Fathers

Hebrews 5

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For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 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. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

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What the Fathers say

Hebrews 5:8

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"He learned obedience by the things which He suffered." What obedience? He that before this had been obedient even unto death, as a Son to His Father, how did He afterwards learn? Seest thou that this is spoken concerning the Incarnation? ..."He learned," he saith, to obey God. Here again he shows how great is the gain of sufferings. "And having been made perfect," he says, "He became the Author of salvation to them that obey Him." But if He, being the Son, gained obedience from His sufferings, much more shall we. …

Homily on Hebrews 8 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

He became accustomed, he says, to obeying God the Father, having learned this through sufferings. What is said here seems simply incredible. For how did He learn obedience through sufferings, He Who before His sufferings was so obedient to the Father that He accepted the sufferings themselves as a result of obedience? For, he says, He "became obedient even unto death" (Phil. 2:8). …

Commentary on Hebrews ↗

Oecumenius

"Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered." Therefore, he says, He was so obedient (and He obeyed as is fitting for a Son to the Father) that after He was incarnate, He even endured the cross to death. "And He learned from what He suffered." He indeed says, What is death, being God? For what has God not known? But also from what he suffered, he learned. Not only, he says, as he was God, but also as he was man, having experienced death. In another way.

The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

258. – Having listed three things which pertain to a high priest and showed that two of them were verified, namely, the office and the proper way of attaining it, the Apostle now considers the third thing which a high priest should have, namely, mercy and compassion. In regard to this he does two things: first, he shows what He suffered; secondly, what benefits accrued even to others (v. 9). 259. – He says, therefore: I have stated that a high priest should be such as to be able to have compassion. But Christ is such a high priest. …

Commentary on Hebrews ↗

Bonaventure

In Christ there was the fullness of all wisdom not only with respect to things known, but also with regard to the modes and differences of knowing. For in Christ there was sempiternal cognition on the part of the Deity, sensible cognition on the part of the sensuality and the flesh, scientific cognition on the part of the mind and spirit—and this was threefold: one namely through nature, one through grace, and one through glory. …

Breviloquium ↗