Hebrews 8:5

Hebrews 8:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Who 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.
• New International Version (NIV)They serve at a sanctuary that 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.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain."
• New King James Version (NKJV)who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

Context of Hebrews 8:5

3It is the duty of every special priest to offer gifts and sacrifices to God. So Jesus, as our special priest, must also have something to offer. 4If he was living on earth, then he would not be a priest. There are already priests on earth who offer gifts to God. They do this in the way that Moses' law tells them. But the way that those Levite priests work is only like a picture of the true things in heaven. It is like a shadow of what would happen in heaven. Long ago, when Moses was ready to make the tabernacle, God warned him about it. God said to Moses, ‘Be careful to make everything just like the plan which I showed you on the mountain.’ 6But now God has given Jesus a much better way to serve him as a priest. The new agreement that God makes with his people is possible because of Jesus. Because of Jesus' work on our behalf, the new agreement is better than the old one. It is much better because it started with better promises. 7If there had been nothing wrong with that first agreement, then nobody would have needed a second agreement.

Hebrews 8:5 word by word

οἵτινες ὑποδείγματι καὶ σκιᾷ λατρεύουσιν τῶν ἐπουρανίων, καθὼς κεχρημάτισται Μωϋσῆς μέλλων ἐπιτελεῖν τὴν σκηνήν· ὅρα γάρ φησιν ποιήσεις πάντα κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whoὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• serveλατρεύωlatreuō · to ministerG3000
• unto the exampleὑπόδειγμαhupodeigma · exampleG5262
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• shadowσκιάskia · shadowG4639
• of heavenly thingsἐπουράνιοςepouranios · heavenlyG2032
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• MosesΜωϋσῆς, ΜωσῆςMōseus Mōsēs Mōusēs · MosesG3475
• was admonished of Godχρηματίζωchrēmatizō · to announceG5537
• when he was aboutμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
• to makeἐπιτελέωepiteleō · to completeG2005
• the tabernacleὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the tabernacleσκηνήskēnē · tentG4633
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• Seeὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• saith heφημίphēmi · to assertG5346
• thou makeποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
• according toκατάkata · according toG2596
• the patternτύποςtupos · mark/exampleG5179
• shewedδεικνύωdeiknuō · to showG1166
• to theeσύsu · youG4771
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the mountὄροςoros · mountainG3735

Cross-references for Hebrews 8:5

• Hebrews 9:9This is like a picture that means something for us today. It teaches us about the gifts and sacrifices that people offered to God, to worship him. When someone gave those things to God, it could not make him clean again in his mind.
• Hebrews 10:1God's laws which he gave to Moses are like a shadow of the good things that would come later. But those laws do not show exactly what those good things are like. They say that the priests must continue to offer the same sacrifices on behalf of the people, year after year. So those sacrifices can never make the people completely clean when they come to worship God.
• Colossians 2:17Rules like that are only like shadows of real things that would happen later. But now we have what is real, Christ himself!
• Exodus 25:40Be careful to make all these things like the plan that I have shown you on the mountain.
• Exodus 26:30Make the tabernacle the same as the plan that I showed to you on the mountain.
• Exodus 27:8Use boards to make the altar, so that it is empty inside. You must make it in the way that the Lord showed you on the mountain.
• Numbers 8:4A worker had made the lampstand from one piece of gold that he had made flat with a hammer. From its base to the flowers at the top, he had made it in that way. It was completely like the lampstand that the Lord had shown to Moses.
• 1 Chronicles 28:12David showed Solomon the ideas that God had put in his mind. He gave him the plans for the yards around the Lord's temple and the rooms around the yards. There were also plans of the rooms to store the valuable things and the gifts that people had offered to God.
• Acts 7:44When our ancestors were in the wilderness, they carried a special tent with them. It showed that God was there with them and that is where they worshipped him. God showed Moses how he should make that tent. The people made it in the way that God had said.

Commentaries on Hebrews 8:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Who serve - ̔ · Who perform Divine worship. Unto the example and shadow - ͅ, With the representation and shadow; this is Dr. Macknight's translation, and probably the true one. The whole Levitical service was a representation and shadow of heavenly things; it appears, therefore, absurd to say that the priests served Unto an example or representation of heavenly things; they served rather unto the substance of those things, With appropriate representations…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Who serve unto the example - Who perform their service by the mere example and shadow of the heavenly things; or in a tabernacle, and in a mode, that is the mere emblem of the reality which exists in heaven. The reference is to the tabernacle, which was a mere “example” or “copy” of heaven. The word rendered here “example” - ̔́ hupodeigma- means a “copy, likeness, or imitation.” The tabernacle was made after a pattern which was shown to Moses; it was made…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5a copy and shadow: The earthly place of worship was a copy of the real one in heaven. This is why God told Moses to follow the pattern (see Exodus 25:40; 26:30; compare Acts 7:44). Both Judaism and early Christianity talked about a heavenly temple in a heavenly Jerusalem, which would come to earth at the end of time (see Revelation 21:2). Hebrews suggests that God showed Moses this heavenly place so he could build the earthly tabernacle. However, Jesus…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Who--namely, the priests. serve unto the example--not "after the example," as Bengel explains. But as in He 13:10, "serve the tabernacle," that is, do it service: so "serve (the tabernacle which is but) the outline and shadow." The Greek for "example" is here taken for the sketch, copy, or suggestive representation of the heavenly sanctuary, which is the antitypical reality and primary archetype. "The mount" answers to heaven, He 12:22. admonished--The…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 8:5

• Church
• Covenant
• Law
• Pattern
• Quotations and Allusions
• Sanctuary
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Tabernacle
• Types

In the dictionaries

• God
• Moses
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Admonish
• Shadow
• Tabernacle
• Uttermost
• Christ, Offices of
• Congregation
• Example

Commentaries on Hebrews 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings