Hebrews 3:3 in 8 translations
8 distinct wordings, grouped by what each translation is trying to do. Differences from the King James text are marked below.
Early modern English
Seventeenth-century wording and sentence shape. Familiar, rhythmic, and the version most quotations you have heard are taken from.
For this was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
1611 / 1769 · Public domain · The Authorised Version, revised to the 1769 Blayney text. Includes the Apocrypha as printed in 1611.
Literal, word-for-word
Follows Hebrew and Greek word order and grammar closely, even where the English becomes stiff. Useful for seeing what the underlying sentence is doing.
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.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
For *he* has been counted worthy of greater glory than Moses, by how much he that has built it has more honour than the house.
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
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,
1898 · Public domain · The most extreme word-for-word rendering here, keeping Hebrew and Greek tense and word order at the cost of natural English.
Modern English
Contemporary vocabulary and punctuation, aiming for the sentence a present-day reader would write while staying close to the source.
For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who built the house has more honor than the house.
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
He has been deemed worthy of far higher honor than Moses, just as the founder of the house is held in greater regard than the house itself.
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
He has been deemed worthy of far higher honour than Moses, just as the founder of the house is held in greater regard than the house itself.
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · The Commonwealth spelling edition of the Open English Bible. Identical wording to the US edition apart from spelling.
Simplified English
Built from a deliberately small vocabulary so the sense stays reachable for new readers and non-native speakers. Trades nuance for clarity.
And it was right for this man to have more honour than Moses, even as the builder of a house has more honour than the house.
1949 · Public domain · Written with roughly a thousand basic English words plus a small Bible vocabulary. The plainest reading available here.
What changes between the King James and modern wording
The modern rendering is printed below with every word that differs from the King James text marked, so the actual divergence is visible rather than left for you to spot.
For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who built the house has more honor than the house.
Word-for-word swaps
- was→he
- as→because
- builded→built
- hath→has
- honour→honor
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.