Hebrews — Chapter 8
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1The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
2and who ministers in the sanctuary and true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.
3And since every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, it was necessary for this One also to have something to offer.
4Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are already priests who offer gifts according to the law.
5The place where they serve is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
6Now, however, Jesus has received a much more excellent ministry, just as the covenant He mediates is better and is founded on better promises.
7For if that first covenant had been without fault, no place would have been sought for a second.
8But God found fault with the people and said: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
9It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not abide by My covenant, and I disregarded them, declares the Lord.
10For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.
11No longer will each one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.
12For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”
13By speaking of a new covenant, He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
1Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
2A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
3For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
4For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
5Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
6But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
13In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
1Now in the things which we are saying the chief point [is this]: We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
3For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is necessary that this [high priest] also have somewhat to offer.
4Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are those who offer the gifts according to the law;
5who serve [that which is] a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses is warned [of God] when he is about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern that was showed thee in the mount.
6But now hath he obtained a ministry the more excellent, by so much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which hath been enacted upon better promises.
7For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then would no place have been sought for a second.
8For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
9Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers In the day that I took them by the hand to lead them forth out of the land of Egypt; For they continued not in my covenant, And I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, And on their heart also will I write them: And I will be to them a God, And they shall be to me a people:
11And they shall not teach every man his fellow-citizen, And every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: For all shall know me, From the least to the greatest of them.
12For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And their sins will I remember no more.
13In that he saith, A new [covenant] he hath made the first old. But that which is becoming old and waxeth aged is nigh unto vanishing away.
1Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We have such a high priest, one who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
2a minister in the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.
3For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. So this one, too, had to have something to offer.
4Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.
5The place where they serve is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, just as Moses was warned by God as he was about to complete the tabernacle. For he says, “See that you make everything according to the design shown to you on the mountain.”
6But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises.
7For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one.
8But showing its fault, God says to them, “Look, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
9It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant, and I had no regard for them, says the Lord.
10For this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds, and I will inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be my people.
11And there will be no need at all for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ since they will all know me, from the least to the greatest.
12For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.”
13When he speaks of a new covenant, he makes the first obsolete. Now what is growing obsolete and aging is about to disappear.
1Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2a servant of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
3For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.
4For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;
5who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, “See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.”
6But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by so much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law.
7For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
8For finding fault with them, he said, “Behold, the days come”, says the Lord, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
9not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they didn’t continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them,” says the Lord.
10“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days,” says the Lord; “I will put my laws into their mind, I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
11They will not teach every man his fellow citizen, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from their least to their greatest.
12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”
13In that he says, “A new covenant”, he has made the first old. But that which is becoming old and grows aged is near to vanishing away.
Summary
The main point is that believers have a high priest who sat down at the right hand of God in heaven, serving in the true, heavenly sanctuary rather than an earthly copy modeled after the pattern Moses was shown on the mountain (vv. 1-5). Christ's ministry is superior because he mediates a better covenant established on better promises, since if the first covenant had been faultless there would have been no need for a second (vv. 6-7). Quoting Jeremiah, the author describes this new covenant: God will write his laws on people's hearts and minds rather than on stone, all will know him personally from the least to the greatest, and he will forgive their wrongdoing and remember their sins no more (vv. 8-12). By calling it new, God has made the first covenant obsolete, and what is aging is about to disappear entirely (v. 13).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Egypt (v.9): Land to the southwest; place of Israel's bondage and exodus.
Places on this map
- EgyptEgyptA ribbon of irrigated land along the Nile, ending in the Delta where Israel settled in Goshen. Rain-fed Canaan depended on weather; Egypt depended on a river that flooded on schedule, which made it the place everyone went when the harvest failed. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik covers Christ's heavenly ministry, the shadow/reality distinction, the new covenant promises, and the obsolescence of the old.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Hebrews -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- An Enthroned High Priest (v.1) — Christ is seated at the right hand of the throne of Majesty, His priestly work finished rather than ongoing. How does knowing your High Priest reigns in authority, not still laboring or sacrificing, shape your confidence before God?
- Shadow Versus Reality (v.5) — The earthly tabernacle and its priests were only a copy and shadow of the true, heavenly sanctuary. Are you still clinging to religious forms and externals when you have direct access to the reality they pointed to in Christ?
- A Better Covenant on Better Promises (v.6) — Christ's ministry is more excellent because He mediates a covenant established on better promises than the old one. Are you living in the freedom of that new covenant, or still relating to God on a performance-based, fear-driven footing?
- Laws Written on the Heart (v.10) — Under the new covenant, God promises to put His laws in people's minds and write them on their hearts rather than impose them from outside. Does obedience feel like an internal desire the Spirit is producing in you, or an external duty you're straining to keep?
- Sins Remembered No More (v.12) — God promises to be merciful toward wrongdoing and to remember sins no longer. Do you actually believe God has let go of your confessed sin, or do you keep dragging back into the present what He's already dismissed?