Hebrews 8:8 · Bible study
Hebrews 8:8 Commentary: The Promise of a New Covenant
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Does God find fault with the old covenant or the people?
Research Summary
- Meaning: God declares the old covenant insufficient and promises a new, transformative covenant through Christ, fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy.
- Key words: memphomenos (finding fault, accusing), kainēn (new in kind, unprecedented), suntelesō (I will consummate, complete).
- Main debate: Whether God's fault-finding targets the covenant structure or the people's failure, and whether the new covenant is for ethnic Israel alone or for the church as the spiritual Israel.
- Theological theme: God's faithfulness to His promise despite human unfaithfulness; the shift from external law to internal transformation by grace.
- Best use: Teaching on the superiority of Christ's priesthood, the unity of Scripture, and the grounds of assurance, our confidence rests on God's completed work, not our performance.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But God found fault with the people and said: “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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For finding fault with them, he said, “Behold, the days are coming”, says the Lord, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
KJV King James Version 1769
For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For finding fault, He saith to them, `Lo, days come, saith the Lord, and I will complete with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, a new covenant,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For finding fault, he says to them, Behold, days come, saith the Lord, and I will consummate a new covenant as regards the house of Israel, and as regards the house of Juda;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For, finding fault with them, he saith: Behold the days shall come, saith the Lord: and I will perfect, unto the house of Israel and unto the house of Juda, a new testament:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque reprendiéndolos|strong="G3201, G0846" dice: He aquí vienen días, dice el Señor, y consumaré para con la casa de Israel y para con la casa de Judá un nuevo pacto;
Porque, enquanto Deus repreendia os do povo, disse-lhes: Eis que vêm dias, diz o Senhor, que, sobre o povo de Israel e sobre o povo de Judá, estabelecerei um novo pacto;
Car c’ est avec l’expression d’ un blâme que le Seigneur dit à Israël:
Denn er tadelt sie und sagt: “ Siehe, es kommen die Tage, spricht der HERR, daß ich über das Haus Israel und über das Haus Juda ein neues Testament machen will;
Want hen berispende, zegt Hij tot hen: Ziet, de dagen komen, spreekt de Heere, en Ik zal over het huis Israels, en over het huis van Juda een nieuw verbond oprichten;
Difatti, Iddio, biasimando il popolo, dice: Ecco i giorni vengono, dice il Signore, che io concluderò con la casa d’Israele e con la casa di Giuda, un patto nuovo;
Albowiem ganiąc Żydów, mówi: Oto dni idą, mówi Pan, gdy uczynię z domem Izraelskim i z domem Judzkim przymierze nowe.
Но пророк, укоряя их, говорит: вот, наступают дни, говорит Господь, когда Я заключу с домом Израиля и с домом Иуды новый завет,
所以 主指責他的百姓說（或譯：所以主 指前約的 缺欠 說）： 日子 將到， 我要與 以色列 家 和 猶大 家 另立 新 約，
For, protesting against them, he says, See, the days are coming when I will make a new agreement with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Hebrews 8:8
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Hebrews 8:8 anchors the author's case for Christ's superior priesthood. Verse 7 argued that if the first covenant were faultless, no second would be needed. Verse 8 then supplies proof: God promised a new covenant through Jeremiah. The key Greek verb memphomenos ("finding fault") can attach either to the covenant or to the people. Barnes notes that the Greek may bear either construction, and many scholars, Grotius, Stuart, Rosenmuller, read it as fault with the covenant itself. Others, like Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, hold that the fault lies with the people who broke the covenant. Clarke and Wesley affirm that God addresses the people, pointing to their failure. Yet all agree on the main point: the old covenant was not final. The quotation from Jeremiah 31:31-34 proves that God Himself declared the existing arrangement insufficient, signaling that a better covenant was coming. This new covenant is not a mere revision; it is qualitatively new (kainēn), fresh in kind and lasting.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Fault with the covenant itself: The Greek construction permits 'finding fault, he says to them' — the deficiency is in the covenant's inability to produce obedience (Barnes, Grotius).
- Fault with the people: The plain reading 'finding fault with them' connects to Jeremiah 31:32, where God complains the people broke His covenant (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Calvin).
- Fault with both covenant and people: The covenant was insufficient for sinful humans, so both covenant and people were at fault — the old covenant could not remedy the failure it exposed (Gill, Matthew Henry).
What is clear: God promised a qualitatively new covenant that would bring internal transformation, direct knowledge of Him, and full forgiveness — something the old arrangement could not accomplish.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Object of 'finding fault' | The verse signals that the first covenant was inadequate, something needed to change. | Some (Barnes, Grotius) read it as fault with the covenant itself. Others (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Wesley) see fault with the people who broke it. The Greek <em>memphomenos autous</em> can attach the blame to either. |
| Meaning of 'new covenant' | Christians agree the new covenant is fulfilled in Christ and brings complete forgiveness and heart-transformation (see v.10-12). | Reformed and covenant theologians see the new covenant as the full administration of the covenant of grace, present now in the church. Dispensationalists expect a future literal fulfillment for national Israel in the millennium. |
| Israel and Judah, literal or spiritual referent | God's promise addresses the people of God, those in covenant relationship with Him. | Some (Clarke, Gill) take it literally, expecting a future conversion of all ethnic Jews. Others (Calvin, Matthew Henry) see it typologically: the house of Israel and Judah represent the whole people of God, including Gentiles grafted in by faith. |
| Already / not yet of the new covenant | The new covenant has been inaugurated by Christ and is a present reality for believers. | Catholic and Orthodox traditions see the new covenant fully present in the Church and sacraments. Some evangelical traditions emphasize a future consummation when Israel as a nation turns to Christ. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The writer of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34, a prophecy spoken to the people of Judah and Israel during the Babylonian exile. Jeremiah's original audience had watched their nation collapse, the temple destroyed, the king deposed, the people deported. The old covenant given at Sinai, sealed with blood and law, had not produced lasting faithfulness. The prophet's words "Behold, the days come" (a standard Messianic formula in Jeremiah, as in 23:5, 30:3, 31:27, 31:38) points to a future restoration that goes beyond political return. God promises a new covenant, one not like the one made at the exodus.
The divided kingdom, Israel in the north, Judah in the south, is addressed together, emphasizing that God's plan involves the whole people. Centuries later, when the author of Hebrews writes to a community of Jewish Christians facing pressure to return to the Mosaic system, he retrieves this prophecy to show that the old covenant was never intended to be permanent. The phrase "finding fault with them" echoes God's complaint in Jeremiah: the people "didn't continue in my covenant" (v.9). The writer assumes Jeremiah's words point directly to the Christian era. The Greek verb suntelesō ("I will make") means "I will consummate or complete," suggesting the new covenant is not a supplement but a fulfillment. Vincent notes that the writer consistently uses kainēn for "new" (not nean), indicating something unprecedented in quality. Drawing on the Septuagint version of Jeremiah, the author adapts the passage freely, as Calvin observes, applying an argument from the whole law to its ceremonial parts. The covenant of Christ, he argues, is what Jeremiah saw coming.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentary sources note no significant textual variants for Hebrews 8:8. The quotation is drawn from Jeremiah 31:31-34, likely from the Septuagint (LXX), with the author adapting the wording to fit his argument. The Greek text is stable across major manuscripts; the only minor variation involves the punctuation of memphomenos (whether it is read with the following autous or not). The BSB reads "But God found fault with the people," while most translations include "with them" as a direct object. The textual evidence supports the reading reflected in the majority of modern editions.
Reception History
From the early church forward, this verse has been central to understanding the relationship between the old and new covenants. Irenaeus and other second-century fathers saw it as proof that the Mosaic law was temporary. Augustine used the verse in his controversy with the Pelagians, arguing that the new covenant's gift of inner grace is what the law could not produce. During the Reformation, Luther and Calvin appealed to Hebrews 8:8 to argue that salvation is by faith alone, the old covenant required works, while the new gives a new heart. In modern times, the verse is read differently across traditions. Catholic teaching sees the new covenant as abiding in the Church, especially in the Eucharist. Many Protestant dispensationalists (e.g., in the Scofield Reference Bible) treat the passage as a yet-unfulfilled promise to Israel, pointing to a future millennial kingdom. The verse has also been used in Jewish-Christian dialogue: some see it as supersessionist, while others argue that God's covenant with Israel remains unbroken, with the new covenant applying to the church alongside, not instead of, national Israel.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's honest diagnosis. God does not ignore the problem. Whether the fault is in the covenant or the people, He names the failure. The old covenant exposed sin without curing it.
- God's promising response. Where the old covenant faltered, God does not give up. He announces something new: a covenant with better promises, internal transformation, and lasting forgiveness.
- God's inclusive design. The promise goes to the house of Israel and the house of Judah, the entire divided people. In Christ, this extends to all who belong to the Israel of God, Jews and Gentiles together.
Five-point outline
- Fault identified: the old covenant could not produce true obedience (v.7-8a).
- Promise announced: God Himself initiates a new arrangement (v.8b).
- Contrast stated: not like the exodus covenant that Israel broke (v.9).
- Content described: God writes His law on hearts, gives personal knowledge of Himself, forgives sins completely (v.10-12).
- Conclusion drawn: to call it "new" makes the first obsolete (v.13).
Illustration hooks
- A company signs a contract with an employee who repeatedly breaks the terms. Instead of firing him, the owner redrafts the agreement, adding training and accountability. The new contract is not a second chance, it's a fundamentally different relationship.
- Think of a marriage where years of drifting have left both parties disappointed. One spouse doesn't just ask the other to try harder; they propose a complete reset, including counseling and new commitments. The old patterns are not enough.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If the old covenant was imperfect, does that mean God made a mistake in giving it?
- Does this mean the Jews are no longer God's chosen people?
- How do I know I am part of this new covenant, what difference does it make in my daily life?
Leading a Discussion
Hebrews 8:8 quotes Jeremiah 31:31 to show that the old covenant was always meant to give way to something better. The verse forces us to ask: where do we place our confidence? In religious systems that depend on our performance, or in God's promise to change us from the inside? As you discuss, keep the focus on what God has done rather than on what we must achieve.
Discussion questions
- Read Hebrews 8:7-8. Who is being found fault with, the covenant or the people? Why does this distinction matter?
- How does the original context of Jeremiah's prophecy (the exile, the divided kingdom) help explain what God is doing here?
- The Greek word for "new" here is kainē, meaning fresh in quality, not just recent. What does the new covenant offer that the old could not?
- In verse 11, the prophet says everyone will know God directly. How does this relate to the role of priests and teachers today?
- Does this passage suggest that the church has replaced Israel? How do different Christian traditions answer that question, and what Scriptures do they point to?
- What does it mean for you personally to have God's law written on your heart? Can you give a concrete example from this week?
- How should this truth change the way you approach failure and forgiveness in your own life?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 55:3 | Turn your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. |
| Jeremiah 23:5 | “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch; and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will execute justice and righteousness in the land. |
| Jeremiah 23:7 | “Therefore, behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that they will no more say, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;’ |
| Jeremiah 30:3 | For, behold, the days come,’ says Yahweh, ‘that I will reverse the captivity of my people Israel and Judah,’ says Yahweh. ‘I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they will possess it.’” |
| Jeremiah 31:27 | “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of animal. |
| Jeremiah 31:31 | “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, |
| Jeremiah 31:34 | They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” |
| Jeremiah 31:38 | “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that the city will be built to Yahweh from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the corner. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that God found fault not only with the people who broke the first covenant but with the covenant itself as insufficient. He reads the promise of a new covenant to Israel and Judah as a prophecy that all Jewish descendants, including the lost tribes, will eventually convert to Christianity.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the phrase "finding fault" does not single out either the people or the old covenant, but rather signals a general defect that required a new arrangement. He stresses that the covenant is a divine disposition or order, not a contract between equals.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that the apostle rightly applies Jeremiah's promise of a new covenant to the abolition of ceremonies, even though the prophet addressed the whole Law. Since ceremonies were merely appendages to the Mosaic covenant, they fall with the principal when the entire old dispensation is replaced by Christ.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that the Hebrew phrase "I will make" a covenant literally means "I will cut," likely referring to the ancient practice of killing animals to inaugurate a covenant. He notes that both the Greek Old Testament and the author of Hebrews choose a less literal word, losing this vivid sacrificial image.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes observe that God delivers the promise of a new covenant as a rebuke to Israel and Judah. Because the old covenant was broken by their sin, He announces a new testament that will unite
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explains the new covenant is called "new" not because it was recently made, but because its administration differs from the old. It was established from eternity with Christ, more clearly revealed in the last days, and will never grow old or be replaced. The covenant with Israel and Judah ultimately includes all of God's elect, Jews and Gentiles alike.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that the law itself is not at fault; the people who failed to keep it are. The Jeremiah prophecy points to a threefold fulfillment: a partial return under Zerubbabel, a future literal restoration for Israel, and a spiritual covenant where God forgives sins and writes His law on hearts. Both Israel and Judah share equally in this new covenant.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the old covenant was not broken by external forces but was dissolved internally by God through the very prophecy that promised a new one. He stresses that the new covenant's superiority lies in its better promises: a law written on hearts, universal knowledge of God, and complete forgiveness of sins.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that the heart of Christian teaching lies in distinguishing the covenant of works from the covenant of grace, and within that, the Old and New Testament dispensations. Christ's ministry is superior because He mediates a better covenant, one founded on better promises.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes the Greek word for "finding fault" directs blame at the first covenant's recipients. He observes that Hebrews applies Jeremiah's new covenant to Christianity. He also comments
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley lists six ways the new covenant is genuinely new: ratified by Christ's death, freed from burdensome ceremonies, giving a clearer account of spiritual religion, attended by larger Spirit influences, extended to all people, and never to be abolished. Still, he adds, the substance of the covenant remains the same.