Following are footnotes and additional subject notes for support of both the primary comments on the chapters of the Book of Hebrews and the extended notes for those chapters.

On Mount Sinai, when God spoke the commandments to the people of Israel directly out of the heavens they were overwhelmed and terrified and found themselves unable to hear the Voice of God clearly and completely. When the statement is rightly understood that God has spoken to us by a son it is a statement that is impossible to grasp. The frightfulness of it is too terrifying. It is even more terrifying than it was for Israel to hear the Voice of God from heaven. The magnitude of brilliance of God speaking even to that which is created by a son is incomprehensibly great, much less can his speaking to sinners by a son be comprehended. Nevertheless, because he does so, because he has done so, people are found rejoicing in their experince and realization of the truth of it, sometimes almost taking for granted that it should be so, because God is good and he wants to save us. Nevertheless, the truth is that unless God had previously created Israel by promise and redeemed Israel by promise from Egypt, unless he had begun to speak by by servants, that is, by the prophets to Israel, and unless he had previously spoken from heaven giving the Torah to Israel, before speaking by a son to Israel, we could not have withstood the brilliance of the glory of God's speaking by a son.

Talmud - Mas. Sanhedrin 93a — One like the son of God

The righteous are greater than the ministering angels, for it is said, He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the son of God.

R. Tanhum b. Hanilai said: When Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah emerged unscathed from the fiery furnace, all the nations of the world came and smote the enemies of Israel upon their faces, saying to them, 'Ye have such a God, yet ye worship an image!' Immediately they [the apostate Jews] opened their mouths and confessed, O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us shamefacedness, as at this day.

R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Jonathan's name: What is meant by, I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof? 'I said, I will go up to the palm tree, [etc.]' this refers to Israel; but now I grasped but the one bough of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

http://juchre.org/talmud/sanhedrin/sanhedrin5.htm#93a

Mahx Note:

• This is the subject of the saving of All Israel by the grace of saving a remnant who did not bow the knee to Baal, as spoken of in the work of Paul the Apostle.

Malchut is the Hebrew word for kingdom. Melek is the Hebrew word for king. How is this aspect of Melekizedek's name related to the concpet of the firstborn? It will be explained throughout the Book of Hebrews that the priesthood of Melekizedek is the priesthood of the firstborn, which was instituted by God making the promise of the Seed of the Woman against the serpent in the Garden of Eden, and was passed from generation to generation, until it was transfered forever by Melekizedek to the offspring of Abraham. This is the knowledge behind the story of Jacob and Esau, which has altogether to do with the status of the firstborn, about Jacob meriting to that status through grace by faith and not Esau. In Hebrew, "grace" is spelled with the two letters, ח [the letter CheIT] and נ [the letter NuN]. The meaning of this will be explained in the following excerpt from the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.

When Rebbe Nachman says, "And this is the concept of Ya`AQoV," he is refering to the concept of finding the revelation of Godliness in all things, both in the good that happens to one in one's life and in the judgment that happens to one in one's life. That is to say, finding all that happens to one as happening for one's good, according to the hope of the world to come. And this is certainly a teaching of the apostolic Good News of Israel and Her Mashiach.

Rebbe Nachman here explains how this concept of faith, (receiving one's intelligence and wisdom from above), is illustrated in the spiritual meaning of the firstborn in the story of how Ya'akov / Jacob came to that status. We can begin to see from here the relationship of the spiritual kingship and the spiritual kingdom, and why the office of both king and priest are one in the order of Melekizedek and in the administration of Mashiach.

See notes for chapter 2 verse 3

"How shall Israel escape corrective chastisement if she neglects advancing in so great a salvation..."

to the unity of the faith ... to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Mashiach Eph. 4:13

"When the Divine Presence stands over Israel, and Israel is the feet upon which it stands in the exile, the Holy One finds her among them [as it was said]: 'How beautiful are your feet with shoes, etc.' (Song of Songs 7:1). Also, "How beautiful are your feet" (ibid.) — this was when Israel fulfilled "Three pilgrimage [foot] festivals in the year" (Exodus 23:14). Also, "How comely are your steps in sandals"; this was when Israel stood at Mount Sinai of whom it was said, "And His feet shall stand on that day, etc." (Zechariah 14:4). Also, "How beautiful are your feet" (ibid.) — this is when they stand on Rosh Ha-Shanah (the Jewish New Year), on the Day of Judgment, in prayer. Because of them, [Israel] stands from a throne of judgment and sits on a throne of mercy. At the time that they stand with the Divine Presence in exile and suffer for it many judgments and many sufferings, they say: "Yes, for your sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter" (Psalms 44:22). Tikunei Zohar

The best explanation of what the writer of the Book of Hebrews has in mind as expressed in the language of going on to the perfection if Messianic maturity is found in the fourth chapter of Ephesians.

Walk in Unity

1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord,one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Spiritual Gifts

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Mashiach’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high,

He led captivity captive,

And gave gifts to men.”

9 Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Mashiach, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Mashiach; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head— Mashiach — 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The New Adam

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But you have not so learned Mashiach, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Yehoshua: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Mashiach forgave you.

Adapted from New King James Version

(1) To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gitith. A Psalm of David.

While the word, Gitith גתית may derive from a place name or a people's name, it reminds us of the word for "wine-press", גת. The ArtScroll commentary suggests, "This psalm demonstrates the ennobling effect of God's affliction on mankind which will ultimately lead to universal recognition of the Lord. This acknowledgement, according to an expression used by our Sages, is called, יין המשומר בענבים, 'the wine which is treasured in the grapes'. It will remain concealed until that great future day when it will be extracted."

(2) 1 O Lord, our Lord,

How excellent is Your name in all the earth,

Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

The JPS has:

"O LORD, our Lord, how glorious is Thy name in all the earth! whose majesty is rehearsed above the heavens." This translation can be read as pointing to the idea that David has in mind already the angels rehearsing the praises of the majesty of Hashem.

In Psalms 113:4 we read: "The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!" This attribute of Hashem is in that psalm said to be the basis for his being the One who reaches down to the lowliest in people in need.

The commentary of Radak, (according to ArtScroll), sees in this verse the thought that "God has placed control of the mundane world below in the hands of spiritual forces above". In terms of modern science we can think about how it was possible that David, by the Holy Spirit, saw that the earth was set within its place within the whole cosmological system, which all together "spoke" of the glory of God. In order to properly understand this psalm and the use made of it by the Book of Hebrews it is necessary to have some knowledge of the relationship of the angels as the agents of God to the governance and maintenance of the forces of the present world's system and order.

The תָּנָה, the "ascription" of הוד, glory or honor, to God in, or upon, the heavens can be understood in either a passive or active sense. Passively speaking, it is the cosmological system of the stars itself that shows us how far is his glory above the nations and above the earth itself. Actively speaking, the word can allude, as in the JPS translation, to the angels, who are given a measure of responsibility for maintaining the cosmological system of stars and keeping it moving in the direction that God desires, attributing all honor and glory to the One who measured and spread out the worlds with his fingers, the span of his hand.

(3) 2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have ordained strength,

Because of Your enemies,

That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

This verse is used in the Scriptures of The Covenant Made New to speak of the silencing of the wisdom of the wise of this world. The allusion can also be seen to be to the controversy of the angels over the creation of Adam in the image of God on the sixth day, according to the tradition of the Jewish Sages. Because of the zeal and jealousy of certain angels, Adam was belittled as being unworthy to be destined to become the servant son who would fulfill God's final purpose in creation. This tradition uniquely illuminates the context for this psalm.

“When G-d sought to create man, He created a group of ministering angels and asked them: ‘Is it your will that we create man in our image?’ They replied: ‘Master of the Universe, what are his deeds?’ G-d said: ‘Such and such will be his deeds [i.e., both good and evil].’ They said [Psalms 8:5]: ‘Master of the Universe! What is Adam that You should remember him, the son of Adam that You should be mindful of him?’ G-d then extended His little finger among them and consumed them" (Tractate Sanhedrin 38b).

(4) 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

David himself now stops and listens in the spirit to the honor and praise given to Hashem from the heavens and then comments upon these words, which the Talmud suggests might be heard from in the voice of certain angels with prosecutory intent.

(5) 4 What is Adam that You are mindful of him,

And the son of Adam that You visit him?

In David's use of this question it is not asked in a way to disparage Adam, but is turned around and acknowledged as a valid question in the light of God's immeasurable glory and shown, therefore, in this light to be the basis of the true mystery of Adam and of the Son of Adam.

(6) 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,

And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

Indeed, the angels may have stood in a position to express a judgmental opinion of Adam, as they stood a little higher than Adam in the order of creation. Nevertheless, the mystery involved God's glory and honor. No matter what dishonor Adam would be capable of, it would be God's glory and honor to elevate Adam again to a level that glorified God. Concerning this no angel had any place to speak.

(7) 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet,

About this the writer of Hebrews says, We do not yet see all things being made subject to Adam. We do not yet see Adam being altogether raised from the level of dishonor to the level of God's glory. But we see Yehoshua!

(8) 7 All sheep and oxen—

Even the beasts of the field,

(9) 8 The birds of the air,

And the fish of the sea

That pass through the paths of the seas.

(10) 9 Lord, our Lord,

How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

If a letter about Mashiach (Christ) were written by a Jew to Jews today, the Hebrew word (for faith), which is emunah, would certainly be used instead of a Greek word, English word, or that of some other language. This is because of the special connotations of the word, emunah, in Hebrew. A person does not have to agree that the whole of the Letter to the Hebrews was originally written in Hebrew, (if, perhaps, also in Greek), in order to understand that the Jewish audience would have understood that the author was talking about emunah being the יש (yesh)*/ hupostasis/substance/reality, etc. of things hoped for.

How does this affect the meaning? To get a sense of the special meaning of the Hebrew word, emunah, we can look at the fact that it is closely related to the word, amen. Emunah is the feminine form of this root. “Amen” means, “verily”, “truly”, “so be it,” etc. It is itself an affirmation of faith or belief. The same root letters pronounced in a slightly different way as “aman” can mean, “to build up”, “support”, “to foster”, “nurse”, “firm”, “faithful”, “to trust”, “believe”, “to be permanent”, “quiet”, “to be true”, “certain”, in both Hebrew and Aramaic. Context and usage have given a great deal of associated meaning to the root of emunah and also to the word emunah itself. When Mashiach (Christ) reveals emunah (faith) in a way that speaks to this world but could never otherwise be found in this world, the Hebrew ear of emunah is a well developed ear.

Why then does the author of Hebrews preach emunah to the Jews of the apostolic generation? We should not read this statement at chapter 11:1 as attempting so much to teaching the Jewish reader what emunah is, as to be attempting to teach the Jewish believer to better understand the position of emunah in relation to repentance, to obedience to God, and to the redemption of the world. These are the things that are hoped for. Emunah is already the beginning of the reality of these things.

______________

* Delitzsch in his translation of the NT into Hebrew uses the word, חסן (chasen), which means “treasure” to translate, ὑπόστασις/hupostasis in Heb. 11:1. (His reading is, it seems, to say that faith/emunah is itself the treasure of things hoped for. This is taking the word, hupostasis, in its traditional sense of ‘material substance’ and using it metaphorically to mean spiritual treasure.) However, in Heb. 1:3 he translates hupostasis as יש (yesh), which is similar to the English word, “is” and would be closely related to the idea of “reality”. I believe with a different nuance of meaning it would be possible to use the same word in both Hebrew and English to translate hupostasis in both Heb. 1:3 and 11:1.

See this note posted as a comment on the Hope - Faith -Prayer website.

See Mahx Notes on this subject below...

Heb. 1:3 lexical: “image,” "representation"

Original Text Pronunciation

χαρακτήρ khar-ak-tare'

Definition

* 1) the instrument used for engraving or carving

* 2) the mark stamped upon that instrument or wrought out on it

* 2a) a mark or figure burned in ( Le 13:28 ) or stamped on, an impression

* 2b) the exact expression (the image) of any person or thing, marked likeness, precise reproduction in every respect, i.e facsimile

Of his (Greek) υποστασις - hupostasis: “person;” (of his) "being":

The Hebrew יְקוּם yquwm means standing, a living thing. from קוּם [quwm ];

Meaning: 1) living substance, that which stands or exists, existence, substance

AV translations: (living) substance.

[This is used in relation to the substantive existence of the creature and might not be suited to speaking of God in his transcendence.]

Delitzsch, in his translation of the New Testament into Hebrew uses the word, יֵשׁ there is, are [from where we derive our English word "is". Lexically, it is noted that this word may be used adverbially or as a copula for the substantive verb ( הָיָה [hayah ]).

The 1976 United Bible Society translation into Hebrew uses עֶצֶם, which in this context would mean "essence", [though it most commonly means "bone".]

Another translation into Hebrew expresses the phrase as וצלם פניו which would translate back into English as "and the image of his face". All of these terms in Hebrew have, in different ways, a relation to the ideas of being, existence, substance, there is or are.

υποστασις - hupostasis:

This word is also used in Hebrews 11: “Faith is the hupostasis of things hoped for…” If we were to translate it there as “confidence”, could we also translate it here as confidence? If we did so, how would it read? “Who is the brightness of his glory, the expression of his confidence…” It could make sense. But is it correct? Is this in any way what the writer intended to say? See below for a sample of translations.

Original Text Pronunciation

ὑπόστασις hoop-os'-tas-is

Definition

1) a setting or placing under

1a) thing put under, substructure, foundation

2) that which has foundation, is firm

2a) that which has actual existence

2a1) a substance, real being

2b) the substantial quality, nature, of a person or thing

2c) the steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution

2c1) confidence, firm trust, assurance

Usage Count

confidence 2; confident 1; person 1; substance 1

Translation examples of Hebrews 11:1

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. (New Living Translation)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (New American Standard Bible – NASB)

Now faith is the title-deed of things hoped for, the conviction of things which are not being seen. (Wuest – The New Testament: An Expanded Translation)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (King James Version – KJV and New King James Version – NKJV)

Mahx Notes

What does the word, “person” mean?

And if we move from the translation: “substance” to the translation “person” in chapter one what happens if we use that same translation in chapter eleven? “Faith is the ‘person’ of things hoped for…” It makes little to no sense. This is because we can speak of the “substance of” something but not “the person of” something. But we can equate “person” to “soul” and speak of “the soul of” something. We would then have the almost poetic translation, “Faith is the soul of things hoped for…” We could use the same word, on account of its poetic quality in the English language, and translate in chapter one, “Who being the brightness of his glory and the image of his soul…”* But this is a poetic translation.

The word, “substance” can be used either as a noun or as an adjective. The word “person” is only a noun. What if we were to change the word “person” into an adjective. We could use the form, “personhood”. We could then say, “The personhood of”. So, if we translated, “Faith is the personhood of things hoped for…”, would this make anymore sense? It would not seem to. It might be grammatically clearer what is being said, but it would simply seem to be logically incorrect. Personhood does not seem to us to be a quality that can be attributed to faith. But are we wrong about this?

What if we thought of faith, instead of being an expression of our mind and will, or perhaps of the sentiment of our heart, as being an effect upon us of a power outside of ourselves? When we talk about trusting a bridge to hold us up, or having confidence in something or someone to be strong enough and reliable enough to hold us and not let us go, etc., we are, in a way, talking about our faith being produced by something outside of ourselves. Speaking in this way, we could say that Mashiach is our faith. It is he himself who entirely produces our faith or confidence in him. Our faith does not result from our own wisdom or judgment about God being willing to save us. That God is willing to save us can only be something revealed by God himself, and it is this that he reveals in a final and eternal way through a son, through Mashiach. It is this revelation from God about God, which is expressed in the entire person of Mashiach, and nothing else, which produces saving faith in us. In this case, it is entirely true that something and someone outside of us produces faith in us, a faith that we would not otherwise have. He, as it were, reaches out his hand to us and we would never take his hand but when we see his hand and he in person is revealed to us, we are convinced to have faith in him and we take his hand. In this way, it is true to say that our faith is a person, that Mashiach is our faith, because it is entirely his effect upon us that we have faith in him.

But does this understanding make it work to translate, “Faith is the person, or personhood, of things hoped for”? If we are going to get to a place where this makes sense to us, we are not quite there yet. We need to ask, What is it that is hoped for? Life, righteousness, living in the love and presence of God. Faith is the hupostasis of this. Confidence in Mashiach, confidence to take hold of his outstretched hand is the hupostasis of eternal life, perfect righteousness, of existing entirely in the love and presence of God. Faith is experiencing the person of this hope, and that person is Mashiach, God’s Jewish son, the imprint of his soul.

By examining these matters we have come to see that faith in its true and eternal form is not something produced by our own will or effort, of mind or heart, but is the experience of a relationship with one who communicates the truth and love of God to us through his whole being. Speaking in this way, we can say, he is our faith who is also our righteousness, because he is the producer and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2). As our Shepherd and Leader, he guides us out of fear and being lost in unbelief into the pathway of faith which leads us into the presence of God.

Heb. 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

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* When the Torah says that on the sixth day God rested, the Hebrew can actually be read as saying that God “souled”. And, accordingly, there are times in the poetic language of the sages of the Midrash and of the rabbis when the language “the soul of God” is used.

[Taken from a post on The Great Assignment]

At the time that God told Moses to make the Mishkan (the Tabernacle)…

…he (Moses) came and told Bezalel, he (Bezalel) said, "What is the purpose of the Mishkan?" He (Moses) answered, "That God may allow His Presence to rest within it, and thereby teach Torah to Israel."

Bezalel said to him, "Where will the Torah be placed?" He answered, "After we build the Mishkan we will build the Aron (the ark of the covenant).” He said, "Moses, our master, this is not honor for the Torah, rather first we should make the Aron and then make the Mishkan. Therefore the Aron was called in his name." [Shmot Rabbah 50:2]

Above quote: On Bezalel - Aish.com

Yehoshua is that Torah. First he is “placed” in the “ark” which is made for him by his people, Israel, that is, the place of his tomb, the place of the transformation of this world into the eternal world, the “black hole” of the heavens and the earth, that is Beresheit, Source-of-Beginning.

Then the Tabernacle of Israel’s full embrace is built around his empty tomb, where the Presence of G-d dwells, even unto the ends of the earth and the heavens.

Nov. 2017 additional Mahx note:

In the full text from which the quote above is taken we read, "When the People made the Calf, Hur heroically stood against them, but they rejected him and his teachings." We can see an allusion to Mashiach as son of Judah.

"Yehuda represents kingship, as manifested by David and his dynasty, and Hur functioned in the capacity of future king both in the battle of Amalek and at the Golden Calf. The other leader entrusted by Moshe was Aharon, the future Kohen Gadol. These were the two empowered by Moshe on the first occasion when Moshe had to establish the subsequent tier of leadership. Aharon and Hur are the two who would one day lead, each in a different sphere."

In this description we a picture of the two witnesses, the witness of kingship and the witness of priesthood, "that stand before the LORD of the whole earth". In the first episode, in fighting Amalek, Moshe represents Mashiach and his two arms, supported by the two witnesses, are the two witnesses. When they are lifted, giving their testimony, Israel is victorious over Amalek.

In the second episode, of the golden calf, the kingship of Judah and therefore of Mashiach, are rejected. And this is through the killing of Hur, who was the representative of the witness of Mashiach that Hashem is King. But the testimony is not defeated. Rather, later it is the testimony kept in concealment, represented by Bezalel, the grandson of Hur, who builds the Mishkan and the Ark of the Covenant. An allusion can be understood to be present in this and to this when Yehoshua states, "Destroy this Temple and in three days I will build it again"(Jn. 2:19).

The full study on this subject can be read here.