“None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 8:11-12).
An interesting difference between English and Greek syntax is the intended meaning when a double negative is used. In English, the second negative nullifies the first. So, if someone says, “I am not unhappy”, the intended meaning is: “I am happy”. In Greek, however, the second negative intensifies the first. So, if someone says, “I am not unhappy”, the intended meaning is “I am quite unhappy”.
In each of these two verses a double negative occurs. Several translators have sought to capture the significance and intensity of this by translating the beginning of verse eleven with:
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“It will never more be necessary…”
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“And each person won’t ever…”
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“Not one of them will have to teach…”
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“And they will by no means…”
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“Never again will anyone…”
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“And there will be no need at all…”
With verse twelve’s double negative, the following graphic translations have been made:
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“…and I will never again remember their sins.”
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“…and their sins I will no longer remember.”
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“…as for their sins, I’ll forget them forever.”
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“…I will by no means remember them anymore.”
Two emphatic truths of Christianity are at the heart of these two double negatives.
First, Christianity is not hereditary. Neither your parents nor anyone else can decide whether you become a Christian via the spiritual circumcision which occurs at baptism (Colossians 2:11-12). You have to be taught and believe the gospel before you can become a Christian (Mark 16:15-16). This is a marked difference from Judaism.
Second, becoming a Christian means you become a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are born again (John 3:3-5) by the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5). As a spiritual criminal called a sinner, you are not paroled; you are pardoned. “Old things have passed away and all things have become new/kainos (superior in quality—see yesterday’s post). The blood of Christ separated you from your sins as the east is from the west. Your guilt is forever gone.
What a couple of double negatives!
