For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus' suffering when tempted isn't just a passive experience; it's the very means by which he gained the ability to help us. His own trials, especially in their connection to suffering, demonstrate and equip him with the deep understanding and capacity to truly aid those facing their own battles.
For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The author has just explained that Jesus had to become like his brothers in every way, not to help angels but to help humanity. This verse provides the crucial reason why his suffering and temptation make him such a perfect High Priest for us. Because he has personally experienced the agony of being tempted and suffering, he is perfectly equipped to understand and offer aid to us when we face similar trials.
Why would God's Son need to suffer? It wasn't just a tragic event, but a purposeful qualification for His role.
Hebrews 2:18 reveals a profound truth: Jesus's suffering wasn't merely an unfortunate circumstance, but the very means by which He became equipped to help us.
A Masterful Preparation
The text emphasizes that because He suffered when tempted, He is now able to help those who are being tempted. This ability isn't just about power; it's about empathy and understanding born from experience. He didn't just observe suffering; He entered into it.
The High Priest's Experience
As our High Priest, Jesus's perfect sacrifice required Him to fully identify with humanity, including its deepest struggles. His suffering and temptation provided Him with an intimate, experiential knowledge of what it means to be human and to face trials. This isn't a distant, abstract compassion, but a deeply felt one.
We often think of 'temptation' as only the pull towards doing wrong. But for Jesus, it was a much broader, profound testing.
The word used for 'tempted' in this verse (and elsewhere in Hebrews) can encompass more than just the allure of sin. It signifies being tested, tried, or put to the proof.
Jesus's Comprehensive Testing
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Jesus experienced temptations in a dual sense:
Empathy Through Shared Experience
By undergoing these comprehensive tests, Jesus gained a profound understanding of the pressures we face. He knows not just the feeling of being drawn to evil, but also the crushing weight of suffering that can make us question God's goodness or presence. This broad experience makes His help uniquely relevant and effective.
Understand the original words
paschō · Greek Verb
Physical or emotional distress, pain, or hardship. In the life of Christ, it includes the totality of His earthly life leading up to the cross, serving as the basis for His deep empathy toward His people.
peirazō · Greek Verb
The experience of being tested or solicited to do evil. While God tests His people for the purpose of growth, Satan tempts with the intent to lead into sin; Christ endured these trials without yielding.
This passage from Isaiah prophesies the suffering servant who would be despised and acquainted with sorrows, directly foreshadowing Jesus' experience of suffering and temptation as described in Hebrews.
Zechariah 13:9This verse speaks of refining a people through fire, much like Christ was refined through His temptations, and then calling on the Lord who will say, 'They are my people,' showing God's intimate connection with those who endure trials.
Luke 22:42Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, 'not my will, but yours be done,' demonstrates His struggle and submission in the face of immense suffering and temptation, mirroring the struggle described in Hebrews.
Philippians 2:8This passage highlights Jesus humbling himself and becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross, emphasizing the depth of His suffering and temptation for humanity's sake, which qualifies Him to help us.
1 Peter 4:12Peter reminds believers not to be surprised by fiery trials, as if something strange were happening, implying that suffering and temptation are part of the believer's journey, just as they were for Christ.
wesleyHebrews 2:18: "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."
2:18 For in that he hath suffered being tempted himself he is able to succour them that are tempted - That is, he has given a manifest, demonstrative proof that he is able so to do.
ellicottHebrews 2:18: "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."
(18) For. —The necessity of being “in all things made like to His brethren” has been shown from the nature of the case; it is now illustrated from the result. The “brethren” and the “people” of Hebrews 2:17 are here “the tempted.” Through the temptations arose those sins of the people for which He makes propitiation. In His having been tempted lies His special ability to help the tem…
Jesus' suffering when tempted isn't just a passive experience; it's the very means by which he gained the ability to help us. His own trials, especially in their connection to suffering, demonstrate and equip him with the deep understanding and capacity to truly aid those facing their own battles.
The author has just explained that Jesus had to become like his brothers in every way, not to help angels but to help humanity. This verse provides the crucial reason why his suffering and temptation make him such a perfect High Priest for us. Because he has personally experienced the agony of being tempted and suffering, he is perfectly equipped to understand and offer aid to us when we face similar trials.
The author has just explained that Jesus had to become like his brothers in every way, not to help angels but to help humanity. This verse provides the crucial reason why his suffering and temptation make him such a perfect High Priest for us. Because he has personally experienced the agony of being tempted and suffering, he is perfectly equipped to understand and offer aid to us when we face similar trials.
"For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." — Jesus' suffering when tempted isn't just a passive experience; it's the very means by which he gained the ability to help us. His own trials, especially in their connection to suffering, demonstrat…
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Last reviewed October 2026