Hebrews 8:4

For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;

World English Bible
Learn

Your notes

Private to you. Anything you write on this verse, here or while reading, shows up here and in My study.

Other translations

WEBBE

For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law,

BSB

Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are already priests who offer gifts according to the law.

ASV

Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are those who offer the gifts according to the law;

BBE

If he had been on earth he would not have been a priest at all, because there are other priests who make the offerings ordered by the law;

Original Greek

Look up a word

Tap a word to see what it means and everywhere else it's used.

Εἰ Ei If G1487 μὲν men certainly G3303 οὖν oun then G3767 ἦν ēn He were G1510 ἐπὶ epi on G1909 γῆς gēs earth G1093 οὐδ oud᾽ not even G3761 ἂν an then would G302 ἦν ēn He was being G1510 ἱερεὺς hi'ereus a priest G2409 ὄντων ontōn while are being G1510 τῶν tōn (the) G3588 ἱερέων hi'ereōn priests G2409 τῶν tōn those G3588 προσφερόντων prospherontōn offering G4374 κατὰ kata according to G2596 τὸν ton (the) G3588 νόμον nomon law G3551 τὰ ta the G3588 δῶρα dōra gifts G1435

The early church

And in another way; Having said that He is on high, he affirms and proves that He is a Priest from every consideration, from Melchisedec, from the oath, from offering sacrifice. From this he also frames another and necessary syllogism. "For if" (he says) "He had been on earth, He would not be a Priest, seeing that there are priests who offer the gifts according to the Law." If then He is a Priest (as He really is), we must seek some other place for Him. "For if He were" indeed "on earth, He should not be a priest." For how could He be? He offered no sacrifice, He ministered not in the Priest's office. And with good reason, for there were the priests. Moreover he shows, that it was impossible that He should be a priest upon earth. For how could He be? There was no rising up against the appointed Priests, he means.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Hebrews

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–6

The substance, or summary, of what had been declared was, that Christians had such a High Priest as they needed. He took upon himself human nature, appeared on earth, and there gave himself as a sacrifice to God for the sins of his people. We must not dare to approach God, or to present any thing to him, but in and through Christ, depending upon his merits and mediation; for we are accepted only in the Beloved. In all obedience and worship, we should keep close to God's word, which is the only and perfect standard. Christ is the substance and end of the law of righteousness. But the covenant here referred to, was that made with Israel as a nation, securing temporal benefits to them. The promises of all spiritual blessings, and of eternal life, revealed in the gospel, and made sure through Christ, are of infinitely greater value. Let us bless God that we have a High Priest that suits our helpless condition.

Read Matthew Henry on Hebrews 8 →

Cross-references

7

Topics

LawCovenant

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.