Hebrews 8:6

Hebrews 8:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But 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.
• New International Version (NIV)But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

Context of Hebrews 8:6

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. 5But 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.’ But 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. 8But God did find something wrong with it. As a result, he said this to his people: ‘Listen to this! The Lord says: A time will come when I make a new agreement with my people. That is, with Israel's people and with Judah's people.

Hebrews 8:6 word by word

νυνὶ δὲ διαφορωτέρας τέτυχεν λειτουργίας, ὅσῳ καὶ κρείττονός ἐστιν διαθήκης μεσίτης, ἥτις ἐπὶ κρείττοσιν ἐπαγγελίαις νενομοθέτηται.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• nowνυνίnuni · nowG3570
• hath he obtained aτυγχάνωtugchanō · to obtain/happenG5177
• more excellentδιάφοροςdiaphoros · differentG1313
• ministryλειτουργίαleitourgia · ministryG3009
• by how muchὅσοςhosos · just as/how muchG3745
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• he isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the mediatorμεσίτηςmesitēs · mediatorG3316
• of a betterκρείττωνkreittōn · strongerG2909
• covenantδιαθήκηdiathēkē · covenantG1242
• whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• was establishedνομοθετέωnomotheteō · to give lawsG3549
• uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• promisesἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860

Cross-references for Hebrews 8:6

• Hebrews 8:7If there had been nothing wrong with that first agreement, then nobody would have needed a second agreement.
• 2 Corinthians 3:6God has made us his servants. So we are able to tell people the message of his new agreement. This new agreement is not about rules. Rules tell people what they must do and they bring death. But God's new agreement comes from his Spirit. And the Spirit brings new life to us, not death.
• Hebrews 7:22Because God promised that to Jesus, we know that his new agreement with his people is very strong. It is a much better agreement than the old one.
• Hebrews 12:24You have come to Jesus, who brought the new agreement from God to his people. In that agreement, the blood of Jesus' death makes us clean from our sins. It tells us that God has forgiven us. When Cain killed his brother Abel, Abel's blood brought God's punishment. So we see that Jesus' blood brought us something much better than that.
• Galatians 3:19So we could ask: Why did God give his Law to his people after his promise to Abraham? He gave his Law to show them which things are wrong. It would have authority until Abraham's special descendant would come. That was the descendant that God had promised to bless. God used angels to give his Law to his people. It was Moses who received the Law from God, and Moses then took it to God's people.
• Hebrews 9:15So, by Christ's death, God brings a new agreement between him and his people. God's people receive from him the good things that will be with them for ever. God has promised to give those things to the people that he has chosen. Christ's death has made them free from their sins. God will no longer punish them like the first agreement says should happen.
• Hebrews 8:10But now the Lord says this: After the time of that old agreement I will make a new agreement with Israel's people. It will be like this: I will put my laws into their thoughts. I will write my laws deep inside them. I will be their God and they will be my people.
• Romans 9:4They are Israelite people. God chose them to belong to him as his own children. He showed them that he is very great. He made many agreements with them and he gave his Law to them. He showed them how they should worship him. He promised many good things to them.
• Galatians 3:16In the same way, God promised to bless Abraham and Abraham's descendant. The Bible does not say ‘descendants’. It does not speak about ‘many people’. No, God promised to bless Abraham's descendant. He speaks about one person, and that person is Christ.
• 2 Peter 1:4Because of this, God has promised that he will do very great and valuable things for us. As a result, you can do what is right, like God does. The people who belong to this world want to do bad things. Those bad things make them become worse and worse. But God gives you the power to be free from all that.

Commentaries on Hebrews 8:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry - His office of priesthood is more excellent than the Levitical, because the covenant is better, and established on better promises: the old covenant referred to earthly things; the new covenant, to heavenly. The old covenant had promises of secular good; the new covenant, of spiritual and eternal blessings. As far as Christianity is preferable to Judaism, as far as Christ is preferable to Moses, as far as…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6But now hath he obtained - That is, Christ. A more excellent ministry - A service of a higher order, or of a more exalted nature. It was the real and substantial service of which the other was but the emblem; it pertained to things in heaven, while that was concerned with the earthly tabernacle; it was enduring, while that was to vanish away; see the notes on 2 Corinthians 3:6-9. By how much - By as much as the new covenant is more important than the old…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6He mediates: A mediator helps two parties reach an agreement. Christ's sacrifice created a covenant (agreement) between people and God. the covenant He mediates is better: See “The New Covenant” Theme Note. This covenant is better because it relies on better promises (see Hebrews 8:7–13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. now--not time; but "as it is." more excellent ministry--than any earthly ministry. by how much--in proportion as. mediator--coming between us and God, to carry into effect God's covenant with us. "The messenger (angel) of the covenant." which--Greek, "one which" [Alford]: inasmuch as being one which. established--Greek, "enacted as a law." So Ro 3:27, "law of faith"; and Ro 8:2; 9:31, apply "law" to the Gospel covenant. It is implied hereby, the Gospel…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 8:6

• Covenant
• Gospel
• Jesus Continued
• Law

In the dictionaries

• Admonish
• Covenant
• Mediator
• Uttermost
• Also
• Ascension
• Christ, Offices of
• Congregation
• Excellent
• Faithful; Faithfulness

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