Hebrews 8:11
in Hebrews 8No longer will each one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Hebrews 8
Commentary
16 notes on this verseHaving bestowed on us the truly great, divine, and inalienable inheritance of the Father, deifying man by heavenly teaching, putting His laws into our minds, and writing them on our hearts. What laws does He inscribe? "That all shall know God, from small to great;" and, "I will be merciful to them," says God, "and will not remember their sins." Let us receive the laws of life, let us comply with God's expostulations; let us become acquainted with Him, that He may be gracious.
This site's exposition
put My laws in their minds
on Hebrews 8:10-12
God promises laws on the heart, the bond I will be their God, and a people where they will all know Me. It ends in forgiveness: I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more. Every clause is addressed to the house of Israel.
This site's exposition
from the least of them to the greatest
The order runs from the least of them to the greatest, as at Zechariah 12:7, where the Lord saves the poorest of Judah first. Under the old covenant the people sought the law from the priest's mouth. Under the new, they will all know Me.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor." Here it speaks of a teaching that is more laborious. For behold, we see that there is no need for more words for those whose minds are healthy, to persuade them to believe in Christ. For …
This does not happen in this life, but will happen in that: those still beset with the gloom of unbelief will see the truth there, and will be smitten, in keeping with the divine oracle.
If there dwelt upon earth a faith as great as is the reward of faith which is expected in the heavens, no one of you at all, best beloved sisters, from the time that she had first "known the Lord," and learned (the truth) concerning her own (that is, woman's) condition, would have desired too gladsome (not to say too ostentatious) a style of dress; so as not rather to go about in humble garb, and rather to affect meanness of appearance, walking about as Eve mourning and repentant, in order that by every garb of penitence she might the more fully expiate that which she derives from Eve,-the ignominy, I mean, of the first sin, and the odium (attaching to her as the cause) of human perdition.
Let no one, then, flatter himself on the ground of being assigned to the "recruit-classes" of learners, as if on that account he have a licence even now to sin. As soon as you "know the Lord, you should fear Him; as soon as you have gazed on Him, you should reverence Him.
"And they shall not teach" (he says) "every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know Me from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." Behold also another sign. "From the least even to the greatest of them" (he says) "they shall know Me, and they shall not say, Know the Lord." When hath this been fulfilled save now? For our religion is manifest: but theirs, i.e. the Jews', was not manifest, but had been shut up in a corner. A covenant is then said to be "new," when it is different and shows some advantage over the old. Here he shows that God counts us worthy of greater and of spiritual privileges: for it is said "their sound went out into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world." (Ps. xix. 5; Rom. x. 18.) That is the meaning of "they shall not say each man to his neighbor, Know the Lord." And again, "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as much water to cover the seas." (Isa. xi. 9.)
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
He here calls "learning" an instruction accompanied by labor. For behold, we see that we need a great many words for those of sound mind in order to persuade them to believe in Christ. Since the Jewish law was contained in one corner of the …
407. – Then when he says, And they shall not teach every one his fellow, he lays down the second effect of the New Testament. In regard to this he does two things: first, he gives the sign of that effect; secondly, the effect itself …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
O that this promise might be fulfilled in our days, that the hand of God may be with his ministers, that a great number may believe and be turned to the Lord! (4.) God articles with them about the pardon of their sins, as what always accompanies the true knowledge of God (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
But "the Lord shall save the tents," the poorest, "of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David," the royal seed, "and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem," the nobles and the rich citizens, "do not magnify themselves," Zech. xii, 7. For I will justify them, which is the root of all true knowledge of God. This, therefore, is God's method.
And they shall not teach every man his neighbour,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And they shall not teach every man his neighbor ... - That is, no one shall be under a necessity of imparting instruction to another, or of exhorting him to become acquainted with the Lord. This is designed to set forth another of the advantages which would attend the new dispensation. In the previous verse it had been said that one advantage of that economy would be, that the Law would be written on the heart, and that they who were thus blessed would be regarded as the people of God.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Not that the mutual teaching of brethren is excluded while the covenant is being promulgated; but when once the Holy Spirit shall have fully taught all the remission of their sins and inward sanctification, then there shall be no further' need of man teaching his fellow man.
They shall not teach every man his neighbor - Under the old covenant, properly speaking, there was no public instruction; before the erection of synagogues all worship was confined at first to the tabernacle, afterwards to the temple. When synagogues were established they were used principally for the bare reading of the law and the prophets; and scarcely any such thing as a public ministry for the continual instruction of the common people was found in the land till the time of John the Baptist, our Lord, and his apostles. It is true there were prophets who were a sort of general teachers, but neither was their ministry extended through all the people; and there were schools of the prophets and schools of the rabbins, but these were for the instruction of select persons. Hence it was necessary that every man should do what he could, under that dispensation, to instruct his neighbor and brother. But the prophecy here indicates that there should be, under the Gospel dispensation, a profusion of Divine light; and this we find to be the case by the plentiful diffusion of the sacred writings, and by an abundant Gospel ministry: and these blessings are not confined to temples or palaces, but are found in every corner of the land; so that, literally, all the people, from the least to the greatest, know and acknowledge the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. Almost every man, at least in this land, has a Bible, and can read it; and there is not a family that has not the opportunity of hearing the Gospel preached, explained, and enforced. Some have thought that from the least to the greatest is intended to signify the order in which God proceeds with a work of grace; he generally begins with the poor, and through these the great and the high often hear the Gospel of Christ.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐ | ou | certainly | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| διδάξωσιν | didaxosin | shall they teach | G1321 → | |
| ἕκαστος | hekastos | each | G1538 → | 81 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πολίτην | politen | comrade | G4177 → | |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἕκαστος | hekastos | each | G1538 → | 81 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφὸν | adelphon | brother | G80 → | 343 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| λέγων· | legon | saying; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| γνῶθι | gnothi | do know | G1097 → | 221 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κύριον, | kurion | Lord,’ | G2962 → | 711 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | because | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| πάντες | pantes | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| εἰδήσουσίν | eidesousin | will know | G1492 → | 374 times |
| με, | me | Me, | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| μικροῦ | mikrou | [the] least | G3398 → | |
| ἕως | he'os | to [the] | G2193 → | 146 times |
| μεγάλου | megalou | greatest | G3173 → | 243 times |
| αὐτῶν· | auton | of them; | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐcertainly
ouG3756 →1664 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
διδάξωσινshall they teach
didaxosinG1321 →
ἕκαστοςeach
hekastosG1538 →81 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
πολίτηνcomrade
politenG4177 →
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἕκαστοςeach
hekastosG1538 →81 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφὸνbrother
adelphonG80 →343 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
λέγων·saying;
legonG3004 →1325 times
γνῶθιdo know
gnothiG1097 →221 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
κύριον,Lord,’
kurionG2962 →711 times
ὅτιbecause
hotiG3754 →1292 times
πάντεςall
pantesG3956 →1235 times
εἰδήσουσίνwill know
eidesousinG1492 →374 times
με,Me,
meG3165 →1936 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
μικροῦ[the] least
mikrouG3398 →
ἕωςto [the]
he'osG2193 →146 times
μεγάλουgreatest
megalouG3173 →243 times
αὐτῶν·of them;
autonG846 →5565 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
John 6:45It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—
it leads to
- Isaiah 54:13
Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 31:33–34
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 10:16
“This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and inscribe them on their minds.”
- Hebrews 8:10–11
For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And…
- 1 Thessalonians 4:9
Now about brotherly love, you do not need anyone to write to you, because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
- Isaiah 54:13
Through
1 John 2:27And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all…
it leads to
- John 14:26
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
- 1 John 2:20–21
You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
- John 14:26
Through
Isaiah 54:13Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.
it leads to
- John 6:45
It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—
- John 6:45
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
On this chapter
About Hebrews

This page draws on 17 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); Clement of Alexandria, Exhortation to the Heathen; 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; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews; Tertullian, On the Apparel of Women Book I; Tertullian, On Repentance; Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 8; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Hebrews and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Hebrews.
