Hebrews 5:4

Hebrews 5:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
• New International Version (NIV)And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.

Context of Hebrews 5:4

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. 3But, because he himself does wrong things, he must offer sacrifices to God on behalf of himself, as well as on behalf of the people. Nobody 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.’ 6And in another place in the Bible God says this: ‘You will be a priest for ever, in the same way that Melchizedek was a priest long ago.’

Hebrews 5:4 word by word

καὶ οὐχ ἑαυτῷ τις λαμβάνει τὴν τιμὴν ἀλλὰ καλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καθώσπερ καὶ Ἀαρών.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• noοὐou · noG3756
• manτιςtis · oneG5100
• takethλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• this honourὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• this honourτιμήtimē · honorG5092
• unto himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• he that is calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• ofὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• asκαθάπερkathaper · just asG2509
• AaronἈαρώνAarōn · AaronG2

Cross-references for Hebrews 5:4

• Exodus 28:1Bring your brother Aaron and his sons from among the other Israelites. They will serve me as my priests. That will be Aaron and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
• Leviticus 8:2‘Fetch Aaron and his sons. Bring their special clothes. Bring the oil. Bring the basket of bread that they made without yeast. Also bring the bull for the sin offering and the two male sheep.
• Numbers 3:3Aaron anointed them, and he gave authority to them to work as priests.
• Numbers 16:5Moses said to Korah and to all the other men, ‘Tomorrow the Lord will show us who is truly special to him. He will show us who really belongs to him. He will make the person that he chooses come near to him.
• Numbers 17:3Write Aaron's name on the stick from the tribe of Levi.
• Numbers 18:1The Lord said to Aaron, ‘You and your sons and your family will be guilty for any wrong thing that happens in my Holy Tent. You and your sons will be guilty for any wrong thing that a priest does.
• 1 Chronicles 23:13Amram's sons were Aaron and Moses. The Lord chose Aaron and his descendants for special work for all time. Their work was to offer special holy things to the Lord. They would offer sacrifices to the Lord. They would serve him in the temple. And they would use his name to bless the people.
• 2 Chronicles 26:18They warned King Uzziah. They said to him, ‘It is not right for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the Lord. Only the priests, Aaron's descendants, may do that. They are the people that God has chosen to offer incense to him. So you must leave this Holy Place because you have done something that is wrong. As a result, the Lord God will not give you any honour.’
• John 3:27John replied, ‘A man can receive only what God gives to him, nothing else.

Commentaries on Hebrews 5:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4This honor - undoubtedly signifies here the office, which is one meaning of the word in the best Greek writers. It is here an honorable office, because the man is the high priest of God, and is appointed by God himself to that office. But he that is called of God, as was Aaron - God himself appointed the tribe and family out of which the high priest was to be taken, and Aaron and his sons were expressly chosen by God to fill the office of the high…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And no man taketh this honor to himself - No one has a right to enter on this office unless he has the qualifications which God has prescribed. There were fixed and definite laws in regard to the succession in the office of the high priest, and to the qualifications of him who should hold the office. But he that is called of God as was Aaron - Aaron was designated by name. It was necessary that his successors should have as clear evidence that they were…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4God appoints the high priest, not humans (see Exodus 28:1; Leviticus 8:1–12; Numbers 16:1–26).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. no man--of any other family but Aaron's, according to the Mosaic law, can take to himself the office of high priest. This verse is quoted by some to prove the need of an apostolic succession of ordination in the Christian ministry; but the reference here is to the priesthood, not the Christian ministry. The analogy in our Christian dispensation would warn ministers, seeing that God has separated them from the congregation of His people to bring them…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 5:4

• Aaron
• Call
• Jesus Continued
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Aaron
• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Belong
• Christ
• Chronicles, Books of
• Meat
• Priest
• Strong
• Christ, Offices of

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