Hebrews 9:16
New International Version
In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it,

New Living Translation
Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead.

English Standard Version
For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.

Berean Standard Bible
In the case of a will, it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made it,

Berean Literal Bible
For where there is a will, it is necessary to establish the death of the one having made it.

King James Bible
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

New King James Version
For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

New American Standard Bible
For where there is a covenant, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.

NASB 1995
For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.

NASB 1977
For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.

Legacy Standard Bible
For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.

Amplified Bible
For where there is a will and testament involved, the death of the one who made it must be established,

Christian Standard Bible
Where a will exists, the death of the one who made it must be established.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Where a will exists, the death of the one who made it must be established.

American Standard Version
For where a testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him that made it.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For where there is a testament, it shows the death of him who made it;

Contemporary English Version
In fact, making an agreement of this kind is like writing a will. This is because the one who makes the will must die before it is of any use.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For where there is a testament, the death of the testator must of necessity come in.

English Revised Version
For where a testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him that made it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
In order for a will to take effect, it must be shown that the one who made it has died.

Good News Translation
In the case of a will it is necessary to prove that the person who made it has died,

International Standard Version
For where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be established.

Literal Standard Version
for where a covenant [is], [it is] necessary to establish the death of the [one] having made [it],

Majority Standard Bible
In the case of a will, it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made it,

New American Bible
Now where there is a will, the death of the testator must be established.

NET Bible
For where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be proven.

New Revised Standard Version
Where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.

New Heart English Bible
Now where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be proven.

Webster's Bible Translation
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

Weymouth New Testament
For where there is a legal 'will,' there must also be a death brought forward in evidence--the death of him who made it.

World English Bible
For where a last will and testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him who made it.

Young's Literal Translation
for where a covenant is, the death of the covenant-victim to come in is necessary,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Redemption through His Blood
15Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made it, 17because a will does not take effect until the one who made it has died; it cannot be executed while he is still alive.…

Cross References
Hebrews 9:15
Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Hebrews 9:17
because a will does not take effect until the one who made it has died; it cannot be executed while he is still alive.


Treasury of Scripture

For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

be.

Hebrews 9:16
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

Jump to Previous
Case Covenant Death Established Evidence Forward Involved Last Necessary Necessity Needs Prove Testament Testator
Jump to Next
Case Covenant Death Established Evidence Forward Involved Last Necessary Necessity Needs Prove Testament Testator
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.














(16) Testament.--As has been already pointed out, the greatest difference of opinion has existed in regard to the meaning of the Greek word diath?k? in this passage. (See Note on Hebrews 7:22.) It will be seen at once that the interpretation of this verse and the next entirely depends on that one question. If "testament" is the correct meaning of the Greek word, the general sense of the verses is well given in the Authorised version. A few commentators even agree with that version in carrying back the idea of testament into Hebrews 9:15, although in the other two places in which the word is joined with "Mediator" (Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 12:24) they adhere to the ordinary rendering, "covenant." By most, however, it is held that a new thought is introduced in the present verse. The writer, it is urged, having spoken of a promise of an inheritance, (Hebrews 9:15), and a promise that cannot be made valid unless death take place, avails himself of the illustration which a second (and very common) meaning of the leading word affords; and though a covenant has hitherto been in his thoughts, he adds interest and force to his argument by calling up the analogy of a testament or will. It is further urged that this procedure will not seem unnatural if we reflect that the diath?k? between God and man is never exactly expressed by covenant, since it is not of the nature of a mutual compact between equals. (See Hebrews 7:22.) The position is chiefly defended by two arguments:--(1) Hebrews 9:16, being a general maxim, gives no intelligible sense in regard to a covenant, but is easy and natural as applied to a will. (2) A Greek word used in Hebrews 9:17, where the literal translation is "over (the) dead," cannot be used of sacrifices of slain animals, but of men only. This, we believe, is a fair statement of the case on the one side; and it may be fully acknowledged that, if Hebrews 9:16-17 stood alone, and if they were written of Gentile rather than Jewish usage, the case would be very strong. As it is, we are compelled to believe that the difficulties which this interpretation brings with it are beyond comparison more serious than those which it removes. (1) There is no doubt that in the overwhelming majority of New Testament passages the meaning covenant must be assigned. By many high authorities these verses are considered to contain the only exception. (2) In the LXX. the word is extremely common, both for the covenants of God and for compacts between man and man. (See Note on Hebrews 7:22). (3) The application of diath?k? in this Epistle rests on the basis of the Old Testament usage, the key passage being Jeremiah 31:31-34, quoted at length in Hebrews 8. With that quotation this passage is linked by the association of diath?k? with Mediator in Hebrews 9:15 and Hebrews 8:6, and with "the first" in Hebrews 9:15 and in Hebrews 8:13; Hebrews 9:1. (4) In the verses which follow this passage the meaning covenant must certainly return, as a comparison of Hebrews 9:20 with the verse of Exodus which it quotes (Exodus 24:8) will show. (5) It is true that the idea of "death" has appeared in Hebrews 9:15, but it is the death of a sin-offering; and there is no natural or easy transition of thought from an expiatory death to the death of a testator. And yet the words which introduce Hebrews 9:16; Hebrews 9:18 ("For" and "Wherefore") show that we are following the course of an argument. (6) Though to us Hebrews 9:16 may present a very familiar thought, we must not forget that to Jews dispositions by will were almost altogether unknown. Were it granted that a writer might for illustration avail himself of a second meaning which a word he is using might happen to bear, this liberty would only be taken if by that means familiar associations could be reached, and the argument or exhortation could be thus urged home. In an Epistle steeped in Jewish thought such a transition as that suggested would be inexplicable. There are other considerations of some weight which might be added; but these seem sufficient to prove that, even if the difficulties of interpretation should prove serious, we must not seek to remove them by wavering in our rendering of diath?k? in these verses. We believe, therefore, that the true translation of Hebrews 9:16-17, must be the following:--For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be brought in the death of the covenanter. For a covenant is of force when there hath been death (literally, over the dead); for hath it ever any strength while the covenanter liveth? In Hebrews 9:15 we have seen the two-fold reference of the death of Jesus, to the past and to the future. As High Priest He has offered Himself as a sin-offering to cleanse the conscience from dead works; the same offering is also looked on as a ransom redeeming from the penalty of past transgressions; and, still by means of His death, He has, as Mediator, established a new covenant. We are reminded at once of the words of Jesus Himself, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood" (1Corinthians 11:25). It is this very thought which the writer proceeds to develop: a covenant cannot be established without death--cannot exist at all. That amongst Jews and Greeks and Romans alike covenants were confirmed by sacrifice we need not pause to prove; of this usage we have the earliest example in Genesis 15. In such sacrifices, again, there is "brought in," or assumed the death of him who makes the covenant. There will not, perhaps, be much difficulty in accepting this as a maxim. The conflict of opinion really begins when we ask in what manner this is assumed. The usual answer is, that the death of victims is emblematic of the punishment which the contracting parties imprecated on themselves if they should break their compact. It may have been so amongst the Greeks and Romans, though this is doubtful.[11] Amongst the Jews, however, the analogy of their general sacrificial system, in which the victim represented the offerer, renders such an explanation very improbable. As to the precise idea implied in this representation, it is not easy to speak with certainty. It has been defined in two opposite ways. In the death of the victim each contracting party may be supposed to die either as to the future, in respect of any power of altering the compact (the covenant shall be as safe from violation through change of intention as if the covenanter were removed by death); or as to the past, to the former state of enmity each is now dead. It is not necessary for our argument to decide such a question as this. The only material points are, that a covenant must be established over sacrifices, and that in such a sacrifice "the death of him that made the covenant" must in some manner be "brought in" or assumed. There remains only the application to the particular covenant here spoken of. If this be taken as made between God and man, the sacrificial death of Jesus in man's stead ratified the covenant for ever, the former state of separation being brought to an end in "the reconciliation" of the gospel. The peculiar character of Hebrews 9:15, however (see above), seems rather to suggest that, as Jesus is set forth as High Priest and sacrifice, so He is both the Author of the covenant and the sacrifice which gives to it validity. In this case we see represented in His sacrifice the death of each "covenanter." (The transition from "Mediator" to Giver of the covenant is not greater than that which the other interpretation requires--a transition from a mediator of a testament to a testator.) There are minor points relating to details in the Greek which cannot be dealt with here. Of the two arguments quoted above, the former has, we hope, been fully met; though (it may be said in passing) it would be easier to give up Hebrews 9:16 as a general maxim, and to regard it as applying only to a covenant between God and sinful man, than to divorce the whole passage from the context by changing "covenant" into "will." One point of interest must not be omitted. There are coincidences of expression with Psalm 1:5 which make it very probable that that Psalm, memorable in the development of the teaching of the Old Testament, was distinctly in the writer's mind. This comparison is also of use in the explanation of some expressions in the original of these two verses. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
In the case of
Ὅπου (Hopou)
Adverb
Strong's 3699: Where, whither, in what place. From hos and pou; what(-ever) where, i.e. At whichever spot.

[a] will,
διαθήκη (diathēkē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1242: From diatithemai; properly, a disposition, i.e. a contract.

[it is] necessary
ἀνάγκη (anankē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 318: From ana and the base of agkale; constraint; by implication, distress.

to establish
φέρεσθαι (pheresthai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Strong's 5342: To carry, bear, bring; I conduct, lead; perhaps: I make publicly known. A primary verb.

[the] death
θάνατον (thanaton)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2288: Death, physical or spiritual. From thnesko; death.

of the [one who]
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

made [it],
διαθεμένου (diathemenou)
Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 1303: (a) I appoint, make (of a covenant), (b) I make (a will). Middle voice from dia and tithemi; to put apart, i.e. dispose.


Links
Hebrews 9:16 NIV
Hebrews 9:16 NLT
Hebrews 9:16 ESV
Hebrews 9:16 NASB
Hebrews 9:16 KJV

Hebrews 9:16 BibleApps.com
Hebrews 9:16 Biblia Paralela
Hebrews 9:16 Chinese Bible
Hebrews 9:16 French Bible
Hebrews 9:16 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: Hebrews 9:16 For where a last will and testament (Heb. He. Hb)
Hebrews 9:15
Top of Page
Top of Page