But solid food is for the matureThis phrase contrasts spiritual maturity with immaturity, using the metaphor of solid food versus milk. In the context of Hebrews, the author is addressing believers who should have progressed in their faith but are still in need of basic teachings. Solid food represents deeper, more complex teachings of the faith, akin to the wisdom found in
Proverbs 9:1-6, where wisdom is depicted as a feast. The mature are those who have moved beyond elementary teachings (
Hebrews 6:1) and are able to understand and apply more profound spiritual truths. This maturity is a call to grow in understanding and discernment, as seen in
1 Corinthians 2:6, where Paul speaks of imparting wisdom to the mature.
who by constant use
This phrase emphasizes the importance of regular practice and application of spiritual truths. The Greek word for "use" implies a habitual practice, suggesting that maturity comes through consistent engagement with God's Word and its application in daily life. This is similar to the discipline described in1 Timothy 4:7-8, where believers are encouraged to train themselves for godliness. The idea is that spiritual growth requires ongoing effort and dedication, much like physical training.
have trained their senses
The concept of training the senses indicates a process of developing discernment and spiritual insight. This training involves both the mind and the heart, aligning withRomans 12:2, which speaks of the renewal of the mind to discern God's will. The senses here can be understood as spiritual faculties that need to be exercised and honed through experience and practice, much like the training of the body in athletic endeavors (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
to distinguish good from evil
This final phrase highlights the goal of spiritual maturity: the ability to discern moral and spiritual truths. This discernment is crucial for living a life that pleases God, as seen inPhilippians 1:9-10, where Paul prays for believers to have love that abounds in knowledge and depth of insight. The ability to distinguish good from evil is rooted in a deep understanding of God's Word, as seen inPsalm 119:105, where God's Word is described as a lamp to the feet and a light to the path. This discernment is also a mark of wisdom, as described inJames 3:13-18, where true wisdom is characterized by purity, peace-loving, and righteousness.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The Author of HebrewsTraditionally attributed to Paul, though the exact authorship is uncertain. The author is addressing Jewish Christians who are familiar with the Old Testament.
2.
Jewish ChristiansThe primary audience of the letter, who were experiencing pressure to revert to Judaism and needed encouragement to mature in their faith.
3.
MelchizedekMentioned in the broader context of
Hebrews 5, as a type of Christ, representing a priesthood superior to the Levitical priesthood.
4.
Jesus ChristThe ultimate high priest, whose priesthood is after the order of Melchizedek, offering a perfect sacrifice for sins.
5.
The Early ChurchThe broader context of the letter addresses the early Christian community's need for spiritual growth and maturity.
Teaching Points
Spiritual Maturity Requires EffortJust as physical training requires discipline and consistency, spiritual maturity involves diligent study and application of God's Word.
Discernment is a Mark of MaturityMature believers are characterized by their ability to discern between good and evil, a skill developed through constant practice and reliance on the Holy Spirit.
The Role of Solid DoctrineSolid food, or deeper doctrinal understanding, is essential for growth. Believers should seek to move beyond elementary teachings to a more profound comprehension of their faith.
The Importance of CommunitySpiritual growth is often fostered within the context of a faith community, where believers can encourage and challenge one another.
Application of KnowledgeKnowledge of Scripture should lead to practical application in daily life, influencing decisions and actions in accordance with God's will.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Hebrews 5:14?
2.How can we train our senses to discern good and evil daily?
3.What role does maturity play in understanding Hebrews 5:14's message?
4.How does Hebrews 5:14 connect with Ephesians 4:14 on spiritual growth?
5.In what ways can we practice discernment in our current cultural context?
6.How does regular Bible study help us become "mature" as Hebrews 5:14 suggests?
7.How does Hebrews 5:14 define spiritual maturity and discernment?
8.What role does "solid food" play in spiritual growth according to Hebrews 5:14?
9.How can believers train their senses as instructed in Hebrews 5:14?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Hebrews 5?
11.What is Spiritual Milk?
12.What defines common sense?
13.What defines spiritual maturity?
14.What is Spiritual Milk?What Does Hebrews 5:14 Mean
But solid food• “Solid food” pictures the deeper, weightier truths of God’s Word—doctrine that stretches the mind and calls for obedience. Paul makes the same contrast in1 Corinthians 3:1-2, where immature believers can handle only “milk.”
• Scripture never suggests that salvation is found in surface knowledge alone; rather, believers are called to “move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1).
• Solid food is always Bible-based; anything that contradicts the written Word is spiritual junk food (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
is for the mature• Maturity is not measured by years in church but by yielded lives shaped by Scripture (Ephesians 4:13-15).
• Mature saints exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and walk consistently in obedience (James 1:22-25).
• They echo the psalmist: “I delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word” (Psalm 119:16).
who by constant use• Growth happens as believers repeatedly apply truth—Bible study, meditation, and obedience day after day (Joshua 1:8;Acts 17:11).
• “Constant use” demands discipline: regular worship, fellowship, and service (Hebrews 10:24-25).
• Like athletes, Christians build spiritual muscle through repetition, not occasional spurts (1 Timothy 4:7-8).
have trained their senses• God has given spiritual “senses” (heart, mind, conscience) that must be exercised (Hebrews 4:12).
• Training involves:
– Hearing—receiving the Word (Romans 10:17).
– Thinking—renewing the mind (Romans 12:2).
– Choosing—obeying promptly (John 14:21).
• As practice continues, believers recognize the Shepherd’s voice more clearly (John 10:27).
to distinguish good from evil• Discernment is the God-given ability to separate truth from error and righteousness from sin (Philippians 1:9-10).
• This is critical in a culture that calls evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).
• The mature believer tests every spirit (1 John 4:1) and, equipped with Scripture, stands firm against deception (Ephesians 6:17).
summaryHebrews 5:14 teaches that deeper biblical teaching (“solid food”) belongs to believers who have progressed in Christ-likeness. Through continual practice of Scripture, they exercise their spiritual senses and develop sharp discernment, enabling them to embrace what pleases God and reject what does not.
(14)
Strong meat.--"Solid food belongs to full-grown men." If they occupied themselves with the rudiments alone, their spiritual senses could not be trained by use (or,
habit) in distinguishing between good and evil, truth and falsehood, in the various systems of teaching which men offered as the doctrine of Christ.
Verse 14. -
But solid food is for them that are of full age (
τελείων, equivalent to "perfect;" but in the sense of maturity of age or growth, in contrast with
νήπιοι; as in
1 Corinthians 14:20; cf.
1 Corinthians 2:6;
Ephesians 4:13;
Philippians 3:15),
those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. Here the comparison is carried out with peculiar aptness.
Τὰαἰσθητήρια in the illustration are
the organs of sense. In the infant the digestive organs, in the first place, exercised in the beginning on milk, acquire through that exercise the power of assimilating more solid and more complex food, while at the same time its sensitive organs generally, also through exercise, become consciously discriminative of "good and evil" (cf.
Isaiah 7:15, 16, where "to know to refuse the evil and choose the good" denotes, as if proverbially, the age after early childhood). So, in the spiritual sphere, the mental faculties, exercised at first on simple truths, should acquire by practice the power of apprehending and distinguishing' between higher and more recondite ones. It was because the Hebrew Christians had failed thus to bring out their faculties that they were open to the charge of being still in a state of infancy.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Butδέ(de)Conjunction
Strong's 1161:A primary particle; but, and, etc.solidστερεὰ(sterea)Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4731:Solid, firm, steadfast. From histemi; stiff, i.e. Solid, stable.foodτροφή(trophē)Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5160:Food, nourishment, maintenance. From trepho; nourishment; by implication, rations.isἐστιν(estin)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510:I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.[for the] mature,τελείων(teleiōn)Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 5046:From telos; complete; neuter completeness.whoτῶν(tōn)Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.byδιὰ(dia)Preposition
Strong's 1223:A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.constant useἕξιν(hexin)Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1838:Condition, state, habit, use, especially: good condition of body or soul. From echo; habit, i.e. practice.haveἐχόντων(echontōn)Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 2192:To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.trainedγεγυμνασμένα(gegymnasmena)Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 1128:To train by physical exercise; hence: train, in the widest sense. From gumnos; to practise naked, i.e. Train.[their]τὰ(ta)Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.sensibilitiesαἰσθητήρια(aisthētēria)Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 145:Perceptive faculty. From a derivative of aisthanomai; properly, an organ of perception, i.e. judgment.toπρὸς(pros)Preposition
Strong's 4314:To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.distinguishδιάκρισιν(diakrisin)Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1253:Distinguishing; hence: deciding, passing sentence on; the act of judgment, discernment. From diakrino; judicial estimation.goodκαλοῦ(kalou)Adjective - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 2570:Properly, beautiful, but chiefly good, i.e. Valuable or virtuous.[from]καὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.evil.κακοῦ(kakou)Adjective - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 2556:Bad, evil, in the widest sense. Apparently a primary word; worthless, i.e. depraved, or injurious.
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NT Letters: Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for those who (Heb. He. Hb) 
