Whereupon neither the first [testament] was dedicated without blood.
Whereupon {G3606} neither {G3761} the first {G4413} testament was dedicated {G1457} without {G5565} blood {G129}.
This is why the first covenant too was inaugurated with blood.
That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
Wherefore even the first covenant hath not been dedicated without blood.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.
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Exodus 24:3
And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do. -
Exodus 24:8
And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled [it] on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words. -
Hebrews 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? -
Hebrews 8:7
For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. -
Hebrews 8:9
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. -
Hebrews 9:22
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. -
Exodus 12:22
And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip [it] in the blood that [is] in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that [is] in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Hebrews 9:18 serves as a pivotal statement in the author's argument for the superiority of the New Covenant, mediated by Jesus Christ, over the Old Covenant established through Moses. This verse underscores the fundamental principle that covenants, especially divine ones, require a solemn ratification, traditionally involving the shedding of blood.
Context of Hebrews 9:18
The book of Hebrews meticulously details how the sacrificial system and tabernacle rituals under the Mosaic Law were types and shadows pointing to the ultimate reality found in Christ. Leading up to this verse, the author has explained that a "testament" (or covenant, Greek: diatheke) is only valid upon the death of the testator (Hebrews 9:16-17). Verse 18 then applies this principle to the historical establishment of the first covenant, stating unequivocally that it, too, was inaugurated through the shedding of blood. This refers directly to the events at Mount Sinai, where Moses sprinkled blood on the people and the book of the law as a sign of the covenant's ratification, a scene described in Exodus 24:8.
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Insight
The Greek word translated "testament" is diatheke (διαθήκη). While it can mean a last will and testament (as in verses 16-17), in the broader theological context of Hebrews, it predominantly refers to a solemn "covenant" or divine agreement between God and humanity. The KJV's use of "testament" here reflects the legal aspect of a will, but the consistent message throughout Hebrews points to the establishment of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
Practical Application
Hebrews 9:18 offers profound insights for believers today: