Hebrews 5:3

Hebrews 5:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
• New International Version (NIV)This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.

Context of Hebrews 5:3

1Every leader of God's priests comes from among the people. That special priest's work is to serve God on behalf of God's people. He offers gifts and sacrifices to God, so that God will forgive the people's sins. 2That priest himself may often do wrong things, because he is weak and human. As a result, he understands other people who make mistakes. He can be kind to people who do wrong things. But, because he himself does wrong things, he must offer sacrifices to God on behalf of himself, as well as on behalf of the people. 4Nobody decides for himself to become a leader of the priests. God himself must choose him. That is how Aaron became a priest. 5It is the same with Christ. He did not choose himself to be God's special priest. He did not choose to make himself important like that. God chose him. God showed that Christ was very important. God said to him: ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’

Hebrews 5:3 word by word

καὶ δι᾽ αὐτὴν ὀφείλει, καθὼς περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ οὕτως καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ προσφέρειν περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• by reason hereofδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• by reason hereofοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• he oughtὀφείλωopheilō opheileō · to oweG3784
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• forπερίperi · aboutG4012
• the peopleὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• to offerπροσφέρωprospherō · to bring toG4374
• forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
• sinsἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266

Cross-references for Hebrews 5:3

• Hebrews 7:27Jesus is not like the Levite priests. They need to offer sacrifices to God every day. First, they offer sacrifices so that God will forgive their own sins. Then they offer sacrifices on behalf of the other people, so that God will forgive their sins too. But Jesus offered one sacrifice for all time. That sacrifice was himself.
• Hebrews 9:7But only the special leader of the priests could go into the second room. He went in there only once every year. He had to take with him blood from an animal that they had killed. He offered the blood to God on his own behalf, so that God would forgive his sins. He also offered it on behalf of the people. Then God would forgive their mistakes too.
• Exodus 29:12Take some of the bull's blood. Use your finger to put some of it on the horns of the altar. Pour the blood that remains on the ground around the altar.
• Leviticus 4:3The man may be a priest that you have anointed. If that is true, his sins will cause the people to sin. He must bring a young bull as a gift to the Lord.
• Leviticus 8:14Moses brought the bull as a gift to God. Aaron and his sons put their hands on the bull's head.
• Leviticus 9:7Moses said to Aaron, ‘Go to the altar. Sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering to the Lord. You must do that to pay for your sins and those of the people. Then sacrifice the people's gift. Their offerings are an atonement for the bad things that they have done. The Lord said that you should do this.’
• Leviticus 16:6Aaron must offer the bull as an atonement to the Lord for himself, his family and his servants.

Commentaries on Hebrews 5:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3And by reason hereof - As he is also a transgressor of the commands of God, and unable to observe the law in its spirituality, he must offer sacrifices for sin, not only for the people, but for himself also: this must teach him to have a fellow feeling for others.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And by reason hereof - Because he is a sinner; an imperfect man. “As for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.” To make an expiation for sins. He needs the same atonement; he offers the sacrifice for himself which he does for others; Leviticus 9:7. The same thing is true of the ministers of religion now. They come before God feeling that they have need of the benefit of the same atonement which they preach to others; they plead the merits of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3On the Day of Atonement, the high priest had to offer sacrifices for himself and his family before offering sacrifices for the people (Leviticus 16:11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. by reason hereof--"on account of this" infirmity. he ought ... also for himself, to offer for sins--the Levitical priest ought; in this our High Priest is superior to the Levitical. The second "for" is a different Greek term from the first; "in behalf of the people ... on account of sins."Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 5:3

• Atonement
• Minister, Christian
• Priest

In the dictionaries

• Belong
• Meat
• Priest
• Strong
• Christ, Offices of
• Congregation
• Gershom
• Hebrews, Epistle to the
• Hereof
• Jahaziel

Commentaries on Hebrews 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings