Every is singular in grammatical form but plural in meaning, and therefore Every high priest may need to be rendered as “All high priests.” In English the terms Every and “all” differ primarily in terms of whether the focus is upon the totality as individuals or the totality as a group, but some languages do not make this type of distinction.
Is chosen … and appointed implies “by God,” but this is not made explicit until verse 4. However, Every high priest is chosen from his fellow-men may be rendered as “God chooses every high priest from among his fellow-men,” if it is clearer or more natural to do so.
From his fellow-men: Leviticus 21.10 speaks of “the priest who is chief among his brethren” (Revised Standard Version); compare Numbers 8.6, which speaks of Levites “from among the people of Israel” (Revised Standard Version). From his fellow-men may be rendered in some instances as “from among those men who are like him,” “from men of his own clan,” or “from men of his own tribe.” Sometimes an even broader base is employed for comparison, “from men of his own nation.”
To serve God on their behalf: Revised Standard Version‘s “in relation to God” is literally “the (things) toward God,” that is, “for the service of God.” This is a general way of speaking about leading public worship, which is here linked with the task of caring for people as a pastor. If “God” is expressed as the subject of the verb “to choose,” “God” should also be the subject of “to appoint,” and therefore and appointed to serve God on their behalf would be restructured as “and God appointed every high priest to serve him on behalf of the people.”
The high priest’s special work was to offer sacrifices and offerings for sins, literally “to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” It is not clear whether only the offerings or also the sacrifices are for sins, since the phrase describes in a general way the whole system of Old Testament worship. Offerings may be a general term, including sacrifices.
To offer sacrifices and offerings for sins indicates the purpose of God in choosing and appointing every high priest. The phrase to offer sacrifices may need to be expressed as “to kill animals on behalf of God.” However, in some contexts cereal offerings are included, so to offer … offerings may be expressed as “to make gifts to God on behalf of the people” or “to give something to God on behalf of the people.”
The phrase for sins can be misunderstood if translated literally, for it might suggest “in order to encourage sins” or “for the benefit of sins.” The relationship of sins to the sacrifices and offerings may be best expressed in terms of cause; for example, “because of sins” or “because of the evil which people have done.” For sins has often been translated “as payment because of sins.” It is important, however, to indicate clearly that this is not a way in which people pay for the privilege of sinning. Accordingly, it is better to employ some such expression as “in order to take away sins” or “… guilt,” or “in order to cause sins to be blotted out.”
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .