Daniel's Literal Translation and Commentary
The Renewed Covenant by Daniel Gregg
"Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins" (DLT: torahtimes.org).
the covenant: της διαθηκης . The 'authorized version' has the words "new testament". However, better manuscripts have become available. Apparently the word "new" is not in them. Also, strangely, the word covenant gets turned into testament when the translators cross from the Torah and the Prophets into the gospels. Did you ever wonder why? A testament is a will, which is a unilateral transfer of possessions from one party to another upon the death of the will maker. A covenant, on the other hand, has two sides to it. If we are faithful and do our part, then God will be faithful and do his part. Providentially, God's part includes a pardon for those who want to do what is right, since we all fall short.
comment 1: Even if Yeshua did say the word חדשה, the meaning is the same as just saying "covenant" due to the fact that חדשה means renewed in Hebrew. And likely, he repeated the statement a second time with the word (cf. 1Cor. 11:25). The Greek word καινη also covers the sense of anew or again. The omission suggests that the Scripture wants to emphasize continuity here, or that was Matthew's intent with his Judean audience. Jeremiah 31:31-34 certainly includes the Torah in the renewal. However, it cannot be denied that the word also includes the concept of new in the sense of "distinctive" or "in nature, different from the usual, impressive" (TDNT, καινος), but it is not the Greek word to use for "what was not before," "what has only just arisen or appeared," or "new in time or origin" or "young, with a suggestion of immaturity or of lack of respect for the old" (TDNT). The Greek word to express the latter idea is νεος. There is probably some overlap in the two Greek words and the Hebrew includes both concepts. We must depend on context and correct theology to sort out which senses are meant.
comment 2: The English word "new" for "new covenant", is, unfortunately loaded down with a lot of useless theological baggage from the last 19 centuries of anti-Torah exegesis, doubtless due to the fact that the theology is the interpreters of the concept is being informed by a host of mistranslations from the Pauline epistles and misconceptions based on the letter of Hebrews. So it is necessary to say what is "new" about the new covenant. It is new because it points to the fulfillment of the promise in Deut. 30:6, "And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live". This promise has not yet come to completion, but it is exactly what is promised in Jeremiah 31:33, "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts;" For the faithful who trust God and look forward to this promise, there is no deficiency in the Torah because God has promised to make Israel perfect with it. And indeed the promise is repeated in the prophetical רמז of Leviticus 16:30, "For on that day he shall make an cleansing for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD" (compare 1John 1:9).
comment 3: Blood is the symbol of life, which is represented by the fruit of the vine in the third cup. Yeshua's life is given up as payment for the penalty of our sins, and then Yeshua's life is raised up, so that His divine life can be imparted to us through the sanctification of His Holy Spirit. The payment is finished, however, we still must faithfully (trustingly) wait for the righteousness of God which shall be fully imputed to us when Messiah returns (Gal. 5:5; Deut. 30:6; Jer. 31:33). (DLC: torahtimes.org)
Daniel's Literal Translation and Commentary: (http://www.torahtimes.org/translation/mat2628.html)
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