Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

A high priest over the house of God - The house or family of God is the Christian Church, or all true believers in the Lord Jesus. Over this Church, house, or family, Christ is the High Priest - in their behalf he offers his own blood, and their prayers and praises; and as the high priest had the ordering of all things that appertained to the house and worship of God, so has Christ in the government of his Church. This government he never gave into other hands. As none can govern and preserve the world but God, so none can govern and save the Church but the Lord Jesus: He is over the house; He is its President; he instructs, protects, guides, feeds, defends, and saves the flock. Those who have such a President may well have confidence; for with him is the fountain of life, and he has all power in the heavens and in the earth.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

And having an High Priest over the house of God - Over the spiritual house of God; that is, the church; compare the notes on Hebrews 3:1-6. Under the Jewish dispensation there was a great high priest, and the same is true under the Christian dispensation. This the apostle had shown at length in the previous part of the Epistle. The idea here is, that as under the former dispensation it was regarded as a privilege that the people of God might have access to the mercy-seat by means of the high priest; so it is true in a much higher sense that we may now have access to God through our greater and more glorious High Priest.

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible

And having a great priest over the house of God.

The house of God in this verse is the church of the living God, as an apostle declared: "That thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God" (1 Timothy 3:15).

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And having an high priest over the house of God. The church of God, over which Christ is as prophet, priest, and King, and as the Son and owner of it; See Gill on Hebrews 3:6; See Gill on Hebrews 4:14. In the Greek text it is, "a great priest"; so the Messiah is called by the Targum on Zechariah 6:12 כהן רב, "a great priest", as he is; even a great high priest, as in Hebrews 4:14, and greater than Aaron, and any of his sons.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

high priest — As a different Greek term ({(archiereus}) is used always elsewhere in this Epistle for “high priest,” translate as Greek here, “A Great Priest”; one who is at once King and “Priest on His throne” (Zechariah 6:13); a royal Priest, and a priestly King.

house of God — the spiritual house, the Church, made up of believers, whose home is heaven, where Jesus now is (Hebrews 12:22, Hebrews 12:23). Thus, by “the house of God,” over which Jesus is, heaven is included )in meaning, as well as the Church, whose home it is.

Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament

A great priest (ιερεα μεγαν — hierea megan). As has been shown in 4:14-7:28.

Vincent's Word Studies

A high priest ( ἱερέα μέγαν )

Lit. a great priest. Comp. Leviticus 21:10, lxx. Not merely = ἀρχιερεὺς highpriest, but emphasizing Christ's superior greatness as high priest.

House of God ( οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ )

In the Gospels always of the temple. Not found in Paul. Once in the Pastorals, of the church, 1 Timothy 3:15, and so 1 Peter 4:17. Here the whole Christian family. Comp. 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 3:17; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:22.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

И имея великого Священника. Апостол призывает читателей вспомнить все, что он прежде говорил об отмене ветхого священства. Ведь Христос может быть священником только тогда, когда прежние священники подадут в отставку, поскольку Его чин совсем иной. Итак, он хочет сказать, что все, отмененное Христом во время Его пришествия, подлежит оставлению. Поэтому он ставит Христа во главе всего дома Божия, дабы всякий, желающий вступить в Церковь, покорился Христу, избрав Его, и никого другого, своим вождем и начальником.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

21 And having an high priest over the house of God;

Ver. 21. Over the house of God] As Jehoiadah was over the temple, presided and commanded there, 2 Kings 2:5. All power is given to Christ both in heaven and earth, for our behoof and benefit.

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible

Hebrews 10:21. And having an High-priest over the house of God;— That is, over all that name the name of Christ, and hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope, firm unto the end; ch. Hebrews 3:6. Our High-priest is the Son of God, the appointed Heir of all things, Lord of all; therefore we have the strongest motives to hold fast our profession, that can be laid before us.

Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary

21.] and (‘having:’ τὸ ἔχοντες ἀπὸ κοινοῦ, Œc.) a great Priest (i. e. a great High Priest; but here his Priesthood, not his High-priesthood, is more brought into prominence. Do not suppose that μέγας ἱερεύς imports ‘High Priest,’ as ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας in the LXX and Philo: our Writer always uses ἀρχιερεύς for it, and in ch. Hebrews 4:14, calls our Lord ἀρχιερέα μέγαν. He is ἱερεὺς μέγας, because He is a Priest on his throne, a “sacerdos regius et rex sacerdotalis,” as Delitzsch quotes from Seb. Schmidt) over the house of God (this substitution of the preposition of motion for that of rest, is indicative of a later phase of a language, and requires the supplying of τεταγμένον, or some similar word, to make it good Greek: so ξενοκλέα ἔταξεν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἱππεῖς, Xen. Cyr. iv. 5. 19. The οἶκος θεοῦ here need not be more limited in meaning than in the similar passage ch. Hebrews 3:2; οἶκον δὲ θεοῦ τοὺς πιστοὺς προσηγόρευσεν, Thdrt., Œc., Estius, al. But it is alleged that the expression here must mean the heaven: Thl. having mentioned the other, says, ἤ, ὅπερ οἶμαι μᾶλλον, τὸν οὐρανόν· ἐκεῖνον γὰρ καὶ ἅγια καλεῖ, καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῳ λειτουργεῖν τὸν ἱερέα λέγει, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐντυγχάνοντα: and so many Commentators. But Delitzsch well observes that the one meaning, the narrower, need not exclude the other, the wider. It is hardly probable, to begin with, that our Writer should in two places describe Christ as set ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ, in meanings entirely different from each other. Clearly, the heavenly sanctuary is regarded by him as also including the earthly, the Church above as the home of the Church below: see ch. Hebrews 12:22 ff.),

Heinrich Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

Hebrews 10:21 is still governed by ἔχοντες, Hebrews 10:19. As τὰ ἅγια, Hebrews 10:19, was chosen as a general designation instead of the special τὰ ἅγια ἁγίων, so here (comp. Hebrews 5:6, Hebrews 7:1; Hebrews 7:3, al.) the general ἱερέα stands in the sense of the special ἀρχιερέα, and μέγαν is, as Hebrews 4:14, expression of the exaltedness of this High Priest (against Stuart, Klee, Stein, Ewald, M‘Caul, and others, who take ἱερέα μέγαν together as a designation of the High Priest).

ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ] over the house of God. Comp. Hebrews 3:6. Theodoret, Oecumenius, Estius, Grotius, Calov, Tholuck, Stengel, Hofmann (Schriftbew. II. 1, 2 Aufl. p. 454), Maier, Kurtz, and others understand by these words, in accordance with Hebrews 3:2; Hebrews 3:6, the household of God, or the believers, by which, however, the unity of the figure is needlessly destroyed. The allusion is to heaven or the heavenly sanctuary, as the dwelling-place of God, over which Christ rules as High Priest.(101)

Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament

Hebrews 10:21. ἱερέα μέγαν, the High Priest) ch. 7.— ἐτὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ, over the house of God) ch. Hebrews 3:6.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Christians have not only a liberty of coming, but a way wherein, and a help whereby, to reach home to God; which help is a surpassing Priest to all others, the great and eminent one for real worth and dignity, Christ himself, God-man, exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high, after he had fulfilled his work here; where he was invested with all authority and power, and set over the church of the living God, consisting both of Hebrew and Gentile Israelites, Hebrews 3:6 Acts 20:28; whose sacrifices of praise and prayer offered up to God, he presenteth, perfumed with the incense of his own merits, before the throne, representing their persons, pleading their cause, and continually interceding for their good, making all they are and perform acceptable to his Father by his own blood, Hebrews 8:2.

Alexander MacLaren's Expositions of Holy Scripture

домом Божиим См. пояснение к 3:6.

Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament

The house of God; his spiritual household, the church.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

‘And having a great priest over the house of God,’

The second consequence of what He has done is that we have a ‘great priest’ over the house of God. Note that He is called ‘a great priest’ not ‘a High Priest’. There is an emphasis here on His true greatness. He is a super-priest. (While ‘great priest’ was an alternative for ‘High Priest’, there must be some reason for the writer’s change of term). And it is we who are the house of God (Hebrews 3:6). Thus is He our great priest, active in intercession for us with regard to all our spiritual needs (Hebrews 3:18; Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 5:9; Hebrews 7:25). Thus there is not only free entry, but also the guarantee of a great and successful Mediator and Intercessor as we approach, Who can meet all our needs. That has been the essence of much of what he has already said (Hebrews 2:17-18; Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 5:9; Hebrews 6:20; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:11-12).

The result of ‘having’ this wondrous open way into God’s presence, and having this great Priest to act for us in all things, is a series of exhortations. The combination gives us great advantages and puts us under great obligations. Let us take full advantage of the advantages and ensure that we fulfil the obligations. They are as follows:

· ‘Let us draw near’. We are to live and walk in God’s presence, having ready access to Him through faith and the shedding of His blood.

· ‘Let us hold fast.’ We are to declare to all that we are in God’s presence, and our confident hope of one day knowing His presence even more fully.

· ‘Let us consider one another.’ We are to ensure that we all walk together as in His presence, having a true concern for one another.

Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Hebrews 10:21. A great priest—not high priest chiefly, for which the word high priest is always used in this Epistle, but a priest who is enthroned at God’s right hand—over the house of God—not a servant like Moses in the house (Hebrews 3:5-6), but over it, i.e over the universal Church, including both the heaven of glory (John 14:2) and the Church on earth. We are under Christ in our earthly pilgrimage, as we shall be in the home above; and indeed we have both privileges, for we reach the inmost recesses of the very sanctuary of God even now by faith and prayer (Hebrews 10:22).

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

And a high priest; i.e. and having a great priest, to wit, Christ, over the house of God, that is, over the Church, or over all the faithful, both in the Church militant on earth and in the Church triumphant in heaven. (Witham)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

an High = a Great.

house See Hebrews 3:6.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And having an high priest over the house of God; High priest, [ hierea (Greek #2409) megan (Greek #3173)]. A different term [ archiereus (Greek #749)] is used always in this letter for "high priest." Translate, 'A Great Priest:' one at once King and "Priest upon His throne" (Zechariah 6:13): a royal Priest, and a priestly King.

House of God - the spiritual house, the Church, made up of believers, whose home is heaven, where Jesus, their Head, now is (Hebrews 12:22-23). Thus heaven is included, as well as the Church, whose home it is.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) An high priest.—The Greek words properly signify a great priest (comp. Hebrews 4:14), which is one of the names by which the high priest is frequently designated, both in the Hebrew (Leviticus 21, et al.), and in the LXX. It may seem strange that the writer should here make use of a new word in the place of that which has occurred so frequently. But there is strong reason for believing that the language of one of the prophecies of Zechariah (Zechariah 6:11-13) is here before his mind. In the preceding verses (Zechariah 6:12-14) he has used words which united sacerdotal and kingly imagery; and it would be remarkable if this did not lead his thought to that prophecy. On the head of Joshua, “the great priest” (Zechariah 6:11), are placed crowns of silver and gold in token of royal dignity: then follows the prediction of Him of whom Joshua was the type. “He shall build the house of the Lord: and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne.” In the verse before us are combined several of the characteristic thoughts of that passage—the great priest, the priestly ruler, the house of God. The last-mentioned words are repeatedly used throughout the Old Testament, both in the Pentateuch and in later books, for the Tabernacle or Temple of God. In Hebrews 3:6 (to which there is a manifest allusion here) the meaning is enlarged, but only so that under “the house” is also comprised the household of God. Here the two thoughts are combined. Into the house of God we may enter; over it Jesus rules as “the great Priest.” The family of God subject to His rule includes the whole community of “the people of God” in heaven and upon earth.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

an

2:17; 3:1; 4:14-16; 6:20; 7:26; 8:1

the house

3:3-6; Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:9-17; 2 Corinthians 6:16,17; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Timothy 3:15

E.M. Zerr's Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament

This verse shows one of the likenesses between the two systems in that each had the services of a high priest. The distinction is the truth that Christ is over the house of God which is said in the sense of the church and Heaven.

Haldane's Exposition on the Epistle to the Romans and Hebrews

And having an high priest over the house of God.

And having a great High Priest... [It is in the original a great priest] The great object of the whole Epistle was to exhibit the connexion between the Jewish and Christian worship, by showing that the former was a figure of the latter, an earthly or carnal exhibition of a heavenly and spiritual object. The Apostle therefore dwells on the priesthood of Christ. In the new and spiritual dispensation He is all in all: like God"s servant Moses, who was faithful in all his house; but as a son over his own house, which is composed of living stones resting upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, He himself being the chief corner stone. He is described as a living stone, and through their union with Him all the stones of the building are quickened. We know the power of a loadstone, which communicates magnetism to iron. God might have given it the power of communicating magnetism to stone, so that the foundation might communicate its property to the whole building. Such is the case with Christ; all the stones of the living temple rest on Him, and to them all, does He communicate a life which never ends, according to that which is written: " As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself, [This refers to Christ in his mediatorial character, as the Father's servant, but as being Himself God, "in him was life." Hence he is called, "The eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested to us," 1 John 1:2; but as Immanuel, God manifest in the flesh, He was the Father's servant, and that eternal life, which is the gift of God, is communicated to us through Christ "He asked life of God and he gave it to him, even length of days for ever and ever; and of his fulness we all receive, and grace for grace."] and hath given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of man." John 5:26; John 5:7. Here we see that He is the source of the life of His people, and that He quickeneth whom He will. "For the Father judgeth no Prayer of Manasseh, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." John 5:21-22. All His sheep are known to the Good Shepherd, and that individually and by name.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

21.House of God—The new temple, embracing primarily the entire new structure of salvation through the atonement, of which the temple and its ritual were typical. Hence this new temple, in its full physical significance, embraces earth, the firmament, and the highest heaven; the entire scene and structure of the divine history.

The Expositor's Greek Testament

Hebrews 10:21_{. . The opened way into the holiest is not the only advantage possessed by the Christian, he has also “a great priest,” cf.}Hebrews 4:14 _{’ . Philo (Leg. ad Gai., p. 1035) calls the High Priest , and so} Leviticus 21:10_, Numbers 35:25_{. But it is not to the fact that He is High Priest that this designation here points, but to His greatness as Son of God and as one who has passed into the Holy Presence. Especially is His greatness manifested in His administration , over God’s house (cf.}Hebrews 3:6_{) that is, over those heavenly realities which replace the house of God on earth, and necessarily over those for whom the priest is appointed to minister (}Hebrews 5:1_).

The Bible Study New Testament

21. We have. “Not only has our great priest opened the Most Holy Place to us; not only does he continue to serve as our High Priest in God’s presence; but our great priest is also God’s Son who serves over God’s house!” [God’s house = the true Temple and true Israel (Hebrews 3:6).]

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

21.And having a high priest, etc. Whatever he has previously said of the abrogation of the ancient priesthood, it behaves us now to bear in mind, for Christ could not be a priest without having the former priests divested of their office, as it was another order. He then intimates that all those things which Christ had changed at his coming ought to be relinquished; and God has set him over his whole house for this end, — that every one who seeks a place in the Church, may submit to Christ and choose him, and no other, as his leader and ruler. ⁽¹⁷²⁾