Hebrews 4:16

προσερχώμεθα οὖν.… “Let us, therefore [i.e., seeing that we have this sympathetic and victorious High Priest] with confidence approach the throne of grace”. προσέρχεσθαι is used in a semi-technical sense for the approach of a worshipper to God, as in LXX frequently. Thus in Leviticus 21:17 it is said of any blemished son of Aaron οὐ προσελεύσεται προσφέρειν τὰ δῶρα τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ, and in the 23rd ver. ἐγγιεῖ is used as an equivalent, cf. Hebrews 7:19. The word is found only once in St. Paul, 1 Timothy 6:3, and there in a peculiar sense; but in Heb. it occurs seven times, and generally in its more technical sense, Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 10:1; Hebrews 10:22; Hebrews 11:6. It had become so much a technical term of divine worship that it can be used, as in Hebrews 10:1; Hebrews 10:22, without an object. Here, as in Hebrews 7:25, it is followed by a dative τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος, the seat of supreme authority which by Christ's intercession is now characterised as the source from which grace is dispensed. Premonitions of this are found in O.T.; for although in Psalms 96 (97.) 2 and elsewhere we find δικαιοσύνη καὶ κρίμα κατόρθωσις τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ, yet in Isaiah 16:5 we read διορθωθήσεται μετʼ ἐλέους θρόνος. Philo encourages men to draw near to God by representing “the merciful, and gentle, and compassionate nature of Him who is invoked, who would always rather have mercy than punishment” (De Exsecr., c. ix). There is also something in Theophylact's remark: Δύο γὰρ θρόνοι εἰσὶν, ὁ μὲν νῦν χάριτος, … ὁ δὲ τῆς δευτέρας παρουσίας θρόνος οὐ χάριτος … ἀλλὰ κρίσεως. Similarly Atto: “Modo tempus est donorum: nemo de se ipso desperet”. They are to approach μετὰ παρρησίας, for as Philo says (Quis. Rer. Div. Haer., 4): φιλοδεσπότοις ἀναγκαιότατον ἡ παρρησία κτῆμα; and in c. 5. παρρησία φιλίας συγγενές. The purpose of the approach is expressed in two clauses which Bleek declares to be “ganz synonym”. This, however, is scarcely correct. As is apparent from the next verse, the “obtaining mercy” refers to the pardon of sins, while the “finding grace” implies assistance given. So Primasius, quoted by Westcott “ut misericordiam consequamur, id est remissionem peccatorum, et gratiam donorum Spiritus Sancti”. ἔλεος and χάρις are, however, constantly conjoined (v. Hort on 1 Peter 1:2). The close connection of χάριν with βοήθειαν suggests that ἔλεος is the more general and comprehensive term, and that χάρις is becoming already more associated with particular manifestations of ἔλεος. There may be ἔλεος, where there is no χάρις. We first obtain mercy and then find grace. εὑρίσκειν is everywhere in LXX used with χάριν in this sense, translating מָצָא. εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν “for timely help”; assistance in hours of temptation must be timely or it is useless. For βοήθεια cf. Hebrews 2:18; and for the whole verse, see Bishop Wilson's Maxim : “The most dangerous of all temptations is to believe, that one can avoid or overcome them by our own strength, and without asking the help of God”.