HEBREWS 9 [†]Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and m an earthly place of holiness. 2[†]For n a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were o the lampstand and p the table and q the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 3Behind r the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4[†]having the golden s altar of incense and t the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was u a golden urn holding the manna, and v Aaron’s staff that budded, and w the tablets of the covenant. 5Above it were x the cherubim of glory overshadowing y the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
6[†]These preparations having thus been made, z the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7[†]but into the second only a the high priest goes, and he but a once a year, and not without taking blood, b which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8[†]By this the Holy Spirit indicates that c the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9[†](which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered d that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10[†]but deal only with e food and drink and f various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
11[†]But when Christ appeared as a high priest g of the good things that have come, then through h the greater and more perfect tent ( i not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12[†]he j entered k once for all into the holy places, not by means of l the blood of goats and calves but m by means of his own blood, n thus securing an eternal redemption. 13[†]For if o the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with p the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14[†]how much more will q the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit r offered himself without blemish to God, s purify our conscience t from dead works u to serve the living God.
15[†]Therefore he is v the mediator of a new covenant, so that w those who are called may x receive the promised eternal inheritance, y since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16[†]For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17For z a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18[†]Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated a without blood. 19For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took b the blood of calves and goats, c with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20saying, d “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both e the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22[†]Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and f without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
23[†]Thus it was necessary for g the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24[†]For Christ has entered, not into holy places h made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God i on our behalf. 25[†]Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as j the high priest enters k the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, l he has appeared m once for all n at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27[†]And just as o it is appointed for man to die once, and p after that comes judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once q to bear the sins of r many, will appear s a second time, t not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly u waiting for him.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:1 The Mosaic covenant came with legislation governing how to worship God and where to approach God in holiness.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:16–17 will. The Greek (diathēkē) either designates a “will,” the legally binding final directions of the deceased (cf. “inheritance” in v. 15), or it signifies an ancient Near Eastern “covenant,” which required a sacrificial animal in order to be enacted. In either case, a diathēkē (elsewhere translated “covenant” in Hebrews) comes into force only after a death. This implies that the institution of the new covenant actually took place at the time of Christ’s death.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:1–10 The Earthly Holy Place. This section describes the OT tabernacle, its furnishings, and its worship practices. This depiction of the “first covenant” lays the groundwork for the discussion of the new covenant in the next section.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:8 By this. That is, by the system that restricted to the Levitical priests the right of access into the presence of God in the Holy Place and especially the Most Holy Place. the Holy Spirit indicates. The Mosaic covenant was the command of God, through the Holy Spirit, and by the Mosaic law God revealed both the spiritual separation of man from God due to sin and the pattern for Jesus’ high priestly ministry. way into the holy places. Only the priests can enter the Holy Place, and only the high priest goes behind the veil, into the Most Holy Place; thus, while the veil and the Holy Place were still standing, the rest of God’s people could not directly draw near to God’s throne of mercy (the Most Holy Place), since the way was not yet opened.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:13 sprinkling of defiled persons. Through OT sacrifices and purification rites. blood of goats and bulls. See vv. 12, 19 (and note on v. 12). ashes of a heifer. In Num. 19:1–22 (esp. vv. 9, 17–19) these ashes are reserved outside the camp, mixed in water, and sprinkled upon people to remove impurity due to proximity to a corpse. of the flesh. As opposed to the inner conscience in Heb. 9:14.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:7 Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered into the second section, that is, the Most Holy Place (Lev. 16:2–3, 11–17); after the incense cloud had shielded him from the mercy seat, he sprinkled it with the blood of a bull and a goat as sin offerings (Lev. 16:6, 9, 11, 15). Atonement for sins was required for the high priest himself and for all the people (e.g., Lev. 16:6, 11, 17; see Heb. 7:27–28). The law distinguishes unintentional sins (e.g., Leviticus 4) from deliberate sins, and early Judaism debated which kinds of sins the Day of Atonement covered.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:25–26 Christ’s sacrifice is superior because the single offering of himself is sufficient for all his followers and for all time. Since the foundation of the world alludes to the need for a sin offering ever since the fall of humanity (Genesis 3; cf. Heb. 4:3). The author understands the present time to be an era when the end of the ages has been inaugurated by Christ’s sacrificial death, even though it still awaits its consummation at Christ’s return (see 9:28).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:9 cannot perfect the conscience. The Mosaic sacrificial system brought neither sanctification of the soul nor the fullness of God’s peace into the inner life of the worshiper (7:18–19; 10:1–2). This is in contrast with the new covenant (8:10–12; 9:14; 10:22; also 10:14; 11:40; 12:23).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:14 how much more. An argument from the lesser to the greater (see notes on 2:1–4; 10:28–29). blood of Christ. See 9:11; here contrasted with “blood of goats and calves” (vv. 12–13). through the eternal Spirit offered himself. Jesus was both the high priest (for “offered,” see 5:1, 3; 8:3; 9:7; esp. 10:11–12) and the sacrifice itself (offered “himself”; cf. 9:25–26), but this verse specifies that the Holy Spirit in some way aided or empowered Christ in making this offering. OT sacrifices had to be without blemish; Jesus is “holy, innocent, unstained” (see 7:26). purify our conscience. Mosaic sacrifices did not affect the conscience (9:9; cf. 10:2), but Christ’s sacrifice purifies the innermost being (10:22). from dead works. Deeds that cannot save due to human sinfulness (see 6:1). to serve the living God. Salvation brings people into God’s service (see 12:28). God is called “living” elsewhere (3:12; 10:31; 12:22; cf. e.g., Matt. 16:16; Acts 14:15; Rom. 9:26; Rev. 7:2), indicating his eternality; here there is also a contrast with the “dead works.”
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:27–28 appointed … to die once. Every person has but a single life before eternal judgment. This repudiates reincarnation and any idea that there will be a second chance to believe after death, since immediately after the reference to the fact of death comes the phrase “and after that comes judgment,” with no hint of any intervening opportunity for change of status. The final judgment will take place when Christ comes again—he died once as an offering for the sins of many, and he will appear a second time in judgment, when he will save his followers. those who are eagerly waiting for him. This clear anticipation of Christ’s return (see 10:25; cf. Rom. 8:19, 23, 25; 1 Cor. 1:7; Gal. 5:5; Phil. 3:20) calls all who hope for salvation to expectant perseverance.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:10 food and drink and various washings. The OT teachings (later expanded in early Judaism) about clean and unclean foods, sacrificial food and drink offerings, and ritual purification washings. This may indirectly critique those holding “diverse and strange teachings” about “foods” (13:9). Regulations for the body implies their ineffectiveness at reaching the conscience (9:9).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:24 holy places made with hands. The earthly tabernacle made by mortal men (see v. 11). copies of the true things. The eternal heavens, because they are the abode of God, are the realities, truer than the earthly “copies” (Gk. antitypa). in the presence of God. Jesus entered as high priest into the heavenly sanctuary and presented himself as an offering before God on our behalf. Thus he entered into the superior place by a superior sacrifice for the sake of believers (vv. 23, 25).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:4 The text describes the Most Holy Place as having the golden altar of incense. The altar of incense, however, was not in the Most Holy Place but in the Holy Place, just “in front of the veil” (Ex. 30:6) that separated it from the Most Holy Place; and it was tended daily by the priests (Ex. 30:7–8; cf. Luke 1:9–11), not just once a year (see note on Heb. 9:7). It is unlikely that the author of Hebrews, familiar with the OT tabernacle and its sacrifices, would mistakenly think this altar was inside the Most Holy Place. A better solution is to understand “having” (participle of Gk. echō) to mean that this altar of incense was closely tied in its function to the Most Holy Place, so that it “belonged to” the Most Holy Place, for as its incense burned, the smoke drifted into the Most Holy Place (1 Kings 6:22 speaks of this altar in a similar way; cf. also 2 Chron. 2:4; Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8; 8:3–4). The text also says that a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded were in the ark of the covenant. However, the OT says the urn and the staff were placed in front of the ark (Ex. 16:32–34; Num. 17:10–11), not in it, and speaks only of the two tablets of stone as being within the ark (Ex. 25:16, 21; Deut. 10:1–2). But it would not be unlikely for the urn and the rod to have subsequently been stored in the ark, and the author of Hebrews may be depending on other information that is no longer available. By the time of Solomon’s temple, it was noted that there was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone (1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chron. 5:10), but that may suggest that other items had previously been in the ark (see note on 2 Chron. 5:10). The tablets of the covenant are the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments (Ex. 34:1, 4, 28–29; Deut. 9:11; 10:5).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:22 purified with blood. In the Mosaic law, the initial purification of the people of God and of his sanctuary required sacrificial blood (vv. 18–21), and such sacrifices continued to be required in the law on behalf of God’s people (e.g., v. 7; 10:1–4). This is because sin necessitates an atoning blood sacrifice (Lev. 17:11). The OT sacrifices were given by God as types of Christ’s greater, perfect sacrifice to come.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:18–21 Therefore. Since a covenant cannot begin until a death occurs (see note on vv. 16–17), the Mosaic covenant also began with blood. The Mosaic covenant-initiation ceremony (Ex. 24:3–8) is recalled in Heb. 9:19–20. The author adds some specific details, such as scarlet wool and hyssop, and the sprinkling of the book itself, which are not mentioned in Ex. 24:3–8. While the source of the author’s information is unknown, these details are not improbable, since these elements were used in other such purifying ceremonies (see esv cross-references; also Ex. 12:22). The purification of the tabernacle and its vessels is summarized in Heb. 9:21, recalling the events of Exodus 40 (also Exodus 29; Leviticus 8–9) and providing details from other rituals of atonement (e.g., Leviticus 16; see also Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 3.206).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:9–10 Two ages (both Gk. kairos, “time”) are here contrasted: the present age (either the old covenant era or simply the “present circumstances of the church”; see esv footnote), and the time of reformation. The latter age has been inaugurated by Christ (vv. 11–12, 26). The “present age” is described as a time of impure consciences and of separation from access to God. Through Christ’s work, this present age is passing away and the new time of reformation, which has already been inaugurated, will later be fully consummated (see note on vv. 25–26, where Christ has appeared at “the end of the ages”).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 9:2–5 The tabernacle (an elaborate “tent” for worship, see 8:2, 5; 13:10; also Ex. 25:9; 26:1–37; see The Tabernacle Tent) is divided into two portions—the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, literally the “Holy of Holies” (indicating “most holy”). The items within each of these sections are mentioned in accordance with the OT (e.g., Exodus 25; 30; 37).