105 THE CRUX HEBREWS 2,9 IN ITS CONTEXT AT gazing involves the belief that his risen state was achieved precisely because of his suffering death, which in turn is related to his “tasting” death for each and everyone. And the gazing would seem to imply a certain immediacy 7. It clearly implies a strong subjective experience. And the whole purpose of this faith-based subjective experience is to become aware that Jesus suffered death precisely to “taste” death for each and everyone, that is, “experience” death. The vivid faith-based experience of the Christians is directed to the vivid, faith-based experience of Jesus 8. The death of Jesus is presented as having taken place in order that the faith-based way in which he experienced death might be placed before the faith-based gaze of the Christians 9. And the purpose of this is given at Heb 2,15: to free the descendants of Abraham from the fear of death 10. Heb 2,9 states that Jesus went through the process of death-resurrection precisely for the purpose (opwv) of dying in the faith-based gaze of each person 11. That is to say, ™ Jesus died so that in his risen state he might go through the whole process of dying (“tasting death”) in the gaze of each person who has faith-trust in Abraham and in him 12 so that they might be freed from the fear of death 13. The entire process of “tasting death” results in Jesus being raised from the dead — blepomen ÃIhsoyn ... dojq kaı timƒ estefanwmenon. It is the ¥ ˜ ¥ ù ß ¥ resurrection that gives the ultimate vindication to Jesus’ faith-trust following his being “tested” as they are being tested (cf. Heb 2,18). This would seem to be a plausible solution to the crux at Heb 2,9. One advantage of this proposed solution is that it specifies the way in which “ L’auteur nous invite à la contemplation chrétienne: pour comprendre le 7 mystère de l’homme et de son rapport avec Dieu, les fidèles regardent Jésus dans le mystère de sa passion et de sa glorification” — A. VANHOYE, Situation du Christ. Heb 1–2 (LD 58; Paris 1969) 285-286. Cf. Heb 2,13a and its thematic role in the passage. 8 Cf. Heb 5,7-8 and J. SWETNAM, “The Crux at Hebrews 5,7-8”, Bib 81 9 (2000) 356-360. Here the author of Hebrews spells out in detail what he suggests in Heb 2,9: that Jesus’ death is a source of salvation for all who obey him in his risen state (teleiwueıv – 5,9). This is analogous to the situation at Heb 2,9. ¥ The “descendants” of Abraham are his spiritual descendants, i.e., all 10 those who, like Abraham, confront death with faith-trust in God. Cf. SWETNAM, “ Ej enov in Hebrews 2,11”, 519. Ω¥ The use of the singular, pantov, for indicating the persons for whom ¥ 11 Jesus died is unusual (ELLINGWORTH, Hebrews, 157) and in the context of Heb 2,9 seems to be designed to emphasize the individual nature of the persons for whom Jesus suffered. Cf. SWETNAM, “Ej enov in Hebrews 2,11”, Bib 88 (2007) 521-524. ù¥ 12 Freeing from the fear of death is, of course, not the only purpose of 13 Jesus’ dying. Cf. Heb 2,14.17.