Hebrews 5:5

5 So also Christ did not choose himself to have the honor of being a high priest, but God chose him. God said to him, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father."

Hebrews 5:5 Meaning and Commentary

Hebrews 5:5

So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an
high priest
It was a glorifying of Christ, to make him an high priest; not as God, for as such no addition can be made to his glory; yea, it was a condescension in him to become a priest: but as man; it was an honour to the human nature to be united to the Son of God; and to be separated from others to this office; and to be called unto it, qualified for it, and invested with it; and to be of the order he was, and to do the work; and the very assistance he had in it, for the accomplishment of it, was a glorifying of him, for which he prayed; and the work being done, he had glory given him by his Father; and an ascription of glory is made to him by angels and saints: but Christ did not take this high and honourable office to himself, nor the glory of it; indeed, he did not receive it from man, nor was he made a priest according to the ceremonial law; yet he did not intrude himself into this office:

but he that said unto him, thou art my Son, today have I
begotten thee;
he appointed him to this office; he sent him to execute it; he anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows; he consecrated and established him in it with an oath; and prescribed to him what he should do, suffer, and offer; and declared to him what he might expect as the reward thereof. These words are taken out of ( Psalms 2:7 ) , (See Gill on Hebrews 1:5), and they are not to be considered as constitutive of Christ's priesthood, as if that was intended by the begetting of him as a Son; but as descriptive of the person, who called him to it, who stood in the relation of a Father to Christ, and Christ in the relation of a Son to him; therefore the one was very proper to call, and the other a very fit person to be called to this office, being every way capable of executing it, to the glory of God, and to the good of men.

Hebrews 5:5 In-Context

3 Because he is weak, the high priest must offer sacrifices for his own sins and also for the sins of the people.
4 To be a high priest is an honor, but no one chooses himself for this work. He must be called by God as Aaronn was.
5 So also Christ did not choose himself to have the honor of being a high priest, but God chose him. God said to him, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father."
6 And in another Scripture God says, "You are a priest forever, a priest like Melchizedek."
7 While Jesus lived on earth, he prayed to God and asked God for help. He prayed with loud cries and tears to the One who could save him from death, and his prayer was heard because he trusted God.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.