Hebrews 10:5 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Hebrews 10:5

Comments

This a very remarkable quotation from Psalm 40. Here is one of those great prophecies of Christ and if you read it you can see how it works out. It is David speaking. The letter to the Hebrews says it is Christ, because as David speaks in this psalm, he is suddenly overcome by the Spirit of prophecy and he speaks as if Christ is speaking. It is a Messianic Psalm. David is in distress his conscience is troubling him. He is not only in some physical need, but he is especially in spiritual need. On account of some sin and some departure from God he had brought his soul into utter darkness and a sense of captivity, but God forgave him and delivered him. He is transformed and blessed by the forgiving love of God, and so he praises God for his deliverance. While he is praising God and his heart is full of all the blessings that God has given to him, he is enabled to speak on behalf of Christ the words quoted here.Christ speaks through his prophet, David, at the advent of the incarnation. His words addressed to the Father record his summary of the work of redemption that lies before him, and the Father’s provision for that work. He comes as our high priest, but it is not to offer up animal sacrifices according to the law. Instead he presents himself with the body prepared for him which he will lay down as the true offering for sin.

Application

Questions

How do we account for the difference between the quotation in Hebrews and the actual words of Psalm 40? As Gouge says, ‘Penmen of the New Testament were not translators of the old, but only quoted [it] for proof of the point in hand; so as they were not tied to syllables and letters, but to the sense.’ The main difference here is in the words in Hebrews, ‘but a body hast thou prepared me’, which the Masoretic text of Psalm 40:6 renders, ‘mine ears hast thou opened’. The reading quoted in Hebrews is the reading according to the Septuagint Greek translation of Psalm 40, and was probably the reading known to readers, which the writer chose to use on the grounds of familiarity. Hebrews speaks of a body because what is being contrasted is the many animal sacrifices of the law and the one sacrifice of Christ which necessitated him having a body and therefore a life to lay down for his people (Hebrews 10:10). Of course, his sacrifice was an offering of a complete human life, body and soul. The mention of his ear being opened may either be a reference to the boring of the ear of the servant who wished to remain in perpetual service (Exodus 21:6), or it may testify to his obedience in hearing all that the Father said to him. In any case an ear without a body is not feasible and it is the body that is relevant to the argument.

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Introduction

Hebrews 10:5 Commentary and Bible Study