Pseudo-Oecumenius

"taste death for everyone." Not only for the faithful, but for the whole world. For even if not all were saved because of their own unbelief, he himself bore his own on behalf of all and for all. And rightly so, "he might taste"; for he did not remain in death, but only in a certain way tasted it; for he immediately rose again. Therefore, in this respect, he is greater than the angels, because he proved to be superior to death.
"For it was fitting that he." It was fitting, Paul says, for God and the Father for whom are all things; he is indeed the beginning of all things.
"by whom all things exist." For if all things are indeed through him, the Father is the one who created all things, who begot the Creator.
"through whom all things exist." See the phrase "through whom," which is placed with the Father. For if there were a decrease, it would belong only to the Son, and it would be added to the Father. But what does the phrase "through whom" mean? Understand this: since he said "through whom all things," so that no one might conceive anything absurd, that he is needed by all; (for the preposition "by" also means something like this, as when we say, "through the man the creation came into being"); he introduced "through whom," explaining that "through" means in this way, "through him," that is, all things having been made by him. Therefore, also concerning the Son, when the phrase "through whom" is said, accept it thus, instead of "by whom."
"in bringing many sons." He says that the one who brought them in, in the glory of the only-begotten, through the gift of adoption, the Author of their salvation, their sons, that is, Christ, was perfected through sufferings, in order to show perfect and glorious, as through the cross.And he is a Son, and we are sons; but he is genuine; we, however, are adopted; he saves; we are being saved; we are united with him, and again we are separated; through him, who has brought many sons to glory, we share; through him, the author of their salvation, we are separated.
perfected through sufferings; that is, to complete what was lacking in Him. But what was lacking in Christ, as one might think of a man? The immortal part, namely, so that He might have the image continuously. Therefore, the Father fulfilled what was lacking to Him through the resurrection; for having risen, His death no longer has dominion; and through Him, filling all men,(Rom. 6:9) just as the same apostle says elsewhere: "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him." (Heb. 5:9) Thus, the holy Cyril and in the one hundred sixty-fourth chapter of Philalethes.

We who are numbered among the children have partaken of the blood and flesh of God, that is, we are in blood and flesh, and in perishable and earthly bodies. For this reason, the only-begotten Word of God, being life by nature, partook of the same, and not in any other way, but similarly to us.
"that through death." Then he also speaks of the reason for the Incarnation.
"The," Paul says, "the Devil", who has the power of death, might be destroyed; and he will be destroyed through death, as it is said, O Wisdom of God! Through death, the Devil had the power; through death, he will be abolished. Christ used against the Devil those arms which He himself was powerful with. How then does He rule over death? Because He is the ruler of sin, from which death comes, and He rules over death, that is, sin is the power of death. Therefore, having sin and being its possessor, He has the power of death (for we say that sin is the power of death). So that it might be thus: through His own death, He abolished sin, having the Devil as a servant, which is the strength of the power of death. For if this had not prevailed over man, death would not have entered into the world.

"I will put my trust in him." Since he previously called Him brother and internally father, he signifies that these indeed are names of kindness and grace, but by nature and truth, God is, he says. For who trusts in anyone else except in God alone? And if he were to say: Do not think that hearing Him being called brother and father refers to someone among the common people, God is, he says, in whom it is written that one must trust.
"Here I am, and the children." Here our Father made Christ. But he says: He gave, on account of humanity, just as it is said: "Afterward I will give you the nations as your inheritance." (Ps. 2:8) "Since, therefore, the sons," that is, men, "have communion with flesh and blood; in the same way," that is, similarly and truly, not according to some fantasy, as certain heretics say, He Himself became a partaker of flesh and blood: so that in this also He might demonstrate the love He has for the sons.
The Father made Christ our own. And He gave, for the sake of humanity. Similar to that, "Ask of me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance." (Ps. 2:8)
"Therefore", therefore, he says, "the children," that is, the humans, "share in flesh and blood, he likewise," that is, truly and not according to some fantasy, as certain heretics say, He Himself shared in flesh and blood, so that in this also He might demonstrate the love He has for the sons.

"all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." — [PHOTIUS] Before, he says, death was abolished, throughout their lives, humans were exposed and subjected to the fear of slavery: for they feared death which had not yet been abolished: and nothing of worldly pleasures could delight the courageous, and this was due to the fear of death, in the manner of a cruel and savage master always pressing and terrifying those who were on the earth.

"were held in slavery." The people were bound to death, as they were guilty of this slavery. The slavery of death is to be held and subjected to sin, for sin is the power and sting of death. (1 Cor. 15:56) Therefore, since Christ through death abolished the one who has the power of death, that is,the Devil, the inventor and leader of sin, sin has become weak, and we have been freed from the slavery according to its dominion; we have been liberated from the fear of death. And this is clearly seen in their very actions. For those who before feared and shunned death as the greatest evil and overwhelming, now approach it joyfully as a change of life and a prelude, when they are brought forth for Christ and His laws by those who persecute them. Therefore, is it not evident that the Savior has freed us from the fear of death and from the slavery that comes from it?

"Therefore, he had to be made." Since he deemed it necessary to fully partake, from this point onward, he had to be in all respects made similar to humans. For he was born, he grew, he ate, he drank, he slept, he died, he rose again.
"that he might be a merciful." These things, he says, were arranged for no other reason than that he may have mercy on those on earth and lift them up from the grave.
"and a faithful high priest." Faithful, true.For it is the unusual function of the true and real high priest to free those of whom he is high priest from sins. Therefore, in order to offer a sacrifice capable of cleansing us, a man has come and offered himself. Then he explains how this has come to be, and why he is a faithful high priest.
He says, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For this reason, he has come to atone for us and to cleanse us from our sins.
"in the things pertaining to God." In matters that pertain to God. For in these, high priest has come to be, not to demand bodily tithes and first fruits, but he knew that we had become enemies and rejected before God, and having had mercy on us, he gave himself to us as a high priest.

"just as Moses;" so that it is in vain that those who are in rebellion against me say to you that he teaches from Moses, and that he is hostile towards him. But this is introduced secretly and not according to the previous discourse, in order to persuade more. For that which is prepared for defense is more suspicious.
"For this one has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses." Saying the equality of Christ with Moses, he now gently speaks of the superiority, "this one has been counted worthy of more." Who? The Christ understood according to the flesh, is deemed to have greater glory than Moses, insofar as he has greater honor than the house,
"For this one has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who built the house has more honor than the house itself." Now he speaks of the ultimate superiority, and how great it is from God to man, and he says: Moses was faithful in all his house, that is, the people. But he himself was also of the house, and of the people. Therefore, the Christ according to the flesh is deemed worthy of so much greater glory than Moses, as much as, he says, he who built the house has more honor than the house itself. For he refers to the house here as the people along with Moses, since Moses was also one of the people; but Christ is the creator of the house.

If therefore you are partakers and companions of the heavenly calling, seek those things which are above, and let no one speak to you of the things here below; there is the reward, there is the recompense.
"The Apostle and High Priest." Coming into the administration [οἰκονομίαν], he speaks all the humble things freely. He calls him an Apostle because he is sent by the Father as a man. And of the confession of faith, "was faithful." He says that he has a favorable faith preserved towards the Father, and that he thinks the same about saving the people.
He says that he was made an Apostle and High Priest by the one who appointed him, that is, by his Father. There is nothing remarkable here if he speaks thus, once he takes hold of the administration.
"to the one who appointed him." What did he appoint? An Apostle and High Priest. Here he speaks not about essence, nor about divinity, but about human dignities [ἀξιωμάτων].
"just as Moses was faithful in all his house." He is about to set forth Christ according to the flesh, preferring Moses; but since these were also faithful towards whom the word was addressed, they still had great honors concerning Moses, so that they might not immediately close their ears, he does not immediately set forth Christ over Moses, but first equalizes, and then he proceeds to set forth. He called his people to his house. And he said to the people of Moses, because they are set against them. For God also says to him, "Your people have sinned." (Ex. 33:7)

Since he had called the people and also Moses, he remained in the figure of speech and said, These are the creations and servants. For there is no house unless something has been constructed. But all things have been constructed, including the house by Christ. Therefore, as it is fitting that he who created has preeminence over the work he created, so Christ has preeminence over Moses.
“And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house." Then Paul speaks of another distinction between Christ and Moses, that Moses was faithful as a servant, while the Christ was a genuine Son and of the same essence. For since he called Christ faithful above, and also Moses faithful, he explains the distinction of the faithful.
"for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken." To be a witness of the things spoken by God to the Jews, so that they may not be caught in the time of judgment. For it is customary for God to take heaven and earth and the depths as a testimony. "For hear, he says, O heaven, and give ear, O earth." (Deut. 32:1) And again, "Hear, O depths." (Ps. 130:1)
— “But Christ as a Son.” For even if he is called faithful, Paul says, it is as a genuine Son that he is faithful, fulfilling the will of the Father, rather the common will of the holy Trinity.
"whose house we are."Here we are the house of Christ, the faithful, according to what is written: “I will dwell in them.” (Lev. 27:12; 2 Cor. 6:16) —
“if we hold fast the confidence.” We shall be his house if we do not shrink back because of the faith that belongs to him, but boast with boldness, and hope to receive good things from Him as God, not being shaken or doubting in anything.

"I was provoked with that generation." That is, I was burdened by it, because they always distrusted and tested Me.
"as I swore in my wrath." To such an extent, he says, they did not know my ways, until they brought me to this point, so that I swore they shall not enter my rest, that is, the land of promise, in which having entered they were to rest from wars.
"If they shall enter into my rest." But those, having been unfaithful and having tempted God, did not enter into Palestine. For this is the rest. But what will be for us, he says, since there is no other rest on earth, of which we are to be deprived by being disobedient to God? Yes, he says, there will be now the true rest, of which that old one was a type, and you will be deprived of this, if indeed you disbelieve in Christ. For there are three rests. One is the Sabbath, in which God rested from his works. The second, the promised land of Palestine. The third, the truly real one, of which the two mentioned were a type, the kingdom of heaven, where all sorrow and pain and sighing have fled away. Therefore, he says, you will be deprived of this by being disobedient to Christ.

In the departing, that is, through unbelief,
from the living God. For otherwise unbelief does not find a way unless one departs from God. For as long as one holds on to God and trusts in Him, as the Almighty, he considers nothing impossible.
"But encourage one another.” Build each other up, and spur one another on.
“As long as it is called ‘today’.” Until the end, he says; for until the end, today is called. For he said, “Today, if you hear his voice,” he says, until that which is spoken of as today.
“so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” So that it does not happen, he says, as it occurred with our ancestors, and that their hearts may become hard and unyielding, deceived by unbelief, which now calls sin.
“For we have become partakers of Christ.” One, he says, we have become partakers with Christ, since He has deemed it worthy to be our head and to make us His members.
“if we hold the beginning of our confidence." The beginning of confidence is faith towards Christ. For by it we have endured and have become partakers of Christ.
“to the end.” The 'to the end' clearly indicates that they had begun.
“As in the rebellion.” Hyperbaton [ὑπερβατὸν] is: for we must understand it as "Let us fear."
The surpassing thing; in what is said: Today, if you hear the voice, and the things following, let us fear, lest, a promise being left behind, and the things following.

For some, having heard the promises of God, just as we hear them, provoked God to anger through unbelief. For He desires to save them just as He saves those who have heard, and they are of no benefit from merely hearing the promise. Thus, he says, you also will not be fulfilled if you have only heard the preaching, unless you also believe. And that there is a need for faith, from those who heard long ago, but because they did not believe, they perished, is confirmed by the word. For just as it was not sufficient for those to be deemed worthy of the voice of God, but having not believed they perished, so it will not be sufficient for you either to become hearers of faith, unless you also believe sincerely. Moreover, these thought that it was enough to have self-sufficiency from merely having heard the preaching. For this also indicates, in saying, "For we are also evangelized," just as they were.
"For some, having heard, provoked, but not all who came out of Egypt." If indeed Caleb and Joshua were not unbelievers, they also entered the land of promise.
"To whom was he angry?" This is according to the question for clarity and to avoid contradiction; for things posed as questions are based on what is agreed upon. Against whom, he says, did he bear resentment? He also adds the punishment. For, he says, their limbs fell in the desert, those large and thigh-like parts; and by parts, he showed the whole bodies.
"To whom did he swear?" This is to be read as a question. Against whom, He says, did He have a hostile spirit?
"And we see that they were not able to enter." Behold, he says, before our eyes lies the punishment of unbelief. For they, having been unbelief, did not enter the promised land.

“Let us therefore fear.” In the saying, he says, "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion (Heb. 3:15), let us therefore fear." And the "therefore" has been added. For the sake of being lengthy, so that the construction may not seem incoherent, the "therefore" has been placed. Let us fear, he says, lest any of you should seem to come short of entering into his rest. For the promise of entering into his rest still remains for those who wish. And this is the kingdom of heaven.
"lestany one of you may seem to have come short of it." They are lacking in entering. However, he did not say, "They have come short," but rather, "may seem to have come short."
“For we are also evangelized just as they were.” We have been evangelized about the good things to come, just as they were in a symbolic way about the earth.
"but the word which they heard did not profit them." You see that this is what he says, that nothing will profit you from becoming hearers of the preaching, if you do not also bring in what is from yourselves, namely faith; for the word which you heard by itself has not benefited even those in the past. But see how on our part the matter was called the gospel, as a promise of true goods, and as given from a crown and victory; but on their part, a matter of hearing.
"not being mixed with faith." That is to say, do not be mixed with it [the word]. From this, the idea of believing without hesitation is hinted at. And he says that those who believed heard. For they truly heard, those who also believed. Paul speaks about Joshua and Caleb. And this he says: The word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed and as if blended and united with faith in those who heard it, namely, those who believed concerning Jesus.