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The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness.
Verse Takeaways
1
A Priest Who Understands
Commentators explain that an earthly high priest's effectiveness came from his shared human weakness. Because he himself was a sinner, he could "bear gently" or "deal gently" with others, rather than being apathetic or overly harsh. His own struggles and liability to err fostered a necessary sympathy for the people he represented before God.
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Hebrews
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11
18th Century
Presbyterian
Who can have compassion. A marginal note reads: Reasonably bear with. The idea is that of sympathizing with. The high pr…
Who can bear gently (μετριοπαθειν δυναμενος). Present active infinitive of the late verb μετριοπαθεω (μετριος, moderate, πατεω, to…
19th Century
Anglican
Who can have compassion.—Rather, as one who can deal gently with (or, more strictly, feel gently towards) th…
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Baptist
For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin…
“Deal gently with” (GK 3584) is not easy to translate; it refers to taking the middle course between apathy and anger. A true high priest is not in…
16th Century
Protestant
Who can, etc. This fourth point has some affinity to the first, yet it may be distinguished from it. For the Apostle pre…
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17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Who can have compassion on the ignorant Who have committed sins of ignorance, and bring their sacrifices for them; t…
The High Priest must be a man, a partaker of our nature. This shows that man had sinned, for God would not allow sinful man to come to him alone. B…
13th Century
Catholic
As we said at the beginning of this letter, the Apostle’s intention is to show that Christ is more excellent than all those from whom the Law deriv…
