Hebrews 5:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Blessed Paul now intends to show that this New Covenant is far better than the Old. He does this by developing his thoughts from afar. In the New Covenant there was nothing material or figurative. There was no temple, no holy of holies, no priest clothed in such ornaments, and no legal rites. Everything was higher and more perfect. There was nothing bodily, but all was spiritual. Since spiritual things do not act as powerfully on the weakest people as bodily things do, the apostle sets forth this whole teaching. Observe his wisdom. He begins with the first priest, constantly calling him high priest, and first shows in him the difference between the New and the Old Covenants. For this purpose he first defines what a priest is. He shows the qualities of a priest and the signs of priesthood.

"He can have compassion on the ignorant and erring." That is, he can bring things into due measure, suffer with them, condescend, and grant forgiveness to those who sin through ignorance. But observe that ignorance and error produce every sin. For even if someone seems to know evil, yet when he acts, he is darkened and suffers from ignorance and error, being carried away by the delusion of pleasure. "Since he himself is also beset with weakness." The simpler and, I think, more accurate interpretation is this. The high priest suffers with the ignorant because he himself is beset with weakness. Having experienced in himself the measure of human frailty, he also increases his forgiveness. Some, however, understood it thus: the high priest differs from the people only in this, that he forgives. In all other things, and in weakness, he himself is beset like the rest.

He is chosen from among men and appointed for men to the highest service of God, in order to offer Him gifts and sacrifices for sins. Gifts are offerings of inanimate things or objects, such as oil, bread, wine, grain, and wheat or barley flour. Sacrifices were clean and healthy animals presented for slaughter on the altar. Among the Hebrews, these sacrifices and gifts were brought to the tabernacle both for sins and as a sign of thanksgiving, every day and every evening. Special gifts and sacrifices were brought on feasts. For the most part, priests received these sacrifices and brought them before the tabernacle. But the hierarch offered them in special cases, at special solemnities, and on feasts.

And moderately, or in some measure, according to his own infirmity, he had compassion on sins, since he himself was also clothed with the flesh of sin.

The Apostle said, "We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our infirmities, but One tempted in all things according to our likeness, apart from sin." Therefore he necessarily added this also, teaching that under the Law no angel was appointed to minister as priest for men, but a man for men. He has the same nature, is encompassed by the same passions, knows the infirmity of nature, shows condescension to those who stumble, and gives a helping hand to sinners. From his own qualities he also considers the qualities of his neighbor. Therefore it was also prescribed for him to offer sacrifices not only for the people, but also for himself.

"Able to have compassion on the ignorant and the erring." He is able to endure humiliation and suffering together with sinners. He is moved to this by the thought that he himself, as man in general, is under sin, for no man is completely sinless. He called sinners "ignorant and erring" because, being maddened by sinful passion, they lose moral perception when they sin. Since they do not perceive that they are acting wickedly, they are called ignorant and erring. "Since he himself is also encompassed with infirmity." This is as man, even though he is high priest.

This means that the hierarch ought to have condescension and compassion, since he himself bears infirmity, that is, the weakness of nature from which sin arises (Lev 5:3). Therefore, by the legal institution, he must offer sacrifices both for the remission of the people's sins and for the forgiveness of his own transgressions. The hierarch is tenderhearted toward "the ignorant and the erring," that is, toward those who sin in ignorance, and toward those who recognize sin but are led astray by the storm of passions and the violence of temptations. This is the third mark of the hierarch, namely compassion and mercy.

"Since he himself is also encompassed with infirmity." Only a man can sympathize with man and fully understand his weaknesses and ignorance. In this lies the chief reason for the Incarnation of the Son of God (Heb 4:15).

The ordinary features that characterize the ministry of human high priests are also present in Christ as the true High Priest. What are the features of every high priest chosen from among men (Heb 5:1-4)? First, he is appointed for men themselves in service to God. The chief work of this service is to offer gifts and sacrifices for the sins of men. Second, since he is beset with human weakness, he must naturally be inclined to show compassion to ignorant and erring people. Therefore he must offer sacrifices for sins not only for the people, but also for himself. Third, he must not receive the honor of the high priesthood from himself. He must receive it from God, as one called by Him, like Aaron.

In unfolding more fully the teaching that Christ is a wholly true and trustworthy High Priest, the apostle first marks the essential conditions required of anyone who undertook the service of high priest. For γάρ connects the following discussion with the exhortation in verse 16. These conditions are as follows. First, the high priest must necessarily be a man, a weak being subject to various infirmities. Therefore he must not only serve as a mechanical representative of humanity, offering bloodless and bloody sacrifices to God. At the same time, he must also show condescension and moderate his irritation, μετριοπαθεῖν, toward those who sin without obstinacy and conscious defiance. Compare Num 15:22-31 and Lev 4:2, 13-22.