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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"For we have not an High Priest, who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." He is not (he means) ignorant of what concerns us, as many of the High Priests, who know not those in tribulations, nor that there is tribulation at any time. For in the case of men it is impossible that one should know the affliction of the afflicted who has not had experience, and gone through the actual sensations. Our High Priest endured all things. Therefore He endured first and then ascended, that He might be able to sympathize with us. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Exhorting them with all persuasiveness, he says in confirmation of his speech that this High Priest knows our condition, not like the majority of high priests, who do not even know what suffering is; which is why they are also unable to help those who suffer. On the contrary, our High Priest experienced everything, and after having experienced it, ascended so as to be able to "sympathize." That is, He was subjected to persecution, spitting, slander, exile, and finally crucifixion. …
Oecumenius
"For we do not have a high priest." Let us therefore hold fast our profession and faith in Him: For we do not have a high priest who cannot have compassion with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows, he says, that because of many afflictions you are weak and feeble: therefore He can sympathize with us. For He was tempted and afflicted in all things just as we are. He suffered persecution and was mocked and spat upon, and finally was even crucified. Yet He, having suffered these things, did not sin. …
Western Saints
Thomas Aquinas
Then when he says, For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our infirmities, he shows that there is mercy and compassion in Him, lest perhaps anyone suppose that He cannot do anything but what His justice requires. Here it should be noted that Christ does not merely have the power, but is most ready to have compassion on our infirmities, because He has experienced our wretchedness, which, as God, He knew from all eternity by simple knowledge: 'The Lord has compassion on them that fear him: for he knows our …
Bonaventure
But if you ask, "What need was there for Him to have wisdom besides the divine?" I will answer: in order that He might have experience. As it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews, "we have not a High Priest that cannot have compassion on our infirmities, but one tried as we are in all things except sin." For He stands both as our Advocate and our Judge; and He it is who was the best Counselor and the most wise: hence all other sages were nothing but figures and imitations of this Wise One. …
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