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contains the pledge of its efficacy. It rests upon forgiveness on the part of God, not on performance on the part of man. Its foundation is grace and not works (John 1:17). In this lies the assurance against such failure as the Old Covenant brought to light. Comp. Is. 59:2.
o{ti i{lew" e[somai ] Vulg. quia propitius ero. The New Covenant will be efficacious, for God Himself says I will be merciful. The phrase i{lew" e[somai

( genhvsomai ) is found else-where in the LXX. as a rendering of jl's; , H6142 in

reference to God's forgiveness of sin: 1 Kings 8:34 ff.; and of men: Num. 14:20; Jer. 5:1, 7.

In the N.T. i{lew" occurs again only in the phrase i{lewv" soi Kuvrie

(Matt. 16:22 absit a te domine ), a form which is found in the LXX. (for l]

hl;ylij; ): 2 Sam. 20:20; 23:17; 1 Chron. 11:19 i{lewv" moi oJ qeov" .

For the sense and usage of the cognate words see note on 1 John 2:2; Heb. 2:17 note.
tai'" ajdikivai" ] The plural is found here only in N.T., though it occurs often in the LXX. and in combination with ejxilavsasqai Dan. 9:24; comp. Ps. 64:4; Ecclus. 3:30; Heb. 2:17.

In connexion with this promise of forgiveness the prophetic disparagement of sacrifices and ritual as spiritually inefficacious must be noticed. The development of this inward religion begins with 1 Sam. 15:22 f.; compare Psalm 50:8 ff.; 51:15 ff.; Hos. 6:4 ff.; Amos 5:21 ff.; Micah 6:6 ff.; Is. 1:11 ff.

In the writings of Jeremiah, on the eve of the long exile, when the sacrificial ritual became impossible, it was natural in the order of divine Providence that the realities symbolised by sacrifices should be brought into prominence. Comp. Jer. 7:21 ff.

Sacrifice, however, had its place in restored Israel: Jer. 33:11. Compare Is. 56:7; 66:20 ff.; Mal. 1:10 f.; Heb. 13:15 note. See Oehler, Theol. of O. T. , § 201.

Heb. 8:13. The conclusion goes beyond that which the prophetic passage was quoted to establish. The New Covenant is not only better, and founded upon better promises than the Old; but, yet more, it supersedes the Old. The characteristics of the New Covenant, and the very name which it bears, point to the abrogation of that which has now become ‘the old.’
ejn tw'/ levgein ] In that he saith (Latt. dicendo ). Comp. Heb. 2:8; 3:15. pepalaivwken ] Latt. veteravit. By the use of the term ‘new’ in reference to another Covenant God has necessarily placed the other Covenant in the position of ‘old’ relatively. Even in the days of Jeremiah this sentence stands already written ( perf. ). Comp. 8:5 kecrhmavtistai .

The active use of palaiovw , which is generally found in the middle form (1:11 note) in the sense of ‘growing old,’ is rare. It occurs in the LXX. Lam. 3:4

ejpalaivwse savrka . Is. 65:22 ta; e[rga palaiwvsousi ( WLb'y“ i.e. continue long,

use to the full ); comp. Job 21:13; Job 9:5 oJ palaiw'n o[rh ; 32:15 ejpalaivwsan lovgou" (they spoke no more).
to; palaiouvmenon kai; ghr. ] Vulg. quod autem antiquatur (O.L. veteratur ) et senescit. The use of the present as distinguished from pepalaiwmevnon and palaiwqevn is significant. The divine words spoken to the prophet were accomplished slowly on the scene of life. The addition of


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