2 In this and the two following chapters the apostle sub - joins an exhortation, answering each head of the preceding chapter.

2:11 For - They are nearly related to each other.He that sanctifieth - Christ, Heb 13:12.And all they that are sanctified - That are brought to God; that draw near or come to him, which are synonymous terms.Are all of one - Partakers of one nature, from one parent, Adam.

2:12 I will declare thy name to my brethren - Christ declares the name of God, gracious and merciful, plenteous in goodness and truth, to all who believe, that they also may praise him. In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee - As the precentor of the choir. This he did literally, in the midst of his apostles, on the night before his passion. And as it means, in a more general sense, setting forth the praise of God, he has done it in the church by his word and his Spirit; he still does, and will do it throughout all generations. Psa 22:22.

2:13 And again - As one that has communion with his brethren in sufferings, as well as in nature, he says, I will put my trust in him - To carry me through them all. And again - With a like acknowledgment of his near relation to them, as youngerbrethren, who were yet but in their childhood, he presents all believers to God, saying, Behold I and the children whom thou hast given me. Isa 8:17-18

2:14 Since then these children partake of flesh and blood - Of human nature with all its infirmities. He also in like mannertook part of the same; that through his own death he might destroy the tyranny of him that had, by God's permission, the power of death with regard to the ungodly. Death is the devil's servant and serjeant, delivering to him those whom he seizes in sin.That is, the devil - The power was manifest to all; but who exerted it, they saw not.

2:15 And deliver them, as many as through fear of death were all their lifetime, till then, subject to bondage - Every man who fears death is subject to bondage; is in aslavish, uncomfortable state. And every man fears death, more or less, who knows not Christ: death is unwelcome to him, if he knows what death is. But he delivers all true believers from this bondage.

2:16 For verily he taketh not hold of angels - He does not take their nature upon him. But he taketh hold of the seed of Abraham - He takes human nature upon him. St. Paul says the seed of Abraham, rather than the seed of Adam, because to Abraham was the promise made.

2:17 Wherefore it behoved him - It was highly fit and proper, yea, necessary, in order to his design of redeeming them. To be made in all things - That essentially pertain to human nature, and in all sufferings and temptations. Like his brethren - This is a recapitulation of all that goes before: the sum of all that follows is added immediately. That he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest - Merciful toward sinners; faithful toward God. A priest or high priest is one who has a right of approaching God, and of bringing others to him.

• Faithful is treated of, Heb 3:2, etc , with its use;
• merciful, Heb 4:14, etc , with the use also;
• High Priest, Heb 5:4, etc , Heb 7:1, etc The use is added from Heb 10:19.

2:18 For in that he hath suffered being tempted himself he is able to succour them that are tempted - That is, he has given a manifest, demonstrative proof that he is able so to do.

1 

1:24 Hid herself - She retired from company, that she might have the more leisure to rejoice and bless God for his wonderful mercy.

1:25 He looked upon me to take away my reproach - Barrenness was a great reproach among the Jews. Because fruitfulness was promised to the righteous.

1:26 In the sixth month - After Elisabeth had conceived.

1:27 Espoused - It was customary among the Jews, for persons that married to contract before witnesses some time before. And as Christ was to be born of a pure virgin, so the wisdom of God ordered it to be of one espoused, that to prevent reproach he might have a reputed father, according to the flesh.

1:28 Hail, thou highly favoured; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women - Hail is the salutation used by our Lord to the women after his resurrection: thou art highly favoured, or hast found favour with God, Luk 1:30, is no more than was said of Noah, Moses, and David.The Lord is with thee, was said to Gideon, Jdg 6:12; and blessed shall she be above women, of Jael, Jdg 5:24.This salutation gives no room for any pretence of paying adoration to the virgin; as having no appearance of a prayer, or of worship offered to her.

1:32 He shall be called the Son of the Highest - In this respect also: and that in a more eminent sense than any, either man or angel, can be called so. The Lord shall give him the throne of his father David - That is, the spiritual kingdom, of which David's was a type.

1:33 He shall reign over the house of Jacob - In which all true believers are included.

1:35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee - The power of God was put forth by the Holy Ghost, as the immediate Divine agent in this work: and so he exerted the power of the Highest as his own power, who together with the Father and the Son is the most high God.Therefore also - Not only as he is God from eternity, but on this account likewise he shall be called the Son of God.

1:36 And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth - Though Elisabeth was of the house of Aaron, and Mary of the house of David, by the fathers side, they might be related by their mothers. For the law only forbad heiresses marrying into another tribe.And so other persons continually intermarried; particularly the families of David and of Levi.

1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord - It is not improbable, that this time of the virgin's humble faith, consent, and expectation, might be the very time of her conceiving.

4 

4:14 Having therefore a great high priest - Great indeed, being the eternal Son of God, that is passed through the heavens - As the Jewish high priest passed through the veil into the holy ofholies, carrying with him the blood of the sacrifices, on the yearly day of atonement; so our great high priest went once for all through the visible heavens, with the virtue of his own blood, into the immediate presence God.

4:15 He sympathizes with us even in our innocent infirmities, wants, weaknesses, miseries, dangers. Yet without sin - And, therefore, is indisputably able to preserve us from it in all our temptations.

4:16 Let us therefore come boldly - Without any doubt or fear.Unto the throne of God, our reconciled Father, even his throne of grace - Grace erected it, and reigns there, and dispenses all blessings in a way of mere, unmerited favour.

5 

5:1 For every high priest being taken from among men - Is, till he is taken, of the same rank with them. And is appointed - That is, is wont to be appointed. In things pertaining to God - To bring God near to men, and men to God. That he may offer bothgifts - Out of things inanimate, and animal sacrifices.

5:2 Who can have compassion - In proportion to the offence: so the Greek word signifies. On the ignorant - Them that are in error. And the wandering - Them that are in sin. Seeing himself also is compassed with infirmity - Even with sinful infirmity; and so needs the compassion which he shows to others.

5:4 The apostle begins here to treat of the priesthood of Christ. The sum of what he observes concerning it is, Whatever is excellent in the Levitical priesthood is in Christ, and in a more eminent manner; and whatever is wanting in those priests is in him. And no one taketh this honour - The priesthood. To himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron - And his posterity, who were all of them called at one and the same time. But it is observable, Aaron did not preach at all; preaching being no part of the priestly office.

5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be an high priest - That is, did not take this honour to himself, but received it from him who said, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee - Not, indeed, at the same time; for his generation was from eternity. Psa 2:7.

5:6  Psa 110:4.

8 

8:34 And when he called the people - To hear a truth of the last importance, and one that equally concerned them all. Let him deny himself - His own will, in all things small and great, however pleasing, and that continually: And take up his cross - Embrace the will of God, however painful, daily, hourly,continually. Thus only can he follow me in holiness to glory.

8:35  Mat 16:25; Luk 9:24; Luk 17:33; Joh 12:25.

8:38 Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words - That is, avowing whatever I have said (particularly of self denial and the daily cross) both by word and action. Mat 10:32; Luk 9:26; Luk 12:8.

9 

9:1 Till they see the kingdom of God coming with power - So it began to do at the day of pentecost, when three thousand were converted to God at once.