Hebrews 9:17

For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. AFTER, [ epi (G1909)] - 'over;' we say 'upon the death of the testator.' The Greek hardly sanctions Tholuck, 'on the condition that slain sacrifices be there.' OTHERWISE, [ epei (G1893) mee (G3361) pote (G4218) ischuei (G2480)] - 'seeing that it is never availing' (Alford). Lachmann, with an interrogation, 'Since, is it ever in force (surely not) while the testator liveth?'...

15-22 The solemn transactions between God and man, are sometimes called a covenant, here a testament, which is a willing deed of a person, bestowing legacies on such persons as are described, and it only takes effect upon his death. Thus Christ died, not only to obtain the blessings of salvation for us, but to give power to the disposal of them. All, by sin, were become guilty before God, had forfeited every thing that is good; but God, willing to show the greatness of his mercy, proclaimed a covenant of grace. Nothing could be clean to a sinner, not even his religious duties; except as his guilt was done away by the death of a sacrifice, of value sufficient for that end, and unless he continually depended upon it. May we ascribe all real good works to the same all-procuring cause, and offer our spiritual sacrifices as sprinkled with Christ's blood, and so purified from their defilement....

FOR A TESTAMENT - Such an arrangement as God enters into with man; see the remarks on Hebrews 9:16. IS OF FORCE - Is ratified, or confirmed - in the same way as a deed or compact is confirmed by affixing a seal. AFTER MEN ARE DEAD - ἐπὶ νεκροῖς epi nekrois. “Over the dead.” That is, in accordance with the view given above, after the animal is dead; or over the body of the animal slain for sacrifice, and to confirm the covenant. “For a covenant is completed or confirmed over dead sacrifices, seeing it is never of force as long as the victim set apart for its ratification is still living.” ms. notes of Dr. JohnP. Wilson. To this interpretation it is objected, that “νεκροῖς

EXPOSITION _The sphere _of Christ's "more excellent ministry," as the "Mediator of a better covenant," having been shown to be elsewhere than in the earthly tabernacle, the ministry itself is now contrasted with that of the superseded priesthood. With this view the latter is described, and shown to express in itself its own insufficiency and to point to a more availing one to come. HEBREWS 9:1 THEN VERILY (or, _now indeed_)_ _THE FIRST COVENANT ALSO (or, _even the first covenant_)_ _HAD ORDINANCES OF DIVINE SERVICE, AND A WORLDLY SANCTUARY (rather _its sanctuary of this world _(τὸ ἅγιον κοσμεκόν). The definite article points to the well-known one of the Mosaic dispensation, which, unlike the true one, was in its bearings, as well as locally and materially

FOR A TESTAMENT IS OF FORCE AFTER MEN ARE DEAD,.... The necessity of Christ's death is here urged, from the nature and force of a testament or will, among men, which does not take place, and cannot be executed, till a man is dead. OTHERWISE IT IS OF NO STRENGTH AT ALL WHILST THE TESTATOR LIVETH; no claim can be made by the legatees for the part they have in it, nor can any disposition be made by the executor of it; not that hereby is suggested, that the testament or will of God was uncertain and precarious till the death of Christ, and subject to change and alteration as men's wills are till they die; nor that the inheritance could not be enjoyed by the Old Testament saints; for it is certain, it was entered upon by them before the death of Christ; but the sense is, that there was a necessity of it, that the saints right unto it, upon the foot of justice, might be evident by it....

1 _Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary._ An external sanctuary, a material structure, and therefore belonging to this world. Hebrews 9:2. _For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread: which is called the sanctuary._ Or, «the Holy Place.» Hebrews 9:3. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All; which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; and over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. Now when these

HEBREWS 9:17 mh,pote {A} Instead of mh,pote, three Greek manuscripts (a* D* 075* vid) read mh. to,te, which then requires the reader to understand the sentence as a question (“… since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive, is it?”). In all three manuscripts, a later hand has changed tote to pote....

CHAPTER 9 _ 1. The first tabernacle and its worship (Hebrews 9:1)_ 2. The blood and the perfect work accomplished (Hebrews 9:11) 3. The Priest in heaven (Hebrews 9:24) Hebrews 9:1 The Spirit of God now brings forth the greatest and most blessed facts concerning Christ, the offering He brought, and what has been accomplished by that offering. First the worldly sanctuary, the tabernacle, which was connected with the old covenant is briefly mentioned. It was erected by divine command, exhibiting divine wisdom and foreshadowed, like the levitical priesthood, the better things to come. Yet it was a “worldly

It is shown, in a brief digression, that the death of Christ was necessary in order that the new covenant should come into force. An eternal inheritance_ i.e._ an enduring fellowship with God was promised long ago to God's people; and they could not obtain it under the first covenant, which afforded no real deliverance from sin. Before it could be obtained a death had to take place, so that all the sins of the past might be removed and men might start afresh under a new covenant (Hebrews 9:15). Why a death was necessary is explained by the analogy of a will or testament. The Greek word _diatheke_ can mean either a covenant or a will, and the writer avails himself of this double meaning in order to bring out a particular aspect of the death of Christ. For a will to come into effect, the person who made it must die. This was recognised even in the case of the first covenant or will, which...

THE GLORY OF THE TABERNACLE (Hebrews 9:1-5)...