Heb. 5 Heb. 5:1–4 Concerning the office of high priests taken from among men, Heb. 5:5–10 wherewith Christ’s priesthood is compared, and its privileges set forth. Heb. 5:11–14 further account of which is deferred, and for what reason.

For every high priest taken from among men: for is a rational particle, enforcing the truth of what was asserted concerning the gospel High Priest before, that he was the most sensible and tender-hearted of all other, beyond what all his types were, even Aaron himself: how did it therefore behove…

Who can have compassion on the ignorant: the melting quality of the typical high priest is eminently to be fulfilled in the gospel one; each is to have an aptness, disposition, and a sufficiency of it, by the institution of God, for his ministrations, for manner as well as for matter, Heb.

This connection demonstrates the infirmity of the legal high priest: for this their infirmity, sins of ignorance and error. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people; he was obliged to his work by the express law of God, Lev. 1.

This connecteth the last thing describing the typical Levitical priesthood, their call to it. And no man taketh this honour unto himself; not any person whatsoever hath or can lawfully take to himself the honourable office of a high priest, so as to be the author or end of it.

The Spirit now draws the parallel, and shows, that whatsoever is requisite in God’s high priest, is transcendently fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ, the infirmities of his types, which were accidental to the office, excepted.

As he saith also in another place, Thou art a Priest for ever: the Spirit proves his call and investiture into this office, its confirmation to him for ever, by another testimony of the Father about it, penned by David, Ps. 110:4, and ratified to be so by the Lord himself, Matt.

Here Christ is paralleled in his nature, work, and compassions, to his types, and is set above them. Who in the days of his flesh: he was taken out of men, as his type was, Heb. 5:1. He was made flesh, and dwelt among us in the human nature, John 1:14.

He fulfilled his type in the end; for though he were God the Son incarnate, in a nearer and more excellent relation to the Father than any angel, or any high priest among men his types, being all servants to his Father and him; God’s Son by eternal generation as to his Deity, by conception from the…

And being made perfect: as to the powerful execution of his office, this God-man exceeds his types; for having consummated all the work to which he was designed, by his doing, suffering, dying, rising, and ascending into heaven in the human nature, he perfected the work of redemption, and…

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…

The Spirit here digresseth from discoursing further of the priesthood of Christ, that he may fit these Hebrews to apprehend and improve it when he shall return to it, Heb. 5:7.

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers: the conviction of this fault in their understanding and will, is by the Spirit demonstrated; for their dulness proceeded from their neglect of God’s means of knowledge, and so was inexcusable; they had time and means enough of improving in the…

The Spirit proves these Hebrews such infants by describing the state of them, and of their contrary, and tacitly applying it to them under a metaphor or allegory started by him before.

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age; but those great, deep, and high mysteries of the gospel concerning Christ’s natures, their hypostatical union, his offices, his actual fulfilling all his types in the Old Testament both personal and mystical, with the prophecies of his gospel…