Pastor John,
My KJV Bible declares on or around the first page, that it contains the “Old and New Testaments.” Assuming the original King James translators added that phrase, “Old Testament” to the beginning of the scriptures, I have a question regarding the “OLD testament.”
The definition for the word “testament” is overwhelmingly this: Testament, from the Latin word testamentum, meaning “a will” or “publication of a will.” A person’s will, especially the part relating to personal property. There are then some additional / meanings / definitions for the word testament that appear as if they were concocted to support the KJV phrase, “Old Testament”.
My question is this: Was the original English definition of “testament,” expanded in order to validate its use in the KJV Bible? Or did the KJV translators use it correctly, based on established use of the word “testament?” It seems that it ought to be, “The Old Covenant” and then, “the New Testament” since, according to Hebrews 9:17, “a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”
Who would have been the “testator” that died in the old covenant, for men to use the word “testament” to describe it?
Thank you!
Jerry
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Hi Jerry.
In the King James Version and others, the Greek word for covenant is sometimes translated as “testament”, but it is not clear why. “Testament” comes from the Latin word, testamentum, which means a will, as in “last will and testament”, but in the main, that is not what the Greek word for covenant means.
The author of Hebrews is the only one who translates the Greek word for covenant as “testament” (as in “last will and testament”). He teaches that a covenant is the last will and testament of the slaughtered victim, whose blood seals that covenant, or makes it valid. The author of Hebrews obviously had something from the Lord that pushes our human logic to the brink, and beyond. Still, what he is saying is true. Jesus’ blood was the seal of this new covenant, by which he died and left us the holy Ghost as his last will and testament.
The only one in the OT who could have been such a testator was the animal that was slain, but that is impossible. An animal can leave us nothing. However, that sacrificial animal was useful as a shadow of the Testator of this new covenant.
I hope that answers your question.
Pastor John