Hebrews 5:3
in Hebrews 5That is why he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and by reason thereof is bound, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
KJV
And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
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This verse in Hebrews 5
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And by reason hereof - Because he is a sinner; an imperfect man. “As for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.” To make an expiation for sins. He needs the same atonement; he offers the sacrifice for himself which he does for others; Lev 9:7. The same thing is true of the ministers of religion now.
This site's exposition
appointed from among men
on Hebrews 5:1-3
Every high priest is appointed from among men, sharing the nature of those he serves. His weakness lets him deal gently with those ignorant and obliges him to offer sacrifices for his own sins, a limit that bound Aaron's line.
This site's exposition
to offer sacrifices for his own sins
The priest's weakness of verse 2 obliges him to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. Christ shared a weakness that could suffer and die, and 4:15 says he was without sin.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"And because of this, he is obligated," since he himself, he says, is under sin, and he must make the offering common for both his own and the sins for the people.
Even under the law it was not an angel that was appointed to act as priest for human beings but a human being for human beings, with the same nature, affected by the same passions, understanding the weakness of nature, assigning pardon to the recalcitrant, …
A commentator
Ephrem the SyrianCOMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 5 · Written before 373.
proposed
And in consequence of his weakness Jesus "felt a proper compassion" for sins, because he had clothed himself with the flesh of sin. And he had the duty "to offer a sacrifice both for his people and for himself and his sins."
The blessed Paul wishes to show in the next place that this covenant is far better than the old. This then he does by first laying down remote considerations. For inasmuch as there was nothing bodily or that made a show, no temple for instance, nor Holy of Holies, nor Priest with so great apparel, no legal observances, but all things higher and more perfect, and there was nothing of bodily things, but all was in things spiritual, and things spiritual did not attract the weak, as things bodily; he thoroughly sifts this whole matter. And observe his wisdom: he makes his beginning from the priest first, and continually calls Him an High Priest, and from this first point shows the difference of the two Dispensations. On this account he first of all defines what a Priest is, and shows whether He has any things proper to a Priest, and whether there are any signs of priesthood. It was however an objection in his way that He Christ was not even well-born, nor was He of the sacerdotal tribe, nor a priest on earth. How then was He a Priest? some one may say. And just as in the Epistle to the Romans having taken up an argument of which they were not easily persuaded, that Faith effects that which the labor of the Law could not, nor the sweat of the daily life, he betook himself to the Patriarch and referred the whole question to that time: so now here also he opens out the other path of the Priesthood, showing its superiority from the things which happened before. And as, in the matter of punishment, he brings before them not Hell alone, but also what happened to their fathers, so now here also, he first establishes this position from things present. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
All of this is far from common between Christ and others; rather, in this He surpasses them. For the Lord had no weakness—namely, weakness toward sin—and He did not offer gifts and sacrifices for Himself, but for all people.
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
248. – But the sign of this is that even in the Old Law (Lev 9), as well as now, as is clear from the canon of the Mass: 'And to us sinners', it has been decreed that the priest offer also for himself, which …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But Christ needed not to offer for sins for himself, for he had done no violence, neither was there any deceit in his mouth, Isa. liii. And such a high priest became us. We have an account of Christ's discharge of this his office, and of the consequences of that discharge,
And by reason hereof,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
by reason hereof--"on account of this" infirmity. he ought . . . also for himself, to offer for sins--the Levitical priest ought; in this our High Priest is superior to the Levitical. The second "for" is a different Greek term from the first; "in behalf of the people . . . on account of sins."
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
And by reason hereof - As he is also a transgressor of the commands of God, and unable to observe the law in its spirituality, he must offer sacrifices for sin, not only for the people, but for himself also: this must teach him to have a fellow feeling for others.
The words behind it
15 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| δι᾽ | di᾽ | because of | G1223 → | 664 times |
| αὐτὴν | auten | this | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὀφείλει, | opheilei | he is obligated, | G3784 → | 35 times |
| καθὼς | kathos | even as | G2531 → | 182 times |
| περὶ | peri | for | G4012 → | 332 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαοῦ | laou | people | G2992 → | 141 times |
| οὕτως | houtos | so | G3779 → | 208 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| περὶ | peri | for | G4012 → | 332 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | himself | G1438 → | 322 times |
| προσφέρειν | prospherein | to offer sacrifices | G4374 → | 47 times |
| περὶ | peri | for | G4012 → | 332 times |
| ἁμαρτιῶν. | hamartion | sins. | G266 → | 173 times |
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
δι᾽because of
di᾽G1223 →664 times
αὐτὴνthis
autenG846 →5565 times
ὀφείλει,he is obligated,
opheileiG3784 →35 times
καθὼςeven as
kathosG2531 →182 times
περὶfor
periG4012 →332 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
λαοῦpeople
laouG2992 →141 times
οὕτωςso
houtosG3779 →208 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
περὶfor
periG4012 →332 times
αὐτοῦhimself
autouG1438 →322 times
προσφέρεινto offer sacrifices
prosphereinG4374 →47 times
περὶfor
periG4012 →332 times
ἁμαρτιῶν.sins.
hamartionG266 →173 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 7:27Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when…
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:28
so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
- Hebrews 9:12
He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.
- Hebrews 9:14
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
- Hebrews 10:6–12
In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight.
- Ephesians 5:2
and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
- Hebrews 9:28
Through
Hebrews 9:7But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.
it leads to
- Leviticus 16:34
This is to be a permanent statute for you, to make atonement once a year for the Israelites because of all their sins.” And all this was done as the LORD had commanded Moses.
- Leviticus 5:18
He is to bring to the priest an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock as a guilt offering. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the wrong he has…
- Leviticus 16:34
Through
Leviticus 9:7Then Moses said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering to make atonement for yourself and for the people. And sacrifice the people’s offering to make atonement…
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:7
But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 9:7
Where this verse is studied
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About Hebrews

This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Hebrews 8; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews; Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 5; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Hebrews and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Hebrews.
