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.

KJV (with Strong's)

For {G1063} we have {G2192} not {G3756} an high priest {G749} which cannot {G3361}{G1410} be touched with the feeling {G4834} of our {G2257} infirmities {G769}; but {G1161} was {G3985} in {G2596} all points {G3956} tempted {G3985}{G3987} like {G2596} as {G3665} we are, yet without {G5565} sin {G266}.

Complete Jewish Bible

For we do not have a cohen gadol unable to empathize with our weaknesses; since in every respect he was tempted just as we are, the only difference being that he did not sin.

Berean Standard Bible

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.

American Standard Version

For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Hebrews 4:15 profoundly articulates the unique qualifications of Jesus Christ as our High Priest, emphasizing His perfect humanity and divine sinlessness. This verse serves as a cornerstone of comfort and assurance for believers, revealing that Christ, though fully God, fully entered into the human experience of temptation and weakness, yet emerged victorious over sin. His experiential understanding of our struggles, combined with His impeccable purity, establishes Him as the compassionate and supremely effective mediator between God and humanity.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is strategically placed within the author's extended argument in the Book of Hebrews concerning the superiority of Jesus Christ, particularly His priesthood, over the Old Covenant institutions. The preceding verses (Hebrews 3:7-4:13) issue a solemn warning against unbelief and disobedience, drawing parallels with Israel's failure to enter God's rest in the wilderness. The exhortation in [Hebrews 4:11](/hebrews/4-11 "Hebrews 4:11 - Strive to Enter God's Rest") to "strive therefore to enter into that rest" is immediately followed by a powerful description of God's living and active word in [Hebrews 4:12-13](/hebrews/4-12-13 "Hebrews 4:12-13 - The Word of God is Living and Active"). [Hebrews 4:14](/hebrews/4-14 "Hebrews 4:14 - Jesus, Our Great High Priest") then introduces Jesus as "a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens." Verse 15 provides the crucial explanation for *why* He is such a "great" and effective High Priest—because He fully understands human frailty and temptation, yet remained sinless. This understanding naturally leads into the confident invitation in [Hebrews 4:16](/hebrews/4-16 "Hebrews 4:16 - Approach the Throne of Grace with Confidence") to approach the "throne of grace."
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The audience of Hebrews was likely Jewish Christians, familiar with the intricate system of the Levitical priesthood and the Old Covenant sacrifices. Under the Mosaic Law, the high priest was a central figure, serving as the mediator between God and Israel, offering sacrifices for the sins of the people—including his own sins ([Leviticus 9:7](/leviticus/9-7 "Leviticus 9:7 - Aaron's Sin Offering")). This historical backdrop highlights the radical nature of the author's claim about Jesus. Unlike earthly high priests who were themselves flawed and needed to offer sacrifices for their own sins, Jesus is presented as a High Priest who is "without sin." Furthermore, the concept of a high priest who could genuinely "be touched with the feeling of our infirmities" would have been profoundly comforting to a community facing persecution and temptation to revert to Judaism. They needed a sympathetic advocate, not a distant, unfeeling deity.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Hebrews. Firstly, it underscores **Christ's perfect humanity and identification with humanity**, a theme explored more fully in [Hebrews 2:14-18](/hebrews/2-14-18 "Hebrews 2:14-18 - Jesus Shared in Humanity"). He is not merely a divine figure, but one who fully experienced the human condition, including its weaknesses and temptations. Secondly, it highlights **Christ's absolute sinlessness**, a foundational truth that sets Him apart from all other priests and qualifies Him as the perfect, unblemished sacrifice ([Hebrews 7:26-28](/hebrews/7-26-28 "Hebrews 7:26-28 - Christ's Perfect Priesthood")). Thirdly, it establishes the basis for **confident access to God** through Christ. Because He is both perfectly empathetic and perfectly holy, believers can draw near to God's throne with assurance, knowing their advocate fully understands and perfectly represents them ([Hebrews 10:19-22](/hebrews/10-19-22 "Hebrews 10:19-22 - Confidence to Enter the Holy Place")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **touched with the feeling (Greek, _sympathéō_):** (G4834) This verb literally means "to suffer with" or "to feel with." It denotes a deep, experiential empathy, not merely intellectual understanding. The phrase "cannot be touched with the feeling" is a double negative in the Greek ("not... cannot"), which strongly affirms that Jesus *can* indeed be deeply affected by and sympathize with our weaknesses. It implies a shared experience of suffering and vulnerability, allowing Him to truly commiserate with human pain and frailty.
* **tempted (Greek, _peirázō_):** (G3985) This word signifies to test, scrutinize, or try. It can refer to a test that proves one's character or a temptation to do evil. In Christ's case, it refers to genuine trials and solicitations to sin that He faced throughout His earthly life, from the wilderness temptations by Satan ([Matthew 4:1-11](/matthew/4-1-11 "Matthew 4:1-11 - The Temptation of Jesus")) to the agony in Gethsemane ([Luke 22:42-44](/luke/22-42-44 "Luke 22:42-44 - Jesus Prays in Gethsemane")). The use of this word emphasizes that His temptations were real and intense, not merely a facade.
* **sin (Greek, _hamartía_):** (G266) This term refers to a missing of the mark, a deviation from God's standard, or an offense. It encompasses both acts of transgression and the state of being sinful. The critical addition "yet without sin" (Greek, _chōrís hamartías_) highlights Jesus' unique and perfect obedience. While He was tempted in "all points like as we are," He never succumbed to temptation, never committed a single sin, and was not inherently sinful in His nature. This absolute sinlessness is foundational to His qualification as the perfect sacrifice and High Priest.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;"**: This opening clause, using a double negative, emphatically declares that Jesus *is* a High Priest who can deeply empathize with our weaknesses and sufferings. The term "infirmities" (Greek, _asthéneia_) encompasses all forms of human frailty, feebleness, sickness, and vulnerability—physical, emotional, and spiritual. Unlike a distant or unfeeling deity, Jesus has personally experienced the limitations and struggles inherent in human existence. His empathy is not theoretical but born of shared experience, making Him perfectly suited to intercede on our behalf.
* **"but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin."**: This second clause clarifies the nature of Christ's empathy and establishes His unique qualification. He faced genuine temptations in every conceivable way, mirroring the full spectrum of human trials. The phrase "in all points" suggests comprehensive exposure to the kinds of pressures and allurements that lead humanity to sin. However, the crucial distinction is "yet without sin." Despite the reality and intensity of His temptations, Jesus never yielded to them. His perfect obedience and moral purity, maintained throughout His earthly life, mean He knows the full force of temptation without ever having been compromised by sin. This perfect sinlessness makes Him the spotless Lamb and the only one truly qualified to represent sinful humanity before a holy God.

#### Literary Devices
The verse powerfully employs **Antithesis** to highlight the unique nature of Christ's high priesthood. The contrast between "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" and "yet without sin" creates a profound theological tension that is resolved in Christ alone. He is fully human, experiencing the depths of human weakness and temptation, yet simultaneously perfectly divine in His sinlessness. This paradoxical combination is precisely what qualifies Him as our perfect High Priest. Furthermore, the use of a double negative ("not...cannot") functions as a strong **Emphasis**, underscoring the absolute certainty of Christ's profound empathy for humanity, leaving no room for doubt about His compassionate understanding.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Hebrews 4:15 is a theological bedrock, connecting Christ's humanity and sinlessness directly to His role as our High Priest. His ability to sympathize stems from His incarnation and genuine experience of human life, including temptation. This experiential knowledge allows Him to intercede effectively, not as one who merely observes our struggles, but as one who has personally endured them. His sinlessness, on the other hand, is what makes His intercession and sacrifice efficacious. Unlike the Old Testament high priests who had to offer sacrifices for their own sins, Christ's perfect purity means His sacrifice is once-for-all and His intercession is unblemished. This combination ensures that believers have a High Priest who is both perfectly relatable and perfectly righteous, providing the ultimate basis for our reconciliation with God and our confident approach to His throne.

* [Hebrews 2:17-18](/hebrews/2-17-18 "Hebrews 2:17-18 - Christ's Sympathy and Help")
* [Hebrews 7:25](/hebrews/7-25 "Hebrews 7:25 - Christ's Eternal Intercession")
* [1 John 2:1](/1_john/2-1 "1 John 2:1 - Christ Our Advocate")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This verse offers profound comfort and practical encouragement for every believer. In moments of weakness, temptation, suffering, or doubt, we often feel isolated, as if no one truly understands the depth of our struggles. Hebrews 4:15 shatters this isolation, revealing that our High Priest, Jesus Christ, intimately knows and sympathizes with every facet of our human experience. He walked our path, felt our pains, and faced our temptations, yet He never succumbed. This truth empowers us to approach God's throne not with fear or hesitation, but with bold confidence, knowing that our advocate is not only perfectly righteous but also perfectly empathetic. It calls us to lean into His grace in our times of need, to confess our weaknesses without shame, and to find strength in His sinless victory. His understanding of our infirmities encourages perseverance in the face of temptation, knowing that He has provided both the example and the means for us to overcome.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the truth of Jesus's empathetic understanding of your struggles change the way you approach Him in prayer or in times of personal weakness?**
* **What specific temptations do you face, and how does knowing that Jesus was "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" provide you with hope and strength to resist?**
* **If Jesus truly sympathizes with your infirmities, how might this truth encourage you to extend greater empathy and understanding to others in their struggles?**

### FAQ

**Did Jesus truly suffer and experience temptation in the same way humans do, or was it merely a facade?**

Answer: The text explicitly states that Jesus "was in all points tempted like as we are." This indicates that His temptations were genuine and intense, not a mere pretense. While His divine nature ensured He would not succumb to sin, His human nature meant He truly felt the pull and pressure of temptation. He experienced the full weight of human weakness and suffering, including hunger, fatigue, sorrow, and the allure of sin, just as we do. His suffering was real, and His temptations were real, making His victory over sin all the more significant and His empathy for us all the more profound. This is crucial for His role as a sympathetic High Priest, as highlighted in [Hebrews 2:17-18](/hebrews/2-17-18 "Jesus's Shared Humanity and Sympathy").

**What does "infirmities" mean in the context of this verse, and how does Jesus being "touched with the feeling of" them apply to believers today?**

Answer: The Greek word for "infirmities" (G769, _asthéneia_) encompasses a broad range of human weaknesses, feebleness, sicknesses, and vulnerabilities—not just physical ailments but also emotional distress, mental anguish, spiritual struggles, and the general limitations inherent in the human condition. Jesus being "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" means He deeply understands and shares in our experiences of these weaknesses. Because He lived a fully human life, He knows what it's like to face suffering, sorrow, pain, and the pressures of life. This applies to believers today by assuring us that when we bring our weaknesses, anxieties, or struggles to God, we have a High Priest who not only hears but intimately comprehends our plight. This truth provides immense comfort and encourages us to approach the "throne of grace" with confidence, knowing that we will "obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" ([Hebrews 4:16](/hebrews/4-16 "Approach the Throne of Grace")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Hebrews 4:15 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who uniquely embodies the perfect High Priest. This verse is a direct consequence of the **Incarnation**, where the eternal Son of God "became flesh and dwelt among us" ([John 1:14](/john/1-14 "The Word Became Flesh")). His willingness to humble Himself and take on human nature ([Philippians 2:6-8](/philippians/2-6-8 "Christ's Humility and Exaltation")) was not merely an act of solidarity but a necessary step for Him to become our empathetic and effective High Priest. By being "tempted in all points like as we are," Jesus demonstrates His perfect obedience to God's will, an obedience that culminated in His sinless life and sacrificial death on the cross, making Him the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "Jesus, the Lamb of God")). His victory over sin and death, achieved through His perfect humanity and divine power, means He is uniquely qualified to represent us before God, not needing to offer sacrifices for His own sins, but only for ours ([Hebrews 7:27](/hebrews/7-27 "Christ's One Sacrifice")). Thus, Hebrews 4:15 points directly to Christ as the compassionate, sinless, and all-sufficient mediator, whose ongoing intercession at the right hand of God ([Romans 8:34](/romans/8-34 "Christ's Intercession")) ensures our access to grace and our ultimate salvation.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Hebrews 2:17

Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Hebrews 2:18

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

2 Corinthians 5:21

For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Isaiah 53:4

¶ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Isaiah 53:5

But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

1 John 3:5

And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Philippians 2:7

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: