New Living Translation
Hebrews 5:12
12You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat 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
10And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. 11There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. 13For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. 14Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- whenκαίkai · andG2532
- forδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- the timeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the timeχρόνοςchronos · timeG5550
- ye oughtὀφείλωopheilō opheileō · to oweG3784
- to beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- teachersδιδάσκαλοςdidaskalos · teacherG1320
- ye haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- needχρείαchreia · needG5532
- that oneτίςtis · which?G5101
- teachδιδάσκωdidaskō · to teachG1321
- youσύsu · youG4771
- againπάλινpalin · againG3825
- theστοιχεῖονstoicheion · principleG4747
- firstἀρχήarchē · beginningG746
- of the oraclesλόγιονlogion · oraclesG3051
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- are becomeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- of milkγάλαgala · milkG1051
- notοὐou · noG3756
- ofτροφήtrophē · foodG5160
- strongστερεόςstereos · strongG4731
Cross-references for Hebrews 5:12
- Matthew 17:17Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”
- Mark 9:19Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
- Ezra 7:10This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.
- Psalms 34:11Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 14:19But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.
- Colossians 3:16Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
- Isaiah 28:9“Who does the Lord think we are?” they ask. “Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned?
- Philippians 3:1Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
- Hebrews 6:1So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.
- 2 Samuel 16:23Absalom followed Ahithophel’s advice, just as David had done. For every word Ahithophel spoke seemed as wise as though it had come directly from the mouth of God.
- Acts 7:38Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God’s people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us.
- Romans 3:2Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.
- 1 Peter 4:11Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
- Hebrews 5:13For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.
- Isaiah 55:1“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free!
- 1 Corinthians 3:1Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were 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
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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries