Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

Hebrews 8
New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)

Overview of Hebrews

- D. SUPERIORITY OF THE NEW COVENANT AND OF CHRIST’S SACRIFICE (8:1–10:39)
  - 1. The earthly tabernacle and its significance (8:1-6)
    - Jesus as High Priest at God’s right hand in the heavenly “true tent” (8:1, 2)
    - Sacred service according to the Law foreshadowed heavenly things (8:3-6)
  - 2. A new covenant foretold through the prophet Jeremiah (8:7-13)
    - First covenant not faultless; a new covenant needed (8:7, 8)
    - The superior features of the new covenant (8:9-12)
    - God’s declared purpose made the former covenant obsolete (8:13)
  - 3. The tent under “the former covenant” is an illustration for the present time (9:1-10)
    - Description of the earthly tent with its furnishings and utensils (9:1-5)
    - The Aaronic high priest entered the Most Holy once each year to offer the blood of animals (9:6-10)
  - 4. Everlasting deliverance by means of “the blood of the Christ” (9:11-28)
    - Christ entered into “the greater . . . tent” once for all time “with his own blood” (9:11-14)
    - “The former covenant” inaugurated with animal blood; the “new covenant” validated by Christ’s shed blood (9:15-22)
    - Christ entered “into heaven itself” to present himself before God (9:23-26)
    - When Christ appears “the second time,” it will be for the salvation of believers (9:27, 28)
  - 5. Christ “offered one sacrifice for sins for all time” (10:1-18)
    - “The Law has a shadow of the good things to come”; animal sacrifices ineffectual (10:1-4)
    - Christ came into the world to do God’s will (10:5-10)
    - After offering one sacrifice for sins, Jesus sat down at God’s right hand (10:11-14)
    - The new covenant makes complete forgiveness of sins possible (10:15-18)
  - 6. A new and living way of approach to God by means of his great High Priest (10:19-25)
    - Approach God “with sincere hearts and complete faith” (10:19-22)
    - Hold fast to “the public declaration of our hope” and to the practice of meeting together in love (10:23-25)
  - 7. The danger of practicing sin willfully and the need for endurance (10:26-39)
    - No sacrifice for sins available for those who despise “the blood of the covenant” (10:26-31)
    - Encouragement to endure in faith and not to shrink back (10:32-39)

Hebrews 8:1

+Heb 3:1; 7:26
+Ps 110:1; Heb 1:3

Research Guide

Revelation Climax, p. 161

Ministry School, pp. 29-31
Publications Index
re 161; be 29, 31;

w83 2/15 17; pm 153; g65 8/22 6; w31 220

Hebrews 8:2

*
Or “public servant.”
*
See App. A5.

+Heb 9:8, 24

Research Guide

Insight, Volume 2, pp. 1060, 1081

Revelation Climax, p. 161

The Watchtower,
11/15/2000, p. 11
7/1/1996, pp. 14-19
Publications Index
it-2 1060, 1081; re 161; w00 11/15 11; w96 7/1 14-19;

w74 220-221; w73 380-381; ka 92-93; kj 386; w48 84

Hebrews 8:3

+Eph 5:2

Research Guide

The Watchtower,
8/15/2000, p. 14
Publications Index
w00 8/15 14;

w74 157-158

Hebrews 8:4

+Heb 7:14

Publications Index
rm 135

Hebrews 8:5

+Col 2:16, 17; Heb 10:1
+Heb 9:9, 24
+Ex 25:9, 40; 26:30; Nu 8:4

Research Guide

The Watchtower (Study),
10/2023, pp. 25-26

Insight, Volume 1, pp. 1113-1117, 1134

Insight, Volume 2, p. 905
Publications Index
w23.10 25-26; it-1 1113, 1134; it-2 905;

w79 11/15 22; w74 174; w65 649; rm 135

Hebrews 8:6

*
Or “public service.”

+1Ti 2:5
+1Co 11:25; Heb 7:22; 9:15; 12:22, 24
+Ps 110:4; Ro 8:17

Research Guide

Insight, Volume 1, p. 1079

The Watchtower,
11/15/2000, p. 11
8/15/1989, p. 30
2/1/1989, p. 19

Worldwide Security, pp. 100-101
Publications Index
it-1 1079; w00 11/15 11; w89 2/1 19; w89 8/15 30; ws 100-101;

w79 11/15 22; w72 685; w66 110; im 217; w61 138; w54 182; el 106; w48 84; w46 179, 235; w34 104; jh 152

Hebrews 8:7

+Heb 7:11, 18

Research Guide

Insight, Volume 1, p. 817
Publications Index
it-1 817;

w72 685; ad 571; ns 273; w58 111; w34 102; jh 147

Hebrews 8:8

*
See App. A5.

Publications Index
gh 122; w72 685; w62 144; w34 120; jh 183

Hebrews 8:9

*
See App. A5.

+Ex 12:51

Research Guide

Insight, Volume 2, p. 485
Publications Index
it-2 485;

w72 685; ad 1215

Hebrews 8:10

*
See App. A5.

+Ro 2:29
+2Co 6:16

Research Guide

Worldwide Security, pp. 113-114
Publications Index
ws 114;

w73 415-416; w58 111; w34 120; jh 185

Hebrews 8:11

*
See App. A5.

Research Guide

Insight, Volume 2, p. 491
Publications Index
it-2 491;

w34 131; jh 190

Hebrews 8:12

+Jer 31:31-34

Publications Index
w72 690; w42 187

Hebrews 8:13

+Ro 10:4; Heb 7:12
+Col 2:13, 14

Research Guide

Insight, Volume 1, pp. 523, 1079

The Watchtower,
10/15/2014, pp. 15-16

“All Scripture,” p. 24

Worldwide Security, pp. 100-103
Publications Index
it-1 523, 1079; w14 10/15 15-16; si 24; ws 101-103;

w83 9/1 31; w79 11/15 20; po 157; w73 217; w72 690; ad 746; im 294; w63 199; w62 144; ns 273; nh 173; w49 72; w46 235; w34 120; jh 183

Parallel Translations

Click a verse number to display parallel Bible verses.

General

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)

Hebrews 8:1-13

To the Hebrews

8 Now this is the main point of what we are saying: We have such a high priest as this,+ and he has sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,+ 2 a minister* of the holy place+ and of the true tent, which Jehovah* set up, and not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.+ 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest,+ since there are already men who offer the gifts according to the Law. 5 These men are offering sacred service in a typical representation and a shadow+ of the heavenly things;+ just as Moses, when about to construct the tent, was given the divine command: For He says: “See that you make all things after their pattern that was shown to you in the mountain.”+ 6 But now Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry* because he is also the mediator+ of a correspondingly better covenant,+ which has been legally established on better promises.+

7 If that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second.+ 8 For he does find fault with the people when he says: “‘Look! The days are coming,’ says Jehovah,* ‘when I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant. 9 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day I took hold of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,+ because they did not remain in my covenant, so I stopped caring for them,’ says Jehovah.*

10 “‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ says Jehovah.* ‘I will put my laws in their mind, and in their hearts I will write them.+ And I will become their God, and they will become my people.+

11 “‘And they will no longer teach each one his fellow citizen and each one his brother, saying: “Know Jehovah!”* For they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful toward their unrighteous deeds, and I will no longer call their sins to mind.’”+

13 In his saying “a new covenant,” he has made the former one obsolete.+ Now what is obsolete and growing old is near to vanishing away.+