Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Hebrews 5:7

"Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear," — Hebrews 5:7 (ASV)

The author turns to the second qualification—Jesus’ oneness with humankind. In realistic language he brings out the genuineness of Jesus’ humanity. Commentators agree that the writer is referring to the agony in Gethsemane, though his language does not fit into any of our accounts. It seems that he may have had access to some unrecorded facts. It is also possible that he wants us to see that there were other incidents in Jesus’ life that fit into this general pattern. “Prayers and petitions” points to dependence on God, who alone can save from death. There are difficulties at the end of v.7. The word “heard” (GK 1653) is usually taken to mean that the prayer was answered, not simply noted. Most interpreters agree. But they also contend that the prayer must have been answered in the terms in which it was asked. The problem, then, is that Jesus prayed, “Take this cup from me” (Mark 14:36); but he still died. Various solutions have been proposed. All in all, it seems best to remember that Jesus’ prayer was not simply a petition that he should not die, because he immediately said, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” The important thing about answered prayer is that God does what brings about the end aimed at, not what corresponds exactly to the words of the petitioner. In this case the prayer was that the will of God be done, and this has precedence over the passing of the cup from Jesus. Since the cup had to be drunk, it was drunk! But the significant point is that the Son was strengthened to do the will of the Father.