{Or, Now to sum up what we are saying We have &c.}Now {Greek: upon.}in the things which we are saying the chief point is this We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
a minister of {Or, holy things}the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is necessary that this high priest also have somewhat to offer.
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;
who serve that which is a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses is warned of God when he is about to {Or, complete}make the tabernacle: for, {Exodus 25:40.}See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern that was showed thee in the mount.
But now hath he obtained a ministry the more excellent, by so much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which hath been enacted upon better promises.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then would no place have been sought for a second.
For {Some ancient authorities read finding fault with it, he saith unto them &c.}finding fault with them, he saith,
{Jeremiah 31:31 ff}Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
That I will {Greek: accomplish.}make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers
In the day that I took them by the hand to lead them forth out of the land of Egypt;
For they continued not in my covenant,
And I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
For this is the covenant that {Greek: I will covenant.}I will make with the house of Israel
After those days, saith the Lord;
I will put my laws into their mind,
And on their heart also will I write them:
And I will be to them a God,
And they shall be to me a people:
And they shall not teach every man his fellow-citizen,
And every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord:
For all shall know me,
From the least to the greatest of them.
For I will be merciful to their iniquities,
And their sins will I remember no more.
In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. But that which is becoming old and waxeth aged is nigh unto vanishing away.
Querverweise zu Hebräer 8,4 Heb 8,4
Now if there was perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for under it hath the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be reckoned after the order of Aaron?
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
For he of whom these things are said {Greek: hath partaken of. See chapter 2:14}belongeth to another tribe, from which no man hath given attendance at the altar.
For it is evident that our Lord hath sprung out of Judah; as to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests.
And what we say is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there ariseth another priest,
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, {The Greek text in this clause is somewhat uncertain.}God bearing witness {Or, over his gifts}in respect of his gifts: and through it he being dead yet speaketh.
to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, that is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to burn incense before Jehovah; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Jehovah spake unto him by Moses.
And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.
Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of Jehovah, {Or, shall die}dieth: shall we perish all of us?
And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; that there be wrath no more upon the children of Israel.
and they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It pertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto Jehovah, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honor from Jehovah God.
Then Uzziah was wroth; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense; and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy {Hebrew: rose (as the sun).}brake forth in his forehead before the priests in the house of Jehovah, beside the altar of incense.