Hebrews 5:2
New International Version
He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.

New Living Translation
And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses.

English Standard Version
He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.

Berean Standard Bible
He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is beset by weakness.

Berean Literal Bible
being able to exercise forbearance with those being ignorant and going astray, since he himself also is encompassed by weakness;

King James Bible
Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

New King James Version
He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.

New American Standard Bible
he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is clothed in weakness;

NASB 1995
he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness;

NASB 1977
he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness;

Legacy Standard Bible
being able to deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness;

Amplified Bible
He is able to deal gently with the spiritually ignorant and misguided, since he is also subject to human weakness;

Christian Standard Bible
He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he is also clothed with weakness.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he is also subject to weakness.

American Standard Version
who can bear gently with the ignorant and erring, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Who can humble himself and suffer with those who are ignorant and erring because he is also clothed with weakness,

Contemporary English Version
A high priest has weaknesses of his own, and he feels sorry for foolish and sinful people.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who can have compassion on them that are ignorant and that err: because he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

English Revised Version
who can bear gently with the ignorant and erring, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The chief priest can be gentle with people who are ignorant and easily deceived, because he also has weaknesses.

Good News Translation
Since he himself is weak in many ways, he is able to be gentle with those who are ignorant and make mistakes.

International Standard Version
He can deal gently with people who are ignorant and easily deceived, since he himself is subject to weakness.

Literal Standard Version
being able to be gentle to those being ignorant and going astray, since he is also surrounded with weakness;

Majority Standard Bible
He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is beset by weakness.

New American Bible
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness

NET Bible
He is able to deal compassionately with those who are ignorant and erring, since he also is subject to weakness,

New Revised Standard Version
He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness;

New Heart English Bible
The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness.

Webster's Bible Translation
Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

Weymouth New Testament
and must be one who is able to bear patiently with the ignorant and erring, because he himself also is beset with infirmity.

World English Bible
The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness.

Young's Literal Translation
able to be gentle to those ignorant and going astray, since himself also is compassed with infirmity;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Perfect High Priest
1Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is beset by weakness. 3That is why he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.…

Cross References
Isaiah 29:24
Then the wayward in spirit will come to understanding, and those who grumble will accept instruction."

Ephesians 4:18
They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.

Hebrews 2:17
For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people.

Hebrews 2:18
Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.

Hebrews 7:28
For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Hebrews 9:7
But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.


Treasury of Scripture

Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

Who.

Hebrews 2:18
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Hebrews 4:15
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

have compassion on.

Numbers 15:22-29
And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses, …

1 Timothy 1:13
Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

them.

Hebrews 12:13
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Exodus 32:8
They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Judges 2:17
And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.

is compassed.

Hebrews 7:28
For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

Exodus 32:2-5,21-24
And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me…

Numbers 12:1-9
And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman…

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Able Astray Bear Beset Clothed Compassed Compassion Deal Erring Exercise Feeble Feeling Forbearance Gently High Ignorant Infirmity Patiently Priest Subject Surrounded Towards True. Wandering Way Wayward Weakness
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Able Astray Bear Beset Clothed Compassed Compassion Deal Erring Exercise Feeble Feeling Forbearance Gently High Ignorant Infirmity Patiently Priest Subject Surrounded Towards True. Wandering Way Wayward Weakness
Hebrews 5
1. The honor of our Savior's priesthood.
11. Negligence in the knowledge thereof is reproved.














(2) Who can have compassion.--Rather, as one who can deal gently with (or, more strictly, feel gently towards) the ignorant and erring, because . . . Either apathy or undue severity in regard to transgression would disqualify this representative of men to God. It cannot be said that sin is mildly designated here, since the words so closely resemble those which occur in Hebrews 3:10; still the language is so chosen as to exclude sinning "with a high hand."

Verse 2. - Who can have compassion on the ignorant and erring; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. It is not easy to find a satisfactory English equivalent for μετριοπαθεῖν, translated as above in the A.V.; by Alford, "be compassionate towards;" in the margin of the A.V., "reasonably bear with;" by the recent Revisers, "bear gently with;" by Bengel, "moderate affici." The compound had its origin, doubtless, in the peripatetic school, denoting the right mean between passionateness and Stoic apathy, being the application of Aristotle's μεσότης to the sphere of the passions. Thus Diog. Laert. says of Aristotle, Αφη δε τον σοφον μη ειναι μεν απαθη μετριοπαθῆ δὲ. In this sense Philo uses μετριοπαθὴς to express Abraham's sober grief after the death of Sarah (2:37) and Jacob's patience under his afflictions (2:45). The verb, followed, as here, by a dative of persons, may be taken, therefore, to denote moderation of feeling towards the persons indicated, such moderation being especially opposed in the case before us, where the persons are the ignorant and erring, to excess of severe or indignant feeling. Moderation, indeed, in this regard seems to have been the idea generally attached to the compound (cf. Plut., 'De Ira Cohib.' p. 453, Ἀναστὴσαι καὶ σῶσαι καὶ φεισάσθαι καὶ καρτερῆσαι πραότητος ἐστὶ καὶ συγγνώμης καὶ μετριοπαθείας). Josephus also speaks of the emperors Vespasian and Titus as μετριοπαθησάντων in their attitude towards the Jews after long hostility ('Ant.,' 12:3 2). This, then, being the meaning of μετριοπαθεία, it is obvious how the capacity of it is essential to the idea of a high priest as being one who is resorted to as a mediator by a people laden with infirmities, to represent them and to plead for them. It is not of necessity implied that every high priest was personally νετριοπάθης: it is the ideal of his office that is spoken cf. And, in the case of human high priests, this ideal was fulfilled by their being themselves human, encompassed themselves with the infirmity of those for whom they mediated. Christ also, so far, evidently fulfils the condition. For, though he is afterwards distinguished (Hebrews 7:28) from priests having themselves infirmity, yet he had, in his human nature, experienced what it was: "He was crucified ἐξ ἀσθενείας (2 Corinthians 13:4); "Himself took our infirmities (ἀσθενείας), and bare our sicknesses" (Matthew 8:17; Isaiah 53:4); the agony in the garden (whatever its mysterious import, of which more below)expressed personal experience of human ἀσθενεία. Alford denies that ἀσθενεία, in the sense supposed by him to be here intended, can be attributed to Christ, and hence that περίκειται ἀσθένειαις can apply to him (but see above on Hebrews 4:15, and below on vers. 3, 7).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
He is able
δυνάμενος (dynamenos)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible.

to deal gently
μετριοπαθεῖν (metriopathein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 3356: To bear gently with, have compassion. From a compound of the base of metrios and pathos; to be moderate in passion, i.e. Gentle.

with those who
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

are ignorant
ἀγνοοῦσιν (agnoousin)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 50: To do not know, be ignorant of, sometimes with the idea of willful ignorance.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

misguided,
πλανωμένοις (planōmenois)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4105: To lead astray, deceive, cause to wander. From plane; to roam.

since
ἐπεὶ (epei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1893: Of time: when, after; of cause: since, because; otherwise: else. From epi and ei; thereupon, i.e. Since.

he himself
αὐτὸς (autos)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

is beset by
περίκειται (perikeitai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4029: From peri and keimai; to lie all around, i.e. Inclose, encircle, hamper.

weakness.
ἀσθένειαν (astheneian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 769: From asthenes; feebleness; by implication, malady; morally, frailty.


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NT Letters: Hebrews 5:2 The high priest can deal gently (Heb. He. Hb)
Hebrews 5:1
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