Hebrews 5 · Verse 11

Hebrews 5:11

Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Hebrews 5:11, King James Version

Hebrews 5:11 in other translations

BSBWe have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing.
WEBAbout him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing.
ASVOf whom we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing.
YLTconcerning whom we have much discourse and of hard explanation to say, since ye have become dull of hearing,
DARBYConcerning whom we have much to say, and hard to be interpreted in speaking of it, since ye are become dull in hearing.
BBEOf whom we have much to say which it is hard to make clear, because you are slow of hearing.
WebsterOf whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

What does Hebrews 5:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
11. Here he digresses to complain of the low spiritual attainments of the Palestinian Christians and to warn them of the danger of falling from light once enjoyed; at the same time encouraging them by God's faithfulness to persevere. At He 6:20 he resumes the comparison of Christ to Melchisedec. hard to be uttered--rather as Greek, "hard of interpretation to speak." Hard for me to state intelligibly to you owing to your dulness about spiritual things. Hence, instead of saying many things, he writes in comparatively few words (He 13:22). In the "we," Paul, as usual, includes Timothy with himself in addressing them. ye are--Greek, "ye have become dull" (the Greek, by derivation, means hard to move): this implies that once, when first "enlightened," they were earnest and zealous, but had become dull. That the Hebrew believers AT Jerusalem were dull in spiritual things, and legal in spirit, appears from Ac 21:20-24, where James and the elders expressly say of the "thousands of Jews which believe," that "they are all zealous of the law"; this was at Paul's last visit to Jerusalem, after which this Epistle seems to have been written (see on He 5:12, on "for the time").

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 11. Of whom we have many things to say. There are many things which seem strange in regard to him; many things which are hard to be understood. Paul knew that what he had to say of this man, as a type of the Redeemer, would excite wonder, and that many might be disposed to call it in question. He knew that, in order to be understood, what he was about to say required a familiar acquaintance with the Scriptures, and a strong and elevated faith. A young convert--one who had just commenced the Christian life--could hardly expect to be able to understand it. The same thing is true now. One of the first questions which a young con- vert often asks is, Who was Melchisedek? And one of the things which most uniformly perplex those who begin to study the Bible, is the statement which is made about this remarkable man.

Hard to be uttered. Rather, hard to be interpreted, or explained. So the Greek word means.

Seeing ye are dull of hearing. That is, when they ought to have been acquainted with the higher truths of religion, they had shown that they received them slowly, and were dull of apprehension. On what particular fact Paul grounded this charge respecting them is unknown; nor could we know, unless we were better acquainted with the persons to whom he wrote, and their circumstances, than we now are. But he had doubtless in his eye some fact which showed that they were slow to understand the great principles of the gospel.

(*) "uttered" "explained" (+) "hearing" "apprehension"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 Of whom we have many things to say - The words περι οὑ, which we translate of whom, are variously applied: 1. To Melchisedec; 2. To Christ; 3. To the endless priesthood. Those who understand the place of Melchisedec, suppose that it is in reference to this that the apostle resumes the subject in the seventh chapter, where much more is said on this subject, though not very difficult of comprehension; and indeed it is not to be supposed that the Hebrews could be more capable of understanding the subject when the apostle wrote the seventh chapter than they were when, a few hours before, he had written the fifth. It is more likely, therefore, that the words are to be understood as meaning Jesus, or that endless priesthood, of which he was a little before speaking, and which is a subject that carnal Christians cannot easily comprehend. Hard to be uttered - Δυσερμηνευτος· Difficult to be interpreted, because Melchisedec was a typical person. Or if it refer to the priesthood of Christ, that is still more difficult to be explained, as it implies, not only his being constituted a priest after this typical order, but his paying down the ransom for the sins of the whole world; and his satisfying the Divine justice by this sacrifice, but also thereby opening the kingdom of heaven to all believers, and giving the whole world an entrance to the holy of holies by his blood. Dull of hearing - Νωθροι ταις ακοαις· Your souls do not keep pace with the doctrines and exhortations delivered to you. As νωθρος signifies a person who walks heavily and makes little speed, it is here elegantly applied to those who are called to the Christian race, have the road laid down plain before them, how to proceed specified, and the blessings to be obtained enumerated, and yet make no exertions to get on, but are always learning, and never able to come to the full knowledge of the truth.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hebrews 5:11-14
Dull hearers make the preaching of the gospel difficult, and even those who have some faith may be dull hearers, and slow to believe. Much is looked for from those to whom much is given. To be unskilful, denotes want of experience in the things of the gospel. Christian experience is a spiritual sense, taste, or relish of the goodness, sweetness, and excellence of the truths of the gospel. And no tongue can express the satisfaction which the soul receives, from a sense of Divine goodness, grace, and love to it in Christ.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Hebrews 5:11 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

περὶperiConcerningG4012
οὗhouthisG3739
πολὺςpolus[there is] muchG4183
ἡμῖνhēminfrom usG3165
ὁho<the>G3588
λόγοςlogosspeechG3056
καὶkaiandG2532
δυσερμήνευτοςdusermēneutosdifficult in interpretationG1421
λέγειν,legeinto speak,G3004
ἐπεὶepeisinceG1893
νωθροὶnōthroisluggishG3576
γεγόνατεgegonateyou have becomeG1096
ταῖςtaisin theG3588
ἀκοαῖς.akoaishearings.G189

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Hebrews 5:11

  • Matthew 13:15

    For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

  • 2 Peter 3:16

    As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

  • Acts 28:27

    For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

  • John 16:12

    I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

  • John 6:6

    And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

  • Luke 24:25

    Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

  • Mark 8:21

    And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

  • Isaiah 6:10

    Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

  • Mark 8:17-18

    And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
we.
1Ki 10:1; Joh 6:6; 16:12; 2Pe 3:16
dull.
Isa 6:10; Mt 13:15; Mr 8:17,18,21; Lu 24:25; Ac 28:27

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Hebrews 5:10

    Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

  • Hebrews 5:11

    Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

  • Hebrews 5:12

    For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Read all of Hebrews 5

Hebrews 5:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Del cual tenemos mucho que decir, y dificultoso de declarar, por cuanto sois flacos para oir.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		au sujet duquel nous avons beaucoup de choses à dire et qui sont difficiles à expliquer, puisque vous êtes devenus paresseux à écouter.
German
Elberfelder 1871		über diesen haben wir viel zu sagen, und was mit Worten schwer auszulegen ist, weil ihr im Hören träge geworden seid.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		De quo nobis grandis sermo, et ininterpretabilis ad dicendum: quoniam imbecilles facti estis ad audiendum.