Hebrews 2 18

Hebrews 2:18 kjv

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

Hebrews 2:18 nkjv

For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Hebrews 2:18 niv

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 2:18 esv

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 2:18 nlt

Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

Hebrews 2 verses

Hebrews 2 18 Meaning

Hebrews 2:18 signifies that because Jesus Christ personally endured suffering when He was tempted, He is uniquely qualified and powerfully able to provide aid to those who are currently undergoing temptation. His experience makes Him a compassionate and effective High Priest, whose capacity to help is rooted in His perfect identification with human struggle.

Hebrews 2 18 Context

Hebrews 2:18 concludes a pivotal section in the letter (Hebrews 2:5-18) which contrasts Christ's humbled human state with His supreme divine authority, establishing the profound reason for His incarnation. After emphasizing His temporary "lower than angels" status (2:7) for the sake of tasting death for everyone (2:9), the text then explains why this identification with humanity was necessary. It asserts that Jesus was perfected through suffering (2:10), came to make atonement for sins as a faithful high priest (2:17), and in doing so, destroyed the devil's power and delivered those enslaved by the fear of death (2:14-15). Verse 18 then functions as a crucial capstone, summarizing that Christ's direct experience of suffering under temptation empowers Him to truly assist believers undergoing their own temptations, completing the argument for His perfect suitability as humanity's sympathetic and effective High Priest. The historical/cultural context of the original audience likely included pressures from Judaism, encouraging them to consider a return to the Old Covenant practices, possibly seeing Christ as less than fully equipped to be a high priest if He wasn't also divine in the expected sense or if His suffering was a weakness. This verse directly refutes such a notion by turning His suffering into His greatest qualification for aid.

Hebrews 2 18 Word analysis

• For (γάρ - gar): This Greek conjunction signals a causal relationship. It introduces the reason or explanation for the preceding statement, specifically why Jesus is able to be a "merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (Heb 2:17).
• in that He Himself suffered (αὐτὸς γὰρ πεπονθὼς - autos gar peponthos):
  • He Himself (αὐτὸς - autos): Emphatic pronoun stressing Jesus' personal, direct, and unmediated experience. It highlights that no one else could or did fulfill this role; it was His suffering.
  • suffered (πεπονθὼς - peponthos): This is a perfect active participle from paschō, meaning "to suffer, experience hardship." The perfect tense emphasizes a completed action with continuing results or a lasting state. It's not just that He did suffer, but that He is one who has suffered and carries that experience with Him. This refers to the entirety of His earthly afflictions, humiliation, and the ultimate suffering on the cross.
• being tempted (πειρασθείς - peirastheis): This is an aorist passive participle from peirazō, meaning "to test, to tempt, to try." It signifies a specific instance or a series of experiences where He faced intense testing or solicitations to deviate from God's will. Unlike suffering, which could be general hardship, being tempted points to specific spiritual and moral trials, notably those in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11) but also throughout His ministry (e.g., Lk 4:13; Lk 22:28). Importantly, the author clarifies in Heb 4:15 that Jesus was "tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin." His testing involved actual vulnerability to human enticements and challenges, not just a theoretical knowledge of them.
• He is able (δύναται - dynatai): Present tense of dynamai, "to be powerful, to have ability." This indicates His active, continuous, and dynamic power to help. His ability is not passive; it's a real, accessible, and present capacity.
• to help / succor (βοηθῆσαι - boēthēsai): An aorist infinitive from boētheō, meaning "to run to a cry for help; to come to one's aid." It implies a swift, decisive, and compassionate response to someone in need. It conveys an active rescue, an immediate intervention prompted by empathy and understanding.
• those who are tempted (τοὺς πειραζομένους - tous peirazomenous): This is a present passive participle. It refers to those who are presently undergoing or habitually experience temptation. This phrase encompasses all believers who face moral, spiritual, or physical trials. The continuous aspect ("are being tempted") implies an ongoing reality for Christians.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "He Himself suffered, being tempted": This phrase succinctly presents Jesus's personal, experiential qualification. The intense identification ("He Himself") with the human condition ("suffered") through direct spiritual combat ("being tempted") is the foundational reason for His efficacy. It is not mere intellectual understanding but profound personal experience of the same struggle humanity faces.
• "He is able to help those who are tempted": This is the direct result and powerful implication of the first phrase. His suffering in temptation gives Him the perfect ability to offer effectual, empathetic assistance to those who are currently being tempted. The connection between "suffered, being tempted" and "able to help those who are tempted" highlights the High Priest's active and redemptive compassion stemming from a perfectly shared, yet sinless, experience. This is not just sympathy but effective, dynamic aid.

Hebrews 2 18 Bonus section

The distinction between Christ being "tempted" and His remaining "without sin" (Heb 4:15) is vital here. Christ did not merely have the capacity to be tempted; He truly experienced the pressure and allure of evil, facing every possible enticement known to humanity. However, His resistance to temptation was absolute and perfect. It is precisely His triumph over temptation, without yielding, that makes Him the ultimate helper for those who struggle against sin. He knows the strength of temptation, and He also knows the power to overcome it, having lived it perfectly. This perfect conquest means He is able to provide not just comfort but also empowering grace and a way of escape for those who are undergoing similar trials. His ability to "help" is active succor, enabling us to stand firm.

Hebrews 2 18 Commentary

Hebrews 2:18 underscores the crucial truth that Christ's personal experience of suffering temptation equips Him uniquely to provide real and effective aid to believers who are similarly tested. His incarnation, marked by genuine human vulnerability and trials, was not a weakness but the very qualification for His High Priestly role. He truly understands our struggles from the inside, not as a detached observer but as one who has conquered where we often fail. Therefore, His help is not theoretical sympathy but powerful, experienced-based intervention. This understanding fosters profound confidence and boldness for believers to approach Him in their moments of weakness, knowing His power and His personal empathy converge perfectly to bring deliverance.