Hebrews 4 15

Hebrews 4:15 kjv

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.

Hebrews 4:15 nkjv

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15 niv

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are?yet he did not sin.

Hebrews 4:15 esv

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15 nlt

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Hebrews 4 verses

Hebrews 4 15 Meaning

Hebrews 4:15 declares that Jesus, our High Priest, is not someone distant or unable to empathize with our human weaknesses and sufferings. Instead, He fully comprehends the human experience because He was subjected to every kind of temptation that humanity faces, yet He never succumbed to sin. This foundational truth assures believers that they have an accessible, understanding, and perfect mediator who can intercede on their behalf.

Hebrews 4 15 Context

Hebrews chapter 4 concludes a significant warning against unbelief, initiated in chapter 3, using the Old Testament example of Israel failing to enter God's rest due to disobedience. The chapter then pivots, asserting that God's rest remains open, accessible through faith. Verse 14 emphasizes Jesus as our great High Priest, connecting to the ongoing theme of Christ's superiority. Therefore, Hebrews 4:15 serves as a crucial theological justification for the call in verse 14 to "hold fast our confession" and the subsequent exhortation in verse 16 to "come boldly to the throne of grace." It assures the original audience, who were possibly wavering in their faith and tempted to revert to Old Covenant practices, that Christ’s high priesthood is not only superior in authority but also profoundly empathetic. Unlike the Levitical high priests, who were sinful themselves, Jesus, the Son of God, truly understands human struggles because of His full humanity, yet He perfectly fulfills the priestly role because of His absolute sinlessness. This forms a powerful polemic against any notion that a return to the former, imperfect priestly system could offer more solace or effective intercession.

Hebrews 4 15 Word analysis

• For (γάρ, gar): This conjunction links the verse to the preceding one (Heb 4:14), providing the reason why believers should "hold fast our profession." It establishes a logical connection, explaining why Christ is the great High Priest that enables unwavering faith.
• we have not: This strong negative construction followed by the positive clause emphasizes the quality of our High Priest, contrasting Him with the typical expectation of a distant deity or an imperfect human priest. It confirms the active possession of this unique High Priest.
• an high priest (ἀρχιερέα, archierea): Refers to the chief priestly figure. In the Old Covenant, this role involved mediating between God and man through sacrifices. The author of Hebrews systematically presents Jesus as the supreme High Priest, fulfilling and superseding the Levitical priesthood.
• which cannot be touched with the feeling of (μὴ δυνάμενον συμπαθῆσαι, mē dynamenon sympathesai):
  • μὴ (mē): "not."
  • δυνάμενον (dynamenon): Present participle of dynamai, "to be able."
  • συμπαθῆσαι (sympathesai): Aorist infinitive of sympathō, from syn (with) + pathos (suffering, feeling). It means "to suffer with," "to sympathize with," "to feel together with." The double negative (not able not to be touched) strongly affirms Jesus' profound ability to empathize and share in human feeling and suffering.
• our infirmities (ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν, tais astheneiais hēmōn):
  • ἀσθενείαις (astheneiais): Plural of astheneia, meaning "weakness," "frailty," "sickness," "infirmity," "disability." This term encompasses human frailty, limitations, and susceptibility to temptation and suffering, but does not inherently imply sin.
• but (δὲ, de): Introduces a sharp contrast, presenting the true nature of Christ’s priesthood against the implied inability of others.
• was in all points tempted (πεπειρασμένον δὲ κατὰ πάντα, pepeirasmenon de kata panta):
  • πεπειρασμένον (pepeirasmenon): Perfect passive participle of peirazō, "to test," "to try," "to tempt." The perfect tense emphasizes a past action with ongoing results: Jesus has been tested, and thus His state is one of proven experience in temptation. It suggests thorough and complete testing, rather than an ongoing state of being tempted without resolution.
  • κατὰ πάντα (kata panta): "according to all things," or "in every respect." This means Jesus experienced temptation in its full scope, encompassing the human condition and various forms of external trials, rather than every single specific temptation any individual might face. He understands the nature of temptation.
• like as we are (καθ’ ὁμοιότητα, kath' homoiotēta):
  • ὁμοιότητα (homoiotēta): From homoiotēs, "likeness," "similarity." This signifies that the form and manner of His temptation were genuinely human, enabling Him to identify with our struggles.
• yet without sin (χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας, chōris hamartias):
  • χωρὶς (chōris): "apart from," "without."
  • ἁμαρτίας (hamartias): From hamartia, "sin," referring to missing the mark or falling short of God's standard. This is the crucial qualification. Despite experiencing the full force of human temptation, Jesus never yielded. He harbored no indwelling sin (as Romans 7 describes for believers), nor did He commit any outward sin. This absolute purity distinguishes Him from all human priests and makes His sacrifice and intercession perfect and acceptable to God.

Hebrews 4 15 Bonus section

The concept of Jesus being tempted "without sin" is crucial to understanding the nature of sin and temptation. James 1:13-14 teaches that much of human temptation arises from "one's own lust." In contrast, Jesus, being perfectly holy, had no internal sinful desires. His temptations were always external solicitations to evil, demonstrating His steadfast resistance to unrighteousness in a way no fallen human ever could. He faced temptation from the devil and human opposition, not from an inherent corrupted nature. This makes His victory over sin unique and absolute, qualifying Him not only to sympathize but also to perfectly cleanse. His suffering was thus amplified by His perfect innocence; He endured the weight of human experience and evil without any internal capacity for sin to make it easier for Him to relate by succumbing.

Hebrews 4 15 Commentary

Hebrews 4:15 is a pivotal verse, revealing the unique qualifications of Jesus Christ as our High Priest. It bridges the gap between divine holiness and human weakness. We learn that Jesus fully shared in the human condition; He walked among us, experienced life’s sorrows, pains, and profound temptations. He knows, not just intellectually, but experientially, what it means to face the pressure of the world, the flesh, and the devil. This ensures His perfect sympathy for our struggles.

Yet, this empathy is not at the expense of His purity. Crucially, He underwent these temptations "without sin." This signifies that, while the outward experience of temptation was real and intense, His inner nature remained untainted. He harbored no sinful inclinations and never yielded to sin. This sinlessness is indispensable; only a perfectly righteous High Priest could offer Himself as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of others.

Therefore, because Jesus is both perfectly empathetic (due to shared experience) and perfectly holy (due to His sinless victory over temptation), He is the ideal and only sufficient mediator between God and humanity. He understands our infirmities and simultaneously possesses the moral authority and divine power to forgive, intercede, and deliver. This truth provides immense comfort and encouragement, particularly for those facing spiritual fatigue, doubt, or temptation, as it forms the basis for the confident access to God's grace described in the following verse.