Hebrews 8 12

Hebrews 8:12 kjv

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Hebrews 8:12 nkjv

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

Hebrews 8:12 niv

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

Hebrews 8:12 esv

For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."

Hebrews 8:12 nlt

And I will forgive their wickedness,
and I will never again remember their sins."

Hebrews 8 verses

Hebrews 8 12 Meaning

Hebrews 8:12 proclaims a foundational promise of the New Covenant: God's complete and eternal forgiveness for the sins of His people. It declares that God, in His gracious mercy, will not only pardon unrighteousness, sins, and lawless deeds, but He will also utterly "remember them no more," signifying a full and absolute cleansing, removing the guilt and power of sin forever from His sight. This promise highlights the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice in establishing a covenant based on divine grace, not human performance.

Hebrews 8 12 Context

Hebrews 8:12 is a direct quotation from Jeremiah 31:34, serving as a pivotal statement within the book of Hebrews' extended argument for the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old Covenant. The entire eighth chapter of Hebrews contrasts the limitations and transient nature of the Mosaic covenant with the enduring perfection and divine fulfillment of the new. The author demonstrates that Jesus, as the mediator of a "better covenant," serves in a superior sanctuary with a superior sacrifice.

This verse specifically underpins the efficacy of the New Covenant's provision for sin. Under the Old Covenant, sins required repetitive sacrifices and never truly cleansed the conscience (Heb 10:1-4). The Old Covenant, with its external laws and rituals, served as a "shadow" of good things to come (Heb 10:1). The promise in Hebrews 8:12, embedded within the larger prophecy of Jeremiah, shows that the New Covenant is internal, transformative, and provides absolute forgiveness. For the original Jewish-Christian audience struggling between their traditional practices and faith in Christ, this verse provided profound assurance that in Christ, their sins were fully dealt with, establishing true peace and access to God, something the old system could never fully achieve.

Hebrews 8 12 Word analysis

• For (γάρ - gar): This conjunction introduces the reason or explanation for the preceding statement, specifically for why God could establish a "new covenant" which is "better" (Heb 8:7-8) and allows Christ to mediate a more excellent ministry. It connects God's future action of mercy to the new agreement.

• I will be merciful (ἵλεως ἔσομαι - hileōs esomai):

  • ἵλεως (hileōs): Means "propitious," "gracious," or "merciful." This word in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) is often used in contexts of atonement or expiation. It implies not just an emotional pity, but a favorable disposition, where an offended party is appeased and able to forgive. It points to God actively making a way for forgiveness.
  • ἔσομαι (esomai): "I will be," indicating a future, definitive action on God's part, as promised in the covenant. It is God's unwavering intention.
  • Significance: This is a divine declaration, an act of sovereign grace. God chooses to be propitious and forgive, based on His own initiative and the propitiatory work of Christ, rather than human merit.

• to their unrighteousness (ταῖς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν - tais adikiais autōn):

  • ἀδικίαις (adikiais): "Unrighteousnesses," "injustices," "wrongdoings." This is a broad term encompassing any failure to act rightly or justly, any violation of what is right according to God's standard.
  • Significance: God's mercy extends to all forms of moral failing and deviations from His perfect standard. It acknowledges humanity's inability to live up to God's righteousness.

• and their sins (καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν - kai tōn hamartiōn autōn):

  • ἁμαρτιῶν (hamartiōn): "Sins," from hamartia, meaning "missing the mark." This is a common biblical term for any transgression against God's will, often implying a failure to hit the divine standard.
  • Significance: Along with unrighteousness, sins emphasize the personal responsibility and the act of failing God. God's forgiveness is comprehensive, covering both our state of unrighteousness and our individual sinful acts.

• and their lawless deeds (καὶ τῶν ἀνομιῶν αὐτῶν - kai tōn anomiōn autōn):

  • ἀνομιῶν (anomiōn): "Lawless deeds," from anomia, meaning "lawlessness," "transgression of the law," "rebellion." This term carries a strong implication of deliberately ignoring or opposing God's law. It's often used for a deeper, more intentional disregard for divine authority.
  • Significance: The triad of "unrighteousness, sins, and lawless deeds" serves as a comprehensive description of all human moral failures. By listing these, the verse stresses that no category of wrongdoing is beyond the scope of God's forgiveness under the New Covenant. This inclusion ensures that God's forgiveness covers all moral infractions, from simple missing-the-mark to deliberate rebellion against His law.

• I will remember no more (οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ ἔτι - ou mē mnēsthō eti):

  • οὐ μὴ (ou mē): This is a powerful double negative in Greek, strongly emphasizing the absolute negation. It translates to "absolutely not," "never," or "by no means."
  • μνησθῶ (mnēsthō): "I will remember." It denotes calling to mind, holding in memory, or keeping an account of.
  • ἔτι (eti): "No longer," "still," or "further." It reinforces the permanence of the cessation of remembering.
  • Significance: This phrase is the core theological statement of the verse. It doesn't imply God literally forgets (as God is omniscient). Instead, it means He will no longer hold the sins against the sinner, call them to mind for judgment, or allow them to be a barrier in the relationship. It's a legal and relational declaration of a complete and forensic wiping away of guilt and condemnation. This is distinct from the Old Covenant, where sin remembrance was part of annual sacrifices (Heb 10:3), indicating that forgiveness was provisional or not fully consummated.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness": This segment highlights God's initiative and the divine basis of forgiveness. It is an act of sovereign grace where God takes on a favorable disposition towards those who have offended Him, rooted in the completed work of Christ. It addresses the very nature of human deviation from God's righteousness.
• "and their sins and their lawless deeds": This triplet comprehensively describes the totality of human moral failures, from general unrighteousness (failure of character), to specific sinful acts (missing the mark), to defiant rebellion against God's law (deliberate transgression). The inclusion of all three categories emphasizes the breadth and completeness of God's New Covenant forgiveness. No aspect of sin is left unforgiven.
• "I will remember no more": This powerful negative declaration signifies the absolute and final nature of New Covenant forgiveness. It conveys a judicial act where God permanently dismisses charges, ceases to impute guilt, and removes the condemnation associated with sin. It's not a divine amnesia but a settled decision never again to bring sin to mind against the redeemed. This ensures lasting peace and full reconciliation between God and His people, allowing for an unhindered, covenantal relationship. This promise underscores the permanence and efficacy of Christ's sacrifice, establishing an eternal peace.

Hebrews 8 12 Bonus section

The profound finality of "I will remember no more" signifies a once-for-all accomplishment of purification. It directly contrasts the limitations of the Levitical sacrifices under the Old Covenant, which needed to be repeated annually, indicating that they could not fully or finally cleanse. Christ's single, perfect sacrifice, described in Hebrews as a superior high priestly work, satisfies God's righteousness entirely and thus eradicates the basis for the remembrance of sin for judgment. This means that New Covenant believers are no longer under a conditional relationship based on continuous performance and fear of past errors resurfacing, but under an unconditional relationship based on God's faithful provision in Christ. The certainty of this forgiveness frees the conscience from guilt and shame, empowering a life of service and devotion to the living God. It's a declaration of settled, complete peace with God through Christ.

Hebrews 8 12 Commentary

Hebrews 8:12 stands as a monumental declaration of divine grace, rooted deeply in the New Covenant established through Jesus Christ. It directly quotes Jeremiah'31, revealing the heart of God's redemptive plan to deal definitively with humanity's sin problem. The promise is multi-faceted, yet concisely expressed: God's mercy extends to all forms of unrighteousness, sins, and lawless deeds. This triad emphasizes the sweeping scope of His forgiveness, ensuring that every type of moral failing is covered by His propitiatory work in Christ. It means that whether it's a general state of deviation from righteousness, specific individual acts of disobedience, or outright rebellious rejection of God's law, God's provision for forgiveness is comprehensive.

Crucially, the verse culminates with the emphatic statement, "I will remember no more." This is not a lapse in divine omniscience, for God knows all things perfectly. Instead, it is a profound forensic and relational declaration. It signifies that God will no longer hold our forgiven sins against us for judgment or condemnation. They are completely blotted out, cancelled, and removed from the account. This promise contrasts sharply with the Old Covenant's annual sacrifices, which served as a "reminder of sins" (Heb 10:3) and could not perfect the conscience. The New Covenant, sealed by Christ's one-time, perfect sacrifice, achieves a permanent and absolute cleansing. This provides believers with deep assurance, freedom from guilt, and unhindered access to God. It highlights the security and stability of the believer's position in Christ; God's memory of our sin, in terms of its ability to condemn, is irrevocably erased because Christ bore its full penalty.

• Practical Usage: This verse provides profound comfort and assurance for believers. When doubts arise about past failures, this promise reminds us that if confessed, God has cast them into the sea of forgetfulness. It empowers us to live not under condemnation but under grace, knowing our relationship with God is not threatened by His memory of our forgiven transgressions. It also calls us to extend similar mercy and forgiveness to others, reflecting God's heart.