Hebrews 5:13
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For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
useth--Greek, "partaketh," that is, taketh as his portion. Even strong men partake of milk, but do not make milk their chief, much less their sole, diet. the word of righteousness--the Gospel wherein "the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith" (Rom 1:17), and which is called "the ministration of righteousness" (Co2 3:9). This includes the doctrine of justification and sanctification: the first principles, as well as the perfection, of the doctrine of Christ: the nature of the offices and person of Christ as the true Melchisedec, that is, "King of righteousness" (compare Mat 3:15).
Open source ↗In this chapter the apostle continues his discourse upon the priesthood of Christ, a sweet subject, which he would not too soon dismiss. And here, I. He explains the nature of the priestly office in general (Heb 5:1-3). II. The proper and regular call there must be to this office (Heb 5:4-6). III. The requisite qualifications for the work (Heb 5:7-9). IV. The peculiar order of the priesthood of Christ; it was not after the order of Aaron, but of Melchisedec (Heb 5:6, Heb 5:7, Heb 5:10). V. He reproves the Hebrews, that they had not made those improvements in knowledge which might have made them capable of looking into the more abstruse and mysterious parts of scripture (Heb 5:11-14).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
Whom is He trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To infants just weaned from milk? To babies removed from the breast?
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways.
For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!
My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, and for Your righteous promise.
At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.