Hebrews 10 9

Hebrews 10:9 kjv

Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

Hebrews 10:9 nkjv

then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second.

Hebrews 10:9 niv

Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.

Hebrews 10:9 esv

then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second.

Hebrews 10:9 nlt

Then he said, "Look, I have come to do your will." He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect.

Hebrews 10 verses

Hebrews 10 9 Meaning

Hebrews 10:9 states the divine declaration by Christ, taken from Psalm 40, asserting His purpose to fulfill God's will. This is immediately interpreted by the author of Hebrews as the abolition of the first covenant and its system of animal sacrifices, enabling the establishment of a new, superior covenant based on Christ's perfect obedience and singular offering. It signifies the decisive termination of an inadequate religious order and the inauguration of God's final and complete redemptive plan through Christ.

Hebrews 10 9 Context

Hebrews 10:9 is central to the author's overarching argument regarding the superiority of Christ's priesthood and sacrifice over the Old Covenant's Levitical system. Chapter 10 immediately follows discussions of the earthly sanctuary (Heb 9:1-10) and Christ's once-for-all, perfect sacrifice (Heb 9:11-28), which cleansed sins permanently unlike annual sacrifices. The context builds upon Psalm 40:6-8 (quoted in Heb 10:5-7), interpreting its prophetic words as Christ's own declaration to willingly do God's will in fulfilling salvation. This verse serves as the direct theological punchline of the Psalm 40 quote: the stated purpose for Christ's incarnation was to set aside the former in order to establish the latter. This directly counteracted the prevailing Jewish reliance on temple sacrifices as the means of atonement and fellowship with God, asserting that Christ’s single, perfect act superseded and nullified all prior ritual requirements.

Hebrews 10 9 Word analysis

• Then (τότε - tote): Functions as a temporal and logical connector, signifying a pivotal point. It ties this action directly to the preceding quote from Psalm 40, highlighting Christ's immediate intent upon entering the world, emphasizing the definitive shift from the inadequate animal sacrifices.
• He said: Refers specifically to Christ, as understood from Hebrews 10:5-7, who utters the words of Psalm 40 prophetically. This highlights the divine, intentional, and personal nature of Christ's submission to God's will.
• Lo, I come to do Your will, O God: A direct quote from Psalm 40:7-8 (Septuagint).
  • Lo, I come (Ἰδοὺ ἥκω - Idou hēkō): Emphasizes the readiness, purpose, and deliberate appearance of Christ. It's a solemn declaration of arrival with a specific mission.
  • to do Your will (τοῦ ποιῆσαι, ὁ Θεός, τὸ θέλημά σου - tou poiēsai, ho Theos, to thelēma sou): "To do" signifies active and complete obedience. "Your will, O God" is the divine mandate Christ perfectly executes. This stands in stark contrast to the sacrifices that merely symbolized obedience but could not accomplish perfect atonement (Heb 10:4).
• He takes away (ἀναιρεῖ - anairei): A strong verb meaning "he removes," "he abolishes," or "he puts to death." It indicates a definitive cancellation or cessation, not merely a suspension. The Old Covenant system is rendered obsolete and non-binding by Christ’s action.
• the first (τὸ πρῶτον - to prōton): Refers to the first covenant, its ceremonial laws, sacrificial system, and priesthood established through Moses, described earlier in Hebrews as being imperfect and temporary.
• that He may establish (ἵνα τὸ δεύτερον στήσῃ - hina to deuteron stēsē): "That He may establish" indicates purpose. "Establish" (στήσῃ - stēsē) means "to set up," "to make firm," or "to validate." It conveys permanence and certainty, indicating the new covenant is divinely inaugurated and unshakeable.
• the second (τὸ δεύτερον - to deuteron): Refers to the new covenant, instituted by Christ’s perfect sacrifice and confirmed by His resurrection, which grants complete access to God and perfect forgiveness of sins.
• "He takes away the first that He may establish the second": This phrase succinctly captures the entire argument of the book of Hebrews concerning the shift from the Old to the New Covenant. It underscores the purposeful obsolescence of the former to bring about the lasting efficacy of the latter. Christ's single act of obedience accomplishes both.

Hebrews 10 9 Bonus section

The understanding presented in Hebrews 10:9 carries significant Christological and soteriological implications. It highlights Christ as the ultimate agent of change, operating fully within the will of God the Father to bring about a redemptive solution that no prior covenant could achieve. His "coming to do Your will" is a foundational declaration of His pre-existence and divine purpose, underscoring that His life and death were not reactive but the pre-ordained fulfillment of divine counsel. The verse underscores that the abrogation of the "first" is essential for the establishment of the "second"; one cannot exist fully in its power without the other ceasing its operation. This principle means believers are no longer under the legalistic burden of the ceremonial law, but are invited into a covenant of grace grounded in Christ's finished work, receiving full and final forgiveness. This truth leads directly into the subsequent verses about sanctification and bold access to God (Heb 10:10-22).

Hebrews 10 9 Commentary

Hebrews 10:9 profoundly articulates the pivotal transition in God's redemptive plan. The divine word, expressed by Christ himself, reveals that His incarnation and perfect obedience were divinely purposed to set aside the inadequate sacrificial system of the Old Covenant. The phrase "He takes away the first" (referring to the first covenant's rituals) denotes not a mere discontinuation, but an abolition, a complete and deliberate removal of its operational authority and efficacy for dealing with sin. This abolition is not arbitrary but serves the clear purpose: "that He may establish the second," meaning the new covenant. This new covenant, secured by Christ's singular and perfect obedience to the Father's will and His sacrifice, stands as a permanent and efficacious means of atonement and access to God. The Old Covenant served as a temporary shadow; Christ’s act brought forth the true, substantive reality, making repeated animal sacrifices eternally redundant. The verse emphasizes that salvation is now firmly grounded in God's will executed by Christ, not human works or ritualistic observances.

• Practical Example: Just as a temporary bridge is removed once a stronger, permanent bridge is built, the Old Covenant's sacrificial system was removed by God's decree, made possible by Christ's perfect sacrifice, because it no longer served its provisional purpose for bringing humanity to God. We now stand on the solid, permanent bridge of Christ.