Son Kiwoong has an interesting proposal of a hermeneutical method in Hebrews 1. The argument is a bit lengthy and complex and I summarise here:
He says that Hebrews 1 is basically showing the Son’s superiority over the angels by citing seven OT references. Five references attribute the superiority of the Son:
Ps 2:7
2 Sam 7:14
Heb 1:5
Ps 45: 6-7 (Heb 1:8-9 allusions)
Ps 102:25-27 (Heb 1:10-12 allusions)
Ps 110:1 (Heb 1:13 allusions)
Two references are to the inferiority of the angels: Deut 32:43 LXX in Heb 1:6, and Ps 104:4 in Heb 1:7.
The five quotations in the first list are Zion texts. The two are Sinai texts.
Son Kiwoong argues that the two Sinai texts regarding the angels come from the Exodus and Sinai theophany.
The Son’s superiority is argued by him being the “King of Zion”, originally portrayed as Yahweh’s kingship. This is far superior to the role of the angels in mediating the giving of the law at Sinai.
There is much more to the argument but I thought I would highlight this main point here.
Here are a few comments to build on this general topic of our author’s hermeneutical method, especially his/her’s (some do claim Priscilla as the author) use of the LXX.
a) Some see a similarity between our author and Philo’s highly allegorical exegesis. While both tend to focus on the present relevance of the passage quoted, so does Jewish midrash, so this in not conclusive. Also, Philo “treats the OT characters and incidents as allegories setting forth eternal principles of ethics and metaphysics, while our author treats them as types of Christ and the gospel, temporary foreshadowings of the fulfillment which has now taken place once for all.” (FF Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, NICNT, pg.28).
b) There has been some discussion around the influence of Platonic idealism on our author’s interpretive approach, perhaps through Philo as well. While it can’t be totally ruled out (cf Augustine’s use of Neo-Platonism in framing his arguments), our author goes to pains to identify his idea of the earthly sanctuary as a copy of the heavenly one as rooted in the OT itself (8:5).
c) G. Zuntz sees our author’s style as “..a midrash in rhetorical Greek prose – it is a homily.” (G. Zuntz, The Text of the Epistles, quoted from FF Bruce, The , Epistle to the Hebrews. NICNT pg. 25), along the lines of a word of exhortation (13:22) similar to Acts 13:15 only in written form. Bruce see the author’s treatment of the OT as a raz-pesher pattern (NICNT pg. 28) , and the use of Psalms as similar to the pesher texts at Qumran , where the text is more or less quoted verbatim, then words or phrases interspersed in the follow exposition. This does not necessarily argue for a direct influence by Qumran, only that this was part of the religious milieu of a Hellenistic Greek writer.