Hebrews 10:17
then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The incredible depth of this promise lies in its emphasis on God's active, deliberate forgetting. It’s not that God can't remember our sins, but that in the new covenant, He chooses not to, erasing them completely through Christ's sacrifice. This isn't a passive overlooking, but a profound act of divine will that secures eternal freedom.
After showing how Christ's one perfect sacrifice made the old Levitical system obsolete, the author quotes Jeremiah to highlight the ultimate promise of the new covenant. This promise, secured by Jesus' death, means God will no longer hold believers' sins against them. This non-remembrance of sins is the foundation for why those old sacrifices are no longer needed.
Imagine a God who chooses to forget. Not forgetful like we are, but deliberately, powerfully choosing to let go of our mistakes.
This verse is a profound promise from God, fulfilling the prophecy in Jeremiah 31. It's not that God's memory fails; rather, it's a declaration of His committed action.
A Covenantal Promise
God isn't just saying He can't remember our sins; He's saying He will not. This isn't about a lack of ability, but a definitive act of love and justice made possible through the new covenant established by Jesus.
The Sacrifice's Impact
Our legalistic sacrifices under the Old Covenant served as a yearly reminder of sin. But Jesus' sacrifice was a once-for-all event. Because the price for our sin has been fully paid, God, in His justice and mercy, chooses not to bring those sins against us ever again.
Think about the old system of sacrifice. It was a constant, annual reminder of sin. What changed?
The Old Testament sacrifices were temporary fixes. Every year, the priests had to offer sacrifices again and again, a ritual that kept the memory of sin alive. It was a system that acknowledged sin but couldn't ultimately erase it.
The Superior Sacrifice
Jesus' sacrifice is different. It's not a repeated ritual but a single, perfect offering. Because His death fully paid the penalty for sin, the need for remembrance and repeated sacrifice is gone. God’s promise in Hebrews 10:17 signifies the abolition of that constant reminder, ushering in an era of complete release from sin's penalty.
Understand the original words
hamartia · Greek Noun
Refers to moral failure, 'missing the mark' of God’s standard of righteousness. It represents both the act of disobedience and the inherent state of separation from God.
anomia · Greek Noun
The legal or ethical violation of God’s revealed law. It emphasizes the defiance of divine authority and the breach of relationship with the Creator.
This promise, originally spoken through Jeremiah centuries before Jesus, finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ's sacrificial death. The author of Hebrews uses it to show that the old system's constant remembrance of sin is completely eclipsed by the new covenant's permanent blotting out of sin through Christ.
c. 627 BC
Jeremiah Receives His Call
The prophet Jeremiah is called by God to deliver a message of judgment and a promise of a new covenant to the people of Judah. This sets the stage for the prophecy of sins being remembered no more.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy Solomon's Temple, and exile many of the Judean elite. This devastating event underscores the inadequacy of the old covenant and its sacrifices to truly atone for sin.
c. 540 BC
Second Isaiah's Prophecies
During the Babylonian exile, the prophet known as Second Isaiah offers messages of comfort and hope, speaking of a Suffering Servant who will bear iniquities and establish a new covenant.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem. His death is seen as the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice that ratifies the new covenant promised by God.
This is the direct source of the quote in Hebrews, highlighting that the new covenant's essence is God's complete forgiveness and knowledge of His people, not their transgressions.
Isaiah 44:22This prophetic passage uses imagery of clouds dispersing to illustrate God's complete blotting out of sins, echoing the promise of remembrance no more.
Psalm 103:12This psalm beautifully paints the extent of God's mercy, stating He removes our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west, reinforcing the idea of complete forgiveness.
Romans 8:1This verse speaks to the freedom from condemnation available to believers in Christ, a direct result of their sins being remembered no more.
Micah 7:19Micah echoes the promise of divine forgiveness by stating God will tread down our iniquities and cast our sins into the depths of the sea, vividly portraying their complete removal.
meyerHebrews 10:17: "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."
Hebrews 10:17 . The καί at the beginning of the verse is held by Böhme and Kuinoel to be a further particle of citation on the part of the author; while Hofmann will have it translated by “also.” Better, however, because more naturally and simply, is it taken as a constituent part of the Scripture citation.
ellicottHebrews 10:17: "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."
(17) Every reader must feel that as these verses stand in the Authorised version the sense is imperfect. The words “after He hath said before” ( Hebrews 10:15 ) imply “then He saith,” or similar words, at some point in the verses which follow. Our translators did not attempt to complete the sense; for the marginal note (“some copies have, Then he saith, And their” ) found in ordinary editions was added at a later date. [12]…
The incredible depth of this promise lies in its emphasis on God's active, deliberate forgetting. It’s not that God can't remember our sins, but that in the new covenant, He chooses not to, erasing them completely through Christ's sacrifice. This isn't a passive overlooking, but a profound act of divine will that secures eternal freedom.
After showing how Christ's one perfect sacrifice made the old Levitical system obsolete, the author quotes Jeremiah to highlight the ultimate promise of the new covenant. This promise, secured by Jesus' death, means God will no longer hold believers' sins against them. This non-remembrance of sins is the foundation for why those old sacrifices are no longer needed.
After showing how Christ's one perfect sacrifice made the old Levitical system obsolete, the author quotes Jeremiah to highlight the ultimate promise of the new covenant. This promise, secured by Jesus' death, means God will no longer hold believers' sins against them. This non-remembrance of sins is the foundation for why those old sacrifices are no longer needed.
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c. AD 62
Authorship of Hebrews
The author of the letter to the Hebrews writes, likely to Jewish Christians. He powerfully argues that Jesus' sacrifice has rendered the Levitical system obsolete, fulfilling God's promise of complete forgiveness.
"then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”" — The incredible depth of this promise lies in its emphasis on God's active, deliberate forgetting. It’s not that God *can't* remember our sins, but that in the new covenant, He *chooses* not to, erasi…