God’s Word Translation
Hebrews 2:17
17Therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters so that he could be merciful. He became like them so that he could serve as a faithful chief priest in God’s presence and make peace with God for their sins.
Hebrews 2:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
- New International Version (NIV)For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
Context of Hebrews 2:17
15In this way he would free those who were slaves all their lives because they were afraid of dying. 16So Jesus helps Abraham’s descendants rather than helping angels. Therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters so that he could be merciful. He became like them so that he could serve as a faithful chief priest in God’s presence and make peace with God for their sins. 18Because Jesus experienced temptation when he suffered, he is able to help others when they are tempted.
Read all of Hebrews 2Hebrews 2:17 word by word
ὅθεν ὤφειλεν κατὰ πάντα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὁμοιωθῆναι, ἵνα ἐλεήμων γένηται καὶ πιστὸς ἀρχιερεὺς τὰ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whereforeὅθενhothen · whenceG3606
- inκατάkata · according toG2596
- all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
- it behoved himὀφείλωopheilō opheileō · to oweG3784
- to be made likeὁμοιόωhomoioō · to likenG3666
- untoὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- untoἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- he might beγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- aἀρχιερεύςarchiereus · high-priestG749
- mercifulἐλεήμωνeleēmōn · mercifulG1655
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- faithfulπιστόςpistos · faithfulG4103
- in thingsπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- make reconciliation forἱλάσκομαιhilaskomai · to propitiateG2433
- the sinsἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
- of the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
Cross-references for Hebrews 2:17
- Hebrews 2:11Jesus, who makes people holy, and all those who are made holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus isn’t ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
- Philippians 2:7Instead, he emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant, by becoming like other humans, by having a human appearance.
- Hebrews 3:2Jesus is faithful to God, who appointed him, in the same way that Moses was faithful when he served in God’s house.
- Hebrews 4:15We have a chief priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he didn’t sin.
- Hebrews 5:1Every chief priest is chosen from humans to represent them in front of God, that is, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin.
- Isaiah 11:5Justice will be the belt around his waist. Faithfulness will be the belt around his hips.
- Leviticus 6:30Any offering for sin must not be eaten if some of the blood was brought into the holy place in the tent of meeting to make peace with the Lord. It must be burned.”
- Leviticus 8:15When it was slaughtered, Moses took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar all around with his finger and cleansed the altar from sins. He poured the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar and declared it holy so that priests could use it to make peace with the Lord.
- 2 Chronicles 29:24The priests slaughtered the goats and made their blood an offering for sin at the altar to make peace with the Lord for Israel. The king had said that the burnt offerings and offerings for sin should be for all Israel.
- Ezekiel 45:15You must take one sheep out of every 200 from the well-watered pastures of Israel. You must sacrifice them with grain offerings, burnt offerings, and fellowship offerings to make peace with the Lord, declares the Almighty Lord.
- Daniel 9:24“Seventy sets of seven time periods have been assigned for your people and your holy city. These time periods will serve to bring an end to rebellion, to stop sin, to forgive wrongs, to usher in everlasting righteousness, to put a seal on a prophet’s vision, and to anoint the Most Holy One.
- Romans 5:10If the death of his Son restored our relationship with God while we were still his enemies, we are even more certain that, because of this restored relationship, the life of his Son will save us.
- 2 Corinthians 5:18God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships.
- Ephesians 2:16He also brought them back to God in one body by his cross, on which he killed the hostility.
- Colossians 1:21Once you were separated from God. The evil things you did showed your hostile attitude.
Commentaries on Hebrews 2:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Wherefore in all things - Because he thus laid hold on man in order to redeem him, it was necessary that he should in all things become like to man, that he might suffer in his stead, and make an atonement in his nature. That he might be a merciful and faithful high priest - ̔ · That he might be merciful - that he might be affected with a feeling of our infirmities, that, partaking of our nature with all its innocent infirmities and afflictions, he might…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Wherefore in all things - In respect to his body; his soul; his rank and character. There was a propriety that he should be like them, and should partake of their nature. The meaning is, that there was a fitness that nothing should be wanting in him in reference to the innocent propensities and sympathies of human nature. It behoved him - It became him; or there was a fitness and propriety in it. The reason why it was proper, the apostle proceeds to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-18Verses 14-18 The angels fell, and remained without hope or help. Christ never designed to be the Saviour of the fallen angels, therefore he did not take their nature; and the nature of angels could not be an atoning sacrifice for the sin of man. Here is a price paid, enough for all, and suitable to all, for it was in our nature. Here the wonderful love of God appeared, that, when Christ knew what he must suffer in our nature, and how he must die in it…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-18These verses introduce Jesus as our kind and loyal high priest, a role fully explained in the main part of Hebrews (Hebrews 4:14–10:25). He needed to share our human experience (see 5:1).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Wherefore--Greek, "Whence." Found in Paul's speech, Ac 26:19. in all things--which are incidental to manhood, the being born, nourished, growing up, suffering. Sin is not, in the original constitution of man, a necessary attendant of manhood, so He had no sin. it behooved him--by moral necessity, considering what the justice and love of God required of Him as Mediator (compare He 5:3), the office which He had voluntarily undertaken in order to "help"…Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 2:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hebrews 2
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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