Hebrews 5:10

Called of God an high priest, after the order of Melchisedec.

Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. [ Prosagoreutheis (G4316)] 'Addressed' (saluted by the appellation). Formally recognized by God as High Priest.

His constitution by God the Father in his office, maketh it so effectual; he was solemnly proclaimed and declared to be what God had constituted him. God nameth or calleth things as they are, and as he hath made them; and this was done openly, and with the most illustrious solemnity, at his ascension into heaven, when God set him down on his right hand in the presence of all the surrounding angels, who did all submit to him as their Head and King, and acknowledge him as the great royal High Priest of God, as was foretold, ,2; which words of the psalmist the Spirit further explaineth in , where he proves this gospel High Priest to be of a more excellent order than Aaron’ s, even like that of Melchisedec, which it exceedeth, and which must last for ever.

10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Ver. 10. Called] Gr. προσαγορευθεις, spoken unto, called by name, or entitled a high priest, &c.; therefore he is truly so. For persons and things are as God calleth them.

(10) Called.—Rather, addressed. The divine words are, “Thou art a priest for ever.” In the quotation from the Psalm, “priest” is now altered into “High Priest.” The purport remains the same; or, rather, it is by this change of word that the meaning of the Psalm is fully expressed. This repetition of the words of Heb 5:6 at the close of the paragraph is singularly impressive. At this point the course of the argument is interrupted by a long digression (Hebrews 5:11 to Hebrews 6:20), to which the writer is led by reflection on the inability of his readers to receive the teaching which befits their Christian standing. If, however, we remember the practical aim that is predominant in the Epistle, we can hardly call this a digression, so powerfully is every portion of it made subservient to one great purpose.

Verse 10. Called of God a high priest] προσαγορευθεις. Being constituted, hailed, and acknowledged to be a high priest. In Hesychius we find προσαγορευει, which he translates ασπαζεται. hence we learn that one meaning of this word is to salute; as when a man was constituted or anointed king, those who accosted him would say, Hail king! On this verse Dr. Macknight has the following note, with the insertion of which the reader will not be displeased: "As our Lord, in his conversation with the Pharisees, recorded Matthew 22:43, spake of it as a thing certain of itself, and universally known and acknowledged by the Jews, that David wrote the 110th Psalm by inspiration, concerning the Christ or Messiah; the apostle was well founded in applying the whole of that Psalm to Jesus. Wherefore, having quoted the fourth verse, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec, as directed to Messiah, David's Lord, he justly termed that speech of the Deity a salutation of Jesus, according to the true import of the word προσαγορευθεις, which properly signifies to address one by his name, or title, or office; accordingly Hesychius explains προσαγορευομαι by ασπαζομαι. Now, that the deep meaning of this salutation may be understood, I observe, First, that, by the testimony of the inspired writers, Jesus sat down at the right hand of God when he returned to heaven, after having finished his ministry upon earth; Mr 16:19; Acts 7:56; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 8:1; 1 Peter 3:22. Not, however, immediately, but after that he had offered the sacrifice of himself in heaven, by presenting his crucified body before the presence of God; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 10:10. Secondly, I observe, that God's saluting Messiah a priest after the order of Melchisedec, being mentioned in the psalm after God is said to have invited him to sit at his right hand, it is reasonable to think the salutation was given him after he had offered the sacrifice of himself; and had taken his seat at God's right hand. Considered in this order, the salutation of Jesus, as a priest after the order of Melchisedec, was a public declaration on the part of God that he accepted the sacrifice of himself, which Jesus then offered, as a sufficient atonement for the sin of the world, and approved of the whole of his ministrations on earth, and confirmed all the effects of that meritorious sacrifice, And whereas we are informed in the psalm that, after God had invited his Son, in the human nature; to sit at his right hand as Governor of the world, and foretold the blessed fruits of his government, he published the oath by which he made him a Priest for ever, before he sent him into the world to accomplish the salvation of mankind; and declared that he would never repent of that oath: The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent; Thou art a Priest for ever after the similitude of Melchisedec.

10. called] Lit, “saluted” or “addressed by God as.” This is the only place in the N.T. where the verb occurs.a high priest after the order of Melchisedec] We should here have expected the writer to enter at once on the explanation of this term. But he once more pauses for a solemn exhortation and warning. These pauses and landing places (as it were) in his argument, cannot be regarded as mere digressions. There is nothing that they less resemble than St Paul’s habit of “going off at a word,” nor is the writer in the least degree “hurried aside by the violence of his thoughts.” There is in him a complete absence of all the hurry and impetuosity which characterise the style of St Paul. His movements are not in the least like those of an eager athlete, but they rather resemble the stately walk of some Oriental Sheykh with all his robes folded around him. He is about to enter on an entirely original and far from obvious argument, which he felt would have great weight in checking the tendency to look back to the rites, the splendours and the memories of Judaism. He therefore stops with the calmest deliberation, and the most wonderful skill, to pave the way for his argument by a powerful mixture of reproach and warning—which assisted the object he had in view, and tended to stimulate the spiritual dulness of his readers.

Called of God - Addressed by him, or greeted by him. The word used here does not mean that he was “appointed” by God, or “called” to the office, in the sense in which we often use the word, but

10. Called—Addressed, saluted; namely, by Jehovah, in the inspired Messianic Psalms 110. See notes on Hebrews 5:6, and on Hebrews 6:20.