4:9 Now on the topic of brotherly love 1 you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.
5:1 For every high priest is taken from among the people 6 and appointed 7 to represent them before God, 8 to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
2:1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
1 tn Grk “concerning brotherly love.”
2 tn Grk “because of the time.”
3 tn Grk “the elements of the beginning of the oracles of God.”
4 tn Grk “you have come to have a need for.”
5 tc ‡ Most texts, including some early and important ones (א2 A B* D Ψ 0122 0278 1881 Ï sy Cl), have καί (kai, “and”) immediately preceding οὐ (ou, “not”), but other equally significant witnesses (Ì46 א* B2 C 33 81 1739 lat Or Did) lack the conjunction. As it was a natural tendency for scribes to add a coordinating conjunction, the καί appears to be a motivated reading. On balance, it is probably best to regard the shorter reading as authentic. NA27 has καί in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
6 tn Grk “from among men,” but since the point in context is shared humanity (rather than shared maleness), the plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) has been translated “people.”
7 tn Grk “who is taken from among people is appointed.”
8 tn Grk “appointed on behalf of people in reference to things relating to God.”