Lexical Summary diathéké: Covenant, Testament Original Word: διαθήκη Strong's Exhaustive Concordance covenant, testament. From diatithemai; properly, a disposition, i.e. (specially) a contract (especially a devisory will) -- covenant, testament. see GREEK diatithemai HELPS Word-studies 1242 diathḗkē (from 1223 /diá, "thoroughly," intensifying 5087 /títhēmi, "place, set") – properly, a set-agreement having complete terms determined by the initiating party, which also are fully affirmed by the one entering the agreement. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom diatithémi Definition testament, will, covenant NASB Translation covenant (30), covenants (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1242: διαθήκηδιαθήκη, διαθήκης, ἡ (διατίθημι); 1. a disposition, arrangement, of any sort, which one wishes to be valid (German Verordnung, Willensverfugung): Galatians 3:15, where under the name of a man's disposition is meant specifically a testament, so far forth as it is a specimen and example of that disposition (cf. Meyer or Lightfoot at the passage); especially the last disposal which one makes of his earthly possessions after his death, a testament or will (so in Greek writings from (Aristophanes), Plato, legg. 11, p. 922 c. following down): Hebrews 9:16f 2. a compact, covenant (Aristophanes av. 440), very often in the Scriptures for בְּרִית (Vulg.testamentum). For the word covenant is used to denote the close relationship which God entered into, first with Noah (Genesis 6:18; Genesis 9:9ff (cf. Sir. 44:18)), then with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their posterity (Leviticus 26:42 (cf. 2 Macc. 1:2)), but especially with Abraham (Genesis 15 and Genesis 17), and afterward through Moses with the people of Israel (Exodus 24; Deuteronomy 5:2; Deuteronomy 28:69 ( The Greek noun διαθήκη (1242) traces the unifying thread of God’s saving plan from Genesis to Revelation. It portrays a binding arrangement initiated by God, ratified by blood, confirmed by divine oath, and designed to secure the relationship between the Creator and His people. Each biblical occurrence deepens the portrait of a God who commits Himself irrevocably to mercy and holiness, culminating in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Old Testament Foundations Reflected in the New The Septuagint consistently renders Hebrew בְּרִית with διαθήκη. Thus, when Luke speaks of “the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us deliverance” (Luke 1:72), he invokes the Abrahamic covenant now finding fulfillment in the Messianic age. Stephen echoes the same covenantal continuity: “He gave him the covenant of circumcision” (Acts 7:8). New Testament writers assume that the patriarchal, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants remain historically real and theologically active, but they are also preparatory shadows of the climactic New Covenant. The Mosaic Covenant and Its Limitations Paul names Israel “the people of the covenants” (Romans 9:4), yet immediately contrasts the law’s inability to impart righteousness (Galatians 3:15-19). He insists the Sinai arrangement was never annulled capriciously; rather, it served as a guardian until Christ, exposing sin to magnify grace (Galatians 3:24). The writer of Hebrews reinforces this limitation: “If that first covenant had been without fault, no place would have been sought for a second” (Hebrews 8:7). The New Covenant Announced by Jesus At the Last Supper Jesus took the cup and declared, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20; cf. Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; 1 Corinthians 11:25). By echoing Jeremiah 31:31-34 and sealing the promise with His imminent sacrifice, He proclaimed that forgiveness, internal transformation, and universal knowledge of God would be permanently secured through His blood. Pauline Theology of Covenant Paul twice contrasts “the ministry of the letter” with “the ministry of the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:6, 14). The Spirit-given life of the New Covenant fulfills the promises made to Abraham, rendering all believers—Jew and Gentile—“heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). Yet Paul refuses to pit covenants against each other in a way that implies divine inconsistency; rather, each stage in salvation history displays progressive revelation leading inexorably to Christ. The Epistle to the Hebrews: Covenant Climaxis Hebrews employs διαθήκη seventeen times, more than any other New Testament book, to unfold the doctrine of Christ’s priesthood. The New Covenant is “better” (Hebrews 8:6) because it rests on “better promises,” is enacted by a “better sacrifice,” and is mediated by a High Priest who “lives forever.” The heavenly sanctuary, purified “with better sacrifices than these” (Hebrews 9:23), ensures eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12) for those who are “called to receive the promised eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15). Covenant Ratification by Blood A covenant in Scripture is always ratified by blood (Exodus 24:8; Hebrews 9:18-22). Hebrews 13:20 declares that God “brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant.” The resurrection is thus inseparably tied to covenant blood, demonstrating divine acceptance of the sacrifice and guaranteeing the covenant’s permanence. Eschatological Fulfillment Revelation 11:19 envisions “the ark of His covenant” appearing in the heavenly temple when the seventh trumpet sounds, signaling the consummation of history. The ark, once the earthly container of covenant tablets, is now located in the heavenly sanctuary, proclaiming that God’s covenant purposes will reach their final, visible fulfillment in the reign of Christ. Covenant and Gentile Inclusion Ephesians 2:12 recalls a time when Gentiles were “strangers to the covenants of the promise.” Through Christ, that estrangement is abolished. The dividing wall is broken, forging one new humanity in covenant fellowship (Ephesians 2:13-22). Consequently, missionary proclamation is covenantal at its core: it summons every nation to enter the sworn promises of God through faith in Christ. Ministry and Sacramental Significance 1 Corinthians 11 anchors the church’s ongoing observance of the Lord’s Supper in covenant remembrance. Each participation is a proclamation that the covenant remains operative until the Lord returns (1 Corinthians 11:26). Pastoral ministry therefore centers on mediating the benefits of the covenant—preaching forgiveness, nurturing Spirit-wrought obedience, and shepherding God’s people in anticipation of the marriage supper of the Lamb. Practical Implications for Believers • Assurance: The covenant is God’s sworn commitment; salvation rests on His fidelity, not human performance. Summary διαθήκη threads together Scripture’s narrative, from the patriarchal promises to the eschatological triumph of the Lamb. Each occurrence bears witness to a single, coherent purpose: God graciously binding Himself to a people, at unimaginable cost, to display His glory through their redemption and eternal fellowship with Him. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 26:28 N-GFSGRK: μου τῆς διαθήκης τὸ περὶ NAS: is My blood of the covenant, which is poured KJV: of the new testament, which INT: of me of the covenant that for Mark 14:24 N-GFS Luke 1:72 N-GFS Luke 22:20 N-NFS Acts 3:25 N-GFS Acts 7:8 N-AFS Romans 9:4 N-NFP Romans 11:27 N-NFS 1 Corinthians 11:25 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 3:6 N-GFS 2 Corinthians 3:14 N-GFS Galatians 3:15 N-AFS Galatians 3:17 N-AFS Galatians 4:24 N-NFP Ephesians 2:12 N-GFP Hebrews 7:22 N-GFS Hebrews 8:6 N-GFS Hebrews 8:8 N-AFS Hebrews 8:9 N-AFS Hebrews 8:9 N-DFS Hebrews 8:10 N-NFS Hebrews 9:4 N-GFS Hebrews 9:4 N-GFS Hebrews 9:15 N-GFS Hebrews 9:15 N-DFS Strong's Greek 1242 |
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