I to do with you, woman? My hour has not yet come.” Other translators render it more strongly: “Do not try to direct me. It is not yet time for me to act.” (An American Translation) “Trouble me not, woman; my hour has not yet come.”—The Four Gospels, by C. C. Torrey, based on Aramaic.

Mt 28:1—“After the sabbath”

Gr., Ὀψὲ . . . σαββάτων (o·pseʹ. . . sab·baʹton)

J. H. Thayer, in A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, fourth ed., Edinburgh (1901), p. 471, says: “ὀψὲ σαββάτων, the sabbath having just passed, after the sabbath, i.e. at the early dawn of the first day of the week—(an interpretation absolutely demanded by the added specification τῇ ἐπιφωσκ κτλ [tei e·pi·pho·sk(ouʹ sei) . . . , “when it was growing light” etc.]), Mt. xxviii. 1.” Also, Zorell^Gr, column 969, says: “post [after]: ὀψὲ σαββάτων Mt 28:1 ‘post sabbatum’ [‘after the sabbath’].” Moreover, Bauer, p. 601, says under ὀψέ: “after ὀψὲ σαββάτων after the Sabbath Mt 28:1.”

Heb 9:16—Gr., διαθήκη (di·a·theʹke)

The word di·a·theʹke occurs 33 times in the Greek text, namely, in Mt 26:28; Mr 14:24; Lu 1:72; Lu 22:20; Ac 3:25; Ac 7:8; Ro 9:4; Ro 11:27; 1Co 11:25; 2Co 3:6, 14; Ga 3:15, 17; Ga 4:24; Eph 2:12; Heb 7:22; Heb 8:6, 8, 9, 9, 10; Heb 9:4, 4, 15, 15, 16, 17, 20; Heb 10:16, 29; Heb 12:24; Heb 13:20; Re 11:19. The New World Translation renders the Greek word di·a·theʹke as “covenant” in these 33 places.

The word di·a·theʹke occurs in quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures seven times, namely, in Ro 11:27 (from Isa 59:21); Heb 8:8 (from Jer 31:31), Heb 8:9 (twice, from Jer 31:32), Heb 8:10 (from Jer 31:33); Heb 9:20 (from Ex 24:8); Heb 10:16 (from Jer 31:33). In these seven quoted texts the Hebrew word in M is ברית (berithʹ, “covenant”), and the Greek word in LXX is διαθήκη (di·a·theʹke).

Although the obvious meaning of di·a·theʹke in the Christian Greek Scriptures is in the ancient Hebrew sense of “covenant,” many modern translators render di·a·theʹke in Heb 9:16, 17 as “will” or “testament.” They thus indicate that the writer of the book of Hebrews intended a change of meaning for this Greek word.

However, the Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, by John McClintock and James Strong, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1981 reprint, Vol. II, p. 544, states: “The Sept. having rendered בְּרִית (which never means will or testament, but always covenant or agreement) by διαθήκη consistently throughout the O. T., the N. T. writers, in adopting that word, may naturally be supposed to intend to convey to their readers, most of them familiar with the Greek O. T., the same idea. . . . In the confessedly difficult passage, Heb. ix, 16, 17, the word διαθήκη has been thought by many commentators absolutely to require the meaning of will or testament. On the other side, however, it may be alleged that, in addition to what has just been said as to the usual meaning of the word in the N. T., the word occurs twice in the context, where its meaning must necessarily be the same as the translation of בְּרִית, and in the unquestionable sense of covenant (comp. διαθήκη καινή [di·a·theʹke kai·neʹ, “new covenant”], Heb. ix, 15, with the same expression in viii, 8; and διαθήκη, ix, 16, 17, with ver. 20, and Exod. xxiv, 8).”

Likewise, B. F. Westcott, coeditor of the Westcott and Hort Greek text, in his work, The Epistle to the Hebrews, London, 1892, p. 300, wrote the following:

“The Biblical evidence then, so far as it is clear, is wholly in favour of the sense of ‘covenant,’ with the necessary limitation of the sense of the word in connexion with a Divine covenant. When we pass to the consideration of the sense of διαθήκη in c. ix. 15 ff. one preliminary remark offers itself. The connexion of vv. 15—18 is most close: v. 16 ὅπου γάρ [hoʹpou gar, “For where”]. . . : v. 18 ὅθεν οὐδέ [hoʹthen ou·deʹ, “Consequently neither”]. . . .

“This connexion makes it most difficult to suppose that the key-word (διαθήκη) is used in different senses in the course of the verses, and especially that the characteristic of a particular kind of διαθήκη, essentially different from the πρώτη διαθήκη [proʹte di·a·theʹke, “former covenant”] of vv. 15, 18, should be brought forward in v. 16. For it is impossible to maintain that the sacrifices with which the Old Covenant was inaugurated could be explained on the supposition