[B-Greek] OFF-TOPIC! Heb. 13:20-21 - what was/is the blood used for?

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at ioa.com
Wed Dec 7 16:12:47 EST 2005


Please note that this question really doesn't concern the Greek text  
of Heb 13:20-21 at all; it lies outside the parameters of appropriate  
list-discussion here as it is concerned with doctrinal  
interpretations of the text read in translation.

On Dec 7, 2005, at 4:07 PM, Harold Holmyard wrote:

> Dear Luke,
>
>> I was reading the letter to the Hebrews recently, and I have a  
>> question
>> about Heb. 13:20-21. The question is to do with what was 'the  
>> blood of the
>> eternal covenant' used for.
>>
>> In versions like the ESV (and the KJV) these two verses say things  
>> like
>> this: -
>> "Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord  
>> Jesus,
>> the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal  
>> covenant, equip
>> you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us  
>> that which
>> is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory  
>> forever and
>> ever. Amen."
>>
>> Here's my question: -
>> -Does the phrase ' ... by the blood of the eternal covenant ... '  
>> refer to
>> how God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead? Like this: -
>> ' ... the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord  
>> Jesus ... by
>> the blood of the eternal covenant ... '
>>
>> -Or, does the phrase refer to how God equips believers with  
>> everything good?
>> Like this: -
>> 'Now may the God of peace ... by the blood of the eternal  
>> covenant, equip
>> you with everything good ... '
>>
>>
> HH: That's an interesting question. The NET Bible assumes that it  
> is the
> former alternative:
>
> 13:20 Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal  
> covenant
> brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord
> Jesus Christ,
>
> HH: This also seems to be the view of the NASB ansd NRSV. The HCSB  
> with
> the comma after covenant seems to agree with NET, though it could be
> clearer:
>
> 13:20-21
> Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord
> Jesus--the great Shepherd of the sheep--with the blood of the
> everlasting covenant, equip you with all that is good to do His will,
> working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to
> whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
>
> HH: The word order suggests that there is a third alternative. What
> follows is a literal translation keeping much of the original word  
> order:
>
> Heb 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the
> great Shepherd of the sheep in the blood of the eternal covenant, our
> Lord Jesus, may He equip you with every good thing to do His will,  
> doing
> in us what is pleasing before Him through Jesus Christ, to whom be the
> glory for every and ever, amen.
>
> HH: The phrase "in the blood of the new covenant" might be  
> translated as
> "by the blood of the eternal covenant." Of the two alternative
> interpretations you gave, the word order seems to favor the first  
> rather
> than the second, that God brought up Jesus by the blood of the eternal
> covenant. But it is hard to see how this blood was a means of raising
> Jesus from the dead. I suppose if it was sinless blood this might
> explain it. However, it seems at least conceivable that "the great
> Shepherd of the sheep" was such "by the blood of the eternal  
> covenant,"
> by the blood that Jesus was willing to shed. We'll have to see what  
> some
> others think who are more skilled in Greek than I am, but I find that
> the New Living translation supports this third interpretation:
>
> NLT Heb 13:20-21 And now, may the God of peace, who brought again from
> the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his  
> will.
> May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is
> pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an
> everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory  
> forever and
> ever. Amen.
>
> Yours,
> Harold Holmyard
>
> ---
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Carl W. Conrad
Co-Chair, B-Greek List
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu or cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/




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