Hebrews 8:4
in Hebrews 8Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are already priests who offer gifts according to the law.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
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;
KJV
For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
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This verse in Hebrews 8
Commentary
15 notes on this verseHe mentioned this by way of defense to stress that he was not criticizing the law but regarding it also as venerable for containing the type of the heavenly things. This was the reason he said it was pointless to refer to him as a …
This site's exposition
offer both gifts and sacrifices
on Hebrews 8:3-5
Every high priest offers gifts and sacrifices, so Christ too must have something to offer, His own blood. On earth He would not be a priest, since the law's priests already served. Their sanctuary is a copy and shadow of heaven, made to the pattern of Exodus 25:40.
This site's exposition
He would not be a priest
Adam Clarke notes that the temple still stood when the letter was written, and a priest from Judah had no place at its altar. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown add that the place of atonement mattered as much as the blood, so Christ serves in the heavenly sanctuary.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"For if he were on earth." This was the case, if he had not died, nor had he been taken up after rising. "he would not be a priest at all." For there would be others, even a rebellion would be present. But now he …
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.
The Medieval Church2 voices
He further confirms that although He does not have His tabernacle on earth but in heaven, there is nevertheless no obstacle to His being a priest. And notice the wisdom. On the very basis by which someone might especially argue that He is not a …
385. – Then (v. 4) he shows that Christ is not a minister of the sacrifices of the Law. In regard to this he does three things: first, he introduces a consequence; secondly, he gives the reason (v. 4b); thirdly, he proves it by an …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Christ must now execute his priesthood in heaven, in the holy of holies, the true tabernacle which the Lord hath fixed. Thus the type must be fully answered; having finished the work of sacrificing here, he must go into heaven, to present his righteousness and to make intercession there. For, (1.) If Christ were on earth, he would not be a priest (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
7 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
), that is, not according to the Levitical law, as not being of the line of that priesthood; and so long as that priesthood continued there must be a strict regard paid to the divine institution in everything.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
But if he were on earth - If his priesthood terminated here. He could not be a priest - At all, consistently with the Jewish institutions. There being other priests - To whom alone this office is allotted.
For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest,....
Largely illustrates the excellency of the priesthood of Christ, by considering the excellency of that new dispensation or covenant for which Christ is the Mediator,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
For if he were on earth - As the Jewish temple was standing when this epistle was written, the whole temple service continued to be performed by the legal priests, descendants of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi; therefore if Christ had been then on earth, he could not have performed the office of a priest, being of the tribe of Judah, to which tribe the office of the priesthood did not appertain. There are priests that offer gifts - This is an additional proof that this epistle was written before the destruction of Jerusalem.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The place (the heavenly Holy of Holies) was as essential to the atonement being made as the oblation (the blood). The body was burnt without the gate; but the sanctification was effected by the presentation of the blood within the sanctuary by the high priest. If on earth, He would not be a priest in the sense of the law of Moses ("according to the law" is emphatic).
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest - He could not perform that office. The design of this is, to show a reason why he was removed to heaven. The reason was, that on earth there were those who were set apart to that office, and that he, not being of the same tribe with them, could not officiate as priest. There was an order of people here on earth consecrated already to that office, and hence, it was necessary that the Lord Jesus, in performing the functions of the office, should be removed to another sphere.
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Εἰ | ei | If | G1487 → | 508 times |
| μὲν | men | certainly | G3303 → | 176 times |
| οὖν | oun | then | G3767 → | 497 times |
| ἦν | en | He were | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | on | G1909 → | 883 times |
| γῆς, | ges | earth, | G1093 → | 248 times |
| οὐδ᾽ | oud᾽ | not even | G3761 → | 141 times |
| ἂν | an | then would | G302 → | 165 times |
| ἦν | en | He was being | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἱερεὺς | hi'ereus | a priest | G2409 → | 30 times |
| ὄντων | onton | while are being | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| τῶν | ton | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προσφερόντων | prospheronton | offering | G4374 → | 47 times |
| κατὰ | kata | according to | G2596 → | 468 times |
| νόμον | nomon | law | G3551 → | 192 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δῶρα, | dora | gifts, | G1435 → | 19 times |
ΕἰIf
eiG1487 →508 times
μὲνcertainly
menG3303 →176 times
οὖνthen
ounG3767 →497 times
ἦνHe were
enG1510 →2333 times
ἐπὶon
epiG1909 →883 times
γῆς,earth,
gesG1093 →248 times
οὐδ᾽not even
oud᾽G3761 →141 times
ἂνthen would
anG302 →165 times
ἦνHe was being
enG1510 →2333 times
ἱερεὺςa priest
hi'ereusG2409 →30 times
ὄντωνwhile are being
ontonG1510 →2333 times
τῶνthose
tonG3588 →19766 times
προσφερόντωνoffering
prospherontonG4374 →47 times
κατὰaccording to
kataG2596 →468 times
νόμονlaw
nomonG3551 →192 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
δῶρα,gifts,
doraG1435 →19 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 5:1Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
it leads to
- Hebrews 8:3
And since every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, it was necessary for this One also to have something to offer.
- Hebrews 10:11
Day after day every priest stands to minister and to offer again and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
- Hebrews 2:17
For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement…
- Leviticus 9:15–21
Aaron then presented the people’s offering. He took the male goat for the people’s sin offering, slaughtered it, and offered it for sin like the first one.
- Hebrews 9:9
It is an illustration for the present time, because the gifts and sacrifices being offered were unable to cleanse the conscience of the worshiper.
- Hebrews 8:3
Through
Numbers 18:5And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and of the altar, so that wrath may not fall on the Israelites again.
it leads to
- Exodus 27:21
In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to…
- Numbers 16:46
Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the…
- Leviticus 24:3
Outside the veil of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps continually before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to be a permanent statute for the…
- Exodus 27:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
On this chapter
About Hebrews
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Edersheim, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Hebrews 14; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews; Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 8; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Hebrews and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Hebrews.