Hebrews 7:22

7:22 accordingly Jesus has become the guarantee ¹  of a better covenant.

Hebrews 8:6

8:6 But ²  now Jesus ³  has obtained a superior ministry, since ⁴  the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted ⁵  on better promises. ⁶ 

Hebrews 8:8

8:8 But ⁷  showing its fault, ⁸  God ⁹  says to them, ¹⁰ 

“Look, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

Hebrews 8:1

The High Priest of a Better Covenant

8:1 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: ¹¹  We have such a high priest, one who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, ¹² 

Hebrews 2:5

Exposition of Psalm 8: Jesus and the Destiny of Humanity

2:5 For he did not put the world to come, ¹³  about which we are speaking, ¹⁴  under the control of angels.

[7:22]  ¹ tn Or “surety.”

[8:6]  ² sn The Greek text indicates a contrast between vv. 4-5 and v. 6 that is difficult to render in English: Jesus’ status in the old order of priests (vv. 4-5) versus his superior ministry (v. 6).

[8:6]  ³ tn Grk “he”; in the translation the referent (Jesus) has been specified for clarity.

[8:6]  ⁴ tn Grk “to the degree that.”

[8:6]  ⁵ tn Grk “which is enacted.”

[8:6]  ⁶ sn This linkage of the change in priesthood with a change in the law or the covenant goes back to Heb 7:12, 22 and is picked up again in Heb 9:6-15 and 10:1-18.

[8:8]  ⁷ tn Grk “for,” but providing an explanation of the God-intended limitation of the first covenant from v. 7.

[8:8]  ⁸ sn The “fault” or limitation in the first covenant was not in its inherent righteousness, but in its design from God himself. It was never intended to be his final revelation or provision for mankind; it was provisional, always pointing toward the fulfillment to come in Christ.

[8:8]  ⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:8]  ¹⁰ tc ‡ Several witnesses (א* A D* I K P Ψ 33 81 326 365 1505 2464 al latt co Cyr) have αὐτούς (autous) here, “[in finding fault with] them, [he says],” alluding to Israel’s failings mentioned in v. 9b. (The verb μέμφομαι [memfomai, “to find fault with”] can take an accusative or dative direct object.) The reading behind the text above (αὐτοίς, autoi"), supported by Ì⁴⁶ א² B D² 0278 1739 1881 Ï, is perhaps a harder reading theologically, and is more ambiguous in meaning. If αὐτοίς goes with μεμφόμενος (memfomeno", here translated “showing its fault”), the clause could be translated “in finding fault with them” or “in showing [its] faults to them.” If αὐτοίς goes with the following λέγει (legei, “he says”), the clause is best translated, “in finding/showing [its] faults, he says to them.” The accusative pronoun suffers no such ambiguity, for it must be the object of μεμφόμενος rather than λέγει. Although a decision is difficult, the dative form of the pronoun best explains the rise of the other reading and is thus more likely to be original.

[8:1]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the main point of the things being said.”

[8:1]  ¹² sn An allusion to Ps 110:1; see Heb 1:3, 13.

[2:5]  ¹³ sn The phrase the world to come means “the coming inhabited earth,” using the Greek term which describes the world of people and their civilizations.

[2:5]  ¹⁴ sn See the previous reference to the world in Heb 1:6.