Hebrews 9:18
New International Version
This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.

New Living Translation
That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal.

English Standard Version
Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.

Berean Standard Bible
That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.

Berean Literal Bible
wherefore neither has the first been inaugurated apart from blood.

King James Bible
Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

New King James Version
Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.

NASB 1995
Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.

NASB 1977
Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.

Amplified Bible
So even the first covenant was not put in force without [the shedding of] blood.

Christian Standard Bible
That is why even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
That is why even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood.

American Standard Version
Wherefore even the first covenant hath not been dedicated without blood.

Contemporary English Version
Blood was also used to put the first agreement into effect.

English Revised Version
Wherefore even the first covenant hath not been dedicated without blood.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
That is why even the first promise was made with blood.

Good News Translation
That is why even the first covenant went into effect only with the use of blood.

International Standard Version
This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.

Majority Standard Bible
That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.

NET Bible
So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood.

New Heart English Bible
Therefore even the first has not been dedicated without blood.

Webster's Bible Translation
Hence even the first testament was not dedicated without blood.

Weymouth New Testament
Accordingly we find that the first Covenant was not inaugurated without blood.

World English Bible
Therefore even the first covenant has not been dedicated without blood.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
for which reason, not even the first has been initiated apart from blood,

Berean Literal Bible
wherefore neither has the first been inaugurated apart from blood.

Young's Literal Translation
whence not even the first apart from blood hath been initiated,

Smith's Literal Translation
Wherefore neither was the first consecrated without blood.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Whereupon neither was the first indeed dedicated without blood.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, indeed, the first was not dedicated without blood.

New American Bible
Thus not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.

New Revised Standard Version
Hence not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For this reason not even the first covenant was confirmed without blood.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because of this, not even the first was established without blood.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Wherefore, the first covenant was not instituted without blood.

Godbey New Testament
Neither was the first covenant therefore dedicated without blood.

Haweis New Testament
Wherefore also that first testament was not consecrated without blood.

Mace New Testament
whence even the first testament was not established without the effusion of blood.

Weymouth New Testament
Accordingly we find that the first Covenant was not inaugurated without blood.

Worrell New Testament
Wherefore, not even has the first covenant been dedicated without blood;

Worsley New Testament
Whence neither was the first covenant entered into without blood:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Redemption through His Blood
17because a will does not take effect until the one who made it has died; it cannot be executed while he is still alive. 18That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people,…

Cross References
Exodus 24:6-8
Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splattered on the altar. / Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people, who replied, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” / So Moses took the blood, splattered it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.

Matthew 26:28
This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

1 Corinthians 11:25
In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Exodus 29:12
Take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; then pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.

Leviticus 8:15
Moses slaughtered the bull, took some of the blood, and applied it with his finger to all four horns of the altar, purifying the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it so that atonement could be made on it.

Leviticus 14:14
The priest is to take some of the blood from the guilt offering and put it on the right earlobe of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

Leviticus 16:14-15
And he is to take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the mercy seat; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the mercy seat. / Aaron shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and bring its blood behind the veil, and with its blood he must do as he did with the bull’s blood: He is to sprinkle it against the mercy seat and in front of it.

Numbers 19:4
Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting.

Deuteronomy 29:12
so that you may enter into the covenant of the LORD your God, which He is making with you today, and into His oath,

Jeremiah 31:31-34
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. / It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. / “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. ...

Zechariah 9:11
As for you, because of the blood of My covenant, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.

Romans 3:25
God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.

Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Colossians 1:20
and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.


Treasury of Scripture

Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

the first.

Hebrews 8:7-9
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second…

Exodus 12:22
And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

Exodus 24:3-8
And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do…

dedicated.

Hebrews 9:14,22
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? …

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Accordingly Agreement Apart Blood Covenant Dedicated Effect Find First Hence Inaugurated Initiated Ratified Testament Whence Wherefore Whereupon
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Hebrews 9
1. The description of the rites and sacrifices of the law;
11. which are far inferior to the dignity and perfection of the sacrifice of Christ.














So even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood
So even
This phrase serves as a connective tissue, linking the argument of the previous verses to the point being made here. The author of Hebrews is drawing a parallel between the old covenant and the new covenant, emphasizing continuity in God's plan. The Greek word "hōste" implies a conclusion or result, suggesting that what follows is a logical outcome of what has been previously discussed. This highlights the consistency of God's requirements for covenants, both old and new.

the first covenant
This refers to the Mosaic Covenant, established between God and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. The term "first" is significant because it sets the stage for the introduction of the "new" covenant through Christ. Historically, the first covenant was foundational for the Jewish faith, involving laws, sacrifices, and rituals that pointed towards holiness and the need for atonement. The Greek word "prōtos" indicates not just sequence but also primacy in terms of its foundational role in God's redemptive history.

was not put into effect
The phrase underscores the necessity of a formal enactment or ratification process for covenants. In the ancient Near Eastern context, covenants were serious agreements that required specific actions to be considered valid. The Greek term "egkainizō" implies inauguration or dedication, suggesting that the covenant required a specific act to be fully operational and binding.

without blood
Blood is a central theme in the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, symbolizing life and atonement. The shedding of blood was necessary for the forgiveness of sins, as outlined in Leviticus 17:11. The Greek word "haima" is used here, emphasizing the life-giving and purifying power of blood. This concept is deeply rooted in the Jewish sacrificial system, where blood was required to cleanse and consecrate both people and sacred objects. The mention of blood here foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose blood established the new covenant, fulfilling and surpassing the old. This highlights the continuity and fulfillment of God's redemptive plan through the ages.

(18) Whereupon.--Better, Wherefore not even has the first (covenant) been dedicated (or, inaugurated) without blood. (See Exodus 24:6-8.)

Verse 18. - Wherefore neither hath the first (testament, A.V.; or, covenant) been dedicated without blood. Here the blood of slain victims, which had been essential for the first inauguration of the old διαθήκη, is referred to as expressing the principle of vers. 16, 17, viz. that there must be death for a διαθήκη (in whatever sense the word may be intended, whether as a testament or as a covenant between God and man) to take effect. Whichever view we take of the intended import of the word, the reference is equally apposite in support of the introductory proposition of ver. 15; which is to the effect that Christ's death (θανάτου γενμένου), fulfilling the symbolism of the old inaugurating sacrifices, qualified him as Mediator of a new διαθήκη.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
That is why
Ὅθεν (Hothen)
Conjunction
Strong's 3606: From hos with the directive enclitic of source; from which place or source or cause.

{even} the
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

first [covenant]
πρώτη (prōtē)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4413: First, before, principal, most important. Contracted superlative of pro; foremost.

was not put into effect
ἐνκεκαίνισται (enkekainistai)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1457: To consecrate, dedicate, renovate. From egkainia; to renew, i.e. Inaugurate.

without
χωρὶς (chōris)
Preposition
Strong's 5565: Apart from, separately from; without. Adverb from chora; at a space, i.e. Separately or apart from.

blood.
αἵματος (haimatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 129: Blood, literally, figuratively or specially; by implication, bloodshed, also kindred.


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NT Letters: Hebrews 9:18 Therefore even the first covenant has not (Heb. He. Hb)
Hebrews 9:17
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