Focused Passage

Hebrews 8:1-6

The Heavenly High Priest and the Better Covenant

Hebrews 8 declares the main point of the priestly argument: Jesus is the enthroned heavenly high priest who serves in the true sanctuary and mediates the better covenant promised by God.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

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.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

-δὲG1161Conjunction[The] pointΚεφάλαιονG2774Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularofἐπὶG1909PrepositionwhatτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Neuter Pluralwe are saying [is this]λεγομένοιςG3004Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Neuter PluralWe do haveἔχομενG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralsuchτοιοῦτονG5108Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singulara high priestἀρχιερέαG749Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularwhoὃςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singularsat downἐκάθισενG2523Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularatἐνG1722Preposition[the] right handδεξιᾷG1188Adjective - Dative Feminine Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularthroneθρόνουG2362Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularMajestyΜεγαλωσύνηςG3172Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularinἐνG1722Preposition-τοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralheavenοὐρανοῖςG3772Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Verse 2

Original words

[and who] ministersλειτουργὸςG3011Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularin theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter PluralsanctuaryἁγίωνG40Adjective - Genitive Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulartrueἀληθινῆςG228Adjective - Genitive Feminine SingulartabernacleσκηνῆςG4633Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular-ἣνG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singularset upἔπηξενG4078Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularby theG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularLordΚύριοςG2962Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularnotοὐκG3756Adverbby manἄνθρωποςG444Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 3

Original words

And sinceγὰρG1063ConjunctioneveryΠᾶςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singularhigh priestἀρχιερεὺςG749Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularis appointedκαθίσταταιG2525Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingulartoεἰςG1519Preposition-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularofferπροσφέρεινG4374Verb - Present Infinitive ActivebothτεG5037ConjunctiongiftsδῶράG1435Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionsacrificesθυσίαςG2378Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural[it was]ὅθενG3606ConjunctionnecessaryἀναγκαῖονG316Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular[for] this OneτοῦτονG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine SingularalsoκαὶG2532Conjunctionto haveἔχεινG2192Verb - Present Infinitive ActivesomethingτιG5100Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular-G3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singularto offerπροσενέγκῃG4374Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 4

Original words

NowοὖνG3767Conjunction. . .μὲνG3303ConjunctionifεἰG1487ConjunctionHe wereἦνG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularonἐπὶG1909PrepositionearthγῆςG1093Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularvvvοὐδ’G3761AdverbvvvἂνG302ParticleHe would not beἦνG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singulara priestἱερεύςG2409Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularsince there are alreadyὄντωνG1510Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural[priests]τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralwho offerπροσφερόντωνG4374Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralgiftsδῶραG1435Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralaccording toκατὰG2596Preposition[the] lawνόμονG3551Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 5

Original words

[The place where]οἵτινεςG3748Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Pluralthey serveλατρεύουσινG3000Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural[is] a copyὑποδείγματιG5262Noun - Dative Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionshadowσκιᾷG4639Noun - Dative Feminine Singularof whatτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Pluralis in heavenἐπουρανίωνG2032Adjective - Genitive Neuter PluralThis is whyκαθὼςG2531AdverbMosesΜωϋσῆςG3475Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularwas warnedκεχρημάτισταιG5537Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singularwhen he was aboutμέλλωνG3195Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularto buildἐπιτελεῖνG2005Verb - Present Infinitive ActivetheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingulartabernacleσκηνήνG4633Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular-γάρG1063Conjunction-φησίνG5346Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularSee to it thatὍραG3708Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singularyou makeΠοιήσειςG4160Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingulareverythingπάνταG3956Adjective - Accusative Neuter Pluralaccording toκατὰG2596PrepositiontheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularpatternτύπονG5179Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularshownδειχθένταG1166Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Accusative Masculine SingularyouσοιG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person SingularonἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularmountainὄρειG3735Noun - Dative Neuter Singular

BSB notes

  • Exodus 25:40; see also Exodus 26:30.
Verse 6

Original words

NowΝυνὶ*G3570AdverbhoweverδὲG1161Conjunction[Jesus] has receivedτέτυχενG5177Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singulara muchὅσῳG3745Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singularmore excellentδιαφορωτέραςG1313Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular - ComparativeministryλειτουργίαςG3009Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularjust asκαὶG2532Conjunctionthe covenantδιαθήκηςG1242Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularvvvἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularHe mediatesμεσίτηςG3316Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularis betterκρείττονόςG2909Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular - Comparative[and]ἥτιςG3748Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singularis foundedνενομοθέτηταιG3549Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularonἐπὶG1909PrepositionbetterκρείττοσινG2909Adjective - Dative Feminine Plural - ComparativepromisesἐπαγγελίαιςG1860Noun - Dative Feminine Plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.