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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Heb_5:1-4
1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; 2he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; 3and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. 4And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.
Heb_5:1-4 Heb_5:1-4 describe OT Levitical high priests.
1. comes from one of the tribes (Levi)
2. stands before God on humanity's behalf
3. offers gifts and sacrifices for sin (cf. Heb_8:3; Heb_9:9)
4. deals gently with sinners because he is a sinner (cf. Lev_16:3; Lev_16:6)
5. does not take personal honor, but is honored by God's choice and use
Heb_5:2
NASB, NRSV "gently"
NKJV "compassion"
TEV "able to be gentle"
NJB "sympathize with"
This Greek term is used only here in the NT and does not occur at all in the Septuagint. It is used in Aristeas 256 to refer to the philosophy of moderation (cf. Moulton and Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, p. 406).
▣ "the ignorant and misguided" In the OT the sins of ignorance and passion were forgivable through sacrifice (cf. Lev_4:2; Lev_4:22; Lev_4:27; Lev_5:15-18; Lev_22:14; Num_15:22-31), but sins of premeditation were not (cf. Deu_1:43; Deu_17:12-13; Deu_18:20; Psalms 51).
In Word Pictures in the New Testament, Vol. 5, A. T. Robertson makes the theological connection between the premeditated sins of the OT for which there was no forgiveness through sacrifice and the warnings of Heb_3:12; Heb_10:26. His statement is "for deliberate apostasy (Heb_3:12; Heb_10:26) no pardon is offered" (p. 368).
Paul believed God had mercy on him because of his ignorance of the truth and not his intentional rejection of the gospel.
Heb_5:3 "and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins as for the people, so also for himself" This refers to the procedures for the high priest atoning for himself is found in Lev_9:7-17 (initial consecration; Lev_16:6-19 Day of Atonement; and Lev_9:7. We learn from Heb_7:26-27 that Jesus never had to make an offering for His own sin, but He does understand our need (cf. Heb_4:15).
Heb_5:4 "no one takes the honor to himself" God appointed a certain tribe (Levi) and a certain family (Aaron's, cf. Exo_28:1; 1Ch_23:13) to act as priests (cf. Num_16:40; Num_18:7; 1Sa_12:9-14; 2 Chr. 16:18).