:4; Lev 16) is evidence that the Levitical cult was not a true solution to the problem of sin (Heb 10:2). Under the Old Covenant, sins are remembered but not removed; under the New Covenant, sins are removed and thus no longer remembered (8:12; 10:17) (CCC 1539-40). See word study: **Remembrance** at Lk 22:19 **10:5-7** The Greek version of Ps 40:6-8. • The Psalmist views the human body as an instrument of sacrifice; it was created to be offered in obedience to the will of God. This is a form of worship more pleasing to the Lord than offering the flesh and blood of animals in the Temple (1 Sam 15:22). Jesus lives out the psalm to the utmost because his sinless life as a man, totally conformed to the divine will, made the priestly offering of his body and blood the perfect sacrifice that supersedes all others (Heb 9:12; 10:10) (CCC 614, 2100). • Four things must be considered with every sacrifice: to whom it is offered, by whom it is offered, what is offered, and for whom it is offered. Christ, the one Mediator, remained one with God, to whom he offered sacrifice, made those for whom he offered it one in himself, and acted as one in being both the one who offers and the offering (St. Augustine, *On the Trinity* 4, 19) **10:7 to do your will:** The will of the Father was the focus of the Son\'s mission in life, even to the point of death (5:8; Mk 14:36; Phil 2:8; CCC 606-7) **10:9 the first . The second:** The Old Covenant and the New (8:7, 13) **10:11-13** The author contrasts the posture of Levitical priests (**stands,** 10:11) with that of Jesus (**sat down,** 10:12). His point: the work of the former was perpetually unfinished, while the work of the latter has been definitively accomplished. This applies to the earthly dimension of Christ\'s priesthood, since his ministry as a heavenly priest and intercessor is ongoing (7:25; 8:2) **10:14 perfected:** Christ accomplishes what the Mosaic ceremonies could not ---the inward transformation of the worshiper (9:9-10; 10:1). This involves the cleansing of the conscience from guilt (9:14; 10:22) and the engraving of his Law on the heart (8:10; 10:16). See word study: **Made Perfect** at 5:9 **10:15 the Holy Spirit:** The divine author of the Scriptures (3:7; Acts 1:16; 2 Pet 1:21) **10:16-17** Excerpts from the New Covenant prophecy of Jer 31:31-34. See note on Heb 8:8-12 **10:19-25** Readers are urged to enter the heavenly sanctuary of God\'s presence. It is implied that this entry into heaven is a sacramental entry through the eucharistic **flesh** and **blood** of Jesus, whose glorified humanity gives us priestly access to the Father (4:16). Readers are also urged to grow in the virtues of **faith,** which perceives heavenly realities hidden to the eyes (11:1), **hope,** which is anchored in heaven and yearns to dwell there (6:18-19), and **love,** which reaches out to serve God and others (6:10; 13:1) **10:20 the curtain:** I.e., the humanity of Christ, which is the sanctuary veil that parts to give us entrance into the celestial Holy of Holies (9:3) **10:22 draw near:** I.e., into the presence of God, who sits enthroned in the innermost chamber of heaven (4:16). Believers draw near for prayer and worship, as the Israelites did in coming to the Mosaic Tabernacle (10:1). **hearts sprinkled . bodies washed:** An allusion to Baptism. Its waters make outward contact with the body but effect an inward cleansing of the heart (Acts 22:16; Eph 5:26; 1 Pet 3:21). • Sprinkling with blood and washing with water are liturgical rites associated with the ordination of Aaronic priests (Ex 29:4, 21; Lev 8:6, 30). In a similar way, Baptism consecrates us into the universal priesthood of believers (1 Pet 2:9; Rev 1:5-6). This qualifies us to enter the heavenly Tabernacle (Heb 10:19) and enables us to make pleasing sacrifices to the Lord (13:15-16) (CCC 1268) **10:25 meet together:** As a liturgical assembly. Exclusively private worship apart from the family of faith is discouraged (CCC 2178). **the Day:** The Day of Judgment. In its original context, this may have particular reference to the approaching judgment of Israel and the passing away of the Old Covenant with its sanctuary and priesthood **10:26 sin deliberately:** By reverting to the worship of traditional Judaism with its ineffectual ceremonies and sacrifices (9:9-10). This amounts to exchanging the perfect sacrifice of Christ (10:14) for the animal sacrifices of the Law, which had no power to take away sin (10:1-4) **10:28 two or three witnesses:** A reference to Deut 17:6 and 19:15. • Moses required corroborative testimony from several witnesses before a man could be charged with a capital crime and put to death. For the author of Hebrews, the penalty for rejecting the gospel is far worse than for any infraction of the Torah (2:1-3) **10:30 Vengeance is mine The Lord will judge:** Two citations from Deuteronomy. • The first, at Deut 32:35, reads like a translation of the Aramaic *Targum Neofiti,* which differs from the Hebrew and Greek versions but is identical to Paul\'s citation of the passage in Rom 12:19. The second is from the Greek version of Deut 32:36 **10:32-36** A flashback to the days when readers suffered persecution (12:4) **10:32 enlightened:** Possibly an allusion to Baptism. See note on Heb 6:4 **10:34 a better possession:** A heavenly inheritance, beyond the reach of thieves and looters (9:15; 11:16; Mt 6:20) **10:37-39** The Greek version of Hab 2:3-4. • Habakkuk, who prophesied the conquest of Judea in the sixth century B.C., taught that **faith** is a protection against the judgment of God. The point is now made to Christians who are tempted to **shrink back** from the gospel and return to a Jewish way of life **11:1-40** The faith of the OT saints is celebrated. The chapter follows the story of the Bible from creation (11:3), to the days before the flood (11:4-7), to the patriarchal age (11:8-22), to the Exodus (11:23-29), to the Conquest of Canaan (11:30-31), to the Judges and the Monarchy (11:32-34), all the way to Maccabean times (11:35-38). The author intends to show how faith looks upward as well as forward, perceiving the anagogical (things in heaven) as well as the eschatological (things in the future). Because it sees beyond the hardships of this life, faith can also conquer the fear of suffering and death (CCC 147, 163). For a similar survey of biblical heroes, see Sir 44:1-50:21 **11:1 things not seen:** Such as the heavenly Jerusalem (11:10, 16; 12:22), where Jesus ministers in the heavenly sanctuary (4:14; 8:1-2; 12:2). • Faith is distinct from all other acts of the intellect. It is defined as **assurance,** which distinguishes it from opinion, suspicion, and doubt; it adheres to **things not seen,** which distinguishes it from science, whose object is something apparent; and it is directed toward **things hoped for,** by which the virtue of faith is distinguished from popular notions of faith, which have no reference to the beatitude we hope to attain (St. Thomas Aquinas, *Summa Theologiae* II-II, 4, 1) **11:3 the world was created:** The universe of time and space was not fashioned out of preexisting materials, but was spoken into existence by the Father (Gen 1:3; Ps 33:6-9) through the mediation of the Son (Heb 1:2) (CCC 286) **11:4-7** The faithful who lived before the flood. • **Abel** was more righteous than his older brother, Cain, because he offered his sacrifice with faith, as testified by the voice of his innocent blood (11:4; Gen 4:1-10). **Enoch** walked by faith and not by sight for 300 years, as testified by his assumption into heaven (11:5; Gen 5:21-24). **Noah** put faith into action when he built the ark at a time when rain had not yet fallen on the earth (11:7; Gen 2:4-6; 6:5-22) **11:6 must believe:** Faith makes a relationship with God possible. • Faith is the foundation of everything and the beginning of human salvation. Apart from faith, one can neither be numbered among the sons of God nor obtain the grace of justification. Without faith, every human effort is empty (St. Fulgentius, *On the Faith* 1) **11:8-22** The faithful of the patriarchal age. • **Abraham** stands out as the man of faith par excellence. He kept faith when the Lord called him to leave his homeland (Heb 11:8; Gen 12:1-4), to roam around Canaan like a nomad (Heb 11:9; Gen 12:5-9; 13:2-18), and to sacrifice his son as a holocaust (Heb 11:17-19; Gen 22:1-14). **Sarah** overcame doubts with faith, believing that God could reverse the barrenness of her womb with the blessing of a son (Heb 11:11; Gen 21:1-3). **Isaac** and **Jacob** blessed their sons and gave them visions of the future (Heb 11:20-21; Gen 27:26-40; 48:8-20). **Joseph** peered into the future by faith, foreseeing the Exodus and the transfer of his bones out of Egypt (Heb 11:22; Gen 50:24-25; Ex 13:19) (CCC 2570-73) **11:13 exiles on the earth:** The Patriarchs realized that earth was not their true home and so longed for a dwelling more glorious and lasting (11:10). Hebrews pictures this as a heavenly land (11:15-16), city (11:10; 12:22), and sanctuary (8:5; 9:24). These transcendent realities were symbolized by the concentric zones of sacred space revered in ancient Judaism: the *land* of Israel, encompassing the *city* of Jerusalem, encompassing the *sanctuary* of Moses **11:19 a symbol:** Isaac\'s escape from death (Gen 22:9-12) on the third day after God decreed it (Gen 22:4) prefigures the third-day Resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor 15:4). Abraham\'s faith in the power of God to rescue Isaac from death shines through his words spoken on the occasion: \"I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you\" (Gen 22:5) **11:21 his staff:** Follows the Greek version of Gen 47:31. The Hebrew reads \"his bed\" **11:23-28** The faith of Moses and his parents. • Here the author brings out how faith conquers fear. This is seen when the **parents** of Moses dare to conceal his birth (11:23; Ex 2:1-2); when **Moses** himself chooses to side with his people instead of to commit sin (11:25-26; Ex 2:11-14); and when he leads them in the celebration of the Passover (11:28; Ex 12:21-28) **11:25 fleeting pleasures:** The luxuries of life open to Moses in the royal palace of Pharaoh **11:26 suffered for the Christ:** Moses preferred to suffer with his people rather than cling to his possessions as an Egyptian prince. For the author, solidarity with the Hebrews is solidarity with the Hebrew Messiah destined to come from them. This speaks directly to the original readers, who also suffered affliction and sustained losses of their property (10:32-34) **11:29-31** The faithful of the Exodus and Conquest periods. • It took faith for the **people** of Israel to walk across the floor of the Red Sea with walls of water on both sides (11:29; Ex 14:21-31), just as faith was needed to level the city of **Jericho** with a liturgical procession rather than a military operation (11:30; Josh 6:1-20). **Rahab** displayed faith when she hid the scouts of Israel and professed belief in the God of Israel (11:31; Josh 2:1-21; 6:23) **11:32-38** The faithful judges, kings, prophets, and martyrs. • In addition to those named in 11:32, allusion is made to others: Daniel stopped the **mouths of lions** (11:33; Dan 6:16-24); Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood unharmed while **fire** danced around them (11:34; Dan 3:23-27, 24-27); the widow of Zarephath and the Shunammite woman received their children back from the **dead** (11:35; 1 Kings 17:17-24; 2 Kings 4:32-37); the Maccabean martyrs were **tortured** as they professed faith in the resurrection (11:35; 2 Mac 7); the priest Zechariah was **stoned** in the Temple (11:37; 2 Chron 24:20-22); the prophet Isaiah was **sawn in two** (11:37; follows Jewish tradition); and the prophet Elijah wore animal **skins** (11:37; 2 Kings 1:8) **11:39 did not receive:** Not until Jesus opened the way to glory did the righteous of the OT enter the inheritance they saw from a distance. See topical essay: **Christ and \"The Spirits in Prison\"** **12:1 cloud of witnesses:** The heroes of biblical history enumerated in Hebrews 11. They are pictured crowded into a stadium, looking down on believers still running the race of faith and urging them on to victory. At the finish line stands Jesus, waiting to reward us (12:2). • Images of the faithful departed cheering us on hints at the communion and intercession of the saints. It shows that the Church in heaven is neither cut off from nor disinterested in the pilgrim Church on earth but is actively solicitous of her salvation (CCC 2683). **every weight:** As a runner sheds whatever might restrict his movements or hamper his performance, so the believer must rid himself of every encumbrance in life that will jeopardize his chances for winning the eternal prize. **run with perseverance:** Life is more like a distance race than a short sprint. Endurance is therefore necessary to keep moving toward the finish without losing faith along the way (10:36). For the comparison between Christian living and athletic competition, See note on 1 Cor 9:24-27 **12:2 looking to Jesus:** Christ was victorious because he looked beyond the Cross to the crown of glory prepared for him by the Father (2:9). This is meant to encourage readers growing weary in the midst of persecution. **the shame:** Of the Crucifixion. See note on Mk 15:24. **seated at the right hand:** The position of the triumphant priest-king of Ps 110:1 **12:5-6** A citation from Prov 3:11-12. • The proverb teaches that divine discipline is inspired by divine love. Without this wisdom, one might mistake the trials of life (such as persecution; Heb 10:32-36) for signs of God\'s anger hammering down on every fault and failure. On the contrary, God is a wise and caring Father who desires only to make his children better. It is because he loves them too much to overlook their sins and selfishness that he sends difficulties to train them in righteousness and to raise them to spiritual adulthood. In point of fact, the sons of God are being forged in the image of God the Son, who \"learned obedience through what he suffered\" (5:8) (CCC 2825) **12:8 illegitimate children:** Those with no rights of inheritance in Roman society **12:9 earthly fathers:** Literally, \"fathers of our flesh\", which sets up a contrast with God as the Father of spirits **12:12-13** Continuing the race metaphor in 12:1, the author pictures his discouraged readers as a runner slouched over with exhaustion and swerving back and forth along the track. Like a coach, he urges them to summon their energies and charge ahead toward the finish line. • His words allude to the Greek versions of Is 35:3 **(drooping hands, weak knees)** and Prov 4:26 **(straight paths).** Isaiah encourages the fearful of Israel with news that God is coming to their rescue, and the proverb is a father\'s instruction to his son to follow the straight and narrow way of righteousness **12:14 Strive for peace:** So far as it depends on the believer, who might be tempted to return evil for evil to his persecutors (Rom 12:14-18). **holiness:** Personal sanctification is required for attaining the vision of God in heaven (Mt 5:8; Rev 22:4). This includes being made holy or sanctified by the grace of God, first of all in Baptism (1 Cor 6:11). However, the Lord also wills us to \"strive\" for an increase in sanctification by the exertion of our will in living the gospel to the full (Rom 6:19; 1 Thess 3:12-13; 4:3). The text declares this second aspect of holiness to be indispensable for reaching heaven **12:15 root of bitterness:** Someone who spreads discouragement and doubt among believers. Readers must guard against anyone having such an evil influence on others. • The expression comes from Deut 29:18, where it refers to an idolater who leads Israel away from the Lord **12:16 Esau:** Despised his birthright and traded it in for momentary pleasure. • Esau, being a first-born, was entitled to the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant that passed through the line of Isaac (Gen 22:16-18; 26:1-5). However, he relinquished this inheritance when he exchanged his birthright for a mere meal (Gen 25:27-34), and though he later regretted his losses, he was never able to recover them (Gen 27:30-40). This tragedy stands as a warning for readers, who share in the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant (Heb 6:13-18) but who are tempted to relinquish their faith for temporary relief from persecution **12:18-24** The Old Covenant is contrasted with the New: they are represented by different mountains (Sinai/Zion), different assemblies (Israel/Church), different responses (fear/ worship), different locations (earth/heaven), and different mediators (Moses/Jesus). The author is launching his final appeal to keep readers from sliding back into Judaism. See introduction: *Destination and Purpose.* . **12:18-21** Israel\'s experience at Mount Sinai. • What **may be touched** refers to the mountain itself as the Lord descended upon it with a dramatic display of fire and smoke and blaring trumpets (12:18; Ex 19:16-20; Deut 4:11). Terrified by this, the people begged to hear **no further messages** directly from Yahweh after he had uttered the Decalogue in a thunderous voice (12:19; Ex 19:19; 20:18-20; Deut 5:4). No man or **beast** was permitted to touch the mountain (Heb 12:20; Ex 19:12-13) except for Moses, who later admitted to trembling **with fear** (Heb 12:21; Deut 9:19) **12:22-24** The celestial liturgy of heaven, where angels and saints are gathered to worship God and to celebrate the redeeming work of Christ (Rev 4-5; 7:9-17; 14:1-5; etc.). Readers are invited to join in this eternal liturgy (Heb 12:28) by entering the heavenly sanctuary through prayer and sacramental worship (10:19-22) (CCC 2188) **12:22 Mount Zion:** The heavenly summit (Rev 14:1) whose counterpart is the earthly mountain where Jerusalem has stood for centuries (Ps 76:2; Is 2:3). **heavenly Jerusalem:** Alluded to earlier as the city whose foundations were laid by God in eternity (11:10, 16). Other passages refer to this as the Jerusalem \"above\" (Gal 4:26) and the \"holy city\" from heaven (Rev 21:2, 10) **12:23 the assembly:** Or, \"the Church\". **the first-born:** The saints in heaven (the Greek is plural) united with Christ the first-born Son (1:6). **enrolled:** I.e., registered by name in the heavenly Book of Life (Lk 10:20; Rev 21:27). **spirits of just men:** Perhaps the righteous men and women of OT times who were perfected by Christ (11:40) and led into heaven (Eph 4:8). Like all the faithful departed, only their \"spirits\" are present with God as they await the resurrection of their bodies at the end of history (1 Cor 15:51-55) **12:24 blood that speaks:** The spilled blood of Abel cried out for vengeance (11:4; Gen 4:10), but the sprinkled blood of Jesus calls for forgiveness and peace (Heb 9:12; Col 1:20) **12:25** The argument that a greater message lays greater responsibility on the hearers also appears in 2:1-3 and 10:28-29, where the same contrast is made between the Law of Moses and the gospel of Christ **12:26 shook the earth:** Mount Sinai quaked and rumbled in the presence of God (Ex 19:18; Ps 68:8) **12:26 Yet once more:** A citation from Hag 2:6. • Haggai speaks in apocalyptic terms about a dramatic intervention of God to overthrow the kingdoms of the earth (Hag 2:21-22). The point here is that God is about to shake \"the world\" of the Old Covenant to the ground, so that only the unshakable kingdom of Christ will be left standing amidst the rubble (Heb 12:28). See note on Heb 8:13 and essay: **End of the World?** at Matthew 24 **12:29 a consuming fire:** God is a raging fire of love and holiness, which is warming and purifying to the saints (Lk 3:16; 1 Pet 1:6-7) but searing and punishing to the sinner (Heb 10:26-27). • The imagery comes from Deut 4:24 **13:2 entertained angels:** Hospitality is encouraged by recalling how OT figures such as Abraham (Gen 18:1-21), Lot (Gen 19:1-3), Gideon (Judg 6:11-24), and Tobias (Tob 5:4-9) welcomed heavenly messengers without realizing it **13:3 in prison:** Visiting the imprisoned is a charitable work of mercy (Mt 25:36; CCC 2447) **13:4 the marriage bed:** Prohibits every form of sexual immorality inside (e.g., adultery) and outside (e.g., fornication) the boundaries of lawful wedlock. This standard of chastity applies to the married and unmarried alike. See note on Eph 5:3 **13:5 love of money:** A deadly vice that, left unchecked, can destroy our hope of salvation (Mt 6:24; 19:23). **I will never fail you:** Encouragement once given to Joshua (Deut 31:6, 8; Josh 1:5). It inspires contentment in the Providence of God, who can always be trusted to meet our needs (Mt 6:25-34; 1 Tim 6:6-10) > [!NOTE] Word Study > *Mediator* (Heb 12:24) - *Mesitēs* (Gk.): a middleman who tries to resolve differences between two parties or help them work together toward a common end. The term is used six times in the NT, twice in reference to Moses (Gal 3:19-20) and four times for Christ (Heb 8:6; 9:15; 12:24; 1 Tim 2:5). Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant who stood in the gap between Israel and Yahweh. He spoke the word of God to Israel in the Law (Ex 20:19; Deut 5:5), and he spoke to God on behalf of Israel as an intercessor (Ex 32:30-32; Num 14:13-19). Christ is a more perfect mediator between God and his people because he unites in himself both humanity and divinity. He therefore mediates and administers a more excellent covenant than did Moses and the priests of Israel, a covenant that brings the Father and the human family together through an eternal redemption from sin (Heb 9:11-14) and perpetual intercession in heaven (Heb 7:25). ^vygalz **13:6 The Lord is my helper:** A citation from Ps 118:6. • Recalling how the Lord delivered him from distress in times past, the Psalmist bursts out with a prayer of confidence in God in the face of new enemy threats **13:7 Remember your leaders:** The original pastors of the community **13:8 the same:** Jesus Christ is unchanging because he is divine, i.e., he is the Lord who is more ancient and more permanent than the visible universe (1:12) **13:9 not by foods:** The eaten portions of Temple sacrifices are probably in view (1 Cor 9:13; 10:18) **13:10 an altar:** Many interpret this as a reference to the Cross or to the sacrifice of Jesus in general. More likely, it refers to the eucharistic altar of the Church, which is off-limits to the non-Christian priests serving at the sanctuary altar in Jerusalem. In favor of this reading, several considerations suggest that the Eucharist is a significant, albeit submerged, element in the theology of Hebrews. **(1)** The towering importance of the New Covenant throughout the letter points in this direction, since Jesus mentioned \"the new covenant\" only in the context of the Last Supper (Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). This would not go unnoticed by readers familiar with the Gospels\' traditions. **(2)** At one point, the author seems to allude to the eucharistic words of Jesus (See note on Heb 9:20). Not only so, but the allusion leads to a significant point about the relationship between shedding blood and the forgiveness of sins (9:22), a point that Jesus himself also made in the words of institution (Mt 26:27-28). **(3)** A reference to the Eucharist probably occurs in 6:4, where Christian initiation involves tasting a \"heavenly gift\". **(4)** The typology in 7:1-3 invites us to consider the links between Jesus and the priest Melchizedek. Christian readers would naturally see a prefigurement of the sacrament in the \"bread and wine\" offered by Melchizedek (Gen 14:18). **(5)** Hebrews teaches that we draw near to God and actually enter his heavenly sanctuary \"by the blood of Jesus\" (10:19) and \"through his flesh\" (10:20). It is difficult to know how the humanity of Christ enables us to accomplish this in the present apart from Eucharistic Communion (CCC 1182) **13:12 outside the gate:** A final connection is made between the sacrifice of Jesus and the Day of Atonement liturgy developed in Heb 9-10. • After the sin offerings were slain in the outer court of the Tabernacle, the carcasses of the victims were dragged outside the camp of Israel to be burned (Lev 16:27). This signifies how the body of Jesus was disgraced outside the city walls of Jerusalem (Mk 12:8; Jn 19:17-20). Readers are challenged to follow him out, leaving behind the city and sanctuary of the Old Covenant and ready to suffer for the gospel as he did (Heb 13:13-14) **13:14 the city . to come**: The heavenly Jerusalem (12:22; CCC 2796) **13:17 Obey your leaders:** The pastors who replaced the original leaders of the community remembered in 13:7 (CCC 1269). See note on 1 Thess 5:12 **13:20 from the dead:** The only explicit mention of Jesus\' Resurrection in the letter, although the fact is often assumed (2:14; 5:7; 7:16; etc.) **13:22 word of exhortation:** The same expression is used in Acts 13:15 to refer to a synagogue sermon. For this and other reasons, many scholars maintain that the Letter to the Hebrews is a homily that came to be written down. *See introduction: *Themes and Characteristics.** . **13:23 Timothy:** A mutual friend of the author and his readers. He is commonly identified with Paul\'s missionary coworker of this name from Asia Minor (Acts 16:1-4). If that is who he is, this is the only indication in the NT that he spent time in prison. For his background, see note on 1 Tim 1:2 **13:24 Those who come from Italy:** This could mean that Hebrews was written either *from* Italy or *to* Italy, depending on the present location of the author\'s Italian companions. Traditionally it was held that Hebrews was sent from Italy to a community of believers in Palestine; many modern scholars, however, interpret the geographical reference the other way around --- > Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, *The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament*, Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010).