Albert Barnes Commentary Hebrews 8:9

"Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers In the day that I took them by the hand to lead them forth out of the land of Egypt; For they continued not in my covenant, And I regarded them not, saith the Lord." — Hebrews 8:9 (ASV)

Not according to the covenant, and so on. This refers to an arrangement or dispensation relating mainly to outward observances and to temporal blessings. The meaning is that the new dispensation would be different from that which was made with them when they came out of Egypt. In what respects it would differ is specified in Hebrews 8:10-12.

Because they continued not in my covenant. In Jeremiah, in the Hebrew, this is, while my covenant they brake. That is, they failed to comply with the conditions on which I promised to bestow blessings upon them. In Jeremiah this is stated as a simple fact; in the manner in which the apostle quotes it, it is given as a reason why He would give a new arrangement.

The apostle has quoted it literally from the Septuagint, and the sense is not materially varied. The word translated "because," oti, may mean "since"—that is, "since they did not obey that covenant, and it was ineffectual in keeping them from sin, showing that it was not perfect or complete in regard to what was necessary to be done for humankind, a new arrangement shall be made that will be without defect."

This accords with the reasoning of the apostle. The idea is, simply, that an arrangement may be made for humankind, adapted to produce important ends in one state of society or one age of the world, which would not be well adapted to them in another, and which would not accomplish all that it would be desirable to accomplish for the human race.

So an arrangement may be made for teaching children which would not serve the purpose of instructing those of mature years, and which at that time of life may be superseded by another. A system of measures may be adapted to the infancy of society, or to a comparatively less developed period of the world, which would be poorly adapted to a more advanced state of society. Such was the Hebrew system. It was well adapted to the Jewish community in their circumstances and served the purpose then in view. It served to keep them separate from other people, to preserve the knowledge and the worship of the true God, and to introduce the gospel dispensation.

And I regarded them not. In Jeremiah this is, Although I was an husband unto them. The Septuagint is as it is quoted here by Paul. The Hebrew is:

HEBREW

—which may be translated, "although I was their Lord;" or, as it is translated by Gesenius, "and I rejected them." The word

HEBREW

—means:

1. to be lord or master over anything (Isaiah 26:13);
2. to become the husband of anyone (Deuteronomy 21:13; Deuteronomy 24:1);
3. with HEBREW—to disdain, to reject (Jeremiah 3:14).

It is very probable that this is the meaning here, for it is not only adopted by the Septuagint but by the Syriac. So Abulwalid, Kimchi, and Rabbi Tanchum understood it.

The Arabic word means to reject, to loathe, to disdain.

All that is necessary to observe here is that it cannot be demonstrated that the apostle has not given the true sense of the prophet.

The probability is that the Septuagint translators would give the meaning that was commonly understood to be correct. Furthermore, there is an even greater probability that the Syriac translator would adopt the true sense, for:

1. the Syriac and Hebrew languages strongly resemble each other; and
2. the old Syriac version—the Peshito—is incomparably a better translation than the Septuagint.

If this, therefore, is the correct translation, the meaning is that since they did not regard and obey the laws which He gave them, God would reject them as His people and give new laws better adapted to save people. Instead of regarding and treating them as His friends, He would punish them for their offenses and visit them with calamities.