The Meaning of Hebrews 9:20 Explained

Hebrews 9:20

KJV: Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.

YLT: saying, 'This is the blood of the covenant that God enjoined unto you,'

Darby: saying, This is the blood of the covenant which God has enjoined to you.

ASV: saying, This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded to you-ward.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Saying,  This  [is] the blood  of the testament  which  God  hath enjoined  unto  you. 

What does Hebrews 9:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Hebrews 9:11-20 - The Blood Which Sealed The New Covenant
We are led to consider Christ's high-priestly work. The scene for it is no edifice made with hands in this transitory world, but eternal and divine. His stay in the Holiest is not brief, hurried, and repeated year by year, but once for all He enters by virtue of His own blood. That blood cleanses not only from ceremonial guilt, but from moral and spiritual pollution. A will or testament comes into force when the testator dies; so the will of the eternal Father toward us has been made valid through the blood of Jesus.
Consider, then, the Eternal or Timeless Spirit. What Jesus did on the Cross was the doing of God through His Spirit. The Atonement was not wrought by the dying Sufferer to appease God, but to express God as reconciling the world to Himself. The Timeless Cross. It belongs to no one age, but "towers o'er the wrecks of time," and is as near us as to the early Church. The Timeless Christ. Cast yourself out of yourself and into Him; out of the fret of the time-sphere into the freedom and ecstasy of the eternal! [source]

Chapter Summary: Hebrews 9

1  The description of the rites and sacrifices of the law;
11  which are far inferior to the dignity and perfection of the sacrifice of Christ

Greek Commentary for Hebrews 9:20

This is [τουτο]
Instead of ιδου — idou of the lxx (Exod 24:8), just like our Lord‘s words in Mark 14:24, a possible reminiscence of the Master‘s words (Dods). The author also has ενετειλατο — eneteilato (he commanded) for διετετο — dietheto of the lxx. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Hebrews 9:20

1 Corinthians 5:10 The covetous [τοις πλεονεκταις]
Old word for the over-reachers, those avaricious for more and more In N.T. only here, 1 Corinthians 6:10; Ephesians 5:5. It always comes in bad company (the licentious and the idolaters) like the modern gangsters who form a combination of liquor, lewdness, lawlessness for money and power. Extortioners (ειδωλολατραις — harpaxin). An old adjective with only one gender, rapacious (Matthew 7:15; Luke 18:11), and as a substantive robber or extortioner (here and 1 Corinthians 6:10). Bandits, hijackers, grafters they would be called today. Idolaters Late word for hirelings This neat Greek idiom of ωπειλετε — epei with the imperfect indicative (οπειλω — ōpheilete from αν — opheilō to be under obligation) is really the conclusion of a second-class condition with the condition unexpressed (Robertson, Grammar, p. 965). Sometimes αν — an is used also as in Hebrews 10:2, but with verbs of obligation or necessity Αρα — an is usually absent as here (cf. Hebrews 9:20). The unexpressed condition here would be, “if that were true” (including fornicators, the covetous, extortioners, idolaters of the outside world). Ara means in that case. [source]
1 Corinthians 5:10 Idolaters [λατρις]
Late word for hirelings This neat Greek idiom of ωπειλετε — epei with the imperfect indicative (οπειλω — ōpheilete from αν — opheilō to be under obligation) is really the conclusion of a second-class condition with the condition unexpressed (Robertson, Grammar, p. 965). Sometimes αν — an is used also as in Hebrews 10:2, but with verbs of obligation or necessity Αρα — an is usually absent as here (cf. Hebrews 9:20). The unexpressed condition here would be, “if that were true” (including fornicators, the covetous, extortioners, idolaters of the outside world). Ara means in that case. [source]
1 Corinthians 5:10 For then must ye needs [επει]
This neat Greek idiom of ωπειλετε — epei with the imperfect indicative Sometimes αν — an is used also as in Hebrews 10:2, but with verbs of obligation or necessity Αρα — an is usually absent as here (cf. Hebrews 9:20). The unexpressed condition here would be, “if that were true” (including fornicators, the covetous, extortioners, idolaters of the outside world). Ara means in that case. [source]
Galatians 6:10 Unto them who are of the household of faith [πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους τῆς πίστεως]
Πρὸς combines with the sense of direction that of active relation with. Comp. Matthew 13:56; Mark 9:16; John 1:1; Acts 3:25; Acts 28:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:12; Hebrews 9:20. Frequently in Class. of all kinds of personal intercourse. See Hom. Od. xiv. 331; xix. 288; Thucyd. ii. 59; iv. 15; vii. 82; Hdt. i. 61. Ὁικεῖοι ofthe household, rare in N.T. See Ephesians 2:19; 1 Timothy 5:8. Quite often in lxx of kinsmen. It is unnecessary to introduce the idea of a household here, as A.V., since the word acquired the general sense of pertaining or belonging to. Thus οἰκεῖοι φιλοσοφίας or γεωγραφίας belongingto philosophy or geography, philosophers, geographers. So here, belonging to the faith, believers. [source]
1 Thessalonians 1:9 Unto you [πρὸς]
The preposition combines with the sense of direction that of relation and intercourse. Comp. Matthew 13:56; Mark 9:16; John 1:1; Acts 3:25; Colossians 4:5; Hebrews 9:20. [source]
Hebrews 13:20 That great shepherd of the sheep [τὸν ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων τὸν μέγαν]
The Greek order is, “the shepherd of the sheep the great (shepherd).” Comp. John 10:2, John 10:11, John 10:14; 1 Peter 2:25, and see Isaiah 63:11. Of God, Zechariah href="/desk/?q=zec+9:11&sr=1">Zechariah 9:11. The phrase eternal covenant N.T.oCommon in lxx; see Genesis 9:16; Genesis 17:19; Leviticus 24:8; 2 Samuel 23:5; Jeremiah 32:40; Ezekiel 16:60. Const. with the great shepherd of the sheep. It may be granted that the raising of Christ from the dead, viewed as the consummation of the plan of salvation, was in the sphere of the blood of the covenant; nevertheless, the covenant is nowhere in the N.T. associated with the resurrection, but frequently with death, especially in this epistle. See Matthew 26:28; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:16, Hebrews 9:17, Hebrews 9:20. The connection of the blood of the covenant with Christ's pastoral office gives a thoroughly scriptural sense, and one which exactly fits into the context. Christ becomes the great shepherd solely through the blood of the covenant. Comp. Acts 20:28. Through this is brought about the new relation of the church with God described in Hebrews 8:10ff. This tallies perfectly with the conception of “the God of peace”; and the great Shepherd will assert the power of the eternal covenant of reconciliation and peace by perfecting his flock in every good work to do his will, working in them that which is well pleasing in his sight. With this agree Jeremiah 50:5, Jeremiah 50:19; Ezekiel 34:25, and the entire chapter, see especially Ezekiel 34:12-15, Ezekiel 34:23, Ezekiel 34:31. In these verses the Shepherd of the Covenant appears as guiding, tending his flock, and leading them into fair and safe pastures. Comp. Isaiah 63:11-14, and Revelation 7:17, see note on ποιμανεῖ shallshepherd. Ἑν αἵματι “in the blood,” is in virtue of, or in the power of the blood. [source]

What do the individual words in Hebrews 9:20 mean?

saying This [is] the blood of the covenant which commanded unto you - God
λέγων Τοῦτο τὸ αἷμα τῆς διαθήκης ἧς ἐνετείλατο πρὸς ὑμᾶς Θεός

λέγων  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Τοῦτο  This  [is] 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
αἷμα  blood 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: αἷμα  
Sense: blood.
τῆς  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
διαθήκης  covenant 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: διαθήκη  
Sense: a disposition, arrangement, of any sort, which one wishes to be valid, the last disposition which one makes of his earthly possessions after his death, a testament or will.
ἐνετείλατο  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διακελεύω 
Sense: to order, command to be done, enjoin.
πρὸς  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: πρός  
Sense: to the advantage of.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεός  God 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.