Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
flesh and blood - an OT figure for human nature
Verse 14 overthrows the Gnostic and Christian Science doctrine that Christ had no physical human body, and that He never died in that body.
partook of the same - partook of the same human nature
render powerless - Literally, bring to nothing or make inoperative or useless, but not annihilate, for the devil will exist in torment in the lake of fire forever (Rev 20:10). This verse states the overriding purpose of Christ's accepting "a lower state."
"The reason why the Lord Jesus became incarnate is that He might die. The reason why He needed to die is that through dying and raising Himself out from under death, He might break the power of death, and thus break the power of the one who has the power of death. The word "destroy" is the translation of katergazomai, which means "to bring to naught, to render inoperative." Satan was not annihilated at the Cross. His power was broken. Spiritual death cannot hold the person who puts his faith in the Saviour. Physical death cannot keep his body in the grave. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus provides the believer with eternal life, and his body with glorification at the Rapture. Thus, Jesus conquered death, and brought to naught the Devil. Satan had the power of death, not in the sense that he had power over death, but that he had the sovereignty or dominion of death. He had a sovereignty of which death is the realm. The word for "power" in the Greek text here is kratos, which means "power in the sense of dominion." His dominion over the human race was in the form of death. That dominion is now broken." (Kenneth S. Wuest)
free - give absolute freedom
help to angels...descendant of Abraham - Christ did not come to save fallen angels but to save fallen men.
"The word "verily" [assuredly] is the translation of depou which has the ideas of "doubtless, as is well known." The words "he took" are epilambanetai in the Greek text. The verb means "to take, lay hold of, take possession of." By a metaphor drawn from laying hold of another to rescue him from peril, the word came to mean "to lay hold of for the purpose of helping or succoring." It is used in the latter sense here." (Kenneth S. Wuest)
"The force of "verily" [assuredly] here (v. 16) is "you know very well that the Messiah did not assume angelic nature but became a Hebrew." This fact does not exclude His unity with the Gentiles, but the letter being written to Hebrews by a Hebrew; His unity with them, as the descendants of Abraham, is made prominent." (G. Williams)
to make propitiation (or expiation) - Propitiation refers to God's wrath being satisfied by the death of Christ (Rom 3:25; 1 Jn 2:2). Expiation emphasize the removal of sin by the sacrifice that satisfied God. Sin interrupts normal relations with God; expiation removes sin and restores the relationship.
"The words "it behooved" [He had to be] are in the Greek text opheilo, which speaks of an obligation imposed upon one by reason of a certain consideration. Here the consideration is that the position our Lord assumed as the One who would come to the aid of lost sinners. The obligation arising out of this position was that in order to provide a salvation for the human race, He had to become like the human race, namely, Man, for a priest must always partake of the nature of the one for whom he officiates." (Kenneth S. Wuest)
merciful (or compassionate) - speaks of that feeling of sympathy with the misery of another that leads one to act in his behalf to relieve that misery - The idea of compassion as an attribute of priests is not found in the OT. One of the faults of the priests was their lack of sympathy with the people (Hos 4:4-9). In later Jewish history and in NT times, the priests were unfeeling and cruel, so the idea of a compassionate priest would be welcomed by the Jewish readers of this letter.
tempted in that which He has suffered - the emphasis is not upon the fact that the Lord Jesus suffered, but upon the fact that He was tempted. The order of the Greek words and their translation are as follows: "For in that which He suffered, having Himself been tempted."
flesh and blood - an OT figure for human nature
Verse 14 overthrows the Gnostic and Christian Science doctrine that Christ had no physical human body, and that He never died in that body.
partook of the same - partook of the same human nature
render powerless - Literally, bring to nothing or make inoperative or useless, but not annihilate, for the devil will exist in torment in the lake of fire forever (Rev 20:10). This verse states the overriding purpose of Christ's accepting "a lower state."
"The reason why the Lord Jesus became incarnate is that He might die. The reason why He needed to die is that through dying and raising Himself out from under death, He might break the power of death, and thus break the power of the one who has the power of death. The word "destroy" is the translation of katergazomai, which means "to bring to naught, to render inoperative." Satan was not annihilated at the Cross. His power was broken. Spiritual death cannot hold the person who puts his faith in the Saviour. Physical death cannot keep his body in the grave. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus provides the believer with eternal life, and his body with glorification at the Rapture. Thus, Jesus conquered death, and brought to naught the Devil. Satan had the power of death, not in the sense that he had power over death, but that he had the sovereignty or dominion of death. He had a sovereignty of which death is the realm. The word for "power" in the Greek text here is kratos, which means "power in the sense of dominion." His dominion over the human race was in the form of death. That dominion is now broken." (Kenneth S. Wuest)
free - give absolute freedom
help to angels...descendant of Abraham - Christ did not come to save fallen angels but to save fallen men.
"The word "verily" [assuredly] is the translation of depou which has the ideas of "doubtless, as is well known." The words "he took" are epilambanetai in the Greek text. The verb means "to take, lay hold of, take possession of." By a metaphor drawn from laying hold of another to rescue him from peril, the word came to mean "to lay hold of for the purpose of helping or succoring." It is used in the latter sense here." (Kenneth S. Wuest)
"The force of "verily" [assuredly] here (v. 16) is "you know very well that the Messiah did not assume angelic nature but became a Hebrew." This fact does not exclude His unity with the Gentiles, but the letter being written to Hebrews by a Hebrew; His unity with them, as the descendants of Abraham, is made prominent." (G. Williams)
to make propitiation (or expiation) - Propitiation refers to God's wrath being satisfied by the death of Christ (Rom 3:25; 1 Jn 2:2). Expiation emphasize the removal of sin by the sacrifice that satisfied God. Sin interrupts normal relations with God; expiation removes sin and restores the relationship.
"The words "it behooved" [He had to be] are in the Greek text opheilo, which speaks of an obligation imposed upon one by reason of a certain consideration. Here the consideration is that the position our Lord assumed as the One who would come to the aid of lost sinners. The obligation arising out of this position was that in order to provide a salvation for the human race, He had to become like the human race, namely, Man, for a priest must always partake of the nature of the one for whom he officiates." (Kenneth S. Wuest)
merciful (or compassionate) - speaks of that feeling of sympathy with the misery of another that leads one to act in his behalf to relieve that misery - The idea of compassion as an attribute of priests is not found in the OT. One of the faults of the priests was their lack of sympathy with the people (Hos 4:4-9). In later Jewish history and in NT times, the priests were unfeeling and cruel, so the idea of a compassionate priest would be welcomed by the Jewish readers of this letter.
tempted in that which He has suffered - the emphasis is not upon the fact that the Lord Jesus suffered, but upon the fact that He was tempted. The order of the Greek words and their translation are as follows: "For in that which He suffered, having Himself been tempted."
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