Hebrews 5:7

Who i.e. the Christ.

of his flesh The word "flesh" is here used for His Humanity regarded on the side of its weakness and humiliation. Comp. Hebrews 2:14.

when he had offered up Lit. "having offered up."

prayers and supplications The idiosyncrasy of the writer, and perhaps his Alexandrian training, which familiarised him with the style of Philo, made him fond of these sonorous amplifications or full expressions. The word rendered "prayers" (deçseis) is rather "supplications," i.e. "special prayers" for the supply of needs; the word rendered "entreaties" (which is joined with it in Job 41:3, comp. 2 Mace. Hebrews 9:18) properly meant olive-boughs (ἱκετηρίαι) held forth to entreat protection. Thus the first word refers to the suppliant, the second implies an approach (ἱκετηρίαι) to God. The "supplications and entreaties "referred to are doubtless those in the Agony at Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46), though there may be a reference to the Cross, and some have even supposed that there is an allusion to Psalms 22, 116. See Mark 14:36; John 12:27; Matthew 26:38-42.

with strong crying and tears Though these are not directly mentionedin the scene at Gethsemane they are implied. See John 11:35; John 12:27; Matthew 26:39; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 26:44; Matthew 26:53; Mark 14:36; Luke 19:41.

and was heard Rather, "and being heard" or "hearkened to," Luke 22:43; John 12:28 (comp. Psalms 22:21; Psalms 22:24).

in that he feared Rather, "from his godly fear," or "because of his reverential awe." The phrase has been explained in different ways. The old Latin (Vetus Itala) renders "exauditus a metu," and some Latin Fathers and later interpreters explain it to mean "having been freed from the fear of death." The Greek might perhaps be made to bear this sense, though the mild word used for "fear" is not in favour of it; but the rendering given above, meaning that His prayer was heard because of His awful submission (pro suâ reverentiâ, Vulg.) is the sense in which the words are taken by all the Greek Fathers. The word rendered "from" (apo) may certainly mean "because of" as in Luke 19:3, "He could not because of (apo) the crowd;" Luke 24:41, "disbelieving because of (apo) their joy" (comp. John 21:6; Acts 22:11, &c). The word rendered "feared" is eulabeia, which means "reverent fear," or "reasonable shrinking" as opposed to terror and cowardice. The Stoics said that the wise man could thus cautiously shrink (eulabeisthai) but never actually be afraid (phobeisthai). Other attempts to explain away the passage arise from the Apollinarian tendency to deny Christ's perfect manhood: but He was "perfectly man "as well as "truly God." He was not indeed "saved fromdeath," because He had only prayed that "the cup might pass from Him" if such were His Father's will (Hebrews 10:7); but He was saved out of(ἐκ) death" by being raised on the third day, so that "He saw no corruption." For the word eulabeia, "piety" or "reverent awe" see Hebrews 12:28.