Hebrews 8 13

Hebrews 8:13 kjv

In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 8:13 nkjv

In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 8:13 niv

By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

Hebrews 8:13 esv

In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 8:13 nlt

When God speaks of a "new" covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.

Hebrews 8 verses

Hebrews 8 13 Meaning

Hebrews 8:13 concisely declares the profound theological shift from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. When God himself prophesied a "new covenant" through Jeremiah, He implicitly and explicitly rendered the "first" covenant as obsolete, aged, and destined for complete abolition. This verse signifies the finality and superiority of the New Covenant in Christ, illustrating that the former agreement, though divine in origin, was always temporary and served its preparatory purpose, now making way for the perfect and enduring reality in Jesus.

Hebrews 8 13 Context

Hebrews 8:13 serves as the concluding summary statement to a lengthy argument in the book of Hebrews, primarily from chapter 7 into chapter 8, which emphasizes the superiority of Christ's high priesthood and the new covenant he mediates. The author has established Christ as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7), distinct from and superior to the Levitical priesthood. Chapter 8 directly compares the Old Covenant (Mosaic Law) with the New. Verse 7 asserts that if the first covenant had been perfect, there would have been no need for a second. Verses 8-12 then directly quote Jeremiah 31:31-34, God's prophetic declaration of a "new covenant." This direct divine declaration is the very premise upon which verse 13 makes its emphatic conclusion. The immediate audience consists of Jewish Christians, tempted to revert to the familiar and outwardly impressive rituals of Judaism and the Mosaic Law due to persecution and a lack of full understanding of Christ's definitive work. The verse functions as a powerful rhetorical and theological argument against clinging to a system that God Himself declared transient.

Hebrews 8 13 Word analysis

• In that He says: (ἐν τῷ λέγειν - en tō legein)
  • Signifies the definitive and authoritative nature of the statement. The "He" refers to God, specifically as quoted through the prophet Jeremiah in Hebrews 8:8-12. God's declaration itself initiates the process of rendering the old obsolete.
  • Emphasizes divine intentionality; it's not merely a passive fading, but a direct consequence of God's revealed will to introduce something superior.
• A new covenant, (Καινὴν διαθήκην - Kainēn diathēkēn)
  • New (Καινὴν - Kainēn): Not neos (new in time or origin), but kainos (new in quality, fresh, superior, unprecedented, of a different character). It implies not just chronologically recent, but a qualitatively superior, perfected covenant that makes the old irrelevant by comparison. This covenant delivers true and lasting change, unlike the superficial application of the Mosaic Law.
  • Covenant (διαθήκην - diathēkēn): A solemn and binding agreement or disposition, typically initiated by one party (in this case, God), and often unilaterally imposed with promises and conditions. It refers to God's binding arrangement with humanity, differing significantly from a reciprocal contract.
  • The phrase points directly to Jeremiah 31:31, establishing the scriptural basis for the author's argument.
• He has made the first obsolete. (Πεπαλαίωκεν τὴν πρώτην - Pepalaiōken tēn prōtēn)
  • He has made... obsolete (Πεπαλαίωκεν - Pepalaiōken): From palaioō, meaning "to make old, render antiquated, to declare obsolete or superannuated." It's a perfect active indicative verb, emphasizing a completed action with ongoing results. God Himself has already performed this act through His declaration. This is not a human decision but a divine pronouncement.
  • The first (τὴν πρώτην - tēn prōtēn): Refers directly to the Mosaic Covenant, the covenant established at Sinai.
  • The verb choice indicates that the very act of speaking about a new covenant implicitly renders the first one antiquated by definition.
• Now what is becoming obsolete (Τὸ δὲ παλαιούμενον - To de palaioumenon)
  • Becoming obsolete (παλαιούμενον - palaioumenon): Present passive participle of palaioō. It describes an ongoing process of aging and decaying. While the declaration of obsolescence (pepalaiōken) is a past, completed act, the effects—the process of wearing out and fading—are continually happening. It highlights the progressive decay and increasing irrelevance of the old system.
• and growing old (καὶ γηράσκον - kai gēraskon)
  • Growing old (γηράσκον - gēraskon): From gēraskō, to become old, to be worn out, to wither. This word specifically conveys the idea of natural aging, decline, and gradual decay due to the passage of time. It reinforces the transient nature of the Old Covenant system.
• is ready to vanish away. (ἐγγὺς ἀφανισμοῦ - engys aphanismou)
  • Is ready to vanish away (ἐγγὺς ἀφανισμοῦ - engys aphanismou): Engys means "near, at hand, impending." Aphanismos means "disappearance, abolition, obliteration, removal from sight."
  • This phrase signifies that the process of becoming old has reached its climax, leading to an imminent and complete removal. It is not just decaying, but on the verge of disappearing entirely.
  • This is often interpreted as a veiled reference to the impending destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in A.D. 70, which would render the Mosaic system of animal sacrifices utterly impractical and therefore abolished. While the declaration of obsolescence came with the prophecy of the New Covenant and Christ's work, the physical manifestation of its complete disappearance was imminent for the original readers.
• Words-group Analysis:
• "In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete." This clause underscores the divine prerogative. God's declaration itself is sufficient to invalidate the prior arrangement. The introduction of the qualitatively superior new covenant automatically rendered the old one dated and deficient. It implies a completed theological transaction initiated by God.
• "Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." This describes the practical consequence and imminent fate of the Old Covenant system. It is no longer just a theological point; it's a process of decay reaching its inevitable conclusion. The dual description ("becoming obsolete" and "growing old") emphasizes both the declarative rendering as antiquated and the natural process of its utility fading, culminating in its imminent abolition. It signals a complete termination, not merely an alteration or addition.

Hebrews 8 13 Bonus section

The concept of "obsolete" does not imply that the Old Testament Scriptures are without value for believers today. Rather, it pertains specifically to the covenant system of animal sacrifices, a human priesthood, and a physical temple for atonement, as well as its specific ceremonial laws that regulated daily life and worship. The moral law, being a reflection of God's character, retains its timeless validity as guiding principles for righteousness and holy living, re-written on the heart under the New Covenant (Heb 8:10). Furthermore, the Old Testament scriptures serve as prophetic groundwork, theological teaching, historical record of God's interaction with humanity, and a witness to Christ. They provide essential context for understanding the New Covenant's fulfillment and God's overarching redemptive plan. The "vanishing away" is not an annihilation of all truth or wisdom within the Old Testament, but the discontinuation of its specific legal and ceremonial demands as the primary means of relating to God.

Hebrews 8 13 Commentary

Hebrews 8:13 encapsulates the core message of the book: the absolute superiority and finality of the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. By quoting God's promise of a "new covenant" (Jer 31:31), the author strategically argues that the very concept of "new" intrinsically implies the "old" is no longer the ultimate or sufficient arrangement. God's own words are the irrefutable evidence for this transition. The word "made obsolete" (pepalaiōken) is a strong term, indicating a divine declaration that renders something outdated or antiquated. This wasn't a gradual evolutionary process on humanity's part, but a sovereign act of God. The old covenant was never flawed in its divine institution, but it was designed as a temporary and pedagogical system—a "shadow" pointing to the "substance" of Christ. Once the reality (Christ and His perfect sacrifice) arrived, the shadow was no longer needed. The subsequent phrase, "what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away," highlights both the ongoing decay and the imminent complete cessation of the Old Covenant's efficacy and operational relevance. This imminent vanishing can be seen both spiritually, in the diminishing power and purpose of the law for those in Christ, and historically, through events like the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70, which effectively brought an end to the sacrificial system as Jewish Christians knew it, demonstrating its physical abolition. The verse serves as a crucial exhortation to the struggling Jewish believers, urging them to fully embrace Christ's superior provision and release their attachment to a covenant that God Himself was putting an end to.