HEB 3:5 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT And Moses was indeed faithful as a servant in his entire house, for a testimony of the things that would be spoken in the future;

UST Moses faithfully served God as one who helped all God’s people. In that way, he already proclaimed what God says now about Jesus.

BLB And indeed Moses was faithful as a servant in all His house, unto a testimony of the things going to be spoken,

AICNT And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken,

OEB While the faithful service of Moses in the whole house of God was that of a servant, whose duty was to bear testimony to a message still to come,

WEBBE Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken,

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken.

LSV and Moses [was] indeed steadfast in all His house, as an attendant, for a testimony of those things that were to be spoken—

FBV As a servant, Moses was faithful in God's house. He provided evidence of what would be announced later.

TCNT Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, which provided testimony to what would be spoken later.

T4T Moses very faithfully served God as he ◄helped/cared for► [MET] God’s people, just like a servant faithfully serves his master. The result was that Moses testified about what Jesus would say later.

LEB And Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony to the things that would be spoken,

BBE And Moses certainly kept faith as a servant, in all his house, and as a witness of those things which were to be said later;

Moff Besides, while Moses was faithful in every department of God's house as an attendant--by way of witness to the coming revelation--

Wymth Moreover, Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant in delivering the message given him to speak;

ASV And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken;

DRA And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be said:

YLT and Moses indeed [was] stedfast in all his house, as an attendant, for a testimony of those things that were to be spoken,

Drby And Moses indeed [was] faithful in all his house, as a ministering servant, for a testimony of the things to be spoken after;

RV And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken;

SLT And truly Moses faithful in his whole house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things to be spoken;

Wbstr And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterwards to be spoken.

KJB-1769 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
(And Moses verily/truly was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; )

KJB-1611 And Moses verely was faithfull in all his house as a seruant, for a testimonie of those things which were to be spoken after.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps And Moyses veryly was faythfull in al his house, as a minister, for a witnesse of those thynges whiche were to be spoken after:
(And Moses verily/truly was faithful in all his house, as a minister, for a witness of those things which were to be spoken after:)

Gnva Now Moses verely was faithfull in all his house, as a seruant, for a witnesse of the thinges which should be spoken after.
(Now Moses verily/truly was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a witness of the things which should be spoken after. )

Cvdl And Moses verely was faithfull in all his house as a mynister, to beare witnes of those thinges which were to be spoken afterwarde:
(And Moses verily/truly was faithful in all his house as a minister, to bear witness of those things which were to be spoken afterward:)

TNT And Moses verely was faythfull in all his housse as a minister to beare witnes of tho thinges which shuld be spoken afterwarde.
(And Moses verily/truly was faithful in all his house as a minister to bear witness of those things which should be spoken afterward. )

Wycl And Moises was trewe in al his hous, as a seruaunt, in to witnessyng of tho thingis that weren to be seid;
(And Moses was true in all his house, as a servant, in to witnessing of those things that were to be said;)

Luth Und Mose zwar war treu in seinem ganzen Hause als ein Knecht zum Zeugnis des, das gesagt sollte werden;
(And Moses that_is what/which faithful in his entire house as a servant/farmhand for_the transcript of, the said should become;)

ClVg Et Moyses quidem fidelis erat in tota domo ejus tamquam famulus, in testimonium eorum, quæ dicenda erant:[fn]
(And Moses indeed faithful was in/into/on the_whole at_home his as_if famulus, in/into/on testimony their, which sayenda they_were: )

3.5 Et Moyses. Ostendit Christum dignum ampliori gloria quam Moysen, quia Christus fabricator est domus, non autem Moyses. Hic aliam rationem etiam ostendit, quia scilicet Christus filius, Moyses famulus est, qui et carnalia carnalibus tradebat, Christus vero spiritualia.

3.5 And Moses. Ostendit Christ/Messiah worthy ampliori glory how Moysen, because Christ/Messiah carpenterscator it_is home, not/no however Moses. Here/This another reason also he_showed, because namely Christ/Messiah son, Moses famulus it_is, who/which and carnal_(things) carnal tradebat, Christ/Messiah indeed/however spiritual_(things).

UGNT καὶ Μωϋσῆς μὲν πιστὸς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ, ὡς θεράπων εἰς μαρτύριον τῶν λαληθησομένων;
(kai Mōusaʸs men pistos en holōi tōi oikōi autou, hōs therapōn eis marturion tōn lalaʸthaʸsomenōn;)

SBL-GNT καὶ Μωϋσῆς μὲν πιστὸς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ ὡς θεράπων εἰς μαρτύριον τῶν λαληθησομένων,
(kai Mōusaʸs men pistos en holōi tōi oikōi autou hōs therapōn eis marturion tōn lalaʸthaʸsomenōn,)

RP-GNT Καὶ Μωϋσῆς μὲν πιστὸς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ ὡς θεράπων, εἰς μαρτύριον τῶν λαληθησομένων·
(Kai Mōusaʸs men pistos en holōi tōi oikōi autou hōs therapōn, eis marturion tōn lalaʸthaʸsomenōn;)

TC-GNT Καὶ [fn]Μωϋσῆς μὲν πιστὸς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ ὡς θεράπων, εἰς μαρτύριον τῶν λαληθησομένων·
(Kai Mōusaʸs men pistos en holōi tōi oikōi autou hōs therapōn, eis marturion tōn lalaʸthaʸsomenōn; )

3:5 μωυσης ¦ μωσης TR

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

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

Jesus and Moses (NET)

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.

3:5–6a

Now…But: In Greek, the introductory phrases for 3:5 and 3:6 are more literally:

^5aand Moses, as for (him)…^6abut as for Christ…

These phrases indicate a contrast between the ways that Jesus and Moses were faithful. Moses was faithful as God’s servant (3:5), but Christ was faithful as God’s Son (3:6). The word Now (literally “and”) is not used as a time word here. It implies that in 3:5–6 the author will continue to speak about what he said in 3:2–4.David L. Allen (Hebrews, NAC, page 245) gives three possible functions for kai here, listing them in “descending order of probability: (1) It could be an explicative, connecting a clause that explains and summarizes vv. 2–4, and thus translated ‘and so.’ In this vein, some see it introducing an additional reason for expecting to find Jesus to be faithful; others as a second proof of Jesus’ superiority over Moses. (2) It could be ascensive, sharpening the contrast being drawn, and thus translated ‘indeed.’ (3) It could be adding another reason for expecting to find fidelity in Christ and thus ascribing to him greater glory. Both Lane and Ellingworth take it as further clarifying and explaining the previous comment concerning the faithfulness and superiority of Jesus contrasted with Moses.”

Some ways to translate these connections are:

So Moses was certainly faithful…as a servant, but Christ was faithful as a son

It is true that Moses was faithful in serving…. But Christ…was rather his Child who was faithful as being in charge

Translate the connection between 3:5 and 3:6 carefully so that the contrast between Moses and Jesus is clear in your language. For another translation example, see the General Comment on 3:5–6a at the end of 3:6a.

3:5a

Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,

It is true that Moses was trustworthy as a servant in charge of God’s household
We^(incl) know that Moses did exactly what God told him to do when he was the servant who took care of God’s people/family.

Moses was faithful as a servant: The words Moses was faithful as a servant implies that Moses obeyed God and did what God told him to do, just as a faithful servant should. Some ways to translate this clause are:

Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house, but only as a servant. (NLT)

It is true that Moses served faithfully in the household of God. But he was only like a servant in that household.

faithful: The word faithful describes someone who is worthy to be trusted. He is reliable and God can depend on him to do what God wants him to do. This is the same Greek word used in 3:2a. You should translate it in the same way here.

servant: The Greek word that the BSB translates as servant appears only here in the NT. It refers to a worker who serves another person willingly, not as a slave. The service is honorable. Usually the word also implies a good relationship between the servant and the person whom he serves. Moses was a faithful servant of God.This is the only occurrence of the Greek word therapōn in the NT, though it is used in the Greek OT (the Septuagint).

Use an appropriate way in your language to refer to this type of relationship. Some other ways to translate it are:

worker

steward

in all God’s house: The phrase in all God’s house was also used in 3:2b. Translate it in the same way in both verses.

3:5b

testifying to what would be spoken later.

to tell his people about the things which were to be spoken afterward.
He made known to them what God planned to say in the future.

testifying to what would be spoken later: This phrase tells how Moses was faithful (3:5a). He was faithful to tell the people of Israel that in the future God was planning to speak new things to them. The Greek expression which the BSB translates as testifying to means “for/as a testimony.”Most English versions agree that this refers to things that Moses said. But it was also Moses’ faithful life and service that anticipated the coming Christ. So the NLT has: “His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later.” Moses testified to things that would happen after he died.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

and his work was only a foreshadowing of the truth that would be known later (JBP)

His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later (NLT)

And what he did was like a prophecy/picture of what God planned to make clear in the future.

See also Deuteronomy 18:15–19, where God promised to send a prophet greater than Moses. Bible scholars believe that this promise refers to the Messiah.

what would be spoken later: The clause what would be spoken later refers to what God would reveal at a future time (when he sent Jesus to the people). This is a passive clause. In some languages it is more natural to use an active verb and indicate that God is the subject. For example:

things God would say in the future (GNT)

later: Here the word later refers to a time hundreds of years after Moses died. Use an appropriate word in your language to refer to such a time in the future.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / extrainfo

Μωϋσῆς μὲν πιστὸς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ, ὡς θεράπων

Moses (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί Μωϋσῆς μέν πιστός ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ ὡς θεράπων εἰς μαρτύριον τῶν λαληθησομένων)

Here, just as in [3:2](../03/02.md), the author uses words that are very similar to the Greek translation of [Numbers 12:7](../../num/12/07.md). It is possible that he is thinking of that verse or directly referencing it. However, he does not introduce the words as a quotation or indicate that he is referring to another text. So, you should not include any quotation information in your translation. If you wish to refer to [Numbers 12:7](../../num/12/07.md), you could use a footnote to do so.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ

in all the house ˱of˲_him

The word house refers to a group of people, in this case the Israelites. See how you translated house in [Hebrews 3:2](../03/02.md). Alternate translation: [among God’s entire tribe] or [in his entire clan]

Note 3 topic: writing-pronouns

αὐτοῦ

˱of˲_him

The word his refers to God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make explicit that the pronoun refers to God. Alternate translation: [God’s]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

τῶν λαληθησομένων

˱of˲_the_‹things› ˓going_to˒_speak

The author does not clarify what exactly is spoken. He may be referring: (1) specifically to what God the Father says about Jesus. Alternate translation: [of the things that would be spoken about Jesus in the future] (2) generally to the good news about Jesus. Alternate translation: [of the good news that would be spoken in the future]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

λαληθησομένων

˓going_to˒_speak

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. The author uses the passive form here to focus on the words that are spoken rather than on the person doing the speaking. If you must state who did the action, the author implies that God did it. Alternate translation: [God would speak in the future]

Parallel HEB 3:5

Section 3:1–6: Jesus is greater than Moses

3:5–6a

3:5a

3:5b