1st Samuel

KING JAMES BIBLE

1 NOW of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
5 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.
6 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.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

KING JAMES 1611

1Now of the things which we haue spoken, this is the summe: wee haue such an high Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Maiestie in the heauens:

2A minister of the Sanctuary, and of the true Tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

3For euery high Priest is ordeined to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessitie that this man haue somewhat also to offer.

4For if he were on earth, he should not bee a Priest, seeing that there are Priests that offer gifts according to the Law:

5Who serue vnto the example and shadow of heauenly 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 paterne shewed to thee in the mount.

6But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministerie, by how much also he is the Mediatour of a better Couenant, which was established vpon better promises.

7For if that first Couenant had bene faultles, then should no place haue bene sought for the second.

8For finding fault with them, hee saith, Behold, the dayes come (saith the Lord) when I will make a new couenant with the house of Israel, and the house of Iudah.

9Not according to the Couenant that I made with their fathers, in the day when I tooke them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued not in my Couenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

10For this is the Couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes, saith the Lord: I wil put my Lawes into their minde, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shalbe to me a people.

11And they shall not teach euery man his neighbour, and euery man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: For all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

12For I will be mercifull to their vnrighteousnes, and their sins & their iniquities will I remember no more.

13In that he saith, A new Couenant, he hath made the first olde. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old, is readie to vanish away.

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THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE

1 The main point of what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up. 3 Now every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus the necessity for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are those who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They worship in a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, as Moses was warned when he was about to erect the tabernacle. For he says, "See that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." 6 Now he has obtained so much more excellent a ministry as he is mediator of a better covenant, enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, no place would have been sought for a second one. 8 But he finds fault with them and says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will conclude a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt; for they did not stand by my covenant and I ignored them, says the Lord. 10 But this is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds and I will write them upon their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his fellow citizen and kinsman, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know me, from least to greatest. 12 For I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sins no more." 13 When he speaks of a "new" covenant, he declares the first one obsolete. And what has become obsolete and has grown old is close to disappearing.

COMMENTARIE

v 1. Having finished comparisons between Melchizedek and Christ, the writer states that his main point is that we already have such a High Priest, and He is not simply ministering, but His ministry is accomplished. He is seated in honor in heaven.
v 2. Christ is the officiating Priest in the true heavenly tabernacle, from which Moses tabernacle was merely patterned.
v 3, 4. Since the earthly priests patterned after Christ and made offerings, it was necessary that He have some offering to make also, His atoning sacrifice.
v 5. Both the service of the priests and the tabernacle were taken from the model which God showed Moses.
v 6. Some things God promised Israel even if they sinned, eventual restoration. Other things were conditioned upon their actions, and they had a mediator, Moses. Christ has a superior (better) ministry, Himself being the mediator, and the promises are unconditional, complete and permanent, with a personal, closer relation with God. This better covenant is established on better promises
v 7. There would have been no use for a new covenant if the old met every need. It is not the covenant that is at fault, but the people for whom it was meant. A meat fork can pick up a roast, but if the roast is overcooked, the meat falls off. This is the fault of the roast, not the fault of the fork. A “new” spatula may be needed to deal with the roast
v 8,9. A double fault in that Israel found out they could not keep the law, and the law in itself gave them no power to keep it. Heb. 10:1, “could not make them perfect”. Because of their breech of covenant, God withdrew his favor and neglected them.
v 10. A friend said concerning certain inefficient farming practices, “We know better than we do.” Israel knew the law but kept on disobeying it. Now God promises not merely to give them full understanding of the laws, but to put them in their hearts, prompt their wills to want to do His will. This will result in a close relationship.
v 11. This goes beyond Israel to Church Age believers for a partial fulfillment, when the Holy Spirit indwells and teaches us. It has a more complete fulfillment, Hab. 2:14, when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.
v 12. This quotes Jer. 31:31-34. It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, Titus 3:5. When we call upon Him, God forgives our sins and they are remembered no more. We cannot pay for our sins, but we may have to pay or bear the consequences of them.
v 13. These Hebrew Christians didn’t know there was a better life. They were still clinging to things of the law that had been annulled or made obsolete by the New Covenant.