The Context of the Crux at Hebrews 5, 7-8 119 the crux at 5,5-6 as a gezerah shawa the conclusion is drawn that through the resurrection (alluded to in 5,5) Jesus entered into the priesthood according to Melchizedek (mentioned in 5,6). By interpreting the verses immediately following the crux at 5,9-10 as alluding again to the Christian tôdâ (5,9) and to Jesus’ being addressed by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek (5,10), the importance of the tôdâ and of Melchizedek is again brought to the fore. The gezerah shawah of 5,5-6 is seen in the article as balancing a gezer- ah shawah at Heb 4,3-5 which the author of Hebrews presents as identi- fying the ‘Rest’ promised to Israel in the promised Land with the ‘Rest’ of God after creation. These two uses of gezerah shawah are interpreted in the article as key texts in understanding the Christianization of the two promises made to Abraham of Land (4,3-5) and Offspring (5,5-6). The first gezerah shawah occurs in a sub-section framed by citations of Ps 95 at Heb 3,15 and Heb 4,7 which emphasizes the role of the ‘heart’ in entering the Rest of everlasting life. Immediately following this sub- section comes another sub-section on the inability of ‘Jesus’ (Joshua) to introduce the people into this ‘Rest’ (4,8-11). This is prelude to 4,12 in which the word lovgo~ is interpreted as referring to Christ Himself, not to the word of Scripture. The imagery is understood as describing the spiritual circumcision of the heart needed for entry into God’s Rest. 4,13 is also seen as speaking of Christ as lovgo", but this time in His role of intercessor with God. This explains why 4,14 has an inferential particle introducing the theme of Jesus as high priest. The sub-section 4,14-16 is an exhortation based as a consequence of 4,13 just as the sub- section 4,8-11is an exhortation based in anticipation on 4,12. There fol- lows another sub-section, parallel to 3,15-4,7, composed of the verses 5,1-10. This is the sub-section in which the crux 5,7-8 occurs as a part of the discussion of Christ’s priesthood. The fact that the word ‘Melchizedek occurs in the verse immediately before Heb 5,7-8 and is found immediately after, in 5,10, shows the importance of this enigmatic Old Testament high priest for understand- ing the high priesthood of Christ in the whole section 4,13-5,10. The passage 5,11 – 6,20 is interpreted in the present paper as being paraenetical, first negative (5,11 – 6,8) and then positive (6,9-20). This concludes the entire section 3,7 – 5,10. This section opens at 3,7-14 with a citation of Ps 95 and an accompanying application to the idea of upostasi". The latter word, along with its use at 1,3 and 11,1 (as some Jv future article will attempt to show), is a defining element in the macrostructure of the epistle. The explanation for the relevance of Melchizedek for the high priesthood of Christ is found outside the pas- sage 3,7 – 6,20, at 7,1-28. But the explanation is prepared for in the pos- itive paraenesis at 6,9-20 which is based on a presentation of the promise of progeny reaffirmed to Abraham with a promise by God as the after-