Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

Hebrews 10:5

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
- 5 So when he comes into the world, he says: “‘Sacrifice and offering you did not want, but you prepared a body for me.

Hebrews 10:5

The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures
- 5 Διὸ Through which εἰσερχόμενος entering εἰς into τὸν the κόσμον world λέγει he is saying Θυσίαν Sacrifice καὶ and προσφορὰν offering οὐκ not ἠθέλησας, you wanted, σῶμα body δὲ but κατηρτίσω you adjusted down μοι· to me;

Hebrews 10:5

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References
- 5 Hence when he comes into the world he says: “‘Sacrifice and offering you did not want,+ but you prepared a body for me.+

Hebrews 10:5

The Bible in Living English
- 5 for which reason as he comes into the world he says “Sacrifice and offering thou hadst no will for, but a body thou didst fit for me;

Hebrews 10:5

American Standard Version
- 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, But a body didst thou prepare for me;

Hebrews 10:5

The Emphasized Bible
- 5 Wherefore coming into the world he saith: Sacrifice and offering thou willedst not, But a body hast thou fitted for me,—

Hebrews 10:5

King James Version
- 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

Hebrews

Watch Tower Publications Index 1930-1985
- 10:5 w77 584; gh 117; hs 167; w74 157-158; w73 274; ka 96; w72 623, 686-687, 714-715; dn 16; w71 273; ad 186, 834, 1648; kj 177; g68 11/22 27; li 90, 92-93; w65 650; im 265, 402; w62 142; pa 80; w57 630; w56 49; w54 136; nh 303

Hebrews Study Notes—Chapter 10

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)
- 10:5
  
  when he comes into the world, he says: Paul is here referring to the time when Jesus presented himself for baptism, in 29 C.E. This statement could not refer to Jesus’ birth, since an infant could neither read nor speak the words quoted here. However, at his baptism, Jesus was anointed with holy spirit and became the Christ. That is when he came “into the world” to begin his earthly ministry. (Mr 1:9-11; compare study note on Joh 1:9.) As used here, the term “world” apparently refers to the organized human society in which Jesus carried out his work. (See Glossary, “World.”) This understanding harmonizes with Paul’s words at 1Ti 1:15, where he says that “Christ [that is, “the Anointed One”] Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
  
  he says: Under inspiration, Paul quotes from Ps 40:6 according to the Septuagint, and he indicates that Jesus spoke these words “as he was praying” at the time of his baptism.—Lu 3:21 and study note; see also study note on Mt 3:15.
  
  but you prepared a body for me: Paul quotes from Ps 40:6 (“but you opened up my ears to hear”), although he uses wording that differs from what is found in that verse. (See study note a body for me in this verse.) However, both verses convey the basic idea that the promised Messiah would be willing to do his Father’s will. Ps 40:6 describes the Messiah as having God-given ears to hear, or obey, God’s will. (Compare 1Sa 15:22.) Heb 10:5 describes him as having a God-given body that he could use to obey God’s will—in particular, to offer it up as a sacrifice.
  
  a body for me: Various suggestions have been made to account for the difference in wording between Ps 40:6 (where available Hebrew manuscripts could be rendered “ears you opened for me”) and Paul’s quote here. It is possible that Paul quotes from a version of the Septuagint that was based on an early Hebrew text that contained the expression “a body for me.” Or the Septuagint translators may have regarded the Hebrew phrase as a form of figurative speech—the kind in which a part represents the whole. So they may have understood “ears” as an expression that served to represent the whole body. Whatever the case, Paul quoted these words under inspiration; therefore, they did become an integral part of God’s inspired Word.—See Glossary, “Septuagint.”