See in Reader
988 B
Connecting Statement:
The author closes with a blessing and greetings.
Now
This marks a new section of the letter. Here the author praises God and gives a final prayer for his readers.
brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus
"raised the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, to life"
from the dead
"from among all those who have died." The expression "the dead" describes all dead people together in the underworld. To raise someone from among them speaks of causing that person to become alive again.
the great shepherd of the sheep
Christ in his role of leader and protector of those who believe in him is spoken of as if he were a shepherd of sheep. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
by the blood of the eternal covenant
Here "blood" stands for the death of Jesus, which is the basis for the covenant that will last forever between God and all believers in Christ. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)