# Commentary on Hebrews Word Study – Made Perfect > *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). --- > Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, *The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament*, Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010).