TRV
In the scroll of the book
it is written about me.
I have come to do your will.’”
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Hebrews 10:7–18. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here the apostle raises up and exalts the Lord Jesus Christ, as high as he had laid the Levitical priesthood low. He recommends Christ to them as the true high priest, the true atoning sacrifice, the antitype of all the rest: and this he illustrates,
I.From the purpose and promise of God concerning Christ, which are frequently recorded in the volume of the book of God, Heb 10:7.
God had not only decreed, but declared by Moses and the prophets, that Christ should come and be the great high priest of the church, and should offer up a perfect and a perfecting sacrifice. It was written of Christ, in the beginning of the book of God, that the seed of the woman should break the serpent's head; and the Old Testament abounds with prophecies concerning Christ. Now since he is the person so often promised, so much spoken of, so long expected by the people of God, he ought to be received with great honour and gratitude.
II.From what God had done in preparing a body for Christ (that is, a human nature), that he might be qualified to be our Redeemer and Advocate; uniting the two natures in his own person, he was a fit Mediator to go between God and man; a days-man to lay his hand upon both, a peace-maker, to reconcile them, and an everlasting band of union between God and the creature - "My ears hast thou opened; thou has fully instructed me, furnished and fitted me for the work, and engaged me in it," Psa 40:6. Now a Saviour thus provided, and prepared by God himself in so extraordinary a manner, ought to be received with great affection and gladness.
III.From the readiness and willingness that Christ discovered to engage in this work, when no other sacrifice would be accepted, Heb 10:7-9.
When no less sacrifice would be a proper satisfaction to the justice of God than that of Christ himself, then Christ voluntarily came into it: "Lo, I come! I delight to do thy will, O God! Let thy curse fall upon me, but let these go their way. Father, I delight to fulfil thy counsels, and my covenant with thee for them; I delight to perform all thy promises, to fulfil all the prophecies." This should endear Christ and our Bibles to us, that in Christ we have the fulfilling of the scriptures.
IV.From the errand and design upon which Christ came; and this was to do the will of God, not only as a prophet to reveal the will of God, not only as a king to give forth divine laws, but as a priest to satisfy the demands of justice, and to fulfil all righteousness. Christ came to do the will of God in two instances.
1.In taking away the first priesthood, which God had no pleasure in; not only taking away the curse of the covenant of works, and canceling the sentence denounced against us as sinners, but taking away the insufficient typical priesthood, and blotting out the hand-writing of ceremonial ordinances and nailing it to his cross.
2.In establishing the second, that is, his own priesthood and the everlasting gospel, the most pure and perfect dispensation of the covenant of grace; this is the great design upon which the heart of God was set from all eternity. The will of God centers and terminates in it; and it is not more agreeable to the will of God than it is advantageous to the souls of men; for it is by this will that we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, Heb 10:10. Observe,
(1.)What is the fountain of all that Christ has done for his people - the sovereign will and grace of God.
(2.)How we come to partake of what Christ has done for us - by being sanctified, converted, effectually called, wherein we are united to Christ, and so partake of the benefits of his redemption; and this sanctification is owing to the oblation he made of himself to God.
V.From the perfect efficacy of the priesthood of Christ (Heb 10:14):
By one offering he hath for ever perfected those that are sanctified; he has delivered and will perfectly deliver those that are brought over to him, from all the guilt, power, and punishment of sin, and will put them into the sure possession of perfect holiness and felicity. This is what the Levitical priesthood could never do; and, if we indeed are aiming at a perfect state, we must receive the Lord Jesus as the only high priest that can bring us to that state.
VI.From the place to which our Lord Jesus is now exalted, the honour he has there, and the further honour he shall have:
This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down at the right hand of God, henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool, Heb 10:12, Heb 10:13. Here observe,
1.To what honour Christ, as man and Mediator, is exalted - to the right hand of God, the seat of power, interest, and activity: the giving hand; all the favours that God bestows on his people are handed to them by Christ: the receiving hand; all the duties that God accepts from men are presented by Christ: the working hand; all that pertains to the kingdoms of providence and grace is administered by Christ; and therefore this is the highest post of honour.
2.How Christ came to this honour - not merely by the purpose or donation of the Father, but by his own merit and purchase, as a reward due to his sufferings; and, as he can never be deprived of an honour so much his due, so he will never quit it, nor cease to employ it for his people's good.
3.How he enjoys this honour - with the greatest satisfaction and rest; he is for ever sitting down there. The Father acquiesces and is satisfied in him; he is satisfied in his Father's will and presence; this is his rest for ever; here he will dwell, for he has both desired and deserved it.
4.He has further expectations, which shall not be disappointed; for they are grounded upon the promise of the Father, who hath said unto him, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool, Psa 110:1. One would think such a person as Christ could have no enemies except in hell; but it is certain that he has enemies on earth, very many, and very inveterate ones. Let not Christians then wonder that they have enemies, though they desire to live peaceably with all men. But Christ's enemies shall be made his footstool; some by conversion, others by confusion; and, which way soever it be, Christ will be honoured. Of this Christ is assured, this he is expecting, and his people should rejoice in the expectation of it; for, when his enemies shall be subdued, their enemies, that are so for his sake, shall be subdued also.
VII.The apostle recommends Christ from the witness the Holy Ghost has given in the scriptures concerning him; this relates chiefly to what should be the happy fruit and consequence of his humiliation and sufferings, which in general is that new and gracious covenant that is founded upon his satisfaction, and sealed by his blood (Heb 10:15): Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness. The passage is cited from Jer 31:31, in which covenant God promises,
1.That he will pour out his Spirit upon his people, so as to give them wisdom, will, and power, to obey his word; he will put his laws in their hearts, and write them in their minds, Heb 10:16. This will make their duty plain, easy, and pleasant.
2.Their sins and iniquities he will remember no more (Heb 10:17), which will alone show the riches of divine grace, and the sufficiency of Christ's satisfaction, that it needs not be repeated, Heb 10:18. For there shall be no more remembrance of sin against true believers, either to shame them now or to condemn them hereafter. This was much more than the Levitical priesthood and sacrifices could effect.
And now we have gone through the doctrinal part of the epistle, in which we have met with many things dark and difficult to be understood, which we must impute to the weakness and dulness of our own minds. The apostle now proceeds to apply this great doctrine, so as to influence their affections, and direct their practice, setting before them the dignities and duties of the gospel state.
Historical interpretation
Six Centuries of Reception
12 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
If they had become perfect, their priesthood would have ceased, because they should have abstained from their sacrifices. And if their conscience was cleansed from sin, at the same time they would have been cleansed from the impurity of flesh. But “in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin” every day. “For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin.” Therefore our Lord, who came to this world, said through the mouth of David, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me,” so that the victims of sacrifices might be abolished through his sacrifice.
"Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me. In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo! I come, in the volume of the book it is written of Me, to do Thy will, O God."
The types therefore contain the figure only, not the power; just as in images, the image has the figure of the man, not the power. So that the reality and the type have somewhat in common with one another. For the figure exists equally in both, but not the power.
Do you see that the law takes its force from the place? And, since the city is gone, there can no longer be a priesthood. There can be no emperor if there are no armies, no crown, no purple robe, none of the other things that weld together an empire. So, too, there can be no priesthood if sacrifice has been destroyed, if offerings are forbidden, if the sanctuary has been trampled into the dust, if everything that constituted it has disappeared. For the priesthood depended on all these things.…That great and wonderful prophet, David … made it clear that the one kind of sacrifice would be abolished and another brought in to take its place when he said, “You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be numbered.” See how wise the prophet is. He said, “You have multiplied your wondrous deeds,” and he stood aghast at God’s power to work miracles. But he did not go on to tell us about the creation of the things we see—of heaven, earth, and oceans, of water in Egypt or of any other miracles like those. What did he say were wondrous works? “Sacrifice and offering you do not desire.” …
David went on to say, “But a body you have fitted to me.” By this he meant the Lord’s body which became the common sacrifice for the whole world, the sacrifice which cleansed our souls, canceled sin, put down death, opened heaven, gave us many great hopes and made ready all the other things which Paul knew well and spoke of when he exclaimed, “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways.”56
David, then, foresaw all this when he said, “Many are the wondrous works you have done, O Lord my God.” He went on to say, speaking of the person of Christ, “In holocausts and sin offerings you had had no pleasure,” and then continued, “Then I said, ‘Lo, I come.’ ” When was “then”? When the time was ripe for more perfect instructions. We had to learn the less perfect lessons through his servants, but the loftier lessons which surpass the nature of humankind we had to learn from the lawgiver himself.
These things have been spoken to those in Babylon who wanted to say to God, “You did not demand sacrifices from me but only to obey you and to do your will.” And right away the things pertaining to the quotation have become unambiguous as far as I am concerned. Changing it he speaks in this way about the person of Christ, saying, “I will establish a body” instead of “I will establish ears.”
How could the blood of brute beasts declare guiltless some murderer or parricide? This is the reason blessed David also said, “Had you wanted it, I would have offered sacrifice; you will take no delight in burned offerings.”
He showed both the law’s limitations and its usefulness: while it cannot remove sins, it mounts an accusation against them, instills fear and obliges one to have recourse to grace.
By “first” he meant the sacrifice of brute beasts, by the “second” the rational one, offered by himself.… He brought out clearly that God’s will is the salvation of humankind. The Lord also said as much, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who believes in me may not be lost but may have eternal life.”
Christ spoke, “while coming into the world,” not “after he had entered it.” But manifestly he was already entering it when he promised David and maintained that he would seat one from the fruit of his loins on his throne until the age would come. Therefore, “while entering into the world” because of the promises made to David, he also says this through him, since “you did not wish for sacrifice and offering, neither were you well pleased” with the rites in the law. And he did not say, “you are not well pleased nor wish,” but “you did not want nor were you well pleased,” all but saying, “From their very institution and introduction the sacrifices were not entirely satisfactory and well pleasing. But really if any of them were accepted by you, it was accepted owing to the weakness of the one who brought them. Since then I reject these things and ‘I prepare a body for myself,’ then ‘I have come’ in order ‘to do your will.’ For this also is spoken concerning me not in a simple manner and in passing, but as the chief matter and the supposition of the book which foretold about me.” And he calls the book the whole Old Testament. For the chief thing and the most noteworthy supposition of the Old Testament are the predictions about Christ.
He calls them “the same sacrifices” because they are always being offered for the same things, since those sacrifices and offerings which have taken place and are taking place are not strong enough to strip away any sin purely and completely.
“Therefore, when he comes into the world.” Christ, he says, entering the world in a body, speaks through David. If sacrifices are useless, he says, why were they made at all? Why? Because of the dispute of the Jews, and because they always oppose God. And he shows them, even before the incarnation of the Lord, as hated by God; for he did not say, When Christ enters, but, when he comes into, indicating that before he enters, they were hated.
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire." Those prescribed by the law, evidently. But offering here signifies something different from sacrifice; and I think the bloodless ones are indicated by the name. From here the person of Christ is introduced, saying to the Father, Since, He says, O Father, “Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you did not desire nor did you take pleasure in," which are offered according to the law."
"for sin." That is, an offering concerning sin. Commonly, you have taken pleasure. And he rightly says, "for sin." For of the sacrifices, some were offered for salvation, and others for sin; as if he said, "Since in no way did you will any offering or sacrifice, nor burnt offerings, neither concerning salvation, nor concerning sin, I have come, having taken a body, to become a pleasing sacrifice to you, which I myself have prepared."
For the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High overshadowed the Virgin. (Luke 1:35) And it was said, that I may do your will, O Father (Jn. 6:38); that those whom you have given me, I may not lose any of them. (Jn. 18:9) The title of the book, the Hebrews say, is the Law. Isaiah, teaching about the mystery of the Incarnation of the Only Begotten, heard; "Write for me in it with a man's pen." (Isa. 8:1) That it is a sacrifice and offering. Do you see that the sacrifices were cast aside even before the incarnation?
For after not wanting, he says, Burnt offerings and sacrifices, Then I said, "Behold, I have come. Who said, Behold, I come? Christ, obviously. I have come to do your will. But what is the will of the Father, but that the Son be crucified? And that I have come, he says, and I will do your will, it is written in the scroll of the book, he says, about me these things. Thus it is necessary to arrange. For being prophetic, it is a difficulty. The scroll of the book is the bundle of the law, that is, the book of the Old Testament. Therefore, in this Scripture it is written concerning my coming and that I am to be offered for the world.
"you did not desire nor did you take pleasure in."Paul himself interprets the Davidic more clearly.
"which are offered according to the law," that is, the Jewish law, and they are offered by the Jews. Do you see that before the descent, the sacrifices were hated?
"to do your will, O God." What then? Were the sacrifices according to the law not the will of God? They were, but necessarily. For he did not say to them only this, that in general the sacrifices of animals are detestable to me, the incorporeal one. But since you desire to offer sacrifices, at least offer them to me and not to the idols, which was not of a pure and original will.
"the first in order to establish the second.” What is the first? The sacrifices. What is the second? The cross. Therefore, the sacrifices are expelled, and the cross, that is, the sacrifice of Christ, is introduced.
“we have been sanctified.” By which will, he says, you are sanctified. Of which? Of the cross, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. For we have not only obtained forgiveness, but we have also been sanctified.
"the offering of the body of Jesus Christ." Behold, he has interpreted what the will of the Father is; the offering of the body of Christ. For since he was speaking above and below about the will, he then said what the will is.
"Once," he says, that is, not in the manner of the Jewish sacrifices, but once. "Once, indeed." The offering of the body of Jesus Christonce for all.That is, those who are sanctified through the once-for-all offering of the body of Jesus Christ.
when coming into the world, Christ said, but coming into. He was coming into, namely, when he promised to David, and he was extending, from the fruit of his womb, to sit him upon his throne forever. (Ps. 131:11) Therefore, entering the world through the covenants with David, and this he says through him, that "Since you did not desire sacrifice and offering," (Ps. 39:7) nor were you pleased with the things done in the law. And he did not say, "You do not take pleasure nor desire," but, "you did not desire, you did not take pleasure in," only saying, as if from the very foundation of them and the beginning of those things, that the whole sacrifices were not acceptable and pleasing to you. But even if something of theirs has been accepted by you, it has been accepted due to the weakness of those presenting it. Therefore, when I have also dismissed these things and have prepared a body for myself, then I come to do your will. For this has been said about me not simply and in passing, but as the main point and premise of the book concerning my proclamation. And the book speaks of the whole old one. For the chief point and the most esteemed hypothesis of the old covenant is the prophecies concerning Christ.
Continue studying Hebrews 10:7 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
CNTR CollationThe earliest Greek manuscripts of this verse, collated letter by letter.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
Hebrews 10:7 presents a profound declaration from the Messiah, quoting Psalm 40:7-8, which underscores His willing and proactive submission to the Father's redemptive plan. This verse serves as a pivotal point in the author's argument, establishing Christ's perfect obedience as the ultimate fulfillment of God's will, thereby rendering the Old Covenant sacrifices obsolete and inaugurating a new and living way to God through His singular, sufficient sacrifice.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is strategically placed within the author's extended argument in Hebrews 10, which culminates the discussion on the superiority of Christ's priesthood and sacrifice over the Levitical system. The preceding verses (Hebrews 10:1-4) establish the inadequacy of animal sacrifices to truly cleanse sins or perfect the worshipper, highlighting their repetitive and temporary nature. Against this backdrop of ritualistic insufficiency, the quotation of Psalm 40:7-8 in Hebrews 10:5-7 introduces Christ's incarnation as the divinely appointed means to accomplish what the Law could not. His declaration, "Lo, I come... to do thy will, O God," directly contrasts with the "sacrifices and offerings" that God did not desire, setting the stage for the abolition of the old system and the establishment of the new through His perfect obedience.
Historical & Cultural Context
The original audience of the book of Hebrews was primarily Jewish Christians who were tempted to revert to the familiar practices of Judaism, including the temple sacrifices, due to persecution or a misunderstanding of Christ's finished work. For centuries, the sacrificial system was the bedrock of Israelite worship, a divinely ordained means of atonement and communion with God. The concept of "doing God's will" was central to Jewish piety, often expressed through adherence to the Torah and participation in the cultic rituals. The author's use of a Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) quotation from Psalm 40, which was widely known, would resonate deeply with this audience. By portraying Christ's coming as the fulfillment of this ancient prophecy, the author demonstrates that the new covenant in Christ is not a radical departure but the divinely intended culmination of God's redemptive plan, superior to the shadows of the old covenant.
Key Themes
Hebrews 10:7 significantly contributes to several overarching themes throughout the book of Hebrews. Foremost is the Superiority of Christ's Sacrifice, which is presented as once-for-all and perfectly effective, unlike the repeated animal offerings (Hebrews 9:11-14). This verse also emphasizes Christ's Perfect Obedience, portraying Him as the willing Son who came to accomplish the Father's will, a stark contrast to the disobedience of humanity and the limitations of the Law. The theme of Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy is explicit in the parenthetical phrase, asserting that Christ's advent and work were preordained and written in the sacred texts, thereby validating the divine origin of His mission. Finally, this verse underpins the concept of the New Covenant, established not by animal blood but by Christ's obedient offering of His body, ushering in a new era of direct access to God (Hebrews 8:6-13).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primary verb meaning "to arrive, i.e., be present (literally or figuratively)." In this context, it signifies Christ's active and deliberate arrival into the world, not merely a passive appearance, but a purposeful coming to fulfill a specific mission. It denotes His intentional presence for the divine task.
Properly, "a knob," which by implication refers to "a roll" or "scroll." This term refers to the ancient form of a book, a scroll rolled around a stick. Its usage here emphasizes that the divine plan concerning Christ was not an afterthought but was meticulously recorded and preordained in the sacred writings, specifically pointing to the Old Testament Scriptures.
From a prolonged form of thelō, meaning "a determination (properly, the thing), i.e., (actively) choice (specially, purpose, decree; abstractly, volition) or (passively) inclination." This word highlights the Father's sovereign purpose and decree, to which Christ perfectly aligns His own volition. It is God's fixed, determined plan for redemption that Christ came to execute.
Verse Breakdown
"Then said I, Lo, I come"
This marks a dramatic shift in the divine dialogue, introducing the voice of the Messiah. "Then said I" indicates a decisive moment in the eternal counsels of God, where the Son declares His readiness. "Lo, I come" (Greek idoú hḗkō) is an emphatic declaration, signifying not just an arrival but a willing, purposeful, and self-initiated act of obedience. It is the Son's proactive response to the Father's will, setting the stage for His incarnation and redemptive work.
"(in the volume of the book it is written of me,)"
This parenthetical clause is crucial, asserting the prophetic nature of Christ's mission. The "volume of the book" refers to the Old Testament Scriptures (specifically Psalm 40:7-8), indicating that Christ's coming and His redemptive purpose were not spontaneous events but were meticulously foretold and recorded in God's inspired Word. It validates the divine origin and pre-planned nature of salvation history, demonstrating that Christ's life and work are the fulfillment of ancient prophecies.
"to do thy will, O God."
This is the core purpose of Christ's coming. It encapsulates His perfect obedience and the ultimate goal of His incarnation. "Thy will, O God" refers to the Father's sovereign plan of salvation, which involved the Son offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice to atone for sin, thereby superseding the insufficient animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant. This phrase highlights Christ's complete alignment with and active execution of God's redemptive purpose for humanity.
Literary Devices
The author of Hebrews employs several significant literary devices in this verse. The most prominent is Quotation, as Hebrews 10:7 directly quotes from Psalm 40:7-8 (LXX), attributing the words to the Messiah. This serves to demonstrate the continuity between Old Testament prophecy and New Testament fulfillment, grounding Christ's work in the divine plan revealed through the ages. The use of Parenthesis ("in the volume of the book it is written of me") functions as an explanatory interjection, providing crucial theological context by affirming the prophetic nature of Christ's mission within the sacred Scriptures. Implicitly, there is an Antithesis at play, contrasting Christ's perfect obedience and singular sacrifice with the repeated, imperfect animal sacrifices mentioned in the preceding verses. This contrast underscores the superiority and finality of Christ's work. Furthermore, the verse embodies Prophecy and Fulfillment, as the ancient words of the Psalmist are presented as being spoken by Christ Himself, revealing the pre-ordained nature of His coming and His redemptive task.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Hebrews 10:7 stands as a theological cornerstone, revealing the heart of God's redemptive plan centered on the perfect obedience of His Son. It affirms that Christ's incarnation was not an arbitrary event but the deliberate, pre-ordained execution of the Father's will, a will that found no true satisfaction in the blood of animals. This verse underscores the unique efficacy of Christ's sacrifice, rooted in His willing submission, which alone could provide a once-for-all atonement for sin and establish a new covenant grounded in grace and truth. It highlights the profound unity of purpose between the Father and the Son in accomplishing salvation, demonstrating that Christ's life and death were the ultimate expression of divine love and justice, fulfilling all that was written concerning Him in the sacred texts.
Reflection and Application
Hebrews 10:7 offers a profound invitation for reflection and a powerful call to application in the life of every believer. First, it reassures us of the absolute sufficiency and finality of Christ's work. Our salvation is not dependent on our own efforts, rituals, or adherence to a flawed system, but entirely on the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ. His "Lo, I come... to do thy will, O God" means that the ultimate sacrifice has been made, the perfect will accomplished, and the way to God opened definitively. This should fill us with immense gratitude and confidence in His finished work. Second, this verse challenges us to emulate Christ's heart of obedience. Just as Jesus came to do the Father's will, we are called to align our lives with God's purposes. This involves seeking His will through prayer and Scripture, surrendering our own desires, and actively pursuing the mission He has for us. Our obedience, though imperfect, becomes a response of love and worship to the One who perfectly obeyed on our behalf, trusting that His will for us is always good, pleasing, and perfect.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is Psalm 40:7-8 quoted in Hebrews 10:7, and what is its significance?
Psalm 40:7-8 is quoted in Hebrews 10:7 to demonstrate that Christ's coming and His redemptive work were not random events but were prophesied in the Old Testament Scriptures. In its original context, Psalm 40 expresses the psalmist's (likely David's) commitment to obey God's will rather than relying on sacrifices. The author of Hebrews, however, applies these words prophetically to Christ, showing that the Messiah Himself declares His intention to come and perfectly fulfill God's will. This is highly significant because it establishes Christ as the ultimate embodiment of obedience, whose singular act of submission to the Father's will (culminating in His death on the cross) supersedes and fulfills the temporary and inadequate animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant, thereby inaugurating a new and living way to God (Hebrews 10:19-20).
What does "in the volume of the book" refer to in this verse?
The phrase "in the volume of the book" (Greek kephalís bibliou) refers to an ancient scroll, which was the form that books or written documents took in that era. Specifically, it points to the Old Testament Scriptures. The author of Hebrews uses this phrase to emphasize that Christ's mission and His role as the perfect sacrifice were not an afterthought but were meticulously detailed and preordained within God's sacred writings, long before His incarnation. It underscores the divine authorship and trustworthiness of Scripture, confirming that Christ's life and work are the fulfillment of God's eternal plan for salvation as revealed throughout history. This highlights the continuity and coherence of God's redemptive narrative from Genesis to Revelation.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Hebrews 10:7 profoundly reveals Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of God's redemptive will, presenting Him as the obedient Son who perfectly accomplished what the Old Covenant could only foreshadow. This verse is the very heart of the Gospel, portraying Jesus not as a reluctant participant but as the willing Lamb, declaring, "Lo, I come... to do thy will, O God." His incarnation was the deliberate act of the eternal Son entering human history, not merely as a teacher or prophet, but as the one appointed to offer the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:26). Unlike the repeated animal sacrifices that could never truly take away sin, Christ's obedience to the Father's will—culminating in His death on the cross—established the New Covenant, providing genuine cleansing and eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12). His "coming" was the embodiment of divine love and purpose, demonstrating that salvation is entirely God's initiative, perfectly executed by Christ, who, by His one offering, has perfected forever those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). This perfect obedience of Christ, pre-written in the "volume of the book," is the foundation of our faith, offering full assurance and direct access to God through His shed blood (Hebrews 10:19-22).