Hebrews 5:9
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Study Note
Study Note
'And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him' — the perfection of Christ through suffering (5:8–9) is not a moral deficiency overcome but a completion of vocation: the 'perfecting' (teleiōtheis) means he has become fully qualified as the pioneer and high priest of salvation through the completed experience of suffering obedience. The phrase 'source of eternal salvation' (aitios sōtērias aiōniou) is unique in the New Testament — aitios (cause, source, author) normally applied to persons blameworthy for harm is here reframed as the one responsible for benefit. The qualification 'to all who obey him' links the receiver's response (obedience) to the Savior's obedience (verse 8), suggesting that participation in his salvation involves participation in his obedient pattern. The verse anchors Hebrews' theology of the human Jesus: his solidarity with human suffering was not merely sympathetic but vocational — he had to traverse the path before leading others through it.
Other Translations
and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;
and having been made perfect, he did become to all those obeying him a cause of salvation age-during,
And when he had been made complete, he became the giver of eternal salvation to all those who are under his orders;
Cross References
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