Commentary - Hebrews 5:1-4

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Hebrews, the author is laying the groundwork for his central argument about the high priesthood of Jesus Christ. Before he can fully unpack the glories of Christ's Melchizedekian priesthood, he must first establish the basic, non-negotiable qualifications for any high priest. He does this by appealing to the common understanding of the Aaronic priesthood under the Old Covenant. This passage functions as a set of foundational principles, a job description for the office of high priest. The argument is straightforward: a legitimate high priest must be human, he must be appointed by God to represent humans, he must be compassionate, and he must be divinely called, not a self-promoter. By establishing these criteria based on the familiar shadow of the Levitical system, the author is preparing his readers to see how Jesus not only meets these qualifications but infinitely surpasses them, thereby establishing a far better priesthood and a more perfect salvation.

The core of these verses is the concept of mediation. A priest is a go-between. He stands between a holy God and sinful men. To be effective, he must be able to relate to both parties. He must be taken "from among men" so he can represent them, yet he must be "appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God" so he can approach the divine presence. The passage emphasizes the priest's shared frailty with the people, which enables him to be a gentle and compassionate mediator. This sets the stage for the stunning revelation that Jesus, the very Son of God, became fully human, beset with our weaknesses (though without sin), in order to become our perfect, merciful, and faithful High Priest.

Outline

Context In Hebrews

This passage immediately follows the author's exhortation to his readers to hold fast to their confession and draw near to the throne of grace, based on the fact that we have a great high priest, Jesus the Son of God (Heb 4:14-16). He has just established that Jesus is a sympathetic high priest, "tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." Now, in chapter 5, he begins to systematically prove the superiority of Christ's priesthood over the Levitical priesthood that his audience, likely Jewish Christians, knew so well. These opening verses (5:1-4) define what a high priest is according to the Old Testament pattern. This definition serves as the standard against which both the Levitical priests and Jesus will be measured. The rest of chapter 5 will show how Jesus fulfills these qualifications and then introduce the mysterious figure of Melchizedek, setting up the extended argument of chapter 7. This section is therefore a crucial hinge, looking back at the general statement about Christ's priesthood and looking forward to the detailed exposition of its unique and eternal nature.

Key Issues

A Priest for Real People

One of the central glories of the Christian faith is that our God is not a distant, abstract deity who is unconcerned with our messy, complicated lives. He is a God who draws near. And the mechanism by which He has chosen to draw near is mediation, the office of a priest. The entire Old Testament sacrificial system, with its tabernacle, priests, and offerings, was designed to teach Israel this one fundamental lesson: sinful man cannot approach a holy God on his own terms. A mediator is required.

But what kind of mediator? Not an angel, not a demigod, but a man. The priest had to be one of us. He had to know what it was like to be tired, to be tempted, to be weak. This is the beauty of what is being laid out here. The author of Hebrews begins his deep dive into the priesthood of Jesus by reminding us of the earthiness of the institution. A priest is not an untouchable superman; he is a man beset with weakness, appointed to deal gently with other men who are ignorant and misguided. This principle of shared humanity is the bedrock of all true priesthood. Before we can appreciate the divinity of our High Priest, we must first grasp the necessity of His humanity.

Verse by Verse Commentary

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,

The first verse lays out the basic definition of a high priest in three parts. First, his origin: he is "taken from among men." He is not an alien being; he is a human being, a part of the community he serves. This is foundational. A priest for men must be a man. Second, his purpose: he is "appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God." He is a representative. He faces God on behalf of the people, and he faces the people on behalf of God. His whole office is oriented toward bridging the gap between heaven and earth. Third, his primary function: "to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins." This was the central work of the priest. "Gifts" likely refers to the grain offerings and thank offerings, while "sacrifices for sins" points to the blood offerings of the Day of Atonement. The priest was the designated official who brought the atoning sacrifices into the presence of God.

2 being able to deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness;

This verse describes the necessary temperament of the priest, and it is directly connected to his humanity. The qualification for dealing gently with sinners is not superior moral strength, but a shared experience of weakness. The Greek word for "deal gently" is metriopathein, which means to moderate one's passions, to be reasonable and compassionate rather than harsh and judgmental. Why can he do this? Because "he himself also is beset with weakness." He knows his own frailty. He understands what it is to stumble, to be confused ("ignorant"), and to wander off the path ("misguided"). He is not a marble statue of piety; he is a fellow struggler. This prevents him from becoming arrogant or contemptuous toward the very people he is called to serve. His own weakness is a qualification for the job, for it cultivates in him a necessary gentleness.

3 and because of it, he is obligated, just as for the people, to also offer sacrifices for sins in the same way for himself.

Here we see the practical outworking of the priest's shared weakness. Because he is a sinner just like the people he represents, he cannot perform his duties until his own sin is dealt with. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest had to offer a bull for his own sins and the sins of his house before he could offer the goat for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16:6). This was a powerful, visible reminder of his inadequacy. He was not the solution; he was simply the administrator of a temporary, typological solution. This verse drives home the point that the Aaronic priesthood was inherently flawed. The priest needed a priest. The mediator needed a mediator. This glaring deficiency cries out for a better priest, one who has no sin of his own for which to atone.

4 And no one takes this honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.

The final qualification is a divine calling. The priesthood is an "honor," but it is not an honor that can be seized through personal ambition. It is a divine appointment. A man cannot simply decide he wants to be the high priest and hang out a shingle. He must be "called by God." The prime example is Aaron. He did not campaign for the job; God chose him and his descendants (Exodus 28:1). This principle protected the priesthood from being overrun by charlatans and self-promoters. It ensured that the authority of the office was derived from God, not from human charisma or political maneuvering. This point is crucial for the author's later argument, as he will demonstrate that Christ, though not from the tribe of Levi, was directly and divinely called by God to a priesthood of a much higher order.

Application

This passage, while describing the Old Testament priesthood, has profound implications for us today. First, it reminds us of the genius of the incarnation. God did not send an angel to save us; He sent His Son, who was "taken from among men." Jesus became one of us, beset with our weaknesses, so that He could be a merciful and faithful high priest. He is able to "deal gently" with us in our ignorance and wandering precisely because He walked this earth and understands our frame. When we sin, we should not run from Him in fear, but run to Him for mercy, knowing we have a sympathetic advocate.

Second, this passage is a potent warning against all forms of self-righteousness and spiritual pride. The Levitical priest was qualified by his weakness. If you are in any position of leadership or ministry in the church, your primary qualification is not your strength, but your keen awareness of your own weakness and utter dependence on the grace of God. The moment we begin to look down on those who are struggling with sin, we disqualify ourselves from ministering to them. A good pastor, a good elder, a good Christian friend, is one who never forgets that he too is "beset with weakness" and is himself in constant need of the grace he is called to dispense to others.

Finally, this passage points us to the security we have in Christ. The Aaronic priest had to offer sacrifices for himself. His work was never done. But our High Priest, Jesus, "offered up Himself" once for all (Heb 7:27). He had no sin of His own to atone for. His call was not temporary, but eternal. His honor is supreme. We are not served by a flawed man who needs mercy himself, but by the perfect Son of God who is the very source of mercy. Therefore, let us come boldly to His throne of grace, confident that the one who sits there is not only our God, but also our brother.