Hebrews 5:12 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →By now the readers should be teachers, yet they need to be retaught the basics, having become those who need milk rather than solid food.
What Does Hebrews 5:12 Mean?
The writer explains the dullness of verse 11. Enough time has passed that these believers ought to be teaching others, yet they need someone to take them back to the first principles of God's word. They have become like infants who can take only milk, not solid food.
The image is gentle but searching. Spiritual growth is meant to move forward; to stand still is, in effect, to slip back. The basics matter and remain precious, but they are a foundation to build on, not a place to camp forever. The verse invites the reader to honest self-examination and to renewed hunger, that the truths of Christ might nourish them toward maturity rather than leave them perpetually beginning again.
Hebrews 5:12 in the Original Language
logion (λόγιον), 'oracles' -- the sacred utterances of God, His revealed words entrusted as a treasure to His people.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hebrews 5:12
What does Hebrews 5:12 mean?
By now the readers should be teachers, yet they need to be retaught the basics, having become those who need milk rather than solid food.