Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Parallel translations
- WEB Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus,
- BSB Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
- NKJV Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
- NASB Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord,
- NLT Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The author blesses them, invoking the God of peace who raised Jesus, the great Shepherd, by the blood of the eternal covenant. It grounds the closing prayer in the resurrection and Christ's saving work.
Overview
This rich benediction names God as the God of peace and recalls the resurrection of Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep. The 'blood of an eternal covenant' points to Christ's once-for-all sacrifice that secures a covenant which can never be superseded. Here the letter's central themes, Christ's priestly sacrifice and His enduring covenant, are gathered into prayer.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 40
- John 10:11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
- Heb 10:22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
- Rom 15:33Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
- Ps 23:1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
- John 10:14I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
- 2 Th 3:16Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.
- Ezek 37:26Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
- Zech 9:11As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
- Acts 2:24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
- Exod 24:8And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
- 1 Pet 2:25For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
- Isa 55:3Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
- Isa 40:11He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
- Isa 63:11Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?
- Heb 9:16–17For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
- Acts 3:15And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
- Jer 32:40And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
- 1 Chr 16:17And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,
- 1 Pet 1:21Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
- 1 Pet 5:4And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
- 1 Th 1:10And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
- Col 2:12Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
- Heb 10:29Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
- 2 Sam 23:5Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.
- Ezek 34:23And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
- Phil 4:9Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
- 1 Th 5:23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Acts 5:30The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
- Matt 26:28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
- Rom 8:11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
- Heb 9:20Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
- Luke 22:20Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
- Acts 13:30But God raised him from the dead:
- Mark 14:24And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
- Acts 17:31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
- 2 Cor 13:11Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
- Acts 2:32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
- Gal 1:1Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
- Acts 10:40–41Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
- 2 Cor 4:14Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
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Christ at the center
Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.
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