Hebrews 8:12

12 For I shall be merciful to the wickedness of them, and now I shall not bethink on the sins of them.

Hebrews 8:12 Meaning and Commentary

Hebrews 8:12

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness
That is, sin; for all unrighteousness is sin, being contrary to the justice of God, and his righteous law: and the phrase is expressive of God's forgiveness of it, which is a very considerable article of the covenant of grace; mercy is the spring and original of pardon; it is what God delights in, and therefore he pardons freely; it is large and abundant, and hence he pardons fully; and this lays a foundation for hope in sensible sinners: and the way and means, in and by which God pardons, is the propitiatory sacrifice of his Son; and the word here rendered "merciful", signifies "propitious"; God pardons none but those to whom he is pacified, or rendered propitious by Christ; there is no mercy, nor pardon, but through him; he pardons on the foot of reconciliation and satisfaction for sin by Christ; so that forgiveness of sin is an act of justice, as well as of mercy; or it is an act of mercy streaming through the blood and sacrifice of Christ.

And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more;
by which are meant all kind of sin, original and actual; sins before and after conversion; every sin but that against the Holy Ghost, and that God's covenant people are never guilty of; these God remembers no more; he casts them behind his back, and into the depths of the sea, so that when they are sought for, they shall not be found; God will never charge them with them, or punish them for them: this is another phrase to express the forgiveness of sins, and distinguishes the new covenant from the old one, or the former dispensation; in which, though there were many typical sacrifices, and a typical removal of sin, yet there was a remembrance of it every year.

Hebrews 8:12 In-Context

10 But this is the testament, which I shall assign to the house of Israel after those days [+For this is the testament, which I shall dispose to the house of Israel after those days], saith the Lord, in giving my laws into the souls of them, and into the hearts of them I shall above write them; and I shall be to them into a God [and I shall be to them into God], and they shall be to me into a people.

11 And each man shall not teach his neighbour, and each man his brother, saying, Know thou the Lord; for all men shall know me, from the least to the more of them [from the less unto the more of them].

12 For I shall be merciful to the wickedness of them, and now I shall not bethink on the sins of them.

13 But in saying a new, the former waxed old; and that that is of many days, and waxeth old, is nigh the death [is nigh death].