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And no one assumes this honor[a] on his own initiative,[b] but only when called to it by God,[c] as in fact Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming high priest, but the one who glorified him was God,[d] who said to him, “You are my Son! Today I have fathered you,”[e] as also in another place God[f] says, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”[g] During his earthly life[h] Christ[i] offered[j] both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his devotion. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered.[k] And by being perfected in this way, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 and he was designated[l] by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek.[m]

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 5:4 sn Honor refers here to the honor of the high priesthood.
  2. Hebrews 5:4 tn Grk “by himself, on his own.”
  3. Hebrews 5:4 tn Grk “being called by God.”
  4. Hebrews 5:5 tn Grk “the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  5. Hebrews 5:5 tn Grk “I have begotten you”; see Heb 1:5.sn A quotation from Ps 2:7.
  6. Hebrews 5:6 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  7. Hebrews 5:6 sn A quotation from Ps 110:4.
  8. Hebrews 5:7 tn Grk “in the days of his flesh.”
  9. Hebrews 5:7 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  10. Hebrews 5:7 tn Grk “who…having offered,” continuing the description of Christ from Heb 5:5-6.
  11. Hebrews 5:8 sn There is a wordplay in the Greek text between the verbs “learned” (ἔμαθεν, emathen) and “suffered” (ἔπαθεν, epathen).
  12. Hebrews 5:10 tn Grk “having been designated,” continuing the thought of Heb 5:9.
  13. Hebrews 5:10 sn The phrase in the order of Melchizedek picks up the quotation from Ps 110:4 in Heb 5:6.

No one takes this honor for themselves but takes it only when they are called by God, just like Aaron.

In the same way Christ also didn’t promote himself to become high priest. Instead, it was the one who said to him,

You are my Son.
        Today I have become your Father,

as he also says in another place,

You are a priest forever,
        according to the order of Melchizedek.[a]

During his days on earth, Christ offered prayers and requests with loud cries and tears as his sacrifices to the one who was able to save him from death. He was heard because of his godly devotion. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. After he had been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him. 10 He was appointed by God to be a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

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