Hebrews 5:3 says that a high priest had to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the sins of the people, because he was himself weak and prone to failure. The writer of Hebrews uses this familiar detail of the Israelite priesthood to explain why a priest can sympathize with sinners and why Jesus, as the great High Priest, is able to do the same. The author is writing to Jewish Christians who knew the temple system well and needed to see how Christ fulfilled it.
Because of this, he must offer sacrifices for sins for the people, as well as for himself.
Hebrews 5:3 (WEB)
What Hebrews 5:3 Means
The verse begins with “Because of this,” which points back to the previous verses. Since the high priest was chosen from among ordinary people and was himself surrounded by weakness, the law required him to bring sacrifices for his own sins before he could bring them for anyone else. The priest was not presented as someone above the people’s failures. He stood among them as a sinner who also needed mercy.
The phrase “as well as for himself” is the heart of the verse. It describes a priest who approached God with a double awareness, that he represented others and that he needed forgiveness too. The verse does not say that the priest’s own sin was worse than anyone else’s, and it does not promise that a good priest would never sin. It simply describes the pattern the law set up for a fallen humanity.
The Context of Hebrews 5:3
The letter to the Hebrews is anonymous, though early church tradition has often connected it with Paul, and it was written to a community of Christians with a Jewish background who were tempted to drift back toward the temple sacrifices. Chapter 5 is building an argument that Jesus qualifies as a priest, and the writer compares him with the Levitical priesthood. Verses 1 and 2 set out the job of the high priest, and verse 4 says that the honor is given by God, not seized by the one who receives it.
Read in this setting, verse 3 is not a complaint about human frailty for its own sake. It is the groundwork for the argument that a priest who shares human weakness is better able to deal gently with others who are ignorant and going astray. That is the reason the writer goes on to show that Christ, who was tested in every way yet without sin, can serve as a priest who understands.
Key Phrases in Hebrews 5:3
Hebrews 4:15
For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.
(WEB)
This verse explains that Jesus is not a high priest who is unable to feel our weaknesses, because he was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. It develops the same theme of a priest who understands human frailty, but shows that Christ does so without ever failing himself.
Hebrews 7:27
Who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.
(WEB)
This verse contrasts the repeated sacrifices of the old priests, who offered for their own sins first, with Christ’s single offering for the people. It shows why Jesus does not need to offer for himself, which sharpens the contrast drawn in Hebrews 5:3.
A Short Prayer From Hebrews 5:3
Father, thank you that you did not ask me to pretend I am strong. I come to you as someone who needs your mercy every day, just as the priests of old did. Help me to be honest about my own failures before I speak to others about theirs. Thank you that Jesus knows what it is to be tested and that he stands before you on my behalf. Teach me to deal gently with the people around me who are struggling, because I know how much I need your grace. Amen.
