Hebrews 7:27

New Testament Epistle (General) ASV (1901)

What does Hebrews 7:27 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “who needeth not daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the [sins] of the people: for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

who needeth not daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the [sins] of the people: for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself.
Hebrews 7:27 — American Standard Version

Context — Hebrews 7

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
27who needeth not daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the [sins] of the people: for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, etc..] They being sinners, and he not: to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the people's; as they did on the day of atonement; (see <031606>Leviticus 16:6,11,15,16) upon which place the Jews f123 make the same remark the apostle does here; “he (the high priest, they say) offers sacrifices for the sins of the people, for his own atymdqb, “first”, rtblw, “and afterwards for the sins of the people”:” which was one reason of the imperfection and insufficiency of their sacrifices; but Christ needed not to offer for his own, nor could he, for he had none of his own; what he had was by imputation; wherefore he only needed to offer,…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“daily--"day by day." The priests daily offered sacrifices (Heb 9:6; Heb 10:11; Exo 29:38-42). The high priests took part in these daily-offered sacrifices only on festival days; but as they represented the whole priesthood, the daily offerings are here attributed to them; their exclusive function was to offer the atonement "once every year" (Heb 9:7), and "year by year continually" (Heb 10:1). The "daily" strictly belongs to Christ, not to the high priests, "who needeth not daily, as those high priests (year by year, and their subordinate priests daily), to offer," &c. offer up--The Greek term is peculiarly used of sacrifices for sin. The high priest's double offering on the day of…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Who needeth not daily, as those high priests - As the Jewish priests. This is an additional circumstance introduced to show the superior excellency of the High Priest of the Christian profession, and to show also how he was suited to our wants. The Jewish high priest was a sinful man. He had the same fallen and corrupt nature as others. He needed an expiatory sacrifice for his own sins as really as they did for theirs. When he approached God to offer sacrifice, it was needful to make an atonement for himself, and when all was done it was still a sacrifice offered by a sinful man. But it was not so in the case of Jesus. He was so holy that he needed no sacrifice for himself, and all that he…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Who needeth not to offer up sacrifices daily - That is, on every yearly day of expiation; for he offered once for all: not for his own sins, for he then offered up himself "without spot to God." Hebrews 7:28”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“daily: Heb 10:11; Exo 29:36-42; Num 28:2-10 first: Heb 5:3, Heb 9:7; Lev. 4:3-35, 9:7-24, Lev 16:6, Lev 16:11 and then: Lev 4:13-16, Lev 9:15, Lev 16:15 this: Heb 9:12, Heb 9:14, Heb 9:25, Heb 9:28, Heb 10:6-12; Isa 53:10-12; Rom 6:10; Eph 2:22; Tit 2:14 Hebrews 7:28”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification