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 1:4

1:4 Thus he became ⁷  so far better than the angels as ⁸  he has inherited a name superior to theirs.

Hebrews 7:7

7:7 Now without dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior,

Hebrews 11:40

11:40 For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us. ⁹ 

Hebrews 12:24

12:24 and to Jesus, the mediator ¹⁰  of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel’s does. ¹¹ 

Hebrews 7:19

7:19 for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

Hebrews 9:23

9:23 So it was necessary for the sketches ¹²  of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, ¹³  but the heavenly things themselves required ¹⁴  better sacrifices than these.

Hebrews 10:34

10:34 For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, ¹⁵  and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly ¹⁶  had a better and lasting possession.

Hebrews 11:16

11:16 But as it is, ¹⁷  they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:35

11:35 and women received back their dead raised to life. ¹⁸  But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life. ¹⁹ 

[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.

[1:4]  ³ tn Grk “having become.” This is part of the same sentence that extends from v. 1 through v. 4 in the Greek text.

[1:4]  ⁴ tn Most modern English translations attempt to make the comparison somewhat smoother by treating “name” as if it were the subject of the second element: “as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, CEV). However, the Son is the subject of both the first and second elements: “he became so far better”; “he has inherited a name.” The present translation maintains this parallelism even though it results in a somewhat more awkward rendering.

[11:40]  ⁴ tn The Greek phrasing emphasizes this point by negating the opposite: “so that they would not be made perfect without us.”

[12:24]  ⁵ tn The Greek word μεσίτης (mesith", “mediator”) in this context does not imply that Jesus was a mediator in the contemporary sense of the word, i.e., he worked for compromise between opposing parties. Here the term describes his function as the one who was used by God to enact a new covenant which established a new relationship between God and his people, but entirely on God’s terms.

[12:24]  ⁶ sn Abel’s shed blood cried out to the Lord for justice and judgment, but Jesus’ blood speaks of redemption and forgiveness, something better than Abel’s does (Gen 4:10; Heb 9:11-14; 11:4).

[9:23]  ⁶ tn Or “prototypes,” “outlines,” referring to the earthly sanctuary. See Heb 8:5 above for the prior use of this term.

[9:23]  ⁷ tn Grk “with these”; in the translation the referent (sacrifices) has been specified for clarity.

[9:23]  ⁸ tn Grk “the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”

[10:34]  ⁷ tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א D² 1881 Ï), read δεσμοῖς μου (desmoi" mou, “my imprisonment”) here, a reading that is probably due to the widespread belief in the early Christian centuries that Paul was the author of Hebrews (cf. Phil 1:7; Col 4:18). It may have been generated by the reading δεσμοῖς without the μου (so Ì⁴⁶ Ψ 104 pc), the force of which is so ambiguous (lit., “you shared the sufferings with the bonds”) as to be virtually nonsensical. Most likely, δεσμοῖς resulted when a scribe made an error in copying δεσμίοις (desmioi"), a reading which makes excellent sense (“[of] those in prison”) and is strongly supported by early and significant witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western texttypes (A D* H 6 33 81 1739 lat sy co). Thus, δεσμίοις best explains the rise of the other readings on both internal and external grounds and is strongly preferred.

[10:34]  ⁸ tn Grk “you yourselves.”

[11:16]  ⁸ tn Grk “now.”

[11:35]  ⁹ tn Grk “received back their dead from resurrection.”

[11:35]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “to obtain a better resurrection.”