Hebrews 9:16-18 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator lives. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. 

‘Testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.’ All redemptive covenants, whether typical or actual, were ratified by the death of a victim (Gen. 15:9-18). The Old Covenant thus ends with Christ’s crucifixion, when He was offered as the only and final sacrifice for all sin, and the New Covenant starts.

‘Testator’ -The New Covenant ratified: [Greek: diatithemai] arrange; to make a covenant with; appoint; to dispose of by a will; make a testament. Translated as “testator” (9:16-17); “make” (8:10; 10:16; Acts 3:25); and “appoint” (Luke 22:29). In this case, the word refers to the death of Christ who was charged to make the new covenant with man. Since the victims involved were under the penalty of death for their sins, and since the covenant had to do with the redemption of these victims from their sins by the death of a substitute, it was necessary for the one making the covenants to die to redeem those He volunteered to free from death. Such a covenant could only be in force after the victim was dead and the covenant ratified by such death (9:17).

‘Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.’ Wherefore, as the death of a victim was necessary to ratify covenants, the first or Mosaic covenant was dedicated by blood (9:18-22).

‘Dedicated’ [Greek: engkainizo] is translated as consecrate or dedicate (10:20).