254 James Swetnam God to his brothers. If ajpovstolo" in Heb 3,1 is viewed as suggesting that Jesus, like Moses, has been “sent” by God to announce his name to his brothers, the word makes plausible sense (11). The noun form ajpovstolo" is used instead of the verb form ajpostevllw in order to provide a morphological parallel with ajrciereuv". The analysis above gives a plausible interpretation of ajpovstolo" involving factors #1 and #4 (12). There remain factors #2 and #3. This relevance of the Exodus texts involving Moses to explain ajpovstolo" is heightened by the commonly-evoked text at Num 12,7 to explain the allusion to pistov", the first word of 3,2 (13). For in Num 12,7 Moses is presented as God’s qeravpwn (“servant”) who is pistov" (“faithful”) ejn o{lw/ tw/' oi[kw/ mou (“in the whole of my house”). The coincidences between Num 12,7 and Heb 3,5 are too numerous to be attributed to chance. In 3,5 Moses is the faithful servant in the entirety of God’s house (… Mwush'" …pisto" en olw/ tw'/ oikw/ w~J ;j{ [ qeravpwn …), just as Christ is faithful as son over God’s house (3,6). In Numbers the text has as its purpose the reaffirmation of Moses’ privileged position with regard to God (Num 12,4-10); in Hebrews this fidelity of Moses is used as the basis for the comparison with the fidelity of Jesus as son (14). Thus factor #3 is accounted for in a way which is plausible in relation to the interpretation given above involving factors #1 and #4. Jesus, like Moses, has been sent by God to announce his name, and in this mission he should enjoy the trust of his brothers (Heb 2,12) for he is faithful as son just as Moses was faithful as servant. Thus factors #1, #3 and #4 are accounted for. But there remains the standard challenge of seeing how ajpovstolo" can be considered to sufficiently parallel to ajrciereuv" to warrant a pairing involving the use of a common article. In this regard the Old Testament context of Ps 22,22, the source of the citation in 2,12, is of interest. jApaggelw' to; o[nomav sou toi'" ajdelfoi'" mou, ejn mevsw/ ejkklhsiva" uJmnhvsw se. I shall announce your name to my brothers, In the midst of the assembly I shall hymn your praises. (11) This linkage between Moses and ajpovstolo" in Hebrews is has already been suggested, of course. Cf. O. MICHEL, Der Brief an die Hebräer (KKNT 13; Göttingen 1966) 172. For the Exodus text involving both “sending” and “name” cf. Ex 3,15-16: ... oJ 12 qeo;" ... ajpevstalkevn me pro;" uJma'":tou'tov mouv ejstin o[noma ... (text after WEVERS, Exodus, 85). (12) It bears repetition that no “proof” is being attempted in this analysis. The most which can be hoped for in exegesis of literary texts, including the Bible, is an interpretation which is plausible. Catholic faith is not based on literary proof, it is based on gift, and involves precisely the certitude of faith, not the certitude of reason. (13) oujc ou{tw" oJ qeravpwn mou Mwush'": ejn o{lw/ tw/' oi[kw/ mou pistov" ejstin (Num 12,7 after J.W. WEVERS [ed.], Numeri [Septuaginta, III.1; Göttingen 1982] 171-172). Cf. H.W. ATTRIDGE, The Epistle to the Hebrews (Hermeneia; Philadelphia, PA 1989) 108-109. The use of oJ qeravpwn and oiko", when viewed in the context of their use with regard to Moses in \ 3,5, strengthens the interpretation being advanced in this note. The inference that the Christians are undergoing an exodus that is parallel to the exodus of the generation of Israelites under Moses squares with the allusions to both exoduses in Heb 2,1-4 where at 2,1 there is the evocation of the giving of the Law with reference to the first exodus and at 2,4 there is mention of the signs and wonders and various acts of power with reference to the second exodus. (14) This fidelity of Jesus as son has been established in 2,13a-18 (cf. 2,17).