Original Word: νομοθετέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nomotheteó
Pronunciation: no-mo-theh-TEH-o
Phonetic Spelling: (nom-oth-et-eh'-o)
KJV: establish, receive the law
NASB: enacted, received the Law
Word Origin: [from G3550 (νομοθέτης - Lawgiver)]

1. to legislate
2. (passively) to have (the Mosaic) enactments injoined, be sanctioned (by them)

establish, receive the law.

From nomothetes; to legislate, i.e. (passively) to have (the Mosaic) enactments injoined, be sanctioned (by them) -- establish, receive the law.

see GREEK nomothetes

Word Origin
from nomothetés
Definition
to make law, to ordain by law
NASB Translation
enacted (1), received the Law (1).

STRONGS NT 3549: νομοθετέω

νομοθετέω, νομοθέτω: passive, perfect 3 person singular νενομοθέτηται; pluperfect 3 person singular νενομοθέτητο (on the omission of the augment see Winers Grammar, 72 (70); Buttmann, 33 (29)); (νομοθέτης); from (Lysias), Xenophon, and Plato down; the Sept. several times for הורָה;

1. to enact laws; passive laws are enacted or prescribed for one, to be legislated for, furnished with laws (often so in Plato; cf. Ast, Platonic Lexicon, ii., p. 391 (for examples)); ὁ λαός ἐπ' αὐτῆς (R G ἐπ' αὐτῇ) νενομοθέτηται (R G νενομοθέτητο) the people received the Mosaic law established upon the foundation of the priesthood, Hebrews 7:11 (Winers Grammar, § 39, 1 b.; cf. Buttmann, 337 (290); many refer this example (with the genitive) to time (A. V. under it); see ἐπί, A. II.,cf. B. 2 a. γ.).

2. to sanction by law, enact: τί, passive Hebrews 8:6 (cf. Winers Grammar, and Buttmann, as above).

Overview

Strong’s Greek 3549 highlights the action by which something is formally “set in place by law.” In Hebrews it appears in the perfect passive, underscoring realities that already stand legally enacted and therefore unalterable unless a superior authority intervenes. The term steers the reader’s attention to God’s sovereign role as the ultimate Law-giver and to the decisive shift from the Sinai legislation to the covenant inaugurated by Jesus Christ.

Old Testament Background

From the giving of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) to the covenant ceremony at Sinai (Exodus 24:3-8), Israel’s life was ordered by divine statutes. Moses served as mediator, and the priesthood of Levi functioned within this legal framework. Psalm 19:7 states, “The Law of the LORD is perfect,” yet the same Scriptures anticipate a new arrangement in which God would “put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33). The Old Testament thus sets the stage for a law once enacted but destined to be surpassed by a better covenant.

Usage in Hebrews

1. Hebrews 7:11 – “...for on that basis the people had received the Law...”. The Levitical priesthood is inseparably bound to the legislation that constituted Israel’s worship. Because that system could not bring perfection, the text argues for a new priest “in the order of Melchizedek.”

2. Hebrews 8:6 – “...the covenant He mediates is superior and is founded on better promises.” What has now “been enacted” is a covenant anchored in the finished work of Christ. The passive form stresses that God Himself has authored and ratified this new legal order.

In both verses νομοθετέω functions as a hinge between covenants, showing first the limitations of the Mosaic economy and then the finality of the one established in Christ.

Christ the Superior Lawgiver

While Moses received and delivered God’s statutes, Jesus Christ embodies and fulfills them (Matthew 5:17). Hebrews presents Him as Son (Hebrews 1:2), High Priest (Hebrews 4:14), and Mediator (Hebrews 8:6). Because His priesthood is eternal, the covenant He inaugurates carries irrevocable authority. The phrase “has been enacted” therefore signals the completed, once-for-all nature of Christ’s saving work, echoing His declaration, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Covenant and Priesthood Interplay

The Mosaic covenant depended on a repeatable sacrificial system administered by mortal priests. By contrast, the New Covenant is grounded in a single, sufficient sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12-14). The legal standing of believers now rests not on perpetuated rituals but on a permanently valid decree that grants “boldness to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19).

Doctrinal Implications

• Sufficiency of Christ: The enacted New Covenant precludes any supplemental requirements for righteousness (Galatians 2:21).
• Assurance of Salvation: Because the covenant is God-enacted, believers possess a firm anchor for the soul (Hebrews 6:19).
• Continuity and Fulfillment: The new legal order does not abolish God’s moral standards but internalizes them through the indwelling Spirit (Romans 8:4).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preaching: Emphasize the completed, legally secured status of the New Covenant to counter works-based approaches to salvation.
• Worship: Highlight Christ’s once-for-all priestly ministry, fostering confidence and gratitude.
• Discipleship: Ground ethical instruction in the heart-transforming power of the Spirit rather than external compulsion.

Related Scriptures

Exodus 24:8; Deuteronomy 4:13; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 26:28; Romans 8:3-4; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Galatians 3:19-25; Hebrews 10:15-18.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 3549 illuminates the decisive act of divine legislation. In Hebrews it contrasts a former covenant bound to the Levitical priesthood with the New Covenant ratified through Jesus Christ. What God has now “enacted” is a superior, unchangeable framework of grace that secures redemption, transforms hearts, and charts the course for Christian life and ministry.

ενομοθέτησάς νενομοθετηται νενομοθέτηται νενομοθέτητο νομοθετηθή νομοθετήσαι νομοθετήσει νομοθέτησόν νομοθετών nenomothetetai nenomothetētai nenomothétetai nenomothétētaiInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts