Hebrews 7:27

27 who does not {need every day} like the former high priests to offer up sacrifices for his own sins [and] then for the [sins] of the people, because he did this once for all [when he] 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 Therefore also he is able to save completely those who draw near to God through him, [because he] always lives in order to intercede on their behalf.
26 For a high priest such as this indeed is fitting for us, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and having become exalted [above] the heavens,
27 who does not {need every day} like the former high priests to offer up sacrifices for his own sins [and] then for the [sins] of the people, because he did this once for all [when he] offered up himself.
28 For the law appoints men [as] high priests who have weakness, but the statement of the oath, after the law, [appoints] a Son, who is made perfect {forever}.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Literally "have necessity every day"
  • [b]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the temporal participle ("offered up")
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