John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him , etc..] Or “made him”; Christ, as man, was made, but not as God; nor is the apostle speaking of the divine nature of Christ, but of his offices: wherefore this phrase designs the constitution and settlement of him in office; which may take in the eternal appointment of him as Mediator; the open promise of him in time; his mission, unction, and attestation from God; and his manifestation and declaration as such, at his ascension and session at God's right hand, when he was made Lord and Christ. Now, as Mediator, he had a trust reposed in him; as the persons of all God's elect, and a fulness of all grace for them; the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and eternal life and happiness; and also the glory of God in their salvation: which trust he has faithfully discharged as an apostle, and high priest; in a declaration of the whole will of God; in acknowledging it was his Father's doctrine he brought, and in seeking not his own, but his Father's glory; in redeeming and saving the persons committed to him; in distributing his grace to them; and in bringing them safe to glory; and in taking care of things pertaining to God: as also Moses was faithful in all his house ; the passage referred to is in ( Numbers 12:7) and which seems not so much to intend the fidelity of Moses in managing the affairs of God's house, as the largeness of the trust reposed in him, the dignity and honour conferred on him, and the power and authority he was invested with, in having the whole house of Israel committed to his care and charge, in which he exceeded all other prophets; and so the faithfulness of Christ is not so much to be understood of the discharge of his trust, as of the trust itself; and the sense is, that he was trusted much by God the Father, who constituted him Mediator, even as Moses was; and this sense best agrees with ( Hebrews 3:5,6). And Deuteronomy Dieu has observed, that the Hebrew word ˆman , in Misnic writings f43 , signifies, as it does, one that is trusted, or is fit to be trusted, as Christ and Moses were; though the former is much more worthy than the latter, as follows.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - Christ is to be considered as the Apostle of our profession, the Messenger sent by God to men, the great Revealer of that faith which we profess to hold, and of that hope which we profess to have. As Christ the Messiah, anointed for the office both of Apostle and High Priest As Jesus, our Saviour, our Healer, the great Physician of souls Consider him thus. Consider what he is in himself, what he is to us and what he will be to us hereafter and for ever. Close and seriou thoughts of Christ bring us to know more of him. The Jews had a hig opinion of the faithfulness of Moses, yet his faithfulness was but type of Christ's. Christ was the Master of this house, of his church his people, as well as their Maker. Moses was a faithful servant Christ, as the eternal Son of God, is rightful Owner and Sovereig Ruler of the Church. There must not only be setting out well in the ways of Christ, but stedfastness and perseverance therein to the end Every meditation on his person and his salvation, will suggest mor wisdom, new motives to love, confidence, and obedience.
Greek Textus Receptus
πιστον 4103 A-ASM οντα 5607 5752 V-PXP-ASM τω 3588 T-DSM ποιησαντι 4160 5660 V-AAP-DSM αυτον 846 P-ASM ως 5613 ADV και 2532 CONJ μωσης 3475 N-NSM εν 1722 PREP ολω 3650 A-DSM τω 3588 T-DSM οικω 3624 N-DSM αυτου 846 P-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. Who was faithful (piston onta). Rend. "is faithful." A general designation of inherent character. He is faithful as he ever was. To him that appointed him (tw poihsanti auton). Constituted him apostle and high priest. Some render created, referring to Christ's humanity or to his eternal generation. So the Old Latin, creatori suo; but this does not suit the context. Poiein often in Class. in the sense of institute, as sacrifices, funerals, assemblies, etc., and in the middle voice of adoption as a son. See 1 Sam. xii. 6; Mark iii. 14; Acts ii. 36. As also Moses (wv kai Mwushv). The highest example of human fidelity known to the readers.In all his house (en olw tw oikw autou). Const. with was faithful. Jesus was faithful even as Moses was faithful.
The subject of the high-priesthood of Christ, introduced in this verse, is not carried out in detail by showing the superiority of Jesus to earthly high priests. This is reserved for chs. 5-7. Instead, the writer proceeds to show that Christ is superior to Moses, as he has already shown his superiority to angels. He will thus have shown Christ's superiority to both the agencies by which the old covenant was mediated. The subject is a delicate one to treat for Jewish readers to whom Moses was the object of the deepest veneration; but the treatment displays tact by placing Moses in the foreground beside Christ as an example of fidelity to his commission. Justice is thus done to the familiar historical record, and to God's own testimony, Num. xii. 7. The general sense of the comparison is that Moses was as faithful as any servant in a house can be, while Christ was not a servant in the house, but a son, and displayed his fidelity in that capacity.
