Matthew Poole and continuators on Hebrews 8:9

9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers , in the day when I took them by the hand , to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not , saith the Lord .

The Spirit proceedeth to shew the Form of the Covenant denied, not the same Covenant for habit or form, nor any like unto the same for the manner of its Administration, as was made by the Lord with the Hebrews their Progenitors, when they were Strangers in Egypt, and under great Bondage there.

The day that I laid my Hand on them, and took hold of theirs, even the last day of the 430 years fore-told to Abraham, Gen. 15.13, 16. comp. Exod. 12.40, 41. As a Father takes hold of his Child to pluck it out of Danger. It is a Metaphor setting out God's special Act of Providence, in their miraculous Deliverance out of Egypt, keeping them in his Hand, while he was smiting their Enemies, setting them at liberty, and then striking Covenant wih them, and binding them by it to be his obedient People, as such Redemption-mercy did deserve. At which time the Covenant was unlike the Promise or Gospel-one for external habit and form only, as carried on by a Ceremonial Law and Priesthood, over which Christ's was to have the Preeminency for Power and Efficacy of Administration.

These unbelieving H[illegible: 1 letter]brews under that Administration of the Covenant, continued not faithful to it, as by their own word and consent they bound themselves to it, but apostatized from God and his Truth, Deut. 5.27. The word used by the Prophet [non-Latin text not transcribed] signifieth the breaking and making void the Covenant. The Administration of it did not hold them in close to God, but they frustrated all God's Ordinances, turned Idolaters, forsook the Lord, and worshipped the Gods of the Nations round about.

[non-Latin text not transcribed], I took no care of them, I did neither esteem nor regard them, but cast them off from being my People for their leud, treacherous Covenant-breaking with me; they would not return unto me, and I rejected them from being my People, or a People as they were before. Who knows where the nine Tribes and the half are? and in what a dispersed, shattered Condition are the remaining Iews to this day? The Apostle in this follows the Septuagint, who read the effect of their Sin, their Rejection, for what was their Sin it self, which by the Prophet is expressed [non-Latin text not transcribed], should I be a Lord or Husband to them; which is an Aggravation of their Sin from God's Dominion over them, or Marriage-relation to them; yet did they break his Marriage-Covenant with them according to their leud and whorish Heart. See Ezek. ch. 16. and ch. 23. But in this Quotation by the Apostle, and Translation of the Septuagint▪ It is a Metonymy of the Effect for the Cause, to reject, cast off, or neglect them for their Treachery to him in their Marriage-Covenant, which was the true Cause of it. The Verb it self [non-Latin text not transcribed] may signifie to [illegible: 1 letter]eglect or despise; and so Kimchi reads it, Ier. 3.1. and is so rendred in this place by other Rabbies, and so it signifieth in other Languages.

This is God's irrevocable word, used four times by the Prophet, Ier. 31.31, 32, 33, 34. and three times repeated by the Apostle here, as proper only to the Lord, none can speak so truly, certainly, infallibly, as He.