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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Heb_5:5-10
5So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him,
"You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You";
6 just as He says also in another passage,
"You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek."
7In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Heb_5:5 "Christ did not glorify Himself" See Joh_8:50; Joh_8:54.
▣ "become a high priest" It would be very difficult to convince a group of Jews that Jesus was high priest when He did not come from the line of Levi. That is the purpose of this extensive argumentation (cf. Heb_4:14 to Heb_5:10; Heb_6:13 to Heb_7:28) based on OT quotes.
▣ "but He who said" The author asserts that the Father affirms Jesus' exalted position by quoting a key royal Psalm, Psa_2:7. The Father quoted this same Psalm combined with Isa_42:1 at Jesus' baptism (cf. Heb_3:17) and His transfiguration (cf. Mat_17:5).
Arius (i.e., in the fourth century a.d.) in his theological conflict with Athanasius over the full deity of Jesus) used the second part of this quote to assert that Jesus was the first and highest creation of God (cf. Pro_8:22-31), but the thrust of the quote is Jesus' sonship (cf. Heb_1:2; Heb_3:6; Heb_5:8; Heb_7:28). The original psalm was an annual renewal ceremony for the King of Israel or Judah.
Heb_5:6 "you are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek" This is a quote from Psa_110:4. This Psalm is unique in the fact that it specifically gives the Messiah both a priestly and a kingly office (i.e., the two olive trees, cf. Zec_4:3; Zec_4:11-14; and i.e., Joshua as a branch, cf. Heb_6:13). We learn from the Dead Sea Scrolls that the Essenes were expecting two Messiahs, one royal and one priestly. Jesus fulfilled both offices. As a matter of fact, He fulfills all three OT anointed offices: prophet, priest and king (cf. Heb_1:1-3).
▣ "Melchizedek" The full development of this theme is in chapter 7. The imagery is taken from Gen_14:17-20, where he is a Canaanite priest/king of Salem (Jebus, Jerusalem).
Heb_5:7 "In the days of His flesh" This refers to Jesus, not Melchizedek. It does not mean to imply that Jesus is not still human. Jesus became Incarnate and remains Incarnate forever.
▣ "prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears" This may relate to Jesus' Gethsemane experience in Mat_26:37 and Luk_22:44. This is possibly related to the rabbis' three levels of prayer, showing the intensity of Jesus' emotion in the Garden of Gethsemane or His high priestly prayer in John 17 the night of the disciples' Passover meal before Gethsemane.
▣ "to the One able to save Him from death" Was Jesus afraid of death? Death is a natural human fear and Jesus was fully human. Supremely I think He was afraid of the loss of fellowship with the Father (cf. Mar_15:34, quoting Psalms 22). He knew who He was and why He came (cf. Mar_10:45; Mat_16:21).
All three persons of the Trinity were involved in Jesus' resurrection, not just the Father (cf. the Spirit, Rom_8:11; and Jesus, Joh_2:19-22; Joh_10:17-18). Usually the NT asserts that it was the Father who raised Jesus (cf. Act_2:24; Act_3:15; Act_4:10; Act_5:30; Act_10:40; Act_13:30; Act_13:33-34; Act_13:37; Act_17:31; Rom_6:4; Rom_6:9; Rom_10:9; 1Co_6:14; 2Co_4:14; Gal_1:1; Eph_1:20; Col_2:12; 1Th_1:10.
This phrase may reflect several OT texts that assert that YHWH will save the Messiah from physical death (cf. Psa_33:19; Psa_56:13 or Hos_13:14) or resurrect Him from death (cf. Psa_16:10; Psa_49:15; Psa_86:13). If this context reflects Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, then option #1 is best.
NASB "He was heard because of His piety"
NKJV "and was heard because of His godly fear"
NRSV "he was heard because of his reverent submission"
TEV "Because he was humble and devoted, God heard him"
NJB "winning a hearing by his reverence"
This phrase, like Rom_1:4, was used to support the theological heretical concept of "adoptionism," which asserts that God rewarded the man Jesus because of His godly, obedient life. The NT as a whole presents the paradox that Jesus was incarnate deity and was rewarded for His good service! Somehow, both are true.
The differences in the English translations come from the ambiguity of the Hebrew term "fear," especially as it is used of mankind's relationship to God. It seems that it means "reverent awe" or piety, not "terror of." Its basic meaning is "to hold on to securely" in the sense of doing the known will of God.
Heb_5:8 "Although He was a Son" The word "son" should not be capitalized. It is another in a series of the comparisons between a family member versus a family servant (cf. Heb_1:2; Heb_3:6; Heb_5:8; Heb_7:28).
▣ "He learned obedience from the things which He suffered" This whole section has emphasized both Jesus as a "son" of God (cf. Heb_4:14) and yet human (cf. "in the days of His flesh" Heb_5:7; Heb_5:7). He was tempted; He prayed; He cried; He suffered; He learned obedience! It is difficult theologically to hold Jesus' true deity and true humanity as one truth (one nature). Throughout Church history, heresies have developed when either side is depreciated (cf. 1Jn_4:1-3).
It is hard for believers to realize that they must follow Jesus' example. This was the problem the believing recipients faced. Would they, like Jesus, follow through to the end, even it if involved suffering? Suffering is part of the package (cf. Heb_2:10; Mat_5:10-12; Joh_15:18-21; Joh_16:1-2; Joh_17:14; Rom_8:17; 2Co_4:16-18; 1Pe_4:12-19).
How could Jesus be perfected if He was deity? This must refer to His human development (cf. Luk_2:40; Luk_2:52). Suffering served a purpose of developing trust as nothing else could do. If it is true that God's goal for every believer is Christlikeness (i.e., Rom_8:29; Eph_4:13), then why do modern western Christians flee the very mechanism that produces maturity?
Heb_5:9 "and having been made perfect" This is an aorist passive (deponent) participle. The word "perfect" means "mature" or "fully equipped for the assigned task." The perfection or maturity of both Jesus and His followers is a central concept in Hebrews (cf. Heb_2:10; Heb_5:9; Heb_5:14; Heb_6:1; Heb_7:11; Heb_7:19; Heb_7:28; Heb_9:9; Heb_9:11; Heb_10:1; Heb_10:14; Heb_11:40; Heb_12:2; Heb_12:23). See Special Topic at Heb_7:11.
▣ "to all those who obey Him" Obedience is an evidence of true discipleship (cf. Luk_6:46). Jesus is our example in all areas. Obedience gives evidence of a true salvation!
Heb_5:10 "being designated by God as a high priest according to the order" So far in Hebrews there have been three titles for Jesus mentioned: (1) son, (2) apostle, and (3) high priest. See hyperlink at Heb_2:17.
▣ "the order of Melchizedek" Melchizedek is alluded to because he is the only person in the OT who is called both priest and king, and who adequately fulfills the theological requirements of this rabbinical argument. Melchizedek is a rather shadowy figure of Gen_14:17-20 and Psa_110:4 who is used to describe the superiority of Jesus' priesthood over the Aaronic priesthood. See full discussion in chapter 7.