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Hebrews, 8

1. The main point of what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,

1. The principal point of all that we have said is that we have a high priest of exactly this kind. He has taken his seat at the right of the throne of divine Majesty in the heavens,

2. a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.

2. and he is the minister of the sanctuary and of the true Tent which the Lord, and not any man, set up.

3. Now every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus the necessity for this one also to have something to offer.

3. Every high priest is constituted to offer gifts and sacrifices, and so this one too must have something to offer.

4. If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are those who offer gifts according to the law.

4. In fact, if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are others who make the offerings laid down by the Law,

5. They worship in a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, as Moses was warned when he was about to erect the tabernacle. For he says, "See that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."

5. though these maintain the service only of a model or a reflection of the heavenly realities; just as Moses, when he had the Tent to build, was warned by God who said: See that you work to the design that was shown you on the mountain.

6. Now he has obtained so much more excellent a ministry as he is mediator of a better covenant, enacted on better promises.

6. As it is, he has been given a ministry as far superior as is the covenant of which he is the mediator, which is founded on better promises.

7. For if that first covenant had been faultless, no place would have been sought for a second one.

7. If that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no room for a second one to replace it.

8. But he finds fault with them and says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will conclude a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

8. And in fact God does find fault with them; he says: Look, the days are coming, the Lord declares, when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah,

9. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt; for they did not stand by my covenant and I ignored them, says the Lord.

9. but not a covenant like the one I made with their ancestors, the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of Egypt, which covenant of mine they broke, and I too abandoned them, the Lord declares.

10. But this is the covenant 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 write them upon their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

10. No, this is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel, when those days have come, the Lord declares: In their minds I shall plant my laws writing them on their hearts. Then I shall be their God, and they shall be my people.

11. And they shall not teach, each one his fellow citizen and kinsman, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know me, from least to greatest.

11. There will be no further need for each to teach his neighbour, and each his brother, saying 'Learn to know the Lord!' No, they will all know me, from the least to the greatest,

12. For I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sins no more."

12. since I shall forgive their guilt and never more call their sins to mind.

13. When he speaks of a "new" covenant, he declares the first one obsolete. And what has become obsolete and has grown old is close to disappearing.

13. By speaking of a new covenant, he implies that the first one is old. And anything old and ageing is ready to disappear.



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Footnotes:

8:1-2 - The author emphasizes that Jesus is the perfect High Priest, serving in the true heavenly tabernacle, in contrast to the old earthly tabernacle. He is the mediator of the new covenant (see also Exodus 25:9 and Luke 22:20).

8:6-7 - The new covenant, mediated by Christ, is superior to the old because it is based on better promises. Christ's covenant brings a new heart and an inner transformation (see also Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Matthew 26:28).

8:8-12 - The author cites Jeremiah's promise of the new covenant, where God will write His laws on the hearts of His people instead of on tablets of stone. Obedience to God will be inward and spontaneous (see also Jeremiah 31:33-34 and Romans 2:29).

08:13 - The author concludes that the old covenant is growing old and about to disappear, while the new covenant in Christ is eternal and perfect, bringing lasting transformation to believers (see also 2 Corinthians 3:6-11 and Revelation 21:1-4).

Verses related to Hebrews, 8:

Hebrews chapter 8 introduces the New Covenant. How does it surpass the Old One? This crucial text contrasts covenants, presenting Christ as the mediator of a superior covenant. The chapter highlights the heavenly ministry of Jesus, the obsolescence of the first covenant and the promises of the new, citing Jeremiah 31. Topics such as the true tabernacle, the effectiveness of Christ's ministry and the internalization of God's law are addressed. Consider with us five biblical passages that illuminate the transformative implications of this significant chapter.

Exodus 25:40: "Be careful to make them according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain." - This verse is quoted in Hebrews 8:5 to show that the earthly tabernacle was a copy of the heavenly one.

Jeremiah 31:31-34: "The days are coming', declares the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the community of Israel and with the community of Judah. [...]'" - This prophecy is quoted extensively in Hebrews 8:8-12 to establish the new covenant in Christ.

Exodus 24:8: "Then Moses sprinkled the blood on the people, saying, 'This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.'" - This verse is alluded to in Hebrews 8:13 when discussing the obsolescence of the first covenant.

Ezekiel 37:26-27: "I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will place my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people." - This prophecy reflects the new covenant themes discussed in Hebrews 8.

2 Corinthians 3:6: "He has enabled us to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." - This verse from Paul echoes the new covenant themes discussed in Hebrews 8.

FAQ:

What does it mean that the new covenant is "better" than the old?

The new covenant is better because it is based on better promises, including the internalization of God's law in the hearts of believers and the complete forgiveness of sins. (Hebrews 8:6)

How was the new covenant established?

The new covenant was established by the sacrifice of Jesus, which offers forgiveness and renewal of the relationship between God and His people, fulfilling the promises made to the prophets. (Hebrews 8:8-12)

What is the main difference between the priesthood of Christ and the Levitical priesthood?

Christ's priesthood is eternal and perfect, offering a single sacrifice that effectively cleanses sins, whereas the Levitical priesthood was temporary and incapable of complete forgiveness. (Hebrews 8:1-6)

What does the Bible teach about the "law written in the heart"?

God's law will be written on the hearts of believers, symbolizing the internal transformation that occurs in the new covenant, where the desire to obey God is placed within each one. (Hebrews 8:10)

What is the meaning of God's promise to "remember their sins no more"?

This promise means that through Christ, God completely forgives sins, no longer counting them, offering true reconciliation. (Hebrews 8:12)


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