Hebrews 5:11-14

11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you ¹the ²elementary * principles of the ³oracles of God, and you have come to need ⁴milk and not solid food.

13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an ⁵infant.

14 But solid food is for ⁶the mature, who because of practice have their senses ⁷trained to ⁸discern good and evil.

Hebrews 5:11-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 5

The apostle having made mention of Christ as an high priest, in the preceding chapter, proceeds in this to give an account of an high priest, and applies the character of him to Christ; and shows that he is of another order of priesthood than that of Aaron, even of the order of Melchisedec; of whom he could say many things, but the Hebrews were dull of hearing them; which leads him to blame them for their rudeness, and non-proficience. The description of the high priest is taken from his relation to men, separation from them, and ordination for them; from his oblation of their gifts and sacrifices; from his sympathy with them, and from his call of God, Heb 5:1-4 all which are accommodated to Christ; as his vocation of God, Heb 5:5,6 confirmed by two testimonies out of Ps 2:7, 110:4 his being a man, and having infirmities, though sinless ones, and his sympathy with men, and compassion on them, Heb 5:7 his obedience and sufferings, and the oblation of himself, whereby he became the author of salvation to his people, which is the main thing in his priesthood, Heb 5:8,9 and which was not of the order of Aaron, though in some things there was an agreement with it, but of the order of Melchizedek, Heb 5:10 of whom the apostle could say many surprising things; but these Hebrews were dull of apprehension, and incapable of receiving them, Heb 5:11. And then he proceeds to blame them for their dulness, which he aggravates by the time they had been in the school of Christ, when it might have been expected they would have been teachers of others; by their being yet scholars, and of the lowest class, who had need to be taught the first rudiments of the Christian religion; yea, by their being as babes that stood in need of milk, and could not bear meat, Heb 5:12. And then follows a description both of babes, and of adult persons; such as are unskilful in the word of righteousness are babes, and use milk; but those who exercise their spiritual senses, to discern between good and bad doctrine, are adult, and can digest strong meat, Heb 5:13,14.

Cross References

• 1. Galatians 4:3
• 2. Hebrews 6:1
• 3. Acts 7:38
• 4. 1 Corinthians 3:2; 1 Peter 2:2
• 5. 1 Corinthians 3:1; 1 Corinthians 14:20; 1 Peter 2:2
• 6. 1 Corinthians 2:6; Ephesians 4:13; Hebrews 6:1
• 7. 1 Timothy 4:7
• 8. Romans 14:1f

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "whom" or "which"
• [b] Lit "because of the time"
• [c] Lit "elements of the beginning"