Journal: Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal
Volume: DBSJ 30:1 (NA 2025)
Article: Once More: "Diathēkē" In Hebrews 9:16–17
Author: Jared M. Compton

DBSJ 30 (2025) p. 33

Once More: Diathēkē In Hebrews 9:16–171

Jared Compton2

Poor translators! It is not an easy job. There is a story about one unfortunate translation—now known as the “Wicked Bible”—where the translators accidentally left out the word “not” in the seventh commandment.3 If you remember that commandment, the “not” is kind of a big deal. Of course, not every translation “decision” is as important, much less consequential. But every decision matters, which is why I want to argue that we should change two words in most of our English translations of the Bible to best reflect what God says to us.

Most English translations translate the Greek word διαθήκη in Hebrews 9:16–17 as “will,” even though they translate this same word as “covenant” everywhere else in Hebrews.4 The ESV is representative:

For where a will [διαθήκη] is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will [διαθήκη] takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.

In what follows, I will argue that we should change “will” in both cases to “covenant.” I will begin by first explaining why so many translations prefer “will.” As we will see, there are good reasons behind this decision. But I will then argue that “covenant” is the better option, especially

DBSJ 30 (2025) p. 34

because it preserves a connection between sin and death that Hebrews does not make anywhere else.

Why Our Bibles Say “Will”

I will begin with the case for keeping “will” in our Bibles. As I said, there are good reasons behind this translation decision. Here we will consider four.5

First, διαθήκη referred to a will in the first-century Greco-Roman world. The word was used to describe how a testator—a will-maker—committed to having his property distributed upon his death. It could refer to other binding commitments, which is why the Greek Old Testament used διαθήκη to describe the binding commitments God made with Abraham and Moses and David. But such alternative uses were quite rare in comparison.6 What is more, w...