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Chapter 8

Heavenly Priesthood of Jesus.[a] 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,(A) a minister of the sanctuary[b] and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.(B) Now every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus the necessity for this one also to have something to offer.(C) If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are those who offer gifts according to the law.(D) 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.”(E) Now he has obtained so much more excellent a ministry as he is mediator of a better covenant, enacted on better promises.(F)

Old and New Covenants.[c] For if that first covenant had been faultless, no place would have been sought for a second one. But he finds fault with them and says:[d]

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,(G)
    when I will conclude a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
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.
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.(H)
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.
12 For I will forgive their evildoing
    and remember their sins no more.”

13 [e](I)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.

Footnotes

  1. 8:1–6 The Christian community has in Jesus the kind of high priest described in Hb 7:26–28. In virtue of his ascension Jesus has taken his place at God’s right hand in accordance with Ps 110:1 (Hb 8:1), where he presides over the heavenly sanctuary established by God himself (Hb 8:2). Like every high priest, he has his offering to make (Hb 8:3; cf. Hb 9:12, 14), but it differs from that of the levitical priesthood in which he had no share (Hb 8:4) and which was in any case but a shadowy reflection of the true offering in the heavenly sanctuary (Hb 8:5). But Jesus’ ministry in the heavenly sanctuary is that of mediator of a superior covenant that accomplishes what it signifies (Hb 8:6).
  2. 8:2 The sanctuary: the Greek term could also mean “holy things” but bears the meaning “sanctuary” elsewhere in Hebrews (Hb 9:8, 12, 24, 25; 10:19; 13:11). The true tabernacle: the heavenly tabernacle that the Lord…set up is contrasted with the earthly tabernacle that Moses set up in the desert. True means “real” in contradistinction to a mere “copy and shadow” (Hb 8:5); compare the Johannine usage (e.g., Jn 1:9; 6:32; 15:1). The idea that the earthly sanctuary is a reflection of a heavenly model may be based upon Ex 25:9, but probably also derives from the Platonic concept of a real world of which our observable world is merely a shadow.
  3. 8:7–13 Since the first covenant was deficient in accomplishing what it signified, it had to be replaced (Hb 8:7), as Jeremiah (Jer 31:31–34) had prophesied (Hb 8:8–12). Even in the time of Jeremiah, the first covenant was antiquated (Hb 8:13). In Hb 7:22–24, the superiority of the new covenant was seen in the permanence of its priesthood; here the superiority is based on better promises, made explicit in the citation of Jer 31:31–34 (LXX: 38), namely, in the immediacy of the people’s knowledge of God (Hb 8:11) and in the forgiveness of sin (Hb 8:12).
  4. 8:8–12 In citing Jeremiah the author follows the Septuagint; some apparent departures from it may be the result of a different Septuagintal text rather than changes deliberately introduced.
  5. 8:13 Close to disappearing: from the prophet’s perspective, not that of the author of Hebrews.

The New Priestly Service

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, (A)who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of (B)the [a]sanctuary and of (C)the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

For (D)every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore (E)it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve (F)the copy and (G)shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, (H)“See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” But now (I)He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a (J)better covenant, which was established on better promises.

A New Covenant(K)

For if that (L)first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: (M)“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not 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 did not 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 (N)Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and (O)I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 (P)None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the (Q)Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, (R)and their sins [b]and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

13 (S)In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 8:2 Lit. holies
  2. Hebrews 8:12 NU omits and their lawless deeds

耶稣是更美的约的中保

我们所讲论的重点,就是我们有这样的一位大祭司,他已经坐在众天之上至尊者的宝座右边, 在至圣所和真会幕里供职;这真会幕是主支搭的,不是人支搭的。 所有大祭司都是为了献礼物和祭品而设立的,所以这位大祭司,也必须有所献上的。 如果他在地上,就不会作祭司,因为已经有按照律法献礼物的祭司了。 这些祭司所供奉的职事,不过是天上的事物的副本和影像,就如摩西将要造会幕的时候, 神曾经警告他说:“你要留心,各样物件,都要照着在山上指示你的样式去作。” 但是现在耶稣得了更尊贵的职分,正好象他是更美的约的中保,这约是凭着更美的应许立的。 如果头一个约没有缺点,就没有寻求另一个约的必要了。 可是 神指责他们,说:

“看哪,主说,日子要到了,

我要与以色列家

和犹大家订立新约。

这新约不像从前我拉他们祖先的手,

领他们出埃及的日子与他们所立的约。

因为他们没有遵守我的约,

我就不理会他们。这是主说的。

10 主说:‘因为在那些日子以后,

我要与以色列家所立的约是这样:

我要把我的律法放在他们的心思里面,

写在他们的心上。

我要作他们的 神,

他们要作我的子民。

11 他们各人必不用教导自己的邻居,

和自己的同胞,说:

你要认识主。

因为所有的人,从最小到最大的,

都必认识我。

12 我也要宽恕他们的不义,

决不再记着他们的罪恶。’”

13  神既然说到新的约,就是把前约当作旧的了;那变成陈旧衰老的,就快要消逝了。

The High Priest of a New Covenant

Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest,(A) who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,(B) and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle(C) set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

Every high priest(D) is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices,(E) and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.(F) If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.(G) They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy(H) and shadow(I) of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned(J) when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”[a](K) But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant(L) of which he is mediator(M) is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.(N) But God found fault with the people and said[b]:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord,
    when I will make a new covenant(O)
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant
    I made with their ancestors(P)
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
    and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant(Q) I will establish with the people of Israel
    after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.(R)
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.(S)
11 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,(T)
    from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more.(U)[c](V)

13 By calling this covenant “new,”(W) he has made the first one obsolete;(X) and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 8:5 Exodus 25:40
  2. Hebrews 8:8 Some manuscripts may be translated fault and said to the people.
  3. Hebrews 8:12 Jer. 31:31-34