Thomas Aquinas, on Heb 8:9

“Not according to the testament which I made to their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt: because they continued not in my testament: and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.”

“398. – Then (v. 9) he describes the New Covenant: first, by its difference from the Old; secondly, by its own qualities. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he shows the distinction between the Old and New Testaments; secondly, the infirmity of the Old (v. 9b). 399. – For someone could ask: Is the New like the Old? Therefore, as though answering this he says: No, because it is not like the covenant I made with their fathers. In this he shows that the Old is not to be observed along with the New: 'Stand fast, and be not held again under the yoke of bondage' (Gal. 5:1); 'Neither do they put new wine into old bottles' (Mt. 9:27); 'so that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter' (Ron 7:6). For if something is found in the Old which the Gentiles are supposed to observe, it must be referred to the spiritual meaning, as it says in Is (19:21): 'They shall worship him with sacrifices and offerings,' all of which is to be understood spiritually. 400. – Then (v. 9b) he shows the defect of the Old Testament: first, from the way it was delivered; secondly, from the outcome (v. 9b). 401. – For the Old Testament was delivered to servants and to the infirm: to servants, because they had at one time left their thralldom in Egypt, in regard to which he says, to lead them out of the land of Egypt: 'The one from Mount Sinai, engendering unto bondage, which is Hagar' (Gal. 4:24), and because it was a law of servile fear: 'You have not received the spirit of adoption again in fear' (Rom. 8:15). The slight difference between the Old and New Testaments is fear and love. Likewise, to the infirm, because by itself it could not help; in regard to this he says, I took them by the hand, which is proper to the infirm: 'You have held me by my right hand' (Ps. 72:23); 'For what the law could not do in that it was weak' (Rom. 8:3). But he says, with their fathers, namely, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with whom He made a special covenant: 'He has remembered his covenant forever: The word which he commanded to a thousand generations, which he made to Abraham: and his oath to Isaac. And he appointed the same to Jacob for a law' (Ps. 104:8). But he promised carnal things to those who came out of Egypt. 402. – Then when he says, for they did not continue in my covenant, he shows the failings of the Old Testament as far as guilt was concerned. In regard to this guilt he says, because they did not continue in my covenant, namely, because it was not written on their hearts. Hence, right after the Law was given, they made a golden calf: 'They made also a calf in Horeb, and they adored the graven thing' (Ps. 105:19). In regard to punishment he says, so I paid no heed to them, for a person is said not to regard something, when he permits it to perish. So he regarded them not, because He permitted them to be destroyed by the destroyer: 'You have despised all of them that fall off from your judgments' (Ps. 118:118).”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.