The Jewish Annotated New Testament (288 page)

6
:
Good that we
(or “you”; see translators’ note
a
on next p.)
may do
, presumably by bringing others into the community of believers.

7
:
Hearts
, lit., “viscera,” inner organs, the site of the emotions; see also vv. 12,20.
Brother
, one of Paul’s usual names for his colleagues (e.g., Rom 16.23). Such kinship terminology appears in ancient Jewish letters from the early Arad letters (e.g., Arad 16) that antedate the Babylonian invasion of 597 BCE to the letters associated with the War of Bar Kochba (132–135 CE; e.g., Murabba’at 43). Brother/s appears frequently in the Tanakh and later rabbinic writings to refer to the ‘family’ of Israel (e.g., Ps 133.1).

8
–22:
Paul’s appeal to Philemon.

9
:
Old man
, Paul is characterized as “young” in Acts 7.58, describing events perhaps two or three decades before the date of this letter. His expectation that he would be treated with respect also recalls the use of “elder” as a title in the community of believers (e.g., Acts 20.17). Ancient Judaism had a deeply rooted tradition of respect for elders (e.g., Lev 19.32).

10
:
Onesimus
, see Col 4.9; Ignatius,
Eph
. 1; see Introduction.
Whose father I have become
, see 1 Cor 4.15. On the use of familial language in ancient Jewish texts to describe the relationship of teachers to disciples, see, for example, 1QH 15.20–21 from Qumran and, from later rabbinic literature,
b. Sanh
. 19b.

11
:
Useful
, a pun on Onesimus’s name, which means “useful”; it is not clear if this was his name or was given to him when he was taken as a slave (as if nicknaming him “Handy”).

13
:
Be of service
, although the verb “diakoneō” is related to “diakonia,” “ministry” and to “diakonos,” “servant, deacon,” it almost always means household service, not religious service (e.g., Lk 22.27).
Gospel
, here the preaching of the message of salvation through Jesus, which is the cause of his
imprisonment
.

15
:
Was separated
, referring to Onesimus’s absence; the use of the passive may be a way of softening the fact of Onesimus’s flight.

16
:
No longer as a slave
…
a beloved brother
, although this verse describes a transformed relationship among Philemon and Paul and the converted Onesimus—they are now beloved brothers—it is not clear what this portends for Onesimus’s slave status. Paul may be asking Philemon to free Onesimus, or he may be referring solely to Onesimus’s changed status in the context of the church. The use of the word “brother” to refer to a slave, who is also a community member, appears as well in Deut 15.12. The latter mandates that a Hebrew slave, after six years of servitude, must be freed in the seventh year.

18
:
If he has wronged you … or owes you anything
, Onesimus may have caused Philemon financial loss, either by stealing or by the loss of service consequent on his absence, which Paul offers to repay. Alternatively, this may be one of Paul’s rhetorical strategies to put himself in the position of bene factor rather than supplicant.

19
:
Writing this with my own hand
, see 1 Cor 16.21; Gal 6.11; Paul’s letters were usually dictated to a scribe.
Owing me even your own self
, a probable reference to Paul’s conversion of Philemon.

21
:
You will do even more than I say
, perhaps Paul’s plea that Philemon give Onesimus his freedom.

22
:
Guest room
, Gk “xenia,” lodging place for strangers (i.e., those not of the house).
Restored to you
, lit., “be bestowed on you.”

23
–25: Conclusion. 23–24
:
Epaphras … Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke
, greetings from co-workers, all of whom are named in Col 4.10–14; for Epaphras, see also Col 1.7.

25
:
Your spirit
, a blessing on the recipient’s inmost being.

1.1
–3: Introduction.
A poetic presentation of the main theme: the superiority of Christ, called
Son
to emphasize his unique status. The plural “sons of God” refers to angels in Gen 6.1–4 (cf. Ps 82.1,6).

1
–2
:
Long ago … but in these last days
, contrasts of differing periods of divine revelation anticipate the contrast between old and new covenants (8.6–13).

2
:
Created the worlds
, see traditions about Wisdom’s presence at creation (Prov 8.22; Sir 1.4; Wis 9.9). Philo says similar things about the “logos,” “divine reason” (
On the Creation
5.20; 8.30–31). See “John’s Prologue as Midrash,” p.
546
.
Last days
, the end of the present age, awaiting the beginning of the new era.

3
:
Reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being
, see Prov 8.22–31; Wis 7.25–26; 9.9; Philo,
QG
1.57. Wisdom was seen as working alongside God at creation;
reflection
(as of an object that returns light exactly as it received it) and
imprint
(as of a coin that exactly reproduces the contours of its originating mold) are ways of expressing the Son’s transmission of God’s nature without any flaw.
Glory
, Heb “kavod,” was a quality frequently attributed to God (e.g., Ex 16.10; Isa 6.3; Ps 19.1; and many other places).
Purification
, see 9.14n.

1.4
–14: Superior to angels.
The audience may have understood Jesus as an angel analogous to Michael or Raphael.

4
:
Name
, perhaps “Lord” (see Phil 2.9–11).

5
: Ps 2.7; 2 Sam 7.14. These texts appear together in two Qumran collections of biblical quotations used messianically (4QTest; 4QFlor 1.10–19).

6
: Deut 32.43 LXX; the line (“worship him, all you gods”) is not in the received Hebrew text (MT), but it is preserved in a Deut Ms from Qumran.
Firstborn
, Jesus.

7
: Ps 104.4 LXX. In the psalm, the praise is to God; here God speaks of angels.

8
–9
: Ps 45.6–7, a royal wedding hymn that calls the Davidic king “God”; here, it is applied to Jesus.

10
–12
: Ps 102.25–27.

13
: Ps 110.1, frequently cited as a prophecy about Jesus (see also Mk 12.35–37; Acts 2.34; 1 Cor 15.25).

2.1
–4:
Exhortation to attention.

2
:
Declared through angels
, see Acts 7.53; Gal 3.19;
Ant
. 15.5.3. Angels are frequently present in rabbinic recountings about the giving of the Torah at Sinai (and in many other biblical events), but they are not there teachers or mediators of the divine word as in
Jubilees. Transgression … received a just penalty
refers to the Sinaitic covenant (e.g., Ex 20.22–23.33) that specifies penalties for sins.

3
:
Escape
, evade the coming judgment.
Lord
, Jesus.
By those who heard him
, evidence for dating Hebrews at least a generation after Jesus.

4
:
Signs and wonders
, referring to miracles performed by Moses and Aaron (Ex 7.3; Deut 4.34; 6.22) and by Jesus and the apostles (Acts 2.43; 15.12).
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
, unspecified, but perhaps including ecstatic experiences like speaking in tongues (1 Cor 12.4–11), or increased wisdom, discernment, and understanding (Wis 7.22–8.1).

2.5
–9:
Jesus exalted.

5
:
Coming world
, a new world wherein Jesus reigns. Ps 110.1, quoted in 1.13, functions as a summary statement of this reign.

6
–7
: Ps 8.4–8.
Human beings … them
(“anthropos … auton”), the terms, singular in Gk (reproducing Heb singular nouns as well), are understood to be about Jesus.
A little while
, in the MT this phrase is meant spatially not temporally, while the LXX is ambiguous. Hebrews interprets it temporally as referring to the time of Jesus’ earthly life.

9
:
Made lower
, took on human form (see Phil 2.6).
Taste death for everyone
, share completely in the experience of human existence.

2.10
–18:
Jesus’ humanity.

10
:
Pioneer
, Jesus.
Perfect
, see “Perfection through Suffering,” p.
408
. See also 5.8; 7.28; 10.14; 12.2.

11
:
Sanctifies
, makes holy.
Father
, although the title “Son” applies uniquely to Jesus (1.1), God is father to all humanity insofar as God created humanity. On paternal language for God in relation to the Davidic king, see 2 Sam 7.14; Ps 2.7; 89.26–27; Mt 6.9; Lk 11.2.

12
: Ps 22.22. The psalm is used to describe Jesus’ suffering and death in Mt 27.46; Mk 15.34. In Hebrews, the citation highlights Jesus’ role as mediator between God and humans. The psalm originally speaks in the voice of a supplicant in prayer.

13
: Isa 8.17–18. Isaiah speaks in the first person, whereas Hebrews understands the speaker as Jesus.

14
: For the idea that the devil brought death into the world, see Wis 2.24; although the idea appears in rabbinic literature, it is often minimized or refuted, perhaps due to anti-Christian polemic; see
t. Sot
. 4.17;
b
.
B. Bat
. 16a.

16
:
Descendants of Abraham
, followers of Jesus are heirs of the Abrahamic promises (see ch 11).