Hebrews 8 · Verse 12

Hebrews 8:12

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Hebrews 8:12, King James Version

Hebrews 8:12 in other translations

BSBFor I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”
WEBFor I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”
ASVFor I will be merciful to their iniquities, And their sins will I remember no more.
YLTbecause I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawlessnesses I will remember no more;' --
DARBYBecause I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesses, and their sins and their lawlessnesses I will never remember any more.
BBEAnd I will have mercy on their evil-doing, and I will not keep their sins in mind.
WebsterFor I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

What does Hebrews 8:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. For, &c.--the third of "the better promises" (He 8:6). The forgiveness of sins is, and will be, the root of this new state of inward grace and knowledge of the Lord. Sin being abolished, sinners obtain grace. I will be merciful--Greek, "propitious"; the Hebrew, "salach," is always used of God only in relation to men. and their iniquities--not found in Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and one oldest Greek manuscript; but most oldest manuscripts have the words (compare He 10:17). remember no more--Contrast the law, He 10:3.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, etc. That is the blessing of pardon will be much more richly enjoyed under the new dispensation than it was under the old. This is the fourth circumstance adduced in which the new covenant will surpass the old. That was comparatively severe in its inflictions, (see Heb 10:28;) marked every offence with strictness, and employed the language of mercy much less frequently than that of justice. It was a system where law and justice reigned; not where mercy was the crowning and prevalent attribute, it was true that it contemplated pardon, and made arrangements for it; but it is still true that this is much more prominent in the new dispensation than in the old. It is there the leading idea. It is that which separates it from all other systems. The entire arrangement is one for the pardon of sin in a manner consistent with the claims of law and justice, and it bestows the benefit of forgiveness in the most ample and perfect manner on all who are interested in the plan. In fact, the peculiarity by which the gospel is distinguished from all other systems, ancient and modern, philosophic and moral, pagan and deistical, is, that it is a system making provision for the forgiveness of sin, and actually bestowing pardon on the guilty. This is the centre, the crown, the glory of the new dispensation. God is merciful to the unrighteousness of men; and their sins are remembered no more.

Will I remember no more. This is evidently spoken after the manner of men, and in accordance with human apprehension. It cannot mean literally that God forgets that men are sinners, but it means that he treats them as if this were forgotten. Their sins are not charged upon them, and they are no more punished than if they had passed entirely out of the recollection. God treats them with just as much kindness, and regards them with as sincere affection, as if their sins ceased wholly to be remembered, or, which is the same thing, as if they had never sinned.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 I will be merciful to their unrighteousness - In order to be their God, as mentioned under the preceding verse, it is requisite that their iniquity should be pardoned; this is provided for by the immolation of Jesus Christ as the covenant sacrifice. By his blood, redemption has been purchased, and all who with penitent hearts believe on the Lord Jesus receive remission of sins, and God remembers their iniquities no more against them so as to punish them on that account. All spiritual evil against the nature and law of God is represented here under the following terms: - 1. Unrighteousness, αδικια, injustice or wrong. This is against God, his neighbor, and himself. 2. Sin, ἁμαρτια, deviation from the Divine law; Missing the Mark; aiming at happiness but never attaining it, because sought out of God, and in the breach of his laws. 3. Iniquity, ανομια, lawlessness, not having, knowing, or acknowledging, a law; having no law written in their hearts, and restrained by none in the conduct of their lives. All these are to be removed by God's mercy; and this is to be understood of his mercy in Christ Jesus.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hebrews 8:7-13

The superior excellence of the priesthood of Christ, above that of Aaron, is shown from that covenant of grace, of which Christ was Mediator. The law not only made all subject to it, liable to be condemned for the guilt of sin, but also was unable to remove that guilt, and clear the conscience from the sense and terror of it. Whereas, by the blood of Christ, a full remission of sins was provided, so that God would…

Read the full comment on Hebrews 8:7-13 →

Hebrews 8:12 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὅτιhotibecauseG3754
ἵλεωςileōsmercifulG2436
ἔσομαιesomaiI will beG1510
ταῖςtaistoward theG3588
ἀδικίαιςadikiaisiniquitiesG93
αὐτῶνautōnof themG846
καὶkaiandG2532
τῶνtōntheG3588
ἁμαρτιῶνhamartiōnsinsG266
αὐτῶνautōnof themG846
καὶkaiandG2532
τῶνtōntheG3588
ἀνομιῶνanomiōnlawless actsG458
αὐτῶνautōnof themG846
οὐoucertainlyG3756
μὴmēnotG3361
μνησθῶmnēsthōI may rememberG3403
ἔτι.¶etimore.G2089

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Hebrews 8:12

  • Isaiah 43:25

    I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

  • Hebrews 10:16-17

    This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

  • Romans 11:27

    For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

  • Micah 7:19

    He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

  • 1 John 1:7-9

    But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

  • Acts 13:38-39

    Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

  • Jeremiah 33:8

    And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.

  • Jeremiah 50:20

    In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.

  • Ephesians 1:7

    In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

  • 1 John 2:1-2

    My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

  • Isaiah 44:22

    I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

  • Colossians 1:14

    In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
10:16,17; Ps 25:7; 65:3; Isa 43:25; 44:22; Jer 33:8; 50:20; Mic 7:19
Ac 13:38,39; Ro 11:27; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; 1Jo 1:7-9; 2:1,2; Re 1:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Hebrews 8:11

    And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

  • Hebrews 8:12

    For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

  • Hebrews 8:13

    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.

Read all of Hebrews 8

Hebrews 8:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque seré propicio á sus injusticias, y de sus pecados y de sus iniquidades no me acordaré más.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		car je serai clément à l’égard de leurs injustices, et je ne me souviendrai plus jamais de leurs péchés ni de leurs iniquités ».
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn ich werde ihren Ungerechtigkeiten gnädig sein, und ihrer Sünden und ihrer Gesetzlosigkeiten werde ich nie mehr gedenken."
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		quia propitius ero iniquitatibus eorum, et peccatorum eorum jam non memorabor.