Hebrews 5:10 (Morphology, Syntax, and Semantics)

This is my concluding post about Hebrews 5, for now.

Greek (SBLGNT):  προσαγορευθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀρχιερεὺς κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ.

Jesus Christ is the subject of this verse (Hebrews 5:5-9). προσαγορευθεὶς is the aorist passive participle nominative singular masculine of προσαγορεύω: this verb can mean "to call by name" or "designate." It only appears here in the GNT.

William L. Lane (Hebrews 1-8, WB Commentary): "The verb προσαγορεύειν contains the idea of a formal and solemn ascription of an honorific title (Moulton and Howard, Grammar, 2:399). The use of the verb with the meaning 'to address, hail, salute' in the sense of an acclamation finds illustration in the papyri (MM 545)."

ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ-"by God"; compare Luke 2:21; Acts 10:42; Romans 13:1; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 1:4; Hebrews 5:4. The occurrence of the Greek preposition with the genitive case here indicates agency (either direct or ultimate agency). See Wallace, GGBB, page 164; Smyth, section 1493.

BDAG on ἀρχιερεὺς:-β by fig. extension, of Christ, who serves as high priest by atoning for the sins of humans Hb 2:17; 3:1 (w. ἀπόστολος); 5:10; 6:20; 7:26; 8:1; 9:11; 1 Cl 61:3; 64; IPhld 9:1; MPol 14:3. ἀ. μέγας (1 Macc 13:42; Philo, Somn. 1, 219; Michel 1231, 1; cp. also the ἀ. μέγιστος=pontifex maximus of imperial ins) Hb 4:14 (GFriedrich, TZ 18, ’62, 95–115); ἀ. τῶν προσφορῶν 1 Cl 36:1. Cp. ANairne, The Epistle of Priesthood 1913, 135ff; HWindisch, Hdb., exc. on Hb 9:14; JUbbink, NThSt 22, ’39, 172–84 (on Hb); MDibelius, D. himml. Kultus nach Hb: ThBl 21, ’42, 1–11; HWenschkewitz, D. Spiritualisierung d. Kultusbegriffe Tempel, Priester u. Opfer im NT ’32; OMoe, D. Priestert. Christi im NT ausserhalb des Hb: TLZ 72, ’47, 335–38; GSchille, Erwägungen zur Hohepriesterlehre des Hb: ZNW 56, ’55, 81–109; AJansen, Schwäche u. Vollkommenheit des H-priesters Christus, diss. Rome, ’57.

Hebrews likely bases its use of ἀρχιερεὺς on Psalm 110:4 although more than one commentator observes that the psalm only refers to a priest, not a high priest. See Harold W. Attridge, Hebrews (Hermeneia Series), page 154. Compare Philo, Abr. 235. See also https://www.marquette.edu/maqom/melchizedek.html

κατὰ τὴν τάξιν-"after the order" or "according to the order" (Mounce); compare Hebrews 6:20. See Kenneth L. Schenck, Cosmology and Eschatology in Hebrews, page 106-111; Smyth, section 1690.2c: κατὰ τοὺς νόμους.

The Greek preposition κατὰ occurs with the accusative case here which signifies conformity: as stated above, render "according to" or "in accordance with," etc. The word taxis later had an important role in Christological and Trinitarian debates.

Μελχισέδεκ (genitive singular masculine here) occurs 8x in the GNT, all of which are in Hebrews--the word is a proper name that's indeclinable.