Hebrews 5:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

NIV: We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.

NASB: Concerning him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become poor listeners.

CSB: We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand.

NLT: There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.

KJV: Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

NKJV: of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

These verses are an interesting side-note in the flow of the text. So far, the writer of Hebrews has shown that the promised Messiah must be human, and has demonstrated that Jesus meets the requirements of both King and High Priest. Suddenly, the train of thought stops, and the writer expresses some frustration with the original audience. The topic at hand requires some careful thought—and chapters 7 through 10 will be almost entirely devoted to this single idea. But the writer has no confidence that those details are going to be meaningful to the Jewish Christians he writes to.

In this verse, the writer refers to his readers as "dull of hearing." The word translated dull comes from the Greek term nōthroi, which carries a sense of being lazy or sluggish. The criticism here is not that these Christians are unintelligent, or incapable of understanding. Rather, they are careless about their faith. This echoes the warning given in Hebrews 2:1–4, where the writer commanded his audience to pay "closer attention" to these things.

Hebrews 5:11–14 is the beginning of yet another warning from the writer. Prior verses have begun to introduce the idea of Christ's High Priesthood. This is being tied to the Old Testament figure of Melchizedek. Here, the original audience is chastised for being spiritually immature. Like children who never learn to eat solid food, they are criticized for being dependent only on milk, from a spiritual standpoint. That will make much of the information the writer wants to relate hard to understand. This discourse on immaturity will continue through chapter 6.

Hebrews chapter 5 completes the previous commentary about Jesus' humanity. His human existence qualifies Him to understand other men and to offer sacrifice to God on our behalf. Jesus also fulfills the roles of both high priest and king, which the author demonstrates by returning to the Old Testament. The figure of Melchizedek is used to illustrate this point: that Christ, unlike any before, was able to be both the kingly Son of David and the High Priest for all people. The deeper meaning of this example, however, may well be lost on the letter's audience, since they are languishing in spiritual immaturity.

The book of Hebrews shows how Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God's purpose for mankind. For the sake of Jewish Christians, in particular, the author explains that Christ is superior to all other figures, and His covenant is superior to all other relationships. Chapter 5 continues the point made in chapter 4, that Christ's humanity makes Him a uniquely qualified High Priest. This passage bridges that idea into the writer's next warning: spiritual immaturity. This call to avoid apathy will run through all of chapter 6, before the writer returns to Jesus' priesthood in chapter 7.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.

Accessed 4/30/2024 9:30:12 PM