Division 3:1–4:13
Jesus is greater than Moses, and he leads us to a greater rest
In chapters 1 and 2, the author showed that God has now spoken through his Son Jesus. Jesus is greater than the angels, so people must pay more attention to him than to the angels.
In 3:1–4:13, the author showed that Jesus was also greater than Moses, who led God’s people, the people of Israel, out of Egypt. Moses led them as God’s faithful servant, but Jesus leads them as God’s own Son. Now God’s people include all the people who follow his Son, whether they are people of Israel or not. Jesus is the high priest of the better covenant that God made with his people.
Section 3:1–6
Jesus is greater than Moses
In this section the author explained how Jesus is greater than Moses. Moses was faithful as a servant in God’s house, but Jesus is God’s Son. He is faithful as a Son, taking care of God’s household for God. Because of that he is worthy of more honor than Moses.
Some other examples of headings for this section are:
Moses was God’s faithful servant, but Jesus was God’s faithful Son
-or-
Jesus and Moses (NET Bible)
Some English versions include all of chapter 3 in one section. However, Section 3:7–19 is the second of the important warning sections in the book of Hebrews. (The first warning was in 2:1–4.) It is often helpful to readers to provide separate headings for each of these warning sections.
Paragraph 3:1–6
3:1
This verse is complex. In some languages it is more natural to change the order of clauses or to translate the clauses as two sentences. For examples of how to reorder the clauses in this verse, see the General Comment on 3:1a–b at the end of 3:1b.
3:1a
Therefore: The Greek word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as Therefore introduces the exhortation in 3:1 to “set your focus on Jesus.” The Greek word implies that readers should focus on him because of what was said about him in chapters 1 and 2, and more specifically because of 2:17–18. Those verses indicate that Jesus is a merciful and faithful high priest for his followers. Therefore they must think about him and pay attention to him.
Some other ways to translate this connection are:
So (New Century Version)
-or-
Because of ⌊all⌋ this
-or-
Now therefore
-or-
Because of ⌊all that I have said⌋
Translate the connection in a natural and clear way in your language.
holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling: Scholars differ about what the word holy describes in this phrase:
(1) It describes holy brothers. For example:
holy brothers and sisters (New International Version)
(2) It describes share. For example:
holy partners (New Revised Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English versions and many commentaries.
Here the author addressed his readers directly for the first time in Hebrews. The phrase holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling addresses the readers directly, as if the phrases were names. The author used them to focus special attention on what he was about to say in 3:1b (“set your focus on Jesus”).
In some languages it may not be natural to use a long phrase to address someone directly. So it may be more natural to translate 3:1a in a different way. For example:
holy brothers and sisters, you share in a heavenly calling
-or-
relatives, you belong to God and he has called you to enter heaven
In this sermon (letter) the author rarely used this type of direct address. The only other places are in 3:12, 10:19, 13:22 (“brothers”), and in 6:9 (“dear friends”).
holy brothers: The phrase holy brothers refers back to 2:11, where the author mentioned Jesus as the one who makes people holy. He said also that Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. They are brothers and sisters of Jesus and of each other. Translate the words holy and brothers in a similar way as you did in 2:11.
Some ways to translate holy brothers here are:
brothers and sisters dedicated to God
-or-
Relatives who belong to God
holy: The word holy means “dedicated to God,” “belonging to God,” “sanctified.” In 2:11, the author spoke of Jesus as the one who “sanctifies.” That means that he is the one who dedicates people to God so that they belong to him. See the examples in the preceding note.
The fact that God’s people are holy is one of the themes of the book. See also 10:10, 10:14, 12:10, and 12:14. For more information, see holy, sense A3(a), in Key Biblical Terms.
brothers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as brothers refers here to fellow believers in Christ. It includes both male and female. Believers call each other “brothers and sisters” because they have all been received into God’s family through becoming followers of Jesus.
Some ways to translate the word here are:
My Christian friends (Good News Translation)
-or-
dear brothers and sisters who belong to God (New Living Translation (2004))
who share in the heavenly calling: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as who share (“sharers”) means “people who use or own (something) in common or participate together in (something).” Here it indicates that the author and readers have all been called by God (they share that calling).
In some languages, it may not be natural to share a calling. If that is true in your language, some other ways to translate the meaning are:
who share in being called by God
-or-
whom God called along with others to be in his family
This word is also used in 3:14 in the phrase “to share in Christ.” In 2:14 another form of the word referred to Jesus “sharing” blood and flesh.
heavenly calling: There are two ways to interpret the phrase heavenly calling in this context:
(1) It indicates that the calling is from God. The word heavenly is a way to refer to God. For example:
called by God (Good News Translation)
(Good News Translation, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version)
(2) It refers to being called to heaven. For example:
called to heaven (New Living Translation (2004))
(New Living Translation (2004))
Most English versions are ambiguous, and the interpretations are similar. However, if you must choose, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). In this context the author focuses more on the call to be in God’s family than on our call to heaven.
A heavenly calling indicates that God has invited or chosen people to be his children. Some other ways to translate this are:
God chose you to be his people.
-or-
you whom God invited/told ⌊to be his children⌋
In some languages “God called” a person implies a wrong meaning here. It implies that the person died. If that is true in your language, you should use a different word.
3:1b
In this verse the author compared Jesus to Moses. The Berean Standard Bible and other English versions use a different order of words than the Greek text uses. In Greek, 3:1b–2 is literally:
consider carefully the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus
Notice that the name “Jesus” is the last word in the verse. Another way to translate this order is:
Pay attention to the one who is the apostle of God and the High Priest that we believe in: He is Jesus.
In Greek this order of words emphasizes Jesus. English versions have probably changed the order to emphasize Jesus more clearly in English. Use an order of words in your language that emphasizes Jesus.
set your focus on Jesus: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as set your focus on Jesus is more literally “consider…Jesus.” This phrase means “think carefully about.” Some other ways to translate the phrase set your focus on are:
reflect on Jesus (New American Bible)
-or-
think seriously about Jesus
In some languages there is an idiom to express this. For example:
fix your thoughts on Jesus (New International Version)
-or-
turn your minds to Jesus (New Jerusalem Bible)
Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess: The phrase Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess indicates that we believe and publicly declare that Jesus is our apostle and high priest. In this context the word confess refers to “confessing the faith.” To confess the faith refers to making a statement that tells what followers of Jesus believe.
Some other ways to translate the apostle and high priest whom we confess are:
Jesus, the apostle and chief priest about whom we make our declaration of faith (God’s Word)
-or-
this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s Messenger and High Priest (New Living Translation (1996))
the apostle and high priest: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the apostle and high priest indicates the roles that God gave Jesus. God sent him (so he is called apostle), and God made him the high priest for us.
apostle: The English word apostle comes from the Greek word which means “one who is sent.” An apostle can be sent to say something or to do something. In the New Testament the word apostle usually refers to the disciples whom Jesus sent to tell people the Gospel. Here it refers to Jesus. It indicates that Jesus is the one whom God sent to people for a special purpose.
Some ways to translate apostle in this context are:
God’s Messenger (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
who was sent to us (New Century Version)
In some languages, the term for apostle in the Gospels is “the messenger of Jesus Christ.” Here in Hebrews a term like that should be changed. The term should indicate that God sent Jesus as the apostle (messenger). Also be sure to use a different term for apostle than you use for “prophet” or “angel.” For more information, see apostle, sense 1, in Key Biblical Terms.
high priest: Here the author repeated the phrase high priest that he used in 2:17. He repeated it here because he was about to teach people more about Jesus being our high priest. He gave the main part of this teaching from 4:14 onwards. Translate high priest in the same way as you did in 2:17.
whom we confess: The phrase whom we confess means “what we say/declare that we believe.” In this context the word confess refers to people making a statement in public about what they believe. It does not refer here to confessing sins.
The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as confess occurs six times in the New Testament. For translation examples, see the note on “Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess” earlier in this part of the verse.
General Comment on 3:1a–b
The clauses in 3:1 are complex. In some languages it is more natural to translate the connections in a simpler way or to use more than one sentence. For example:
My Christian friends, who also have been called by God! Think of Jesus, whom God sent to be the High Priest of the faith we profess. (Good News Translation)
-or-
My holy brothers/relatives, you share in being called by God. Think about Jesus. He is the one whom God sent to us, and he is the supreme priest of our faith.
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