Hebrews 9:20 describes Moses speaking words of covenant as he sprinkled blood on the people, declaring that the blood marked a covenant God had commanded them to keep. The writer of Hebrews uses this moment from Exodus to show that God’s relationship with Israel was formally sealed by sacrifice. The words are spoken by Moses, who is addressing the people of Israel after he has read the law to them at the foot of Mount Sinai.
Saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”
Hebrews 9:20 (WEB)
What Hebrews 9:20 Means
The phrase “This is the blood of the covenant” tells us that the blood was not just a ritual detail. It was the visible sign that a binding agreement now existed between God and the people. A covenant in the Old Testament was a serious promise with real obligations on both sides, and the blood acted as the seal that made the promise official.
The words “which God has commanded you” make clear that the covenant did not originate with Moses or with the people. God set the terms, and Moses simply announced and carried them out. The verse therefore points to God’s initiative: he is the one who establishes the relationship and tells his people how to live within it.
What the verse does not promise is that the people would keep the covenant faithfully. Israel’s later history shows how often they fell short. The verse records the formal beginning of the arrangement, not a guarantee of how the people would respond to it.
The Context of Hebrews 9:20
The letter to the Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were tempted to think the sacrificial system of the Temple still held the final word on how people draw near to God. The author, traditionally identified as Paul but whose authorship is uncertain, argues that Jesus’s death provides something greater than the old sacrifices. He is writing to encourage believers to hold firmly to their confession of faith.
Just before verse 20, the author explains that a covenant or will requires a death to take effect (Hebrews 9:17-18). He then points back to Sinai, where blood was used to inaugurate the first covenant. Reading verse 20 in this light, the Sinai sacrifice becomes a foreshadowing of a greater covenant established by Christ’s blood. The verse is a stepping stone in a larger argument about why Jesus’s sacrifice is superior.
Key Phrases in Hebrews 9:20
Exodus 24:8
Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you concerning all these words.”
(WEB)
This verse describes the same event from the Old Testament account, where Moses sprinkles the blood on the people. Reading it alongside Hebrews 9:20 helps you see the original scene the writer is referring to and how the blood sealed the agreement at Sinai.
Hebrews 9:22
According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.
(WEB)
This verse, found just two verses later, explains that nearly everything is cleansed with blood under the law and that forgiveness requires the shedding of blood. It shows the author drawing a broader principle from the Sinai event and connecting it to the need for Christ’s sacrifice.
A Short Prayer From Hebrews 9:20
Father, thank you for making a covenant with your people and for keeping your word when we are slow to keep ours. Help me to take my promises seriously and to honor the commitments I have made to you and to others. Thank you that the covenant was sealed with a sacrifice that cost you nothing less than your Son. Teach me to live in the light of that faithfulness today. Amen.
