The Context of the Crux at Hebrews 5, 7-8 105 (Josh 5,2-9) 20. In v. 13 the allusion to Jesus as oJ lovgo~ refers to his being with God the judge to act as intercessor, as is clear from what fol- lows in 4,14-16. 2) The imagery becomes consistent. The imagery of v. 12 involves the imagery of spiritual circumcision; the imagery of v. 13 involves the imagery of a sacrificial victim. V. 12 looks back to what precedes: the first Jesus (Joshua) did not usher the people into God’s rest through his cir- cumcision, but the second Jesus will. V. 13 looks forward to what follows: God is judge of all, before whom nothing is hidden, but Jesus is with him as the Christians’ intercessor, i.e., as high priest.21 3) The description becomes consistent. The ‘two-edged sword’ (mavcaira distomo"), when viewed in the context of the diverse imagery of vv. 12-13, v is seen to be a ‘two-edged knife’. In v. 12 it is the knife of circumcision used by Joshua (Josh 5,2) 22. In v. 13 it is the knife of sacrifice used by Abraham for the intended sacrifice of Isaac (Gen 22,6—cf. Heb 11,17) 23. V. 12 looks back to v. 8, where Joshua is portrayed as being unable to give rest to the peo- ple 24. V. 13 looks forward to vv. 14-16 and the discussion of the high priest as intercessor which is conveyed by the words pro;~ o}n hJmi'n oJ lovgo". The description in the first third of v. 13 (kai; oujk e[stin ajfanh;~ ejnwvpion auj- tou) is about the omniscence of God and suggests that he is judge 25. The ` 20 Thus the mention of Joshua makes sense: he is being implicitly contrasted with Jesus. The fact that in Greek the same word can be used for both facilitates the implicit contrast, which is developed only with v. 12. (Cf. above, nn. 7 and 9.) The basis of this comparison is the common element of ‘circumcision’ of the heart described in v. 12. Joshua was unable to effect this spiritual circumcision, but Jesus is, and this is the reason why the Christians as a group will enter God’s spiritual rest whereas the desert generation of Israel did not and could not. (Cf. above, n. 8.) Kardiva (‘heart’) in 3,8.10.12.15; 4,7 indicates the key factor in the failure of the desert generation to enter the land. The word kardiva is taken up in 4,12 in the imagery; in the interpretation being advanced here this imagery involves cir- cumcision of the heart or spiritual circumcision, as in Rom 2,28-29. In Col 2,11-12 this spiritual circumcision is identified with baptism. In this regard it is useful to compare the text from Colossians with Heb 10,22, where the word kardiva also occurs in the context of baptism. (Cf. Attridge, Hebrews, 288-289, and Ellingworth, Hebrews, 523-524.) 21 This division of 4,12-13 into a verse which looks what precedes and a verse which looks at what follows can be compared to the way Heb 2,13a seems to face both forward and backward (Swetnam, «Hebrews 1,1 – 3,6», 61). 22 Cf. J. Moatti-Fine, La Bible d’Alexandrie: Jésus (Josué) (Paris 1996), 116-117, on macaira as ‘knife’ at Josh 5,2. She also gives a lengthy presentation of the discussion v about spiritual circumcision which this verse has occasioned in the early Church. 23 Cf. M. Harl, La Bible d’Alexandrie: La Genése (Paris 1986), 193, on mavcaira as ‘knife’ in Gen 22,6. 24 Cf. the discussion in E. Gräßer, An die Hebräer. 1. Teilband. Hebr 1–6 (EkK; Zürich/Neukirchen-Vluyn 1990), 214-216 25 «The picture of God in 4: 12-13 confirms the eschatological framework of Hebrews as Alexandrian Jewish; God is Judge, and he does not only judge at a general resurrection of the dead, but at the end of each man’s life (10:25, 9:27. . . .)» (G. W. Trompf, «The Conception of God in Hebrews 4:12-13», Studia Theologica [Scandinavian Journal of Theology] 25 [1971] 130-131). Cf. also Ellingworth, Hebrews, 264.