Biblical Lexicon

διαθήκη G1242

N-NFS | 33× in 2 senses

Covenant or testament; a binding agreement between God and his people, or a legal will activated by the testator's death.

One of the New Testament's most theologically freighted nouns, diatheke carries the weight of the entire biblical storyline. In the Septuagint it translates Hebrew berit (covenant), and the NT overwhelmingly uses it in this sense: the Abrahamic covenant (Acts 3:25; Gal 3:17), the Mosaic covenant, and supremely the 'new covenant in my blood' at the Last Supper (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). Spanish 'pacto,' French 'alliance,' Swahili 'agano,' and Korean '언약' all convey solemn pact. Yet in Hebrews 9:16-17, the author pivots to the classical Greek meaning — a testament or will that takes effect only at the testator's death — creating a breathtaking argument that Christ's death was necessary to activate the new covenant.

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Senses

1. [split] covenant, solemn agreement between parties — Covenant — a solemn, binding agreement, especially between God and his people. This accounts for 31 of 33 occurrences and spans the entire arc of salvation history: God's covenant with Abraham (Acts 3:25; 7:8; Gal 3:17), the old covenant mediated through Moses (2 Cor 3:14; Heb 8:9), and the new covenant inaugurated at the Last Supper (Matt 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). Spanish 'pacto,' French 'alliance,' Hindi 'वाचा,' Arabic 'العهد,' and Swahili 'agano' uniformly render it as a pact or bond rather than a legal will. Hebrews 8:6-13 develops the contrast between old and new covenants most extensively. 0×

GROUPS_COMMUNITY › Association › Covenant Agreement

AR["العَهدِ", "العَهْدُ", "العَهْدِ", "الْعَهْدُ", "الْعَهْدِ", "عَهدًا", "عَهدٌ", "عَهدٍ", "عَهدُ", "عَهْدًا", "عَهْدٍ", "عَهْدَ", "عَهْدَهُ", "عَهْدُ", "عَهْدِ", "عَهْدِي"]·ben["চুক্তি", "চুক্তি,", "চুক্তির", "নিয়ম", "নিয়ম,", "নিয়মে", "নিয়মের", "নিয়মের;"]·DE["Bund"]·EN["a-covenant", "covenant"]·FR["alliance"]·heb["בְּרִית", "בְּרִיתִי", "הַבְּרִית"]·HI["-परमेश्वर-ने", "वअचन,", "वाचा", "वाचा,", "वाचा-की", "वाचा-के", "वाचा।"]·ID["perjanjian"]·IT["patto"]·jav["perjanjen,", "prajanjian", "prajanjèn", "prajanjèn;", "prejanjian,", "prejanjèn"]·KO["언약,", "언약-을", "언약-의", "언약에", "언약을", "언약을,", "언약의", "언약이니라", "언약이다", "언약이라"]·PT["aliança", "aliança,", "da-aliança", "pacto"]·RU["завет", "завета", "завете", "завету", "когда"]·ES["pacto"]·SW["agano", "agano,", "agano;"]·TR["ahdin", "antlaşma", "antlaşmamda", "antlaşmanın", "antlaşmasını", "antlaşmaya", "antlaşmayı", "o-", "yeni"]·urd["عہد", "عہد-پر", "عہد-کا", "عہد-کو", "عہد-کی", "عہد-کے", "عہد-ہے"]

Matt 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 1:72, Luke 22:20, Acts 3:25, Acts 7:8, Rom 9:4, Rom 11:27, 1 Cor 11:25, 2 Cor 3:6, 2 Cor 3:14, Gal 3:15 (+19 more)

1. covenant (bilateral agreement between God and people) — Split from sense 65249. Criteria: God's covenant with Abraham, Moses, or the new covenant; emphasizes mutual obligations and promises (Acts 3:25; 7:8; Gal 3:17; Matt 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20) 31×

Matt 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 1:72, Luke 22:20, Acts 3:25, Acts 7:8, Rom 9:4, Rom 11:27, 1 Cor 11:25, 2 Cor 3:6, 2 Cor 3:14, Gal 3:15 (+19 more)

2. testament, last will and testament — Testament — a last will and disposition of property activated by death. This distinctly Greco-Roman legal sense appears only in Hebrews 9:16-17, where the author argues: 'Where a diatheke exists, the death of the one who made it must be established, for a diatheke takes effect at death; it is never in force while the one who made it is alive.' Spanish 'testamento' captures this legal nuance precisely. The wordplay is deliberate: the same term that means 'covenant' throughout Scripture is momentarily read through its classical Greek legal meaning to demonstrate why Christ's death was theologically necessary. 2×

GROUPS_COMMUNITY › Association › Covenant Agreement

AR["وَصِيَّةٌ"]·ben["নিয়ম"]·DE["Bund"]·EN["testament"]·FR["alliance"]·heb["צַוָּאָה"]·HI["वाचा", "वाचा,"]·ID["wasiat"]·IT["patto"]·jav["prajanjian"]·KO["유언은", "유언이면"]·PT["Testamento", "testamento"]·RU["завещание"]·ES["testamento"]·SW["agano"]·TR["vasiyet"]·urd["وصیت", "وصیت-ہو"]

Heb 9:16, Heb 9:17

4. testament, last will (legal document) — Split from sense 65249. Criteria: A legal will or testament activated by the testator's death, as in Heb 9:16-17 where the contrast with 'covenant' is explicit 0×

BDB / Lexicon Reference

διαθήκη, ἡ, (διατίθημι) disposition of property by will, testament, Refs 5th c.BC+; κατὰ διαθήκην by will, Refs 1st c.BC+, etc.: in plural, διαθήκας διαθέσθαι Refs 5th c.BC+ __II αἱ ἀπόρρητοι δ. mystic deposits on which the common weal depended, probably oracles (compare διαθέτης), Refs 4th c.BC+ __II.2 name of an eyesalve, because the recipe was deposited in a temple, Refs 6th c.AD+ __III…