New American Standard Bible 2020
Hebrews 5:12
12For though 1by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you 2the 34elementary principles of the 5actual words of God, and you have come to need 6milk and not solid food.
Hebrews 5:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
- New International Version (NIV)In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
- English Standard Version (ESV)For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,
- New King James Version (NKJV)For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
Context of Hebrews 5:12
10being designated by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. 11Concerning him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become poor listeners. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil.
Read all of Hebrews 5Hebrews 5:12 word by word
καὶ γὰρ ὀφείλοντες εἶναι διδάσκαλοι διὰ τὸν χρόνον, πάλιν χρείαν ἔχετε τοῦ διδάσκειν ὑμᾶς τινὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ γεγόνατε χρείαν ἔχοντες γάλακτος καὶ οὐ στερεᾶς τροφῆς.Read the interlinear
- For thoughκαίkai · andG2532
- by thisὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- timeχρόνοςchronos · timeG5550
- you oughtὀφείλωopheilō opheileō · to oweG3784
- to be teachersδιδάσκαλοςdidaskalos · teacherG1320
- you haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- needχρείαchreia · needG5532
- againπάλινpalin · againG3825
- for someoneτιςtis · oneG5100
- to teachδιδάσκωdidaskō · to teachG1321
- elementaryστοιχεῖονstoicheion · principleG4747
- elementaryἀρχήarchē · beginningG746
- actualλόγιονlogion · oraclesG3051
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- and you have comeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- milkγάλαgala · milkG1051
- and not solidστερεόςstereos · strongG4731
- foodτροφήtrophē · foodG5160
Cross-references for Hebrews 5:12
- Matthew 17:17And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”
- Mark 9:19And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”
- Ezra 7:10For Ezra had firmly resolved to study the Law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.
- Psalms 34:11Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 14:19nevertheless, in church I prefer to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.
- Colossians 3:16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
- Isaiah 28:9“To whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?
- Philippians 3:1Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you.
- Hebrews 6:1Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
- 2 Samuel 16:23Now the advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was taken as though one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.
- Acts 7:38This is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness together with the angel who spoke to him at length on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to you.
- Romans 3:2Great in every respect. First, that they were entrusted with the actual words of God.
- 1 Peter 4:11Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking actual words of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
- Hebrews 5:13For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
- Isaiah 55:1“You there! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.
- 1 Corinthians 3:1And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ.
Commentaries on Hebrews 5:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12For when for the time - They had heard the Gospel for many years, and had professed to be Christians for a long time; on these accounts they might reasonably have been expected to be well instructed in Divine things, so as to be able to instruct others. Which be the first principles - · Certain first principles or elements. The word is not the nominative plural, as our translators have supposed, but the accusative case, governed by · and therefore the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12For when for the time - Considering the time which has elapsed since you were converted. You have been Christians long enough to he expected to understand such doctrines. This verse proves that those to whom he wrote were not recent converts. Ye ought to be teachers - You ought to be able to instruct others. He does not mean to say, evidently, that they ought all to become public teachers, or preachers of the gospel, but that they ought to be able to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-14Verses 11-14 Dull hearers make the preaching of the gospel difficult, and even those who have some faith may be dull hearers, and slow to believe. Much is looked for from those to whom much is given. To be unskilful, denotes want of experience in the things of the gospel. Christian experience is a spiritual sense, taste, or relish of the goodness, sweetness, and excellence of the truths of the gospel. And no tongue can express the satisfaction which the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Their lack of spiritual energy was surprising because they had been believers for so long. They should have been spiritual leaders teaching others from their knowledge and Christian experience. the basic principles: The simplest parts of the Christian faith (see Hebrews 6:1–3). The imagery of milk and solid food was used to separate basic from advanced education, and immature from mature students.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. for the time--considering the long time that you have been Christians. Therefore this Epistle was not one of those written early. which be the first principles--Greek, "the rudiments of the beginning of." A Pauline phrase (see on Ga 4:3; Ga 4:9). Ye need not only to be taught the first elements, but also "which they be." They are therefore enumerated He 6:1, 2 [Bengel]. Alford translates, "That someone teach you the rudiments"; but the position of the…Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 5:12
In the dictionaries
Notes
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
New American Standard Bible 2020 — © 1960–2020 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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