And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Under the new covenant, direct, personal knowledge of God becomes the norm, meaning the foundational instruction of "Know the Lord" from one person to another is no longer the primary way spiritual understanding is imparted. God's Spirit will directly illuminate hearts and minds, making this fundamental knowledge innate for all believers, from the humblest to the most distinguished.
And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The author of Hebrews is arguing that the Old Covenant had inherent weaknesses, which necessitated a New Covenant. He quotes Jeremiah 31, which describes this new covenant God will make with His people, emphasizing God's law being written internally and a direct relationship with Him. This verse highlights the profound, intimate, and universal knowledge of God that defines this new covenant, contrasting it with the mediated and less certain knowledge under the old.
Imagine a world where learning God's deepest truths isn't about lectures or textbooks, but an innate understanding. This verse paints a radical picture of that reality.
Hebrews 8:11 says, 'they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me...' This doesn't eliminate the need for teachers or community learning, but it points to a fundamental shift. Under the New Covenant, the knowledge of God isn't just imparted from the outside; it's deeply ingrained within.
The Spirit's Work
Under the Old Covenant, knowledge of God often came through external laws and pronouncements. But the New Covenant, as Jeremiah prophesied and the author of Hebrews emphasizes, involves God's Spirit writing His laws directly onto people's hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:10). This internal transformation means that the fundamental truth of 'knowing the Lord' becomes an inherent part of one's being, not just a lesson learned.
Beyond External Rules
Think of it like this: You can teach someone the rules of a game, but until they truly understand the spirit of the game and can play it intuitively, they don't know the game. The New Covenant promises that kind of intuitive, experiential knowledge of God. It's a knowledge that flows from a relationship, not just information.
The promise of knowing God isn't for a select few spiritual elites. This verse makes a bold claim about under the New Covenant.
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The phrase 'from the least of them to the greatest' is crucial. It signifies that the knowledge of God promised in the New Covenant is radically inclusive.
Breaking Down Barriers
This knowledge isn't limited by social status, age, education, or any other human category. Whether one is a respected elder or a young child, a scholar or someone with little formal learning, all have direct access to knowing God. This was a stark contrast to some aspects of the Old Covenant, where access and understanding could be more mediated.
A Mark of the New Covenant
This universal, intimate knowledge is presented as a defining characteristic of God's new relationship with His people. It's not just about knowing about God, but knowing Him personally and intimately. This isn't a promise of perfect understanding for every believer in this life, but a guarantee of genuine, transformative knowledge that sets believers apart.
Understand the original words
ginōskō · Greek Verb
To perceive, recognize, or experience; in a covenantal context, it refers to an intimate, personal, and relational knowledge of God rather than merely intellectual assent.
kyrios · Hebrew (as YHWH) / Greek (as Kyrios) Noun
The personal name of God revealed to Israel, signifying His self-existence, covenant faithfulness, and holiness. As the covenant Lord, He is the object of the people's ultimate allegiance and knowledge.
This verse is rooted in the Old Testament's experience of covenant failure, particularly the exile in Babylon. The promise of a new covenant, made through prophets like Jeremiah, offered a radical shift: no longer would knowledge of God depend on external teaching and mediation, but on an intimate, internal relationship established by God's Spirit.
c. 622 BC
King Josiah's Reforms
During the reign of King Josiah, the Book of the Law is discovered in the Jerusalem temple. This leads to a religious reformation aimed at restoring true worship of God and re-establishing the covenant with Him. This event highlights the people's historical distance from understanding and keeping God's covenant.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captures Jerusalem and deports King Jehoiachin and many of the people, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This marks a significant judgment on Judah for breaking the covenant.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and scattering the remaining population. This is the ultimate consequence of covenant unfaithfulness.
c. 586-538 BC— this verse
Exile in Babylon
The people of Judah live in exile in Babylon, separated from their land and their central place of worship. During this time, prophets like Jeremiah declared God's promise of a new covenant.
c. 580s BC
Jeremiah Prophesies the New Covenant
The prophet Jeremiah delivers a prophecy (Jeremiah 31:31-34) detailing God's promise of a new covenant, one where His laws would be written on their hearts, and all would know Him directly. This prophecy is the direct backdrop for the author of Hebrews.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Ministry and Sacrifice
Jesus Christ lives, teaches, dies, and is resurrected, fulfilling the prophecies of a new covenant and inaugurating it through His sacrifice. His life and teachings demonstrate the direct knowledge of God.
c. AD 40-60
New Testament Church Established
The Holy Spirit is poured out on believers at Pentecost, empowering them with direct knowledge of God and His will. The apostles and early Christians spread the message of the new covenant, emphasizing this internal, direct relationship with God.
This passage from Jeremiah is the very prophecy that Hebrews 8 is quoting, highlighting the promise of God's law being written internally and a direct knowledge of God for all His people.
1 John 2:27This New Testament passage echoes the sentiment of Hebrews 8:11, assuring believers that they have an anointing from the Holy One that teaches them all things, implying an internal, direct knowledge of God.
Isaiah 54:13This Old Testament promise beautifully complements Hebrews 8:11 by stating that all God's children will be taught by the Lord, emphasizing the direct and comprehensive divine instruction given to His people.
Joel 2:28-29This prophecy, also alluded to in Acts 2, speaks of God pouring out His Spirit on all flesh, leading to prophecy and dreams, which aligns with the idea in Hebrews 8:11 that knowledge of God will be widespread and not confined to a few.
calvinHebrews 8:7-13: "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second."
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
Non secundum foedus quod feci cum patribus eorum in die, quo apprehendi manum eorum, ut educerem eos e terra, Aegypti, quai ipsi non perstiterunt in…
meyerHebrews 8:11: "And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest."
Hebrews 8:11 . The consequence resulting from the διδόναι νόμους εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν κ . τ . λ ., Hebrews 8:10 . Comp. Joel 3:1-2 ; 1 John 2:27 . καὶ οὐ μὴ διδάξωσιν ] and then they shall not instruct (Winer, Gramm. , 7 Aufl. p. 472; Buttmann, Gramm. des neutest. Sprachgebr . p. 183), as regards the sense equivalent to: and…
Under the new covenant, direct, personal knowledge of God becomes the norm, meaning the foundational instruction of "Know the Lord" from one person to another is no longer the primary way spiritual understanding is imparted. God's Spirit will directly illuminate hearts and minds, making this fundamental knowledge innate for all believers, from the humblest to the most distinguished.
The author of Hebrews is arguing that the Old Covenant had inherent weaknesses, which necessitated a New Covenant. He quotes Jeremiah 31, which describes this new covenant God will make with His people, emphasizing God's law being written internally and a direct relationship with Him. This verse highlights the profound, intimate, and universal knowledge of God that defines this new covenant, contrasting it with the mediated and less certain knowledge under the old.
The author of Hebrews is arguing that the Old Covenant had inherent weaknesses, which necessitated a New Covenant. He quotes Jeremiah 31, which describes this new covenant God will make with His people, emphasizing God's law being written internally and a direct relationship with Him. This verse highlights the profound, intimate, and universal knowledge of God that defines this new covenant, contrasting it with the mediated and less certain knowledge under the old.
"And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest." — Under the new covenant, direct, personal knowledge of God becomes the norm, meaning the foundational instruction of "Know the Lord" from one person to another is no longer the primary way spiritual u…
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Last reviewed October 2026