Hebrews 3:5

5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,”[a] bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future.

Hebrews 3:5 in Other Translations

KJV
5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
ESV
5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later,
NLT
5 Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later.
MSG
5 Moses did a good job in God's house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come.
CSB
5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's household, as a testimony to what would be said [in the future].

Hebrews 3:5 Meaning and Commentary

Hebrews 3:5

And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant,
&c.] Moses was not only a servant to the Israelites, but he was also the Lord's servant, a servant of his choosing, sending, and approving; he was a servant in holy things, and served the Lord heartily, sincerely, and ingenuously, with all becoming fear and reverence, respect, and honour, and with all ready and cheerful obedience; the house in which he was a servant, was not his own, but belonged to God, even the Son of God, as appears from the following verse; he was not a servant in the world, and with respect to civil things, and the affairs of Providence, but in the church of God, and in divine things; and he was faithful here, and that in all things; he did all things exactly according to the pattern showed him in the Mount; and the apostle strongly affirms all this, as well he might, since there was full proof of it, and God himself had bore a testimony to it: and the end of his being a servant here was,

for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
these words may regard his faithful testification of God's will to the people of Israel, after he was fixed as a servant in God's house; or what he said afterwards concerning the Messiah, of whom he spake and wrote, and of whom he bore an honourable testimony, ( Deuteronomy 18:1 Deuteronomy 18:5 ) or they may have respect to the things spoken after Moses's time, by the prophets, Christ, and his apostles, which agreed with the testimony of Moses; or to the things afterwards spoken of in this epistle; to which may be added, that Moses in his office was typical of things to be spoken and done by the Messiah, when he came; as his deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt; his leading them through the Red sea and wilderness, to Canaan's land; his giving them the law from Mount Sinai; the erection of the tabernacle, with all its furniture, and the institution of sacrifices and the like.

Hebrews 3:5 In-Context

3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.
4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future.
6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,

Cross References 2

  • 1. Exodus 14:31
  • 2. ver 2; Numbers 12:7

Footnotes 1

Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.