The Meaning of Hebrews 13:8 Explained

Hebrews 13:8

KJV: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

YLT: Jesus Christ yesterday and to-day the same, and to the ages;

Darby: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to-day, and to the ages to come.

ASV: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to-day, yea and for ever.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Jesus  Christ  the same  yesterday,  and  to day,  and  for  ever. 

What does Hebrews 13:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus Christ is the content of the message that the leaders had preached to these hearers (cf. Hebrews 13:7). [1] That message and its hero is what this writer had urged his readers not to abandon. The leaders had preached the Word of God to these readers, and that preaching culminated in Jesus Christ.
"Jesus is not the object of faith [2], but the supreme model of it." [3]
""Yesterday" the original leaders preached Jesus Christ, even as the writer does now; the present time can tolerate no other approach to the grace of God ( Hebrews 2:9). "Forever" recalls the quality of the redemption secured by Jesus Christ ( Hebrews 5:9; Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:14-15; Hebrews 13:20) and of the priesthood of Christ ( Hebrews 7:24-25): it is "eternal."" [1]
Another less probable interpretation of this verse sees Jesus as the leader who is perpetually available in contrast to the leaders who had preached to these readers but who were now dead. [5] Jesus had also died and gone to heaven (cf. Hebrews 12:2). His example of faithfulness, as expounded in this epistle, should be a continuing encouragement to all believers. He is as faithful to His promises now as He ever was, and He always will be faithful to them.

Context Summary

Hebrews 13:1-13 - Sanctify Daily Life
We may not like all the brethren, but there is something in each of them that Christ loves. Let us try to discover it, or love them for His sake. We can love people with our mind and think for them, or with our strength and serve them, even though the heart is somewhat reluctant.
Strangers and captives must never be forgotten, either in our prayers or our ministry. The love within the marriage tie must be unsullied, and we must watch against the insidious lust of gold. Why should we always be thinking of money, when God has promised, with two negatives, never to fail us, Hebrews 13:5? Thrice we are asked to remember those who bear office and rule in the church, Hebrews 13:7; Hebrews 13:17; Hebrews 13:24.
We are called to a holy crusade. It is not for us to linger in circumstances of ease and self-indulgence when our Master suffered without the gate! Let us go forth unto Him, bearing His reproach! Has not the Church tarried in the city long enough, enervated by its fashions and flatteries? [source]

Chapter Summary: Hebrews 13

1  Various admonitions as to love;
4  to honest life;
5  to avoid covetousness;
7  to regard God's preachers;
9  to take heed of strange doctrines;
10  to confess Christ;
16  to give alms;
17  to obey governors;
18  to pray for the apostles
20  The conclusion

Greek Commentary for Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yea and forever [Ιησους Χριστος εχτες και σημερον ο αυτος και εις τους αιωνας]
There is no copula in the Greek. Vincent insists that εστιν — estin be supplied between Ιησους — Iēsous and Χριστος — Christos “Jesus is Christ,” but it more naturally comes after Χριστος — Christos as the Revised Version has it. The old adverb εχτες — echthes is rare in the N.T. (John 4:52; Acts 7:28; Hebrews 13:8). Here it refers to the days of Christ‘s flesh (Hebrews 2:3; Hebrews 5:7) and to the recent work of the leaders (Hebrews 13:7). “Today” Hence the peril of apostasy from the only hope of man. [source]
Jesus Christ the same [Ἱησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ αὐτός]
The A.V. is slipshod, leaving the sentence without connection, or in apparent apposition with the end of their conversation. In translation this is commonly corrected by inserting is: “Jesus Christ is the same,” etc. But even thus the real point of the statement is missed. No doubt the old teachers believed in the unchangeableness of Jesus Christ; but that fact is not represented as the subject of their faith, which would be irrelevant and somewhat flat. The emphatic point of the statement is Christ. They lived and died in the faith that Jesus is The Christ - the Messiah. The readers were tempted to surrender this faith and to return to Judaism which denied Jesus's messiahship (comp. Hebrews 10:29). Hence the writer says, “hold fast and imitate their faith in Jesus as the Christ. He is ever the same. He must be to you, today, what he was to them, yesterday, and will be forever to the heavenly hosts - Christ. Rend. therefore “Jesus is Christ.” Observe that our writer rarely uses the formula Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 10:10it occurs in a passage in which the messianic mission of Jesus is emphasized (see Hebrews 10:5, Hebrews 10:9), and in Hebrews 13:21, in a liturgical formula. The temptation to forsake Jesus as Messiah is treated in the next verse. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Hebrews 13:8

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yea and forever [Ιησους Χριστος εχτες και σημερον ο αυτος και εις τους αιωνας]
There is no copula in the Greek. Vincent insists that εστιν — estin be supplied between Ιησους — Iēsous and Χριστος — Christos “Jesus is Christ,” but it more naturally comes after Χριστος — Christos as the Revised Version has it. The old adverb εχτες — echthes is rare in the N.T. (John 4:52; Acts 7:28; Hebrews 13:8). Here it refers to the days of Christ‘s flesh (Hebrews 2:3; Hebrews 5:7) and to the recent work of the leaders (Hebrews 13:7). “Today” Hence the peril of apostasy from the only hope of man. [source]

What do the individual words in Hebrews 13:8 mean?

Jesus Christ yesterday and today [is] the same to the ages
Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐχθὲς καὶ σήμερον αὐτός εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας

Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
Χριστὸς  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.
ἐχθὲς  yesterday 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἐχθές 
Sense: yesterday.
σήμερον  today 
Parse: Adverb
Root: σήμερον  
Sense: this (very) day).
  [is]  the 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
αὐτός  same 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
αἰῶνας  ages 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: αἰών  
Sense: for ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity.