The Meaning of Hebrews 3:4 Explained

Hebrews 3:4

KJV: For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

YLT: for every house is builded by some one, and He who the all things did build is God,

Darby: For every house is built by some one; but he who has built all things is God.

ASV: For every house is builded by some one; but he that built all things is God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For  every  house  is builded  by  some  [man]; but  he that built  all things  [is] God. 

What does Hebrews 3:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Hebrews 3:1-11 - Superior To Moses
Dwell on those opening words:-holy, such is God's ideal for us; brethren, by reason of our union with Christ, and with one another in Him; partakers, etc., God is ever calling upward and heavenward. Jesus comes from God as Apostle and goes for us to God as Priest. In His human life, how humble and faithful; but He originally built the Jewish polity and commonwealth! He was and is as much greater than Moses as the architect than the foreman and the son than the servant.
It is not enough to begin the Christian race; we must hold fast our confidence and hope to the end. That was the point specially to be emphasized among these harried people. These Hebrew Christians missed the splendid ceremonial of their ancient faith, and were suffering heavily from persecution and opposition. But was it not worthwhile to persevere, if only to be recognized as belonging to the household of God? Surely for them and for us the experiences of Israel in the forty years of wandering are full of warning. Be admonished by that Wilderness cemetery! [source]

Chapter Summary: Hebrews 3

1  Christ is more worthy than Moses;
7  therefore if we believe not in him, we shall be more worthy punishment than hardhearted Israel

Greek Commentary for Hebrews 3:4

Is God [τεος]
God is the Creator of all things and so of his “house” which his Son, Jesus Christ, founded and supervises. [source]
He that built all things is God [ὁ πάντα κατασκευάσας θεός]
The verb includes not only erection, but furnishing with the entire equipment. See Hebrews 9:2; 1 Peter 2:10. The verb oP. The application of built or established to Christ (Hebrews 3:3) is guarded against possible misapprehension. Christ is the establisher, but not by any independent will or agency. As the Son he is he that built, but it is as one with God who built all things. The special foundership of Christ does not contradict or exclude the general foundership of God. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Hebrews 3:4

1 Corinthians 3:9 Building [οἰκοδομή]
Paul's metaphors are drawn from the works and customs of men rather than from the works of nature. “In his epistles,” says Archdeacon Farrar, “we only breathe the air of cities and synagogues.” The abundance of architectural metaphors is not strange in view of the magnificent temples and public buildings which he was continually seeing at Antioch, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus. His frequent use of to build and building in a moral and spiritual sense is noteworthy. In this sense the two words οἰκοδομέω and οἰκοδομή occur twenty-six times in the New Testament, and in all but two cases in Paul's writings. Peter uses build in a similar sense; 1 Peter 2:5. See edify, edification, build, Acts 9:31; Romans 15:20; 1 Corinthians 8:1; 1 Corinthians 8:10, where emboldened is literally built up, and is used ironically. Also Romans 14:19; Romans 15:2; 1 Corinthians 14:3; Ephesians 2:21, etc. It is worth noting that in the Epistle to the Hebrews, while the same metaphor occurs, different words are used. Thus in Hebrews 3:3, Hebrews 3:4, built, builded, represent κατασκευάζω toprepare. In Hebrews 11:10, τεχνίτης artificerand δημιουργὸς , lit., a workman for the public: A.V., builder and maker. This fact has a bearing on the authorship of the epistle. In earlier English, edify was used for build in the literal sense. Thus Piers Ploughman: “I shal overturne this temple and a-down throwe it, and in thre daies after edifie it newe.” See on Acts 20:32. In the double metaphor of the field and the building, the former furnishes the mould of Paul's thought in 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, and the latter in 1 Corinthians 3:10-17. Edwards remarks that the field describes the raw material on which God works, the house the result of the work. [source]

What do the individual words in Hebrews 3:4 mean?

Every for house is built by someone the [One] however everything having built [is] God
πᾶς γὰρ οἶκος κατασκευάζεται ὑπό τινος δὲ πάντα κατασκευάσας Θεός

πᾶς  Every 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
οἶκος  house 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οἶκος  
Sense: a house.
κατασκευάζεται  is  built 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κατασκευάζω  
Sense: to furnish, equip, prepare, make ready.
τινος  someone 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: τὶς  
Sense: a certain, a certain one.
  the  [One] 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
πάντα  everything 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
κατασκευάσας  having  built  [is] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κατασκευάζω  
Sense: to furnish, equip, prepare, make ready.
Θεός  God 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.

What are the major concepts related to Hebrews 3:4?

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