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Heb 5:8. Καίπερ ὢν ὑιὸς, though He was a Son) This paragraph, in the days, etc. has two parts. The first is, in the days-obedience by the things which He suffered; the second, and being made perfect-of eternal. The first part speaks of things very humble; for death and to be in horror, and, although the horror of it be removed, to die, and to learn obedience from such suffering, may appear somewhat servile: wherefore, by this clause, although He was a Son, precaution is taken, that nothing said in that part, before and after, should be a stumbling-block to any. The second part is altogether joyful and glorious, and he insinuates (implies) that we must repeat from Heb 5:5, because He was the Son: comp. ch. Heb 7:28, at the end. In His agony in Geth-semane He so sweetly, so frequently, appealed to the Father, Mat 26:39, etc.: and from this fact we have the clearest confirmation of the truth that Jesus was not the Son of God merely because He rose from the dead, and not previously.-ἔμαθεν, He learned) The word learning put before the word suffering, elegantly points to Christ learning with the utmost readiness and willingness. He learned obedience whilst He began to suffer, whilst He set Himself to drink the cup. The word to learn implies a kind of beginning, and the making perfect corresponds to this beginning, of which we shall afterwards speak. There is a pleasant paronomasia[31] in ἜΜΑΘΕΝ ἈΦʼ ὯΝ ἜΠΑΘΕ. He also had experience of the adage, ΠΑΘΉΜΑΤΑ ΜΑΘΉΜΑΤΑ [sufferings, the means of learning]. Christ alone fortified [secured] the path of obedience in a way consonant to the will of the Father. Obedience may be performed without prayers.[32]-ἀφʼ ών) So ΜΑΘΕῖΝ ἈΠῸ, Mat 24:32.-ΤῊΝ ὙΠΑΚΟῊΝ, obedience) That kind of humble obedience which is shown in suffering and dying. Php 2:8, note. He says to the Father, as Thou wilt.-εἰσακουσθεὶς, and ὙΠΑΚΟΉΝ, are conjugates. The Father hearkened to the Son, and the Son to the Father. In like manner Christ obeyed the Father;[33] we obey Christ; see the following verse.
[31] See Append.
[32] But Christ joined both prayers and obedience: and this is the Father’s will.-ED.
[33] Equivalent to hearkened to, so as to obey, obedio, Th. ob audio.-ED.