Hebrews 10:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,"

NIV: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."

NASB: 'THIS IS THE COVENANT WHICH I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, DECLARES THE Lord: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEARTS, AND WRITE THEM ON THEIR MIND,' He then says,

CSB: This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, the Lord says, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds,

NLT: 'This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.'

KJV: This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

NKJV: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”

This verse is quoted from Jeremiah 31:33. The same verse was mentioned earlier in the book of Hebrews, to show that God had promised to replace the old covenant. God's intent was never to use the Levitical priesthood as mankind's ultimate solution for sin. Instead, the rituals and objects of the old covenant were meant to point mankind towards the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The writer is very careful to support these claims using God's own Word, from the Old Testament Scriptures. The prior verse explicitly reminds the reader that those are God's words—the Holy Spirit speaking to us—as a way of encouraging the reader to take such words seriously.

Jeremiah 31:33 emphasizes a key aspect of the new covenant. While the old covenant was external and dependent on written laws, the new covenant is internal and "written" on the hearts and minds of God's people. The following verses will include an additional segment from Jeremiah to wrap up this discussion on God's ultimate plan for our salvation.

Hebrews 10:1–18 summarizes the writer's argument that the new covenant, in Jesus Christ, is superior to the old covenant, based on animal sacrifices. Using themes developed in earlier passages, this section points out that God's own Word promised to replace the system centered on the priests and the temple. Those flawed earthly components were symbols of the ''real'' remedy for sin, which is the one-time sacrifice of Jesus. Having completed this long, detailed discourse, the writer will move on to practical applications, including a very stern warning.

God's own words, found in the Old Testament Scriptures, declare His intention to replace the old covenant with a new covenant. Jesus fulfills all of these prophecies, and all of the symbolism found in the system of priests, the tabernacle, and animal sacrifices. Knowing that Jesus Christ is, undoubtedly, God's remedy for our sin, we should be encouraged in holding on to our faith in the face of persecution. However, that same confidence means dire spiritual consequences for those who know Christ's salvation, but choose to act in defiance of His will.

Chapter 10 completes the long, detailed explanation of why the new covenant is superior to the old covenant. Starting in chapter 7, the writer gave various arguments and Scriptures to support this idea. The theme of these points is that God had always intended to send Jesus, as the real fulfillment of the old covenant's symbolism. The second half of this chapter transitions into more practical ideas, including an extremely dire warning about the dangers of apostasy.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.