Hebrews 5

KJV · Chapter 5/13

1For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

2Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

3And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

4And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

5So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.

6As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

8Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

10Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

11Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The author explains the role of the high priest as someone chosen to represent the people before God, and presents Jesus as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. He rebukes the readers for still needing basic teaching when they should already be teachers.

Explanation

In the Jewish priestly system, the high priest had to be human, compassionate, and called by God — characteristics the author applies to Jesus, who learned obedience through suffering before becoming the source of eternal salvation. The mention of Melchizedek, a mysterious figure from Genesis 14, prepares the ground for a more developed argument in chapter 7 about a priesthood different from the traditional Levitical one. The final rebuke, comparing the readers to babies who still only drink milk, shows the author's concern about the community's spiritual stagnation. Today's application is that spiritual growth requires leaving the comfort zone of basic teachings for a more mature understanding of the faith.

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