It became him

(επρεπεν αυτω). Imperfect active of πρεπω, old verb to stand out, to be becoming or seemly. Here it is impersonal with τελειωσα as subject, though personal in Hebrews 7:26. Αυτω (him) is in the dative case and refers to God, not to Christ as is made plain by τον αρχηγον (author). One has only to recall John 3:16 to get the idea here. The voluntary humiliation or incarnation of Christ the Son a little lower than the angels was a seemly thing to God the Father as the writer now shows in a great passage (Hebrews 2:10-18) worthy to go beside Philippians 2:5-11.For whom

(δι' ον). Referring to αυτω (God) as the reason (cause) for the universe (τα παντα).Through whom

(δι' ου). With the genitive δια expresses the agent by whom the universe came into existence, a direct repudiation of the Gnostic view of intermediate agencies (aeons) between God and the creation of the universe. Paul puts it succinctly in Romans 11:36 by his εξ αυτου κα δι' αυτου κα εις αυτον τα παντα. The universe comes out of God, by means of God, for God. This writer has already said that God used his Son as the Agent (δι' ου) in creation (Hebrews 1:2), a doctrine in harmony with Colossians 1:15 (εν αυτωι, δι' αυτου εις αυτον) and John 1:3.In bringing

(αγαγοντα). Second aorist active participle of αγω in the accusative case in spite of the dative αυτω just before to which it refers.The author

(τον αρχηγον). Old compound word (αρχη and αγω) one leading off, leader or prince as in Acts 5:31, one blazing the way, a pioneer (Dods) in faith (Hebrews 12:2), author (Acts 3:15). Either sense suits here, though author best (verse Hebrews 2:9). Jesus is the author of salvation, the leader of the sons of God, the Elder Brother of us all (Romans 8:29).To make perfect

(τελειωσα). First aorist active infinitive of τελειοω (from τελειος). If one recoils at the idea of God making Christ perfect, he should bear in mind that it is the humanity of Jesus that is under discussion. The writer does not say that Jesus was sinful (see the opposite in Hebrews 4:15), but simply that "by means of sufferings" God perfected his Son in his human life and death for his task as Redeemer and Saviour. One cannot know human life without living it. There was no moral imperfection in Jesus, but he lived his human life in order to be able to be a sympathizing and effective leader in the work of salvation.

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Old Testament