Quotes & Notes
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John Wesley's Notes:
And they who are under this covenant (though in other respects
they will have need to teach each other to their lives' end, yet) shall
not need to teach every one his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they
shall all know me-All real Christians.
From the least to the greatest-In this order the saving knowledge of God
ever did and ever will proceed; not first to the greatest, and then to
the least. But "the Lord shall save the tents," the poorest, "of Judah
first, that the glory of the house of David," the royal seed, "and the
glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem," the nobles and the rich
citizens, "do not magnify themselves," Zec 12:7.
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
* they shall. Isa 2:3; 54:13; Jer 31:34; Joh 6:45; 1Jo 2:27
* Know the. 2Ki 17:27,28; 1Ch 28:9; 2Ch 30:22; Ezr 7:25
* for all. Isa 54:13; Jer 24:7; Eze 34:30; Hab 2:14; 1Jo 5:20
* from. Jer 6:13; 42:1; 44:12; Ac 8:10
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Adam Clarke's Commentary:
They shall not teach every man his neighbour] Under the old covenant,
properly speaking, there was no public instruction; before the erection
of synagogues all worship was confined at first to the tabernacle,
afterwards to the temple. When synagogues were established they were
used principally for the bare reading of the law and the prophets; and
scarcely any such thing as a public ministry for the continual
instruction of the common people was found in the land till the time of
John the Baptist, our Lord, and his apostles. It is true there were
prophets who were a sort of general teachers, but neither was their
ministry extended through all the people; and there were schools of the
prophets and schools of the rabbins, but these were for the instruction
of select persons. Hence it was necessary that every man should do what
he could, under that dispensation, to instruct his neighbour and
brother. But the prophecy here indicates that there should be, under the
Gospel dispensation, a profusion of Divine light; and this we find to be
the case by the plentiful diffusion of the sacred writings, and by an
abundant Gospel ministry: and these blessings are not confined to
temples or palaces, but are found in every corner of the land; so that,
literally, all the people, from the least to the greatest, know and
acknowledge the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. Almost
every man, at least in this land, has a Bible, and can read it; and
there is not a family that has not the opportunity of hearing the Gospel
preached, explained, and enforced.
Some have thought that from the least to the greatest is intended to
signify the order in which God proceeds with a work of grace; he
generally begins with the poor, and through these the great and the high
often hear the Gospel of Christ.
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Family Bible Notes:
All shall know me; he would by his word and Spirit impart to them such
knowledge of himself as should incline them to walk in his ways.
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People's New Testament Commentary:
And they shall not teach every man his neighbor. Under the
old covenant children were born into covenant relation. As they grew up
they had to be taught of the Lord, or they would never know him. As a
matter of fact, many did not learn to know him. But under the new
covenant all must learn to know God and the Son whom he hath sent before
they can enter the covenant. Every one must enter by faith in Christ,
repentance of sin, and surrender to the will of God. Hence all members
of the new covenant know God, "from the least to the greatest."
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Robertson's Word Pictures:
They shall not teach (ou mê didaxôsin). Strong double negative (ou mê)
with the first aorist active (futuristic) subjunctive of didaskô. His
fellow-citizen (ton politên autou). See Lu 15:15; 19:14. Know the Lord (Gnôthi
ton kurion). Second aorist active imperative of ginôskô. In the new
covenant all will be taught of God (Isa 54:13; Joh 6:45), whereas under
the old only the educated scribe could understand the minutiae of the
law (Dods). See Paul's comparison in 2Co 3:7-18. Shall know (eidêsousin).
Future perfect active, old form of oida (note ginôskô just before of
recognizing God), one of the rare future perfects (cf. Heb 2:13, esomai
pepoithôs).
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Albert Barnes' Commentary:
And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, etc. That is, no one
shall be under a necessity of imparting instruction to another, or of
exhorting him to become acquainted with the Lord. This is designed to
set forth another of the advantages which would attend the new
dispensation. In the previous verse it had been said that one advantage
of that economy would be, that the law would be written on the heart,
and that they who were thus blessed would be regarded as the people of
God. Another advantage over the old arrangement or covenant is here
stated. It is that the knowledge of the Lord and of the true religion,
would be deeply engraved on the minds of all, and that there would be no
necessity for mutual exhortation and counsel. "They shall have a much
more certain and effectual teaching than they can derive from another."
Doddridge. This passage does not refer to the fact that the true
religion will be universally diffused, but that among those who are
interested in the blessings of the new covenant there would be an
accurate and just knowledge of the Lord. In some way they would be so
taught respecting his character that they would not need the aid to be
derived from others. All under that dispensation, or sustaining to him
the relation of "a people," would, in fact, have a correct knowledge oœ
the Lord. This could not be said of the old dispensation, for
(1.) their religion consisted much in outward observances.
(2.) It was not to such an extent as the new system a dispensation of
the Holy Spirit.
(3.) There were not as many means as now for learning the true character
of God.
(4.) The fullest revelations had not been made to them of that
character. That was reserved for the coming of the Saviour, and under
him it was intended that there should be communicated the full knowledge
of the character of God. Many Mss, and those among the best, here have
polithn citizen--fellow-citizen, instead of plhsion, neighbour; and this
is adopted by Griesbach, Tittman, Rosenmuller, Knapp, Stuart, and by
many of the fathers. It is also in the version of the LXX. in the place
quoted from Jeremiah. It is not easy to determine the true reading, but;
the word neighbour better accords with the meaning of the Hebrew HEBREW
-and there is strong authority from the MSS. and the versions for this
reading.
And every man his brother. Another form of expression, meaning that
there would be no necessity that one should teach another.
Saying, Know the Lord. That is, become acquainted with God; learn his
character and his will. The idea is, that the true knowledge of Jehovah
would prevail as a characteristic of those times.
For all shall know me. That is, all those referred to; all who are
interested in the new covenant, and who are partakers of its blessings.
It does not mean that all persons, in all lands, would then know the
Lord--though the time will come when that will be true; but the
expression is to be limited by the point under discussion. That point is
not that the knowledge of the Lord will fill the whole world, but that
all who are interested in the new dispensation will have a much more
full and clear knowledge of God than was possessed under the old. Of the
truth of this no one can doubt. Christians have a much more perfect
knowledge of God and of his government than could have been learned
merely from the revelations of the Old-Testament.
{b} "all shall know me" Isa 44:13
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Jamieson-Faussett Brown:
Second of the "better promises" (Heb 8:6).
they shall not--"they shall not have to teach" [ALFORD].
his neighbour--So Vulgate reads; but the oldest manuscripts have "his
(fellow) citizen."
brother--a closer and more endearing relation than fellow citizen.
from the least to the greatest--Greek, "from the little one to the great
one." Zec 12:8, "He that is feeble among them shall be as David." Under
the old covenant, the priest's lips were to keep knowledge, and at his
mouth the people were to seek the law: under the new covenant, the Holy
Spirit teaches every believer. Not that the mutual teaching of brethren
is excluded while the covenant is being promulgated; but when once the
Holy Spirit shall have fully taught all the remission of their sins and
inward sanctification, then there shall be no further' need of man
teaching his fellow man. Compare 1Th 4:9; 5:1, an earnest of that
perfect state to come. On the way to that perfect state every man should
teach his neighbor. "The teaching is not hard and forced, because grace
renders all teachable; for it is not the ministry of the letter, but of
the spirit (2Co 3:6). The believer's firmness does not depend on the
authority of human teachers. God Himself teaches" [BENGEL]. The New
Testament is shorter than the Old Testament, because, instead of the
details of an outward letter law, it gives the all-embracing principles
of the spiritual law written on the conscience, leading one to
spontaneous instinctive obedience in outward details. None save the Lord
can teach effectually, "know the Lord."
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1599 Geneva Bible Notes:
None for Hebrews 8:11.
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Spurgeon Devotional Commentary:
None for Hebrews 8:11.
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William Burkitt's Notes:
These words are not to be understood absolutely, but comparatively: They
are a promise that under the new covenant dispensation the Holy Spirit
shall be so plentifully poured forth, and the light of the gospel so
clearly shine forth that there shall not be such need as under the law,
to teach men the knowledge of God, and their duty to him; they shall not
need, in such a manner as formerly, to instruct one another in the
meaning of the types and shadows of the law: they shall all know me:
that is, all ranks and degrees of men, all sorts and conditions of
persons, shall own me to be the Lord.
Note here, What abuse is put upon this text by some, who bring it to set
aside the necessity of human teaching; for it is by such teaching that
God gives men the knowledge of himself.
Learn hence, That there is a duty incumbent on every man to instruct
others according to his ability and opportunity, in the knowledge of
God.
But, Lord, pity us we have more, that mutually teach one another sin,
folly vanity, yea villainy of all sorts, than the knowledge of God, and
the duty we owe unto him! This is not what God here promiseth, believers
in a way of grace, but what he hath given up careless unbelieving
professors to, in a way of vengeance.
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Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:
None for Hebrews 8:11.
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