Charles Ellicott Commentary Hebrews 9:15

"And for this cause he is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." — Hebrews 9:15 (ASV)

And for this cause.—Or, And because of this. This verse looks back to the great truth of Hebrews 9:11-12, which the last two verses have served to confirm and highlight more clearly. Christ through His own blood entered once for all into the Holy Place, having won eternal redemption; and for this reason He is the Mediator of a covenant, a new covenant, so that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For “the new testament” we must certainly read a new covenant: whatever may be thought of the following group of verses, the rendering testament has no place here. The leading thought of Hebrews 8 is the establishment of a new covenant, and the former covenant has been referred to three times in this very chapter (Hebrews 9:1; Hebrews 9:4).

That by means of death.—Rather, that, death having taken place for redemption from the transgressions, and so on. The first covenant had been broken by “transgressions:” unless there is redemption from these—that is, from the bondage of penalty which has resulted from these—there can be no promise and no new covenant. Regarding this bondage, this penalty, the death of Christ was a ransom—an offering to God viewed as a payment instead of debt, service, or penalty due.

When debt and payment are changed into the corresponding ideas of sin and punishment, the ransom yields to the sin-offering, the principle of which was the acknowledgment of death deserved, and the vicarious suffering of death. Until now, our thinking has focused on the removal of the results of the past.

The covenant and the promise relate to the establishment of the better future. Death was necessary for both. The offering of Christ’s life (Matthew 20:28) was a ransom or an offering for sin; it was also a sacrifice inaugurating a new covenant, which contained the promise of the eternal inheritance. See Hebrews 9:16-18; also Galatians 3:13-14, where the thought is very similar.

Those who are called.—More clearly, those who have been called. (Romans 1:6–7; 2 Thessalonians 2:13–14.) In Hebrews 3:1 we have a similar expression, partakers of a heavenly calling: there also the idea of sonship (Hebrews 2:10), with its right of inheritance, is certainly present.