Hebrews 6:20

An Exegetical Analysis of προδρομοσ in Hebrews 6:20

This exegetical study focuses on the hapax legomenon προδρομοσ in Hebrews 6:20, a term whose precise semantic range and rhetorical function are crucial for understanding the author’s Christology and soteriology. The central exegetical issue concerns how Jesus, as a “forerunner,” relates to the motif of access to the divine presence, particularly in light of the allusion to the Holy of Holies (Heb 6:19: εἰς τὸ ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος). Furthermore, the inquiry extends to potential historical-cultural resonances, specifically the historical accounts of Roman figures such as Pompey or Titus entering the Jerusalem Temple’s innermost sanctuary, and how these narratives might inform or contrast with the author’s portrayal of Jesus’ unique priestly entry.

Nestle 1904 (Greek New Testament):
ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ ἀρχιερεὺς γενόμενος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.

Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):

• No substantive textual variants for the word προδρομοσ or its immediate context are present between the Nestle 1904 edition and the SBLGNT (2010) in Hebrews 6:20. The texts are identical in their lexical content for this verse, indicating a stable textual tradition for the term under consideration.

Textual Criticism (NA28), Lexical Notes (KITTEL, BDAG)

The critical apparatus of the NA28 concurs with the Nestle 1904 and SBLGNT (2010) readings for Hebrews 6:20, showing no significant textual variants concerning προδρομοσ. This stability reinforces the term’s presence in the original autograph, directing exegetical efforts toward its semantic and theological import rather than its textual integrity.

Lexical Analysis of προδρομοσ

• BDAG: Defines προδρομοσ (m. 1a) as “one who runs ahead, a forerunner, a harbinger.” It notes its specific use in Hebrews 6:20 as “one who goes ahead and prepares the way or secures a place, a forerunner.” The entry emphasizes the notion of a path being opened or secured by the one who precedes. This meaning moves beyond a mere scout who returns with information; the forerunner here is one who *establishes* the presence in the destination for those who follow.
• TDNT (Kittel/Bauernfeind): Otto Bauernfeind’s article on προδρομοσ in TDNT (Vol. 6, p. 687) provides a comprehensive overview. He notes the term’s classical usage, including:
  • In the LXX, προδρομοσ can denote “first-fruit” (Num 13:21), “early figs” (Isa 28:4), or “wasps” as divine forerunners/scouts (Wis 12:8; cf. Exod 23:28). This suggests a sense of something preceding or clearing the way.
  • In classical Greek literature (e.g., Aristotle, Theophrastus, Pliny, Columella), it could refer to “winds” that precede a storm or seasonal changes.
  • Historical texts (e.g., Herodotus, Polybius, Alciphron) employ it for “messengers,” “scouts” (military forerunners), or even “ships” leading a fleet. The common thread is preceding motion with a purpose.
  • In later Christian writings, particularly regarding John the Baptist (e.g., Mal 3:1 in patristic interpretation), προδρομοσ explicitly designates him as the “forerunner” of Christ.

  Bauernfeind highlights the unique application in Hebrews 6:20. Here, Jesus is not a forerunner *to* something, but a forerunner *who has entered* (εἰσῆλθεν) and *remains* as an eternal high priest (ἀρχιερεὺς γενόμενος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα) on our behalf (ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν). This implies a permanent opening of access rather than a temporary scouting mission. Jesus’ role as προδρομοσ is fundamentally tied to his establishment of a new and living way through the veil into the heavenly sanctuary (Heb 10:19-20).

Grammatical and Rhetorical Analysis

In Hebrews 6:20, προδρομοσ is a nominative masculine singular noun, functioning as a predicate appositive to Ἰησοῦς. Grammatically, it describes Jesus’ identity and function in his entry. The phrase ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν (“on our behalf” or “for us”) is critical, indicating that Jesus’ entry as προδρομοσ is not merely an individual achievement but a representative and substitutionary act, opening access for believers. The perfect tense implied by εἰσῆλθεν (aorist, but with lasting effect) and γενόμενος (participle of being/becoming) reinforces the idea that this entry and status are complete and permanent.

Rhetorically, the author positions Jesus’ entry εἰς τὸ ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος (6:19) as a fulfillment and transcendence of the Old Covenant’s sacrificial system. The imagery of the “inner part of the veil” immediately evokes the Holy of Holies, the most sacred space in the Temple, accessible only to the High Priest once a year on the Day of Atonement. By calling Jesus a προδρομοσ in this context, the author invokes a powerful contrast:

• The Jewish High Priest enters alone, for a specific ritual purpose, and must exit. Jesus, as προδρομοσ, enters *for us* and *remains* as an eternal high priest, signifying open and continuous access.
• The historical accounts of Roman generals (e.g., Pompey in 63 BCE or Titus in 70 CE) entering the Holy of Holies, as referenced in the original query, offer a significant backdrop. Josephus (Antiquities 14.4.4; Wars 1.7.6) recounts Pompey finding treasures but leaving them untouched, respecting the sacred space. However, other accounts, such as Tacitus (Histories 5.9), interpreted by Tertullian (Ad Nationes 1.11), state that Pompey found the sanctuary empty of any visible deity or image, leading to Roman contempt for a “religion without a visible god.” This narrative of an “empty” Holy of Holies is a powerful rhetorical device. The author of Hebrews implicitly redefines this “emptiness”: it is not empty of God, but empty of the need for an earthly high priest to re-enter year after year, because Jesus, our eternal High Priest, has entered permanently as our προδρομοσ. He did not find “nothing” in a derogatory sense, but he *opened* the way, establishing a new reality where access is now assured by his ongoing intercession. The contrast between a Roman conqueror’s profane entry, finding an “empty” space (of idols), and Jesus’ sacred entry, making the divine presence accessible, is striking.
• The suggestion that δρομοσ might relate to “courses” or “office” of priesthood (e.g., Melchizedek’s course) is an interesting etymological connection, but less likely to be the primary meaning here. While Jesus’ priesthood is “according to the order of Melchizedek,” the prefixed προ- clearly denotes *precedence* in movement or action, not an organizational “course.” The dominant sense is that of an opener of the way, not merely one who occupies a prior office.

Conclusions and Translation Suggestions

The term προδρομοσ in Hebrews 6:20 is deeply embedded in the theological argument of the epistle, portraying Jesus as the one who has definitively and permanently opened the way into the heavenly sanctuary for believers. His role as forerunner is not merely to scout, but to establish and maintain a new access based on his completed high priestly work. The resonance with historical accounts of temple entry, particularly the Roman perception of an “empty” Holy of Holies, underscores the profound theological reinterpretation offered by the author of Hebrews: the “emptiness” (of idols or the need for repeated earthly sacrifices) is filled by the enduring presence and intercession of Christ, our true προδρομοσ.

Based on this analysis, the following translation suggestions highlight different nuances of προδρομοσ:

1. “where Jesus, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, has entered as our pioneer on our behalf.”
   This translation emphasizes Jesus’ role as the trailblazer, the one who leads the way into new territory, thus establishing the path for others to follow.
2. “where Jesus entered as our harbinger on our behalf, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
   This rendering highlights Jesus as the one who announces and establishes the permanent reality of access, securing the destination for those who are to come.
3. “where Jesus, our representative forerunner, entered on our behalf, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
   This option foregrounds the representative aspect (ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν) intrinsic to Jesus’ role as the one who goes ahead, explicitly linking his pioneering entry to the benefit of believers.