Hebrews 8:8

For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

For {G1063} finding fault {G3201} with them {G846}, he saith {G3004}, Behold {G2400}, the days {G2250} come {G2064}, saith {G3004} the Lord {G2962}, when {G2532} I will make {G4931} a new {G2537} covenant {G1242} with {G1909} the house {G3624} of Israel {G2474} and {G2532} with {G1909} the house {G3624} of Judah {G2455}:

For God does find fault with the people when he says,

“‘See! The days are coming,’ says Adonai,
‘when I will establish
over the house of Isra’el and over the house of Y’hudah
a new covenant.

But God found fault with the people and said: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;

Commentary

Hebrews 8:8 marks a pivotal point in the Epistle to the Hebrews, laying the foundation for the author's argument concerning the superiority of the new covenant established through Jesus Christ over the old Mosaic covenant.

Context

The book of Hebrews consistently argues for the supremacy of Jesus as High Priest and His once-for-all sacrifice. In Chapter 8, the author transitions from discussing Christ's superior priesthood to His superior ministry and the better covenant He mediates. This verse quotes directly from Jeremiah 31:31-34, a foundational Old Testament prophecy about God's future dealings with His people. The phrase "finding fault with them" does not imply a flaw in God's perfect Law itself, but rather highlights the inability of the people under the old covenant to perfectly keep it, and its inherent limitations in truly cleansing conscience and providing full access to God. It was a covenant designed to reveal sin and point to the need for a greater reality, a "better covenant" (as discussed in Hebrews 7:22).

Key Themes

  • The Necessity of a New Covenant: The "fault" was with the people's inability to uphold the terms of the first covenant, demonstrating its temporary and preparatory nature. This necessitated a divine intervention to bring about a more effective, lasting arrangement.
  • Divine Initiative and Promise: The declaration "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant" emphasizes that this is God's sovereign plan, not a human invention. It's a promise of grace and a proactive step by God to restore and perfect His relationship with humanity.
  • Inclusivity of God's People: The mention of "the house of Israel and with the house of Judah" signifies the comprehensive scope of this new covenant. It encompasses all of God's chosen people, ultimately extending to all who believe in Christ, uniting both Jews and Gentiles into one body.
  • Prophetic Fulfillment: This verse underscores the theme of Old Testament prophecies finding their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The long-awaited "new covenant" is now a reality through His death and resurrection.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "finding fault with them" (Greek: heuriskōn autois mempsin) highlights the inherent weakness not of God's law, but of humanity's inability to consistently adhere to it. The old covenant, while holy and good, could not provide the inner transformation necessary for true righteousness or complete forgiveness. It exposed sin but could not remove it definitively. This sets the stage for the new covenant, which addresses the root issue of the human heart by providing a new spirit and a new nature (as promised in Ezekiel 36:26).

Practical Application

Hebrews 8:8 offers profound comfort and assurance to believers today. It reminds us that our relationship with God is not based on our perfect performance of external laws, but on the grace and finished work of Jesus Christ. We live under a covenant of grace, where God's law is written on our hearts (Hebrews 10:16), and forgiveness is freely available through the blood of Christ. This verse encourages us to embrace the freedom and intimacy offered by the new covenant in His blood, resting in God's faithfulness to His promises and the sufficiency of Christ's mediation.

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Cross-References

  • Jeremiah 31:31 (72 votes)

    Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

  • Jeremiah 31:34 (72 votes)

    And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

  • Hebrews 10:16 (19 votes)

    This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

  • Hebrews 10:17 (19 votes)

    And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

  • Hebrews 12:24 (10 votes)

    And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel.

  • Jeremiah 32:40 (6 votes)

    And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

  • Hebrews 9:15 (5 votes)

    ¶ And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.