Hebrews 7:27

27 who has not day by day need, as the high priests, first to offer up sacrifices for his own sins, then [for] those of the people; for this he did once for all [in] having offered up himself.

Hebrews 7:27 Meaning and Commentary

Hebrews 7:27

Who needeth not daily, as those high priests
They being sinners, and he not:

to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the people's;
as they did on the day of atonement; see ( Leviticus 16:6 Leviticus 16:11 Leviticus 16:15 Leviticus 16:16 ) upon which place the Jews F3 make the same remark the apostle does here;

``he (the high priest, they say) offers sacrifices for the sins of the people, for his own (atymdqb) , "first", (rtblw) , "and afterwards for the sins of the people":''

which was one reason of the imperfection and insufficiency of their sacrifices; but Christ needed not to offer for his own, nor could he, for he had none of his own; what he had was by imputation; wherefore he only needed to offer, and he only did offer, for the sins of the people; not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles also, even of all God's covenant people; nor did he need to do this daily, as they did; they offered sacrifice daily, the common priests every day, morning and evening, and the high priest on a stated day once a year, on the day of atonement:

for this he did once, when he offered up himself;
and in this also he differed from them; they offered not themselves, but what was inferior to themselves, and what could not take away sin, and, therefore, was repeated; but Christ offered himself, his whole human nature, soul and body, and both as in union with his divine nature; and this being offered to God freely and voluntarily, in the room and stead of his people, was acceptable to God: hereby justice was satisfied; the law fulfilled; sin taken away, and complete salvation obtained; so that there never was since any need of his offering again, nor never will be; which shows the perfection and fulness of his priesthood, and the preference of it to the Levitical one.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 Zohar in Lev. fol. 26. 4.

Hebrews 7:27 In-Context

25 Whence also he is able to save completely those who approach by him to God, always living to intercede for them.
26 For such a high priest became us, holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and become higher than the heavens:
27 who has not day by day need, as the high priests, first to offer up sacrifices for his own sins, then [for] those of the people; for this he did once for all [in] having offered up himself.
28 For the law constitutes men high priests, having infirmity; but the word of the swearing of the oath which [is] after the law, a Son perfected for ever.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. The word 'this' may refer to the offering for the people, 'this last.' Otherwise it would be simply 'this offering,' of course for others, but the emphasis is on 'once for all.'
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.