Hebrews 4:16: Morphology, Discourse, and Syntax

Hebrews 4:16 (WH): προσερχώμεθα οὖν μετὰ παρρησίας τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος, ἵνα λάβωμεν ἔλεος καὶ χάριν εὕρωμεν εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν.

οὖν-conjunctive particle; here implies causal sequence. David L. Mathewson remarks on the "cluster of subjunctives" in this verse (Voice and Mood); he calls οὖν in this case, a "high-level marker" that occurs with hortatory subjunctives and other supporting material to produce "a discourse peak within Hebrews."

προσερχώμεθα (present middle subjunctive 1st person plural of προσέρχομαι)-B.F. Westcott (Hebrews, 108) relates that this verb appears for the first time in Hebrews here: it occurs seven times in the letter. See 7:25; 10:1, 22; 11:6; 12:18, 22. For LXX uses, see Leviticus 21:17, 21; 22:3, which deal with the priestly approach to God (cf. Ezekiel 44:16). Compare 1 Timothy 6:3; Hebrews 6:19. The writer of Hebrews always employs προσέρχομαι to describe worshipers approaching God, whether in ancient Israel or in the Christian congregation (Ellingworth, Hebrews, 269), and it is only the letter to the Hebrews that utilizes προσέρχομαι to delineate the cultus. Translate "approach, draw near." Yet the approach referenced in Hebrews 4:16 is not to the antitypical most holy in the heavens (literally), but it means to come before God here on earth in prayer or worship.

μετὰ παρρησίας-a preposition + the genitive case: the noun is genitive singular feminine of παρρησία (boldness, freedom of speech, frankness, directness, confidence). See Acts 2:29; 4:29, 31; 28:31; Hebrews 3:6; 10:19-22; 10:35; 1 John 3:21; 4:17; 5:14. R.T. France provides another gloss: "lack of inhibition." See Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland (eds.). The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Hebrews-Revelation. Revised Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009.

τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος-"to the throne of undeserved kindness (unmerited favor or grace)." τῆς χάριτος might be a "Genitive of characteristic quality" (Charles J. Vaughn, The Epistle to the Hebrews, page 88). Philip Church (Hebrews and the Temple, 378ff) has a rich discussion of these words and other components of Hebrews 4:16. He articulates that the throne is likely God's throne with Jesus seated at his right hand. This expression is apparently not found in ancient Judaism even though writers speak of two thrones for God, "one of judgment and one of mercy." See also David Allen, Hebrews (New American Commentary).

Paul Ellingworth (The Epistle to the Hebrews) likewise insists that the throne of grace is God's based on Hebrews 8:1: it is not Christ's throne despite the words of Hebrews 1:8; only indirectly does this throne allude to the mercy seat of Jerusalem's ancient temple (contra earlier interpreters).

ἵνα λάβωμεν ἔλεος καὶ χάριν εὕρωμεν-Compare Isaiah 16:5; Hosea 6:6 in the LXX. Ellingworth points to the chiasmus here, a construction that indicates λάβωμεν is semantically similar to εὕρωμεν and ἔλεος to χάριν (Hebrews, 270). Moreover, the neuter ἔλεος is connected with χάρις in Wisdom 3:9; 4:15; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4.

εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν-The accusative singular feminine of εὔκαιρος appears here: the only other NT occurrence is Mark 6:21. Bill Mounce provides the definitions, "timely, opportune, seasonable, convenient" for this Greek adjective; βοήθειαν is accusative singular feminine of βοήθεια. Louw-Nida supply the definitions, "help" and "support." The preposition εἰς "often indicates purpose, or even result" (Dana M. Harris) and the object of the preposition is βοήθειαν: this object is modified by εὔκαιρον.

Sources for Further Reading:

Church, Philip. Hebrews and the Temple: Attitudes to the Temple in Second Temple Judaism and in Hebrews. (Supplements to Novum Testamentum 171). Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2017.

Ellingworth, Paul. The Epistle to the Hebrews. The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000.

Harris, Dana M. Hebrews. Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2019.

Vaughn, Charles J. The Epistle to the Hebrews. London: Macmillan, 1890.

Westcott, B.F. The Epistle to the Hebrews. The Greek Text with Notes and Essays. Second Edition. London; New York: Macmillan and Co., 1892.