Passage

Hebrews 3.4

Book: Hebrews · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"2. who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house. 3. For he hath been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as he that built the house hath more honor than the house."

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

"5. And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken; 6. but Christ as a son, over his house; whose house are we, if we hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end." (Hebrews 3:2-6, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"2. who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house. 3. For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who built the house has more honor than the house."

"4. For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God."

"5. Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken, 6. but Christ is faithful as a Son over his house; whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end." (Hebrews 3:2-6, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. ^{appointed: Gr. made} 3. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house."

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

"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; 6. But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." (Hebrews 3:2-6, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"2. being stedfast to Him who did appoint him, as also Moses in all his house, 3. for of more glory than Moses hath this one been counted worthy, inasmuch as more honour than the house hath he who doth build it,"

"4. for every house is builded by some one, and He who the all things did build [is] God,"

"5. and Moses indeed [was] stedfast in all his house, as an attendant, for a testimony of those things that were to be spoken, 6. and Christ, as a Son over his house, whose house are we, if the boldness and the rejoicing of the hope unto the end we hold fast." (Hebrews 3:2-6, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: unknown author (traditionally Paul; modern scholarship: possibly Apollos, Barnabas, Priscilla, or unknown)
Audience: Jewish-Christian community tempted to revert to Judaism
Location: composition unknown
Time period: composed c. AD 60-69 (before the AD 70 temple destruction, given the present-tense temple-language)

Theological reading

Key words

G2316 - theos, theos (Strong's G2316). Also appears in: Matthew 1.23, Matthew 3.16, Matthew 5.9.
G3956 - pas, pas (Strong's G3956). Also appears in: Matthew 1, Matthew 2.1-6, Matthew 2.16.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.