Bible Strands
Hebrews 7:26
Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — An anonymous author writing to Jewish believers under pressure to revert to the Levitical system, arguing in chapter 7 that Christ's Melchizedekian priesthood is categorically superior. This verse is the thesis statement of that argument, bracketed by the claims that He saves completely (v. 25) and needs no daily sacrifice (v. 27).
The words — ὅσιος (hōsios) is the Septuagint's word for divine holiness, not the common ἅγιος; the author reaches for the term that marks something as belonging to God's own sphere. ἄκακος (akakos) goes beyond "sinless" to mean "without evil, without malice," a stronger negative than mere absence of transgression.
The thread — 2 Corinthians 5:21 ("who knew no sin") and 1 Peter 2:22 ("committed no sin") state the innocence claim from the outside; Hebrews 4:14 ("passed through the heavens") states the exaltation claim. Hebrews 7:26 fuses both into a single qualification statement.
Why it lands — The verse is not a devotional portrait but a legal argument: the author is establishing that Christ meets a qualification the Levitical priests could not, and the reader is being asked to accept that the old system is not a weaker version of the new one but a different order entirely.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Cross-references
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- 1 Peter 2:22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
- Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.
- Hebrews 8:1 The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
- 1 John 2:2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
- Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
- Isaiah 53:9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.
- Luke 23:41 We are punished justly, for we are receiving what our actions deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
- Luke 23:47 When the centurion saw what had happened, he gave glory to God, saying, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
- Ephesians 4:8 This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”