Hebrews 8:4

Hebrews 8:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
• New International Version (NIV)If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;

Context of Hebrews 8:4

2There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands. 3And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. 5They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.” 6But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.

Hebrews 8:4 word by word

Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἦν ἐπὶ γῆς, οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἦν ἱερεὺς ὄντων τῶν προσφερόντων κατὰ νόμον τὰ δῶρα,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
• he wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• notοὐδέoude · norG3761
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• a priestἱερεύςhiereus · priestG2409
• priestsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• that offerπροσφέρωprospherō · to bring toG4374
• giftsδῶρονdōron · giftG1435
• accordingκατάkata · according toG2596
• to the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551

Cross-references for Hebrews 8:4

• Hebrews 7:11So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron?
• Numbers 16:40This would warn the Israelites that no unauthorized person—no one who was not a descendant of Aaron—should ever enter the Lord’s presence to burn incense. If anyone did, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and his followers. So the Lord’s instructions to Moses were carried out.
• Numbers 17:12Then the people of Israel said to Moses, “Look, we are doomed! We are dead! We are ruined!
• Numbers 18:5“You yourselves must perform the sacred duties inside the sanctuary and at the altar. If you follow these instructions, the Lord’s anger will never again blaze against the people of Israel.
• 2 Chronicles 26:18They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is the work of the priests alone, the descendants of Aaron who are set apart for this work. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned. The Lord God will not honor you for this!”
• Hebrews 11:4It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

Commentaries on Hebrews 8:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4For if he were on earth - As the Jewish temple was standing when this epistle was written, the whole temple service continued to be performed by the legal priests, descendants of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi; therefore if Christ had been then on earth, he could not have performed the office of a priest, being of the tribe of Judah, to which tribe the office of the priesthood did not appertain. There are priests that offer gifts - This is an additional…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest - He could not perform that office. The design of this is, to show a reason why he was removed to heaven. The reason was, that on earth there were those who were set apart to that office, and that he, not being of the same tribe with them, could not officiate as priest. There was an order of people here on earth consecrated already to that office, and hence, it was necessary that the Lord Jesus, in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4If Jesus were on earth, he would not be a priest under the old system (see Hebrews 7:13–14). However, Jesus is in heaven, making his priestly role unique and better than the priests of the old covenant (8:5; 9:11, 24; 10:12).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Implying that Christ's priestly office is exercised in heaven, not in earth; in the power of His resurrection life, not of His earthly life. For--The oldest manuscripts read, "accordingly then." if, &c.--"if He were on earth, He would not even (so the Greek) be a priest" (compare He 7:13, 14); therefore, certainly, He could not exercise the high priestly function in the earthly Holy of Holies. seeing that, &c.--"since there are" already, and exist now…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 8:4

• Covenant
• Law

In the dictionaries

• Admonish
• Uttermost
• Christ, Offices of
• Congregation
• Faithful; Faithfulness
• Gebal
• Hebrews, Epistle to the
• Jeroham
• Joelah
• Law in the New Testament

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