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General Letters · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Hebrews 5

Jesus' superior priesthood and covenant ground endurance, worship, and confident approach to God.

New Testament

Hebrews 5

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

2The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness.

3Because of this, he must offer sacrifices for sins for the people, as well as for himself.

4Nobody takes this honor on himself, but he is called by God, just like Aaron was.

5So also Christ didn’t glorify himself to be made a high priest, but it was he who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father.”

6As he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

7He, in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear,

8though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered.

9Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation,

10named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

11About him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing.

12For although by this time you should be teachers, you again need to have someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the revelations of God. You have come to need milk, and not solid food.

13For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby.

14But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Jesus' superior priesthood and covenant ground endurance, worship, and confident approach to God. Read Hebrews 5 within the complete Hebrews overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Hebrews 5

Hebrews 5 contains 14 verses and about 303 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 14 closes: “But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include priest, high, himself, having, things, offer. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Hebrews 5

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Hebrews 5:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer