1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained (appointed; established) for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts (offerings) and sacrifices for sins; 2 Who can have compassion (deal gently or moderately) on the ignorant (those who do not understand), and on them that are out of the way (that have gone astray); for he himself also is compassed (surrounded) with infirmity (weakness; diseases). 3 And by reason of this he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. 4 And no man taketh this honor (worthiness) unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 5 So also Christ glorified (honored; magnified) not himself to be made an high priest, but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee. 6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek; 7 Who, in the days of his flesh (incarnation), when he had offered up prayer (petitions; requests) and supplications (entreaties) with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared (gave reverential awe; respected), 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience (compliance) by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect (complete), he became the author (cause) of eternal salvation unto all them that obey (hearken to) him, 10 Called (designated) of God an high priest after the order (arrangement; alignment) of Melchizedek.
11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered (hard to explain), seeing ye are dull (slothful; sluggish) of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again the first principles (elements; rudiments) of the oracles (pronouncements) of God, and are become such as have need of milk (less complicated and difficult truths), and not of solid (strong) food (meat; nourishment). 13 For everyone that useth milk is unskillful (inexperienced) in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses (faculties) exercised to discern (judge through and through) both good and evil.
1 The writer continues his discourse on the High Priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ. He began this subject with 4:14; it is unfortunate that the chapter break is where it is. The High Priest under the Old Testament economy did not take this position upon himself, but was chosen by Jehovah God. When God instituted the priesthood, He called to Moses saying, "And take thou unto thee Aaron, thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons" (Exodus 28:1). The priests were from the tribe of Levi. According to the writer of Hebrews the high priest was to offer gifts (dora from doron meaning gifts or offerings) and sacrifices (thusias) for the sins of the children of Israel. His function was to represent men (huper anthropon) before God; that is, he was to be a middle-man, a mediator between God and man. The high priest was the leader of all the priests the sons of Aaron. Three qualifications are given here in Hebrews (5:1, 2), (1) the priest must be human, (2) he must be chosen of God and (3) he must be able to deal in moderation with the ignorant and misguided people whom he represents before God. Barnes makes an important point here, "...the proper office of a priest is to offer a sacrifice for sin. It is improper to give the name priest to a minister of the gospel. The reason is, that he offers no sacrifice; he sprinkles no blood. He is appointed to 'preach the word,' and to lead the devotions of the church, but not to offer sacrifice" (p. 110).
2 The high priest must have compassion (metriopathein from metrispatheo = to deal gently or act in response to the true extent of one's feelings) on the ignorant (agnoousin from agnoio = those who do not understand; moral blindness) or those deprived of knowledge and them that are out of the way (planomenois from ploneo = those who have gone astray (like the lost sheep, Matthew 18:12) or deceived. Bruce says, "The Greek verb metriotathein sometimes translated 'bear gently' denotes in general 'the golden mean between indifference and mawkish sentimentality;' here it indicates more particularly forbearance and magnanimity on the part of people who are subject to great provocation and who could, if they wished, give way to unmoderated anger and meet the provocation with the utmost severity. A high priest could not make fitting expiation for sins which filled him, at that very time, with feelings of indignation and exasperation against those who were guilty of them" (pp. 90, 91). He must remember that he is compassed (parachute from perikeimai = bound up, bound around) with infirmity (astheneian from astheneia = weakness; disease; sickness). Of course, that the writer means Aaron and not Christ Jesus is clear from verse 3.
It is interesting to note from this verse that the ones whom the priest is to deal gently are those who are ignorant and misguided; that is, those who sin through ignorance. The Old Testament economy provided thus: "And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him" (Numbers 15:28). "The priest ministered only in behalf of those who sinned in ignorance and thus went astray. In all of the Old Testament economy, there is absolutely no provision made for the unrepentant, deliberate and defiant lawbreaker" (MacArthur, p. 121).
3 The reasons for choosing someone who has these qualities is that the high priest must offer sacrifices first for his own sins (prospherein peri amartion) and then for the sins of the people whom he represents. Aaron and those succeeding him had these three qualities found in verses 1 - 3. He was selected from the people, chosen of God and he was human enough to sympathize with the people of Israel in their weaknesses and infirmities. The high priest was to enter into the Holy of Holies once each year on the Day of Atonement. Kellar states, "Not only was it necessary that the high priest offer sacrifices for the people, he was so human, that he had to also offer them in behalf of himself. Thus we have given a contrast between the Levitical priesthood and Christ's priesthood. It was not necessary for Christ to make sacrifices for Himself" (Notes, p. 20). "Jesus, being 'holy, guileless, undefiled,' had no need to offer a preliminary sacrifice for Himself. It is by enduring the common weaknesses and temptations of man's lot, not by yielding to them, that He has established His power not only to sympathize with His people but to bring them help, deliverance and victory" (Bruce, p. 92).
According to Leviticus 16 on the Day of Atonement which was the tenth day of the seventh month, Tishri (approximately equivalent to October) Aaron the high priest had to do the following: (1) offer a bull for his own sin offering to atone for his own sin and the sin of his household, (2) enter the Most Holy Place with incense, (3) sprinkle the blood of the bull on the atonement cover of the ark, (4) cast lots over two live goats brought by the people, (5) kill one of the goats for a sin offering for the nation, and sprinkle its blood inside the Most Holy Place,
(6) place his hands on the head of the live goat and confess the sins of the people, and (7) send the live goat away into the wilderness. The high priest made intercession for his people by praying that God might forgive the sins he himself and they had committed:
"O God, I have committed iniquity,
transgressed, and sinned before thee,
I and my house.
O God, forgive the iniquities and
transgression and sins which
I have committed and transgressed
and sinned before thee,
I and my house."
(Kistemaker, p. 131, 132).
4 Jehovah God makes the choice or selection of the priesthood. He places men in office; Aaron is given as an example of this heavenly calling (Exodus 28:1) which reads, "And take thou unto thee Aaron, thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons." The priestly line began in Aaron, and in him the divine call stood out in special prominence. No one just decides on his own that he would do the priestly duties. This happened in Israel one time and a severe lesson was learned. Numbers 16 and 17 relate how important it is to obey God's orders specifically. "Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. And they rose up before Moses...And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron...Even tomorrow the Lord will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto him; even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him...And the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods...And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense" (Numbers 16:1, 3, 5, 32, 35). Later to show that God had chosen Aaron as the high priest, Aaron's rod (walking stick; a piece of dead wood) came to life; it "...budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms and yielded almonds..." to show that Aaron should be heard (Numbers 17:8).
5 Note the connection between verses 4 and 5, "...As was Aaron. So also Christ..." Just as Aaron was chosen of God to be the earthly high priest of Israel, so also Christ was chosen of God to be our Heavenly High Priest. He took not this designation upon Himself, He did not glorify (edoxasen from doxazo meaning magnify or honor) Himself, but rather was chosen of God Who said of Him, "...Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee." This is a quotation from Psalm 2:7 and a fulfillment of a Messianic prediction. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 2:7, (LXX), "I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." The N. I. V. translates the latter part of this verse: "You are my Son; today I have become your Father." Delitzsch says, "(God the Father) Who solemnly declares Christ to be His Son, whom 'today' (the day of His exaltation) He had begotten into the glory of royal power (as He did with David, after lengthened suffering), is the same Who has made Him High Priest (with a priesthood which, according to Psalm 110:4 is inseparable from His Kingship), -- a Priest, that is, after the order of (the king) Melchizedek" (p. 236). As the Apostle Paul preached to those at Antioch on his first missionary journey, he quoted this psalm and applied it to the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 13:33). Yeager says, "Thus Christ is our Heavenly Budded Rod, demonstrated by resurrection to be God's choice as High Priest" (p. 182).
6 Jesus came to the high priesthood on the path of humiliation and suffering. He received it as a reward of His lowly and faithful obedience. God called Him to be a priest. Where His high priestly work began is not necessarily here intimated; it began historically on earth, but actually in the mind of God it reached into eternity. The writer quotes another Psalm (110:4) in this verse, "Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." Psalm 110:4 (LXX) reads, "The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." Who was Melchizedek? This is the first reference to him in the New Testament; however, he was a prominent figure in the Old Testament. The Bible student is first introduced to Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18 which reads, "And Melchizedek, king of Salem (righteousness), brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God (El Elyon)." The incident took place when Abraham was returning from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings at the valley of Shevah. Melchizedek is a unique character; he is a type of Christ the King-High Priest. "'After the order of Melchizedek' refers to the royal authority and unending duration of Christ's high priesthood (Hebrews 7:23, 24). The Aaronic priesthood was often interrupted by death. Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, as King of righteousness, King of peace (Isaiah 11:4 - 9; Hebrews 7:2), and in the endlessness of His priesthood; but the Aaronic priesthood typifies His priestly work" (Scofield Notes, p. 22). Hebrews 7:1 - 3 says of Melchizedek, "For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being, by interpretation, King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually."
7, 8 "Who" refers back to verse 5 (Christ) in the days of His flesh (incarnation) offered prayers (deoseis from deosis = requests; petitions) and supplications (hiketerias from hiketeria = entreaties; to come with an olive branch of peace) with strong crying (krauges from krauge = outcry) and tears unto (God) that was able to save Him from death (resurrect Him ek out from among the dead), (God) heard Him in that He feared (eulabeias from eulabeia = had reverential awe; humble respect). Our Lord did not fear Jehovah God because of the lack of obedience or because He feared judgment; it was a reverential awe and respect for superior authority. Our Lord agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane because He was human; He requested of Jehovah God that He would raise Him from the grave so that He could be the world's Savior. Our Savior prayed three times in the Garden, He third prayer was, "...Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42). Yeager says, "In that supreme moment of crises (the garden experience) Jesus was not sure that God would raise Him from the dead and by that act appoint Him as the Heavenly High Priest (Hebrews 5:1 - 5), although He had been certain of it before (Matthew 16:21, 27; 24:30, 31; John 2:19; 10:17, 18). This calm confidence with which He had predicted His resurrection was now shaken as He approached the cross with its agony and shame...We have no record in the texts that Jesus had ever feared anything until this final hour. Yet if He had never feared, as we do, He could not listen sympathetically to our prayer and thus He could not be our High Priest" (p. 186). Although Jesus was the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, He learned obedience (hupokoev from hupokoe = compliance) through His suffering. Perhaps the obedient Servant of the Lord in Isaiah 50:4ff was in the author's mind when he wrote verse 8. Regardless we have here a fine picture of Christ's attitude toward the Father in prayer in Gethsemane and in all His prayers.
Fudge writes that four terms used in verse 7 express the intensity of Christ's suffering in the face of death. "Prayers signify pleadings or beggings, with reference to a need. Supplications stress the act of imploring or asking. Strong cryings show the depth of these calls for help. Tears are not mentioned in the Gospel accounts of Gethsemane, but were certainly visible on that occasion as an external indication of the utter agony of soul within the Lord (Matthew 26:36 - 44; Mark 14:32 - 41; Luke 22:39 - 45)" (p. 54).
9 Internally, Christ had all the attributes of a perfect high priest. Externally by going through temptations and death through that trial He was to conduct His people when He became the Author of salvation. Our Lord did for men actually what the Levitical priests did symbolically. Because Jesus our Intercessor was perfect (teleiotheis from teleioo = fulfilled, complete), He could become the Author (aitios from aitios = Cause) or even the Pioneer of eternal salvation to all who obey (hupakouousin from hupakouo = hearken unto; submit to) Him. Our Savior's incarnation qualified Him to be the Author and Cause of our salvation, although He suffered a humiliating death on a cruel cross He purchased out salvation.
10, 11 Our Lord's sinless life, death and resurrection qualified Him and Jehovah God called (prosagoreutheis from prosagoreuo meaning to announce publicly; designated) Him to be our High Priest (Archiereus from archiereus meaning Chief Priest) after the order (taxin from taxis = arrangement; alignment) of Melchizedek. With verse 11 the writer begins a long hortatory passage (5:11 - 6:20). He pauses to stir up the interest of the readers before going on with the argument (7:1 - 28). He points out their spiritual immaturity; they should have by this time attained spiritual maturity. The writer seems to give a hidden note of resignation here, perhaps almost disgust in tone (Yeager, p. 191). He has much more to say about our Savior and His relationship to the Melchizedek priesthood, but it is such a profound subject. He is not sure his readers can grasp the significance of it; it may be difficult to make the subject plain because of the spiritual dullness of his hearers. They seem to have regressed in the matter of their understanding. He has many things to write; things hard to be uttered (dusermeneutos meaning hard to explain; complicated), but they are probably too dull (nothroi from nothros meaning sluggish; slow) of hearing. "Although there is great significance in the Melchizedek story, it is difficult to explain. The difficulty lies not in the message to be conveyed, but in the lack of ability of his audience to apprehend. They had become sluggish...in the sphere of comprehension and apprehension. They had not always been slow, but had become dull by a lack of growth in grace, after they were saved" (Yeager, p. 191).
12 The law of the Christian life is progress; there should be growth. His readers should (opheilontes from opheilo meaning ought to) be teachers of others, but they need to be taught again the first principles (stoicheia from stoicheion = elements; rudiments) of the oracles (logion from logion meaning sayings; statements) of God. They seem to need the milk (galaktos from gala = less complicated and difficult truths of Christian theology) of the word rather than strong (stereas from stereos meaning solid food) meat (trophes from trophe meaning
nourishment) of the word. When someone has been saved for a long period of time, one would expect them to be able to digest stronger doctrines, but evidently the Hebrews were still in their ABC's of Christian theology. The writer is afraid his strong theology will be over the heads of his readers; they were spiritual infants.
13 Those Christians who must have a milk diet are those who are unskillful (apeiros = inexperienced; a neophyte) in the word of righteousness; they are still babes in Christ. There is nothing sweeter and more charming than a little baby; however, there is nothing more disgusting than a big baby (Yeager, p. 193). Spiritual babies can be swayed by Judaism, Gnosticism or any other ism that comes along. Paul had some church members at Ephesus that must have been like that, "...children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of man, and cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive..." (Ephesians 4:14).
14 The mature Christian can "stomach" or digest strong doctrines because he is of full age; he knows strange doctrine when he hears it. He is able to use his senses (aistheteria from aistheterion meaning faculties of mind to perceive and judge) to exercise (gegumnasmena from gumnazo meaning trained) and to discern (diakrisin from diakrisis meaning to judge through and through) the difference between good and evil. The writer used some bodily functions (eating and digesting) to teach spiritual truths. Spurgeon writes, "We have the likenesses of our boys taken on every birthday, and twelve of the annual portraits are now framed in one picture, so that we see them as a glance from their babyhood to their youth. Suppose such photographic memorials of our own spiritual life had been taken and preserved, would there be a regular advance, as in these boys, or should we still have been exhibited in the perambulator? Have not some grown awhile, and then suddenly dwarfed? Have not others gone back to babyhood? (B. I., Volume LI, p. 427).
| Heb. Intro. | Heb 1 | Heb 2 | Heb 3 | Heb 4 | Heb 5 |
| Heb 6 | Heb 7 | Heb 8 | Heb 9 | Heb 10 | Heb 11 |
| Heb 12 | Heb 13 | Heb Bib |