Theodoret of Cyrus — Commentary on Scripture

Hebrews 2:16

If he had assumed the nature of angels, he would have proved superior to death; but since what he assumed was human, through the passion he paid humankind’s debt, while through the resurrection of the body that had suffered he demonstrated his own power.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 2

Hebrews 2:16

It was very wise of the divine apostle to use the proper name instead of a generic name: he did not say, “He takes hold of human seed,” but “He takes hold of Abraham’s seed,” reminding them also of the promise made to Abraham.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 2

Hebrews 2:18

He presented his saving death as an offering: the body he had assumed he offered for the whole of creation. He included something else as well for their consolation: having learned by experience the weakness of human nature in living under the law and under grace, he extends assistance to those under attack. This is said in respect of humanity: he is our high priest not as God but as human; he suffered not as God but as human; it was not as God that he learned our condition, but as God and creator he has a clear grasp of everything.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 2

Hebrews 3:1

For if he were high priest as God, he would be so before the incarnation. As it is, that he became the apostle of our confession after the incarnation is taught us by the epistle to the Galatians: “But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman.”

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 3.1-2

Hebrews 3:1

After having in this fashion completed the comparison with the angels, he makes a parallel with the mighty Moses, greater than all the prophets, so that after showing the difference to be infinite, he may show at the same time the contrast between the covenants, the promises and of course the priests. Once again he mingles exhortation with the comparison lest he seem to be doing it on purpose rather than under pressure of a kind of necessity.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 3

Hebrews 3:2-5

As great as is the difference between creature and creator, he is saying, so great is the difference between Moses and Christ.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 3

Hebrews 3:14

We shared in death with Christ the Lord through all-holy baptism, and after being buried with him we prefigured the resurrection, provided of course we kept faith firm. He referred to this by the phrase “first confidence.” Through it we were renewed, we were joined to Christ the Lord, and we shared the grace of the all-holy Spirit.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 3

Hebrews 3:17-19

God urged them to leave for the promised land, but some spoke in opposition, citing fear and the multitude of the enemy. Hence God consumed them all individually in the desert and brought in their children in place of them.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 3

Hebrews 4:1-11

After making this digression to scare them and to cause them to look forward to the hope given them, he then gives attention to the “rest,” bringing out that in times past the inspired David foretold it to us.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 4

Hebrews 4:1-11

Hearing the words does not suffice for salvation; accepting it in faith is necessary, and holding it firm. After all, what benefit was God’s promise to those who received it, but did not receive it faithfully, trust in the power of God or, as it were, associate closely with God’s words?

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 4

Hebrews 4:1-11

As the God of all on the sixth day completed the whole of creation, and on the seventh he rested from creating, so those departing this life and moving to that one will be rid of the present labors.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 4

Hebrews 4:1-11

He wants to make clear three rests mentioned in the divine Scripture: first, the seventh day, on which God finished creating; second, the land of promise; and third, the kingdom of heaven. He provides proof of this from the inspired testimony: If there is no other rest (he is saying), why on earth does he also urge those in receipt of the second kind not to harden their hearts, threaten punishment and make mention of those who spurned the second kind? He cites them in order, and firstly the rest on the seventh day.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 4

Hebrews 4:12-13

He used the phrase “laid bare to the eyes of him” as a metaphor from sacrificed beasts, which lie completely mute, the slaughter doing away with their life, and along with their life their cries. In similar manner, he is saying, when we also are judged, we behold everything done by us in ungodly or lawless fashion, whereas we receive the sentence of punishment in silence, realizing as we do its justice.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 4

Hebrews 4:14

In what has been commented on before, he made the comparison of the different kinds of rest and brought out that the rest promised to us is better than that pledged to Jews: to them he pledged the land of promise, whereas to us heaven. Here on the other hand he now develops the contrast of high priesthood and brings out that the high priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek is far better and greater than the levitical kind. Adopting once again exhortatory mode, he makes the comparison lest he seem to those still embracing the way of life according to the law to be hostile to the law and not rather defending the truth.… The apostolic verses also teach us this: they present him as having passed through the heavens, whereas the divinity of Christ the Lord has an uncircumscribed nature, is present everywhere and is near to everyone. The Lord himself also taught us this, “No one has ascended to heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of man, who is in heaven.” Though being here below and conversing with human beings, he claimed also to be on high. It is therefore…

In what has been commented on before, he made the comparison of the different kinds of rest and brought out that the rest promised to us is better than that pledged to Jews: to them he pledged the land of promise, whereas to us heaven. Here on the other hand he now develops the contrast of high priesthood and brings out that the high priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek is far better and greater than the levitical kind. Adopting once again exhortatory mode, he makes the comparison lest he seem to those still embracing the way of life according to the law to be hostile to the law and not rather defending the truth.… The apostolic verses also teach us this: they present him as having passed through the heavens, whereas the divinity of Christ the Lord has an uncircumscribed nature, is present everywhere and is near to everyone. The Lord himself also taught us this, “No one has ascended to heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of man, who is in heaven.” Though being here below and conversing with human beings, he claimed also to be on high. It is therefore necessary for us to realize that some names are appropriate to the divinity, some to the incarnation.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 4

Hebrews 4:15

The believers at that time were subjected to constant billowing by trials; so he consoles them by bringing out that our high priest not only knows as God the weakness of our nature but also as man had experience of our sufferings, remaining unfamiliar with sin alone. Understanding this weakness of ours, he is saying, he both extends us appropriate help and when judging us he will take our weakness into account in delivering sentence.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 4

Hebrews 4:15

It was the nature assumed from us for our sake that experienced our passions without sinning, not the one who took our nature for our salvation. And in the beginning of this section Paul teaches us by saying, “Consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, faithful to him who made him.” … No one of orthodox conviction would call a creature the uncreated and unmade, God the Word, coeternal with the Father. Rather the one from the seed of David, who existed free from all sin, became our high priest and sacrifice by offering himself to God for us, having the Word … united to himself and joined inseparably.

IN CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA’S LETTER TO EUOPTIUS, ANATHEMA 10

Hebrews 4:16

As God, Christ the Lord has kingship by nature, an eternal throne: “Your throne, O God, is forever,” Scripture says, remember. But as man, high priest and apostle of our confession he hears the words “Sit at my right hand”; it is to this the divine apostle referred by “throne of grace.” In my view he hints also at the lovingkindness he will employ in judging, adding the comment, “so as to receive mercy and find grace by way of timely assistance”: making our approach in the present life and giving evidence of unalloyed and sincere faith, we shall on the day of judgment attain lovingkindness.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 4

Hebrews 5:1-6

The one receiving appointment from God is the lawful high priest; this was the way Aaron, the first high priest, received the honor. The divine apostle said this, of course, not intending to inform us now of the norms for high priesthood, but to lay the groundwork for a treatment of the Lord’s high priesthood.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 5

Hebrews 5:1-6

Even under the law it was not an angel that was appointed to act as priest for human beings but a human being for human beings, with the same nature, affected by the same passions, understanding the weakness of nature, assigning pardon to the recalcitrant, offering a hand to sinners, treating what affects the neighbor as his own. This is the very reason he is appointed to offer sacrifices not for the people alone but also for himself.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 5

Hebrews 5:7-10

For the divinity allowed the humanity to suffer this so that we might learn that he truly became man and assumed a human nature and that the mystery of the incarnation was not perfected in appearance or seeming.

INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 5