In the earliest codices of the New Testament, the epistle to the Hebrews appears as an anonymous letter which is headed simply "Pros Hebraious"—literally "To Hebrews." Later it received the more extended title familiar to us from the pages of the Authorized Version, "The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews."
The title of the book is one of deep significance. Anyone who is thus expressly writing "To Hebrews" might naturally be expected to base a great part of his argument upon the Hebrew Scriptures, and so, in fact, the writer of this book does; while it is of interest to inquire further as to the identity of those to whom the letter is written. In the first century of our era, the word "Hebrews" was employed in various senses. Often it was broadly used to refer to any of those who belonged to "the seed of Abraham," whether they lived in Palestine or abroad; or it could be employed to designate those who spoke Hebrew, or, more strictly, Aramaic; while some used it in a still more restricted sense as applying to those who lived in the province of Judea. It is now widely agreed by commentators that those Hebrews addressed in the letter were Christians of Jewish descent and background.
Moreover it would appear from a careful study and examination of the book itself that the writer was addressing a particular community of Jewish Christians, and not just Hebrews in general, as the title of the letter might lead one to expect, for in chapter 13, verse 23, we read: "Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you."
