What Does Hebrews 7:27 Mean in the King James?
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The same Greek verb names the priests’ repeated offerings and his self-offering; the difference is that his happens once, not daily.
THE MEANING
The verse speaks of a cycle in which a priest first offers for his own sins, then for the people’s. Here, the offering is himself, made once, with no prior offering for himself. The act stands complete rather than as a daily demand.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that this offering must be renewed every day to remain sufficient is undone: the verse calls it once.
THE ROOT
ἀναφέρειν
anapherein anenegkas
GROWS FROM
ἀνά + φέρω (ana + pherō)
Bring or carry up; in this passage, offer up.
“offer up” in this verse is anapherein anenegkas. The Greek uses forms of the same verb for the priests’ sacrifices and for his self-offering. Elsewhere that verb can mean “bear,” bringing the ideas of offering and carrying together.
ALSO GROWS
anapherein: To offer up; the form used for the priests’ repeated action here.
ἀναφέρειν
It shows that their sacrifices and his self-offering are named by the same verb.
anenegkas: Having offered up; the form used for his self-offering here.
ἀνενέγκας
The repeated offering verb is now attached to himself and to a single act.
anēnenken: Bare; a form of the same verb in 1 Peter 2:24.
ἀνήνεγκεν
There, the offering-and-bearing root is used for carrying people’s sins.
ἐφάπαξ
ephapax
GROWS FROM
ἅπαξ (hapax), with ἐπί (epi-)
ἅπαξ means once; ἐφάπαξ means once, once for all.
“once” in this verse is ephapax. This word marks a single occurrence against the daily cycle named in the verse. The emphasis falls on an act complete in its singularity.
ALSO GROWS
hapax: Once; used of Christ suffering once in 1 Peter 3:18.
ἅπαξ
It shows the same single-occurrence language applied to another decisive act.
ephapax: Once, once for all; used in Hebrews 10:10.
ἐφάπαξ
It repeats the emphasis that the offering is not part of a daily sequence.
ἁμαρτιῶν
hamartiōn
GROWS FROM
ἁμαρταν-
hamartanō
To miss or err; the word family carries the sense of missing.
“sins” in this verse is hamartiōn. The verse distinguishes the priests’ own missing from the people’s: the usual sequence begins with an offering for the priest himself. Here, the self-offering has no such preceding act.
ALSO GROWS
hamartanō: To miss or err.
ἁμαρτάνω
It reveals the action beneath the noun translated “sins.”
hamartia: Missing, wrongdoing; the noun used here for “sins.”
ἁμαρτία
The verse names the missing for which the priests repeatedly offer.
THE PATTERN
Repeated offerings mark an ongoing cycle, while a single decisive act is described as once.
Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.THE THREAD
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.The Greek verb rendered “offered up” in Hebrews 7:27 appears here as “bare.” The shared word holds the self-offering and the carrying of people’s missing together.
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