The verse highlights a profound, non-obvious truth: Jesus' prayers weren't just about averting death, but about finding deliverance out of it, a distinction crucial to His sacrificial mission. This "deliverance out of death" was granted not by escaping it, but by being strengthened through it, a testament to His complete obedience.
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
English Standard Version (ESV)
In the days of his human life, Jesus faced an overwhelming spiritual battle, praying with intense anguish and tears to God, who could save him. This plea, offered with profound reverence and submission, was heard by God, not to remove his suffering, but to strengthen him through it.
We often picture Jesus as calm and in control, even in suffering. But this verse reveals a raw, human side to His prayer life.
Hebrews 5:7 doesn't shy away from the intensity of Jesus' experience. It describes His prayers and requests as being offered with 'strong crying and tears.' This wasn't a quiet, contemplative moment; it was a desperate plea from the depths of His human soul.
A Human Experience
This wasn't a pretense; it was a genuine human experience of facing an unimaginable burden. It makes Jesus relatable and underscores the magnitude of His sacrifice.
Jesus was heard by His Father, but the reason given isn't just His desperate need – it's something deeper.
The verse states Jesus 'was heard because of his reverence.' This highlights a crucial aspect of His relationship with the Father and the nature of answered prayer.
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The Meaning of Reverence
Jesus’ prayer was heard not simply because He asked, but because His request stemmed from a place of perfect honor and submission to His Father, demonstrating a trust that transcended His own suffering.
Understand the original words
sarx · Greek Noun
A period of time or state of human existence characterized by mortality, weakness, and vulnerability to temptation and suffering, which the Son of God voluntarily assumed at the incarnation.
deēsis · Greek Noun
Petitions or requests made to God, often involving the confession of need and total dependence on His mercy and power. In the Bible, these are characterized by humility, persistence, and trust in God's character.
thanatos · Greek Noun
The finality of human life resulting from sin, but also the physical event through which all must pass unless Christ returns. In the context of Christ, it refers to the separation of body and soul that He experienced for humanity.
eulabeia · Greek Noun
A state of pious devotion, godly fear, or reverence toward God that involves proper respect, awe, and submission to His will. It signifies a disposition that is pleasing to God.
eisakouō · Greek Verb
The act of hearing and responding to a request; in a biblical context, it implies that God not only hears the voice of the petitioner but actively intervenes or answers according to His sovereign will.
hypakoē · Greek Noun
Submission to the will and commands of God. Biblically, it is not merely outward compliance but an inward posture of trust and yieldedness to the Father's authority, even at great personal cost.
paschō · Greek Verb
To experience pain, distress, or hardship. In a theological sense, suffering is often the context through which faith is tested, sanctification is realized, and Christ-like empathy is developed.
The verse vividly portrays Jesus' human struggle and deep emotion in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before his arrest and crucifixion. It highlights that even in his humanity, facing unimaginable suffering, Jesus' profound reverence for God and his prayers were heard, leading to his ultimate deliverance and perfected priesthood.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
Jesus' Arrest and Trial
Following his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus endured multiple trials before Jewish and Roman authorities, culminating in his crucifixion.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' Crucifixion
Jesus was crucified, an agonizing and public execution, representing the culmination of his suffering and obedience.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' Resurrection
After his death, Jesus was resurrected on the third day, demonstrating God's power over death and validating Jesus' sacrifice.
This psalm expresses profound distress and a cry to God for help, echoing Jesus' 'loud cries and tears' and his feeling of abandonment.
Isaiah 53:10This prophetic passage speaks of God being pleased to make the Servant's life an offering for sin, which connects to Jesus' suffering and his prayer being heard as part of that offering.
Matthew 26:38-39This Gospel account directly parallels Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, revealing his human struggle with his impending suffering and his submission to God's will.
Luke 22:44This passage emphasizes the intensity of Jesus' prayer, describing his agony and sweat like drops of blood, further illustrating the 'strong crying and tears' mentioned in Hebrews.
Philippians 2:8This verse highlights Jesus' obedience unto death, which is the very obedience he learned through his suffering and prayers described in Hebrews 5:7-8.
ellicottHebrews 5:7: "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;"
(7, 8) Who in the days of his flesh . . . —It will be observed that, of the two essential conditions mentioned in Hebrews 5:2 and Hebrews 5:4 , the latter is first taken up in its application to Christ ( Hebrews 5:5-6 ). This verse and the next correspond to the general thought of Hebrews 5:1-2…
barnesHebrews 5:7: "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;"
Who - That is, the Lord Jesus - for so the connection demands. The object of this verse and the two following is, to show that the Lord Jesus had that qualification for the office of priest to which he had referred in Hebrews 5:2 . It was one important qualification for that office that he who s…
The verse highlights a profound, non-obvious truth: Jesus' prayers weren't just about averting death, but about finding deliverance out of it, a distinction crucial to His sacrificial mission. This "deliverance out of death" was granted not by escaping it, but by being strengthened through it, a testament to His complete obedience.
In the days of his human life, Jesus faced an overwhelming spiritual battle, praying with intense anguish and tears to God, who could save him. This plea, offered with profound reverence and submission, was heard by God, not to remove his suffering, but to strengthen him through it.
In the days of his human life, Jesus faced an overwhelming spiritual battle, praying with intense anguish and tears to God, who could save him. This plea, offered with profound reverence and submission, was heard by God, not to remove his suffering, but to strengthen him through it.
"In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through wha…" — The verse highlights a profound, non-obvious truth: Jesus' prayers weren't just about averting death, but about finding deliverance out of it, a distinction crucial to His sacrificial mission. This…
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Last reviewed October 2026
