The Meaning of Hebrews 8:11 Explained

Hebrews 8:11

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.

YLT: and they shall not teach each his neighbour, and each his brother, saying, Know thou the Lord, because they shall all know Me from the small one of them unto the great one of them,

Darby: And they shall not teach each his fellow-citizen, and each his brother, saying, Know the Lord; because all shall know me in themselves, from the little one among them unto the great among them.

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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Hebrews 8:11 Mean?

Study Notes

Lord
Jehovah. Jeremiah 31:34 .

Context Summary

Hebrews 8:1-13 - The Mediator Of The New Covenant
Such a High Priest, Hebrews 8:1-6. He sits because His work is finished so far as His sacrifice is concerned. His place is at God's right hand-the seat of power. By faith we, too, may serve in the inner sanctuary of the spirit. Before you start building, and while engaged in building, your life-work, see that your eyes are fixed on the divine ideal and pattern.
Such a new covenant, Hebrews 8:7-13. It is as superior to the former as Christ's priesthood is to Aaron's. A covenant is a promise, made on conditions to be fulfilled, and attested by an outward sign, like the rainbow, or circumcision, or the Lord's Supper. The covenant under which we live is between God and Christ on behalf of those who belong to Him. We have a perfect right to put our hand on every one of these eight provisions, and claim that each be made good to us. We need not ask that God should do as he has said, but with lowly reverence expect that He will-especially when we drink of the cup of the New Covenant at the Lord's table. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hebrews 8

1  By the eternal priesthood of Christ the Levitical priesthood of Aaron is overshadowed;
7  and replaced by the new covenant of the Gospel

Greek Commentary for Hebrews 8:11

They shall not teach [ου μη διδαχωσιν]
Strong double negative See Luke 15:15; Luke 19:14. Know the Lord Second aorist active imperative of γινωσκω — ginōskō In the new covenant all will be taught of God (Isaiah 54:13; John 6:45), whereas under the old only the educated scribe could understand the minutiae of the law (Dods). See Paul‘s comparison in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. Shall know Future perfect active, old form of οιδα — oida (note γινωσκω — ginōskō just before of recognizing God), one of the rare future perfects (cf. Hebrews 2:13, εσομαι πεποιτως — esomai pepoithōs). [source]
His neighbor [τὸν πολίτην]
Lit. his citizen: his fellow-citizen. [source]
Know the Lord [γνῶθι τὸν κύριον]
As if commending God to the knowledge of one who is ignorant of him. [source]
All shall know [πάντες εἰδήσουσιν]
Observe the two words for know: γνῶθι of the recognition of a stranger; εἰδήσουσιν of an absolute acquaintance as of one born under God's covenant. [source]
From the least to the greatest [ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν]
Lit. from the little unto the great of them. This knowledge of God will be without distinction of age or station. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Hebrews 8:11

Acts 26:22 The help that is from God [επικουριας της απο του τεου]
Old word from επικουρεω — epikoureō to aid, and that from επικουρος — epikouros ally, assister. Only here in N.T. God is Paul‘s ally. All of the plots of the Jews against Paul had failed so far. I stand (εστηκα — hestēka). Second perfect of ιστημι — histēmi to place, intransitive to stand. Picturesque word (Page) of Paul‘s stability and fidelity (cf. Philemon 4:1; Ephesians 6:13). Both to small and great Dative singular (rather than instrumental, taking μαρτυρουμενος — marturoumenos middle, not passive) and use of τε και — te kai links the two adjectives together in an inclusive way. These two adjectives in the singular (representative singular rather than plural) can apply to age (young and old) or to rank (Revelation 11:18) as is specially suitable here with Festus and Agrippa present. In Acts 8:10 (Hebrews 8:11) the phrase explains παντες — pantes (all). Saying nothing but what (ουδεν εκτος λεγων ων — ouden ektos legōn hōn). “Saying nothing outside of those things which.” The ablative relative ων — hōn is attracted into the case of the unexpressed antecedent τουτων — toutōn and so ablative after εκτος — ektos (adverbial preposition common in lxx, the papyri. In N.T. here and 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 15:27; 2 Corinthians 12:2.). Cf. Luke 16:29 about Moses and the prophets. [source]
Acts 26:22 Both to small and great [μικρωι τε και μεγαλωι]
Dative singular (rather than instrumental, taking μαρτυρουμενος — marturoumenos middle, not passive) and use of τε και — te kai links the two adjectives together in an inclusive way. These two adjectives in the singular (representative singular rather than plural) can apply to age (young and old) or to rank (Revelation 11:18) as is specially suitable here with Festus and Agrippa present. In Acts 8:10 (Hebrews 8:11) the phrase explains παντες — pantes (all). Saying nothing but what (ουδεν εκτος λεγων ων — ouden ektos legōn hōn). “Saying nothing outside of those things which.” The ablative relative ων — hōn is attracted into the case of the unexpressed antecedent τουτων — toutōn and so ablative after εκτος — ektos (adverbial preposition common in lxx, the papyri. In N.T. here and 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 15:27; 2 Corinthians 12:2.). Cf. Luke 16:29 about Moses and the prophets. [source]
Hebrews 11:24 When he was come to years [μέγας γενόμενος]
Lit. having become great. Comp. lxx, Exodus 2:11. Often in the phrase μικροὶ καὶ μεγάλοι smalland great; young and old. See Acts 26:22; Hebrews 8:11; Revelation 11:8; Revelation 13:16, etc. [source]
Hebrews 10:17  []
Here again the writer adds “their iniquities” ( των ανομιων — tōn anomiōn ) to “sins” of Hebrews 8:12 and reads μνηστησομαι — mnēsthēsomai (first future passive) with ου μη — ou mē rather than μνηστω — mnēsthō (first aorist passive subjunctive) of Hebrews 8:12 (the more common idiom). It is uncertain also whether the writer means Hebrews 10:17 to be the principal clause with Hebrews 10:15 , Hebrews 10:16 as subordinate or the whole quotation to be subordinate to μετα το ειρηκεναι — meta to eirēkenai of Hebrews 10:15 with anacoluthon in Hebrews 10:18 . At any rate Hebrews 10:17 in the quotation does not follow immediately after Hebrews 10:16 as one can see in Hebrews 8:10-12 (skipping part of Hebrews 8:10 and all of Hebrews 8:11 ). [source]

What do the individual words in Hebrews 8:11 mean?

And no not shall they teach each the neighbor of him brother saying Know Lord because all will know Me from [the] least to [the] greatest of them
καὶ οὐ μὴ διδάξωσιν ἕκαστος τὸν πολίτην αὐτοῦ ἀδελφὸν λέγων Γνῶθι Κύριον ὅτι πάντες εἰδήσουσίν με ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν

οὐ  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὐ  
Sense: no, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer.
διδάξωσιν  shall  they  teach 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: διδάσκω  
Sense: to teach.
ἕκαστος  each 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἕκαστος  
Sense: each, every.
πολίτην  neighbor 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: πολίτης  
Sense: a citizen.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἀδελφὸν  brother 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
λέγων  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Γνῶθι  Know 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: γινώσκω  
Sense: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel.
Κύριον  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
εἰδήσουσίν  will  know 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: οἶδα  
Sense: to see.
με  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
μικροῦ  [the]  least 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: μικρός  
Sense: small, little.
ἕως  to  [the] 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἕως  
Sense: till, until.
μεγάλου  greatest 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: μέγας  
Sense: great.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.