Acts 24:25

24:25 While Paul ¹  was discussing ²  righteousness, self-control, ³  and the coming judgment, Felix ⁴  became ⁵  frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, ⁶  I will send for you.”

Acts 28:23

28:23 They set ⁷  a day to meet with him, ⁸  and they came to him where he was staying ⁹  in even greater numbers. ¹⁰  From morning until evening he explained things ¹¹  to them, ¹²  testifying ¹³  about the kingdom of God ¹⁴  and trying to convince ¹⁵  them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets.

Acts 28:1

Paul on Malta

28:1 After we had safely reached shore, ¹⁶  we learned that the island was called Malta. ¹⁷ 

Acts 12:7

12:7 Suddenly ¹⁸  an angel of the Lord ¹⁹  appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck ²⁰  Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s ²¹  wrists. ²² 

Isaiah 1:18

1:18 ²³ Come, let’s consider your options,” ²⁴  says the Lord.

“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,

you can become ²⁵  white like snow;

though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,

you can become ²⁶  white like wool. ²⁷ 

Hebrews 7:1--10:39

The Nature of Melchizedek’s Priesthood

7:1 Now this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him. ²⁸  7:2 To him ²⁹  also Abraham apportioned a tithe ³⁰  of everything. ³¹  His name first means ³²  king of righteousness, then king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 7:3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, he has neither beginning of days nor end of life but is like the son of God, and he remains a priest for all time. 7:4 But see how great he must be, if ³³  Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe ³⁴  of his plunder. 7:5 And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office ³⁵  have authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen, ³⁶  although they too are descendants of Abraham. ³⁷  7:6 But Melchizedek ³⁸  who does not share their ancestry ³⁹  collected a tithe ⁴⁰  from Abraham and blessed ⁴¹  the one who possessed the promise. 7:7 Now without dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior, 7:8 and in one case tithes are received by mortal men, while in the other by him who is affirmed to be alive. 7:9 And it could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid a tithe through Abraham. 7:10 For he was still in his ancestor Abraham’s loins ⁴²  when Melchizedek met him.

Jesus and the Priesthood of Melchizedek

7:11 So if perfection had in fact been possible through the Levitical priesthood – for on that basis ⁴³  the people received the law – what further need would there have been for another priest to arise, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in Aaron’s order? 7:12 For when the priesthood changes, a change in the law must come ⁴⁴  as well. 7:13 Yet the one these things are spoken about belongs to ⁴⁵  a different tribe, and no one from that tribe ⁴⁶  has ever officiated at the altar. 7:14 For it is clear that our Lord is descended from Judah, yet Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe. 7:15 And this is even clearer if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 7:16 who has become a priest not by a legal regulation about physical descent ⁴⁷  but by the power of an indestructible life. 7:17 For here is the testimony about him: ⁴⁸  “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” ⁴⁹  7:18 On the one hand a former command is set aside ⁵⁰  because it is weak and useless, ⁵¹  7:19 for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 7:20 And since ⁵²  this was not done without a sworn affirmation – for the others have become priests without a sworn affirmation, 7:21 but Jesus ⁵³  did so ⁵⁴  with a sworn affirmation by the one who said to him, “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever’” ⁵⁵  – 7:22 accordingly Jesus has become the guarantee ⁵⁶  of a better covenant. 7:23 And the others ⁵⁷  who became priests were numerous, because death prevented them ⁵⁸  from continuing in office, ⁵⁹  7:24 but he holds his priesthood permanently since he lives forever. 7:25 So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 7:26 For it is indeed fitting for us to have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 7:27 He has no need to do every day what those priests do, to offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people, since he did this in offering himself once for all. 7:28 For the law appoints as high priests men subject to weakness, ⁶⁰  but the word of solemn affirmation that came after the law appoints a son made perfect forever.

The High Priest of a Better Covenant

8:1 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: ⁶¹  We have such a high priest, one who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, ⁶²  8:2 a minister in the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up. 8:3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. So this one too had to have something to offer. 8:4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are already priests who offer ⁶³  the gifts prescribed by the law. 8:5 The place where they serve is ⁶⁴  a sketch ⁶⁵  and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, just as Moses was warned by God as he was about to complete the tabernacle. For he says, “See that you make everything according to the design ⁶⁶  shown to you on the mountain.” ⁶⁷  8:6 But ⁶⁸  now Jesus ⁶⁹  has obtained a superior ministry, since ⁷⁰  the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted ⁷¹  on better promises. ⁷² 

8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one. ⁷³  8:8 But ⁷⁴  showing its fault, ⁷⁵  God ⁷⁶  says to them, ⁷⁷ 

“Look, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

8:9 “It will not be like the covenant ⁷⁸  that I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant and I had no regard for them, says the Lord.

8:10 “For this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put ⁷⁹  my laws in their minds ⁸⁰  and I will inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be my people. ⁸¹ 

8:11 “And there will be no need at all ⁸²  for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ since they will all know me, from the least to the greatest. ⁸³ 

8:12 “For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.” ⁸⁴ 

8:13 When he speaks of a new covenant, ⁸⁵  he makes the first obsolete. Now what is growing obsolete and aging is about to disappear. ⁸⁶ 

The Arrangement and Ritual of the Earthly Sanctuary

9:1 Now the first covenant, ⁸⁷  in fact, had regulations for worship and its earthly sanctuary. 9:2 For a tent was prepared, the outer one, ⁸⁸  which contained ⁸⁹  the lampstand, the table, and the presentation of the loaves; this ⁹⁰  is called the holy place. 9:3 And after the second curtain there was a tent called the holy of holies. 9:4 It contained the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. In this ark ⁹¹  were the golden urn containing the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 9:5 And above the ark ⁹²  were the cherubim ⁹³  of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Now is not the time to speak of these things in detail. 9:6 So with these things prepared like this, the priests enter continually into the outer tent ⁹⁴  as they perform their duties. 9:7 But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, ⁹⁵  and not without blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. ⁹⁶  9:8 The Holy Spirit is making clear that the way into the holy place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernacle ⁹⁷  was standing. 9:9 This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper. 9:10 They served only for matters of food and drink ⁹⁸  and various washings; they are external regulations ⁹⁹  imposed until the new order came. ¹⁰⁰ 

Christ’s Service in the Heavenly Sanctuary

9:11 But now Christ has come ¹⁰¹  as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, 9:12 and he entered once for all into the most holy place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself secured ¹⁰²  eternal redemption. 9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled consecrated them and provided ritual purity, ¹⁰³  9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our ¹⁰⁴  consciences from dead works to worship the living God.

9:15 And so he is the mediator ¹⁰⁵  of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised, ¹⁰⁶  since he died ¹⁰⁷  to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant. 9:16 For where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be proven. ¹⁰⁸  9:17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the one who made it is alive. 9:18 So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood. ¹⁰⁹  9:19 For when Moses had spoken every command to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 9:20 and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded you to keep.” ¹¹⁰  9:21 And both the tabernacle and all the utensils of worship he likewise sprinkled with blood. 9:22 Indeed according to the law almost everything was purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 9:23 So it was necessary for the sketches ¹¹¹  of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, ¹¹²  but the heavenly things themselves required ¹¹³  better sacrifices than these. 9:24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands – the representation ¹¹⁴  of the true sanctuary ¹¹⁵  – but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God’s presence for us. 9:25 And he did not enter to offer ¹¹⁶  himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not his own, 9:26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by his sacrifice. 9:27 And just as people ¹¹⁷  are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment, ¹¹⁸  9:28 so also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, ¹¹⁹  to those who eagerly await him he will appear a second time, not to bear sin ¹²⁰  but to bring salvation. ¹²¹ 

Concluding Exposition: Old and New Sacrifices Contrasted

10:1 For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship. ¹²²  10:2 For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have ¹²³  no further consciousness of sin? 10:3 But in those sacrifices ¹²⁴  there is a reminder of sins year after year. 10:4 For the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. ¹²⁵  10:5 So when he came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.

10:6 “Whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you took no delight in.

10:7 “Then I said, ‘Here I am: ¹²⁶  I have come – it is written of me in the scroll of the book – to do your will, O God.’” ¹²⁷ 

10:8 When he says above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you did not desire nor did you take delight in them” ¹²⁸  (which are offered according to the law), 10:9 then he says, “Here I am: I have come to do your will.” ¹²⁹  He does away with ¹³⁰  the first to establish the second. 10:10 By his will ¹³¹  we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 10:11 And every priest stands day after day ¹³²  serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again – sacrifices that can never take away sins. 10:12 But when this priest ¹³³  had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand ¹³⁴  of God, 10:13 where he is now waiting ¹³⁵  until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. ¹³⁶  10:14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. 10:15 And the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us, for after saying, ¹³⁷  10:16 “This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put ¹³⁸  my laws on their hearts and I will inscribe them on their minds,” ¹³⁹  10:17 then he says, ¹⁴⁰  “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no longer.” ¹⁴¹  10:18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Drawing Near to God in Enduring Faith

10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, ¹⁴²  since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 10:20 by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us ¹⁴³  through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ¹⁴⁴  10:21 and since we have a great priest ¹⁴⁵  over the house of God, 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, ¹⁴⁶  because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience ¹⁴⁷  and our bodies washed in pure water. 10:23 And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. 10:24 And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, ¹⁴⁸  10:25 not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day ¹⁴⁹  drawing near. ¹⁵⁰ 

10:26 For if we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins is left for us, ¹⁵¹  10:27 but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury ¹⁵²  of fire that will consume God’s enemies. ¹⁵³  10:28 Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death ¹⁵⁴  without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ¹⁵⁵  10:29 How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt for ¹⁵⁶  the Son of God, and profanes ¹⁵⁷  the blood of the covenant that made him holy, ¹⁵⁸  and insults the Spirit of grace? 10:30 For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” ¹⁵⁹  and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” ¹⁶⁰  10:31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

10:32 But remember the former days when you endured a harsh conflict of suffering after you were enlightened. 10:33 At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions, and at other times you came to share with others who were treated in that way. 10:34 For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, ¹⁶¹  and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly ¹⁶²  had a better and lasting possession. 10:35 So do not throw away your confidence, because it ¹⁶³  has great reward. 10:36 For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised. ¹⁶⁴  10:37 For just a little longer ¹⁶⁵  and he who is coming will arrive and not delay. ¹⁶⁶  10:38 But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I ¹⁶⁷  take no pleasure in him. ¹⁶⁸  10:39 But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls. ¹⁶⁹ 

[24:25]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:25]  ² tn Or “speaking about.”

[24:25]  ³ tn Grk “and self-control.” This καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[24:25]  ⁴ sn See the note on Felix in 23:26.

[24:25]  ⁵ tn Grk “becoming.” The participle γενόμενος (genomenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[24:25]  ⁶ tn Or “when I find time.” BDAG 639 s.v. μεταλαμβάνω 2 has “καιρὸν μ. have an opportunity = find time…Ac 24:25.”

[28:23]  ⁷ tn Grk “Having set.” The participle ταξάμενοι (taxamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:23]  ⁸ tn Grk “Having set a day with him”; the words “to meet” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[28:23]  ⁹ tn Or “came to him in his rented quarters.”

[28:23]  ¹⁰ tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.β.ב states, “(even) more πλείονες in even greater numbers Ac 28:23.”

[28:23]  ¹¹ tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[28:23]  ¹² tn Grk “to whom he explained.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.

[28:23]  ¹³ tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “to make a solemn declaration about the truth of someth. testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…God’s kingdom 28:23.”

[28:23]  ¹⁴ sn Testifying about the kingdom of God. The topic is important. Paul’s preaching was about the rule of God and his promise in Jesus. Paul’s text was the Jewish scriptures.

[28:23]  ¹⁵ tn Or “persuade.”

[28:1]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “We having been brought safely through” [to land] (same verb as 27:44). The word “shore” is implied, and the slight variations in translation from 27:44 have been made to avoid redundancy in English. The participle διασωθέντες (diaswqente") has been taken temporally.

[28:1]  ¹⁷ sn Malta is an island (known by the same name today) in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily. The ship had traveled 625 mi (1,000 km) in the storm.

[12:7]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “And behold.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here. The interjection ἰδού (idou), often difficult to translate into English, expresses the suddenness of the angel’s appearance.

[12:7]  ¹⁹ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.

[12:7]  ²⁰ tn Grk “striking the side of Peter, he awoke him saying.” The term refers to a push or a light tap (BDAG 786 s.v. πατάσσω 1.a). The participle πατάξας (pataxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:7]  ²¹ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:7]  ²² tn Grk “the hands,” but the wrist was considered a part of the hand.

[1:18]  ²³ sn The Lord concludes his case against Israel by offering them the opportunity to be forgiven and by setting before them the alternatives of renewed blessing (as a reward for repentance) and final judgment (as punishment for persistence in sin).

[1:18]  ²⁴ tn Traditionally, “let us reason together,” but the context suggests a judicial nuance. The Lord is giving the nation its options for the future.

[1:18]  ²⁵ tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.

[1:18]  ²⁶ tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.

[1:18]  ²⁷ tn Heb “though your sins are like red, they will become white like snow; though they are red like scarlet, they will be like wool.” The point is not that the sins will be covered up, though still retained. The metaphorical language must be allowed some flexibility and should not be pressed into a rigid literalistic mold. The people’s sins will be removed and replaced by ethical purity. The sins that are now as obvious as the color red will be washed away and the ones who are sinful will be transformed.

[7:1]  ²⁸ sn A series of quotations from Gen 14:17-19.

[7:2]  ²⁹ tn Grk “to whom,” continuing the description of Melchizedek. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[7:2]  ³⁰ tn Or “a tenth part.”

[7:2]  ³¹ sn A quotation from Gen 14:20.

[7:2]  ³² tn Grk “first being interpreted,” describing Melchizedek.

[7:4]  ³³ tn Grk “to whom.”

[7:4]  ³⁴ tn Or “a tenth part.”

[7:5]  ³⁵ tn Or “the priesthood.”

[7:5]  ³⁶ tn Grk “from their brothers.” See BDAG 18-19 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.b.

[7:5]  ³⁷ tn Grk “have come from the loins of Abraham.”

[7:6]  ³⁸ tn Grk “the one”; in the translation the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified for clarity.

[7:6]  ³⁹ tn Grk “is not descended from them.”

[7:6]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “a tenth part.”

[7:6]  ⁴¹ sn The verbs “collected…and blessed” emphasize the continuing effect of the past actions, i.e., Melchizedek’s importance.

[7:10]  ⁴² tn Grk “in the loins of his father” (a reference to Abraham). The name “Abraham” has been repeated in the translation at this point (cf. v. 9) in order to clarify the referent (i.e., what ancestor was in view).

[7:11]  ⁴³ tn Grk “based on it.”

[7:12]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “of necessity a change in the law comes to pass.”

[7:13]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “shares in.”

[7:13]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “from which no one.”

[7:16]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “a law of a fleshly command.”

[7:17]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “for he/it is witnessed that.”

[7:17]  ⁴⁹ sn A quotation from Ps 110:4 (see Heb 5:6 and 6:20).

[7:18]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “the setting aside of a former command comes to pass.”

[7:18]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “because of its weakness and uselessness.”

[7:20]  ⁵² sn The Greek text contains an elaborate comparison between v. 20a and v. 22, with a parenthesis (vv. 20b-21) in between; the comparison is literally, “by as much as…by so much” or “to the degree that…to that same degree.”

[7:21]  ⁵³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:21]  ⁵⁴ tn The words “did so” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[7:21]  ⁵⁵ sn A quotation from Ps 110:4 (see Heb 5:6, 6:20, and 7:17).

[7:22]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “surety.”

[7:23]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “they on the one hand” in contrast with “he on the other hand” in v. 24.

[7:23]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “they were prevented by death.”

[7:23]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “from continuing” (the words “in office” are supplied for clarity).

[7:28]  ⁶⁰ sn See Heb 5:2 where this concept was introduced.

[8:1]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “the main point of the things being said.”

[8:1]  ⁶² sn An allusion to Ps 110:1; see Heb 1:3, 13.

[8:4]  ⁶³ tn Grk “there are those who offer.”

[8:5]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “who serve in,” referring to the Levitical priests, but focusing on the provisional and typological nature of the tabernacle in which they served.

[8:5]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “prototype,” “outline.” The Greek word ὑπόδειγμα (Jupodeigma) does not mean “copy,” as it is often translated; it means “something to be copied,” a basis for imitation. BDAG 1037 s.v. 2 lists both Heb 8:5 and 9:23 under the second category of usage, “an indication of someth. that appears at a subsequent time,” emphasizing the temporal progression between the earthly and heavenly sanctuaries.

[8:5]  ⁶⁶ tn The word τύπος (tupos) here has the meaning “an archetype serving as a model, type, pattern, model” (BDAG 1020 s.v. 6.a). This is in keeping with the horizontal imagery accepted for this verse (see sn on “sketch” earlier in the verse). Here Moses was shown the future heavenly sanctuary which, though it did not yet exist, became the outline for the earthly sanctuary.

[8:5]  ⁶⁷ sn A quotation from Exod 25:40.

[8:6]  ⁶⁸ sn The Greek text indicates a contrast between vv. 4-5 and v. 6 that is difficult to render in English: Jesus’ status in the old order of priests (vv. 4-5) versus his superior ministry (v. 6).

[8:6]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “he”; in the translation the referent (Jesus) has been specified for clarity.

[8:6]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “to the degree that.”

[8:6]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “which is enacted.”

[8:6]  ⁷² sn This linkage of the change in priesthood with a change in the law or the covenant goes back to Heb 7:12, 22 and is picked up again in Heb 9:6-15 and 10:1-18.

[8:7]  ⁷³ tn Grk “no occasion for a second one would have been sought.”

[8:8]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “for,” but providing an explanation of the God-intended limitation of the first covenant from v. 7.

[8:8]  ⁷⁵ sn The “fault” or limitation in the first covenant was not in its inherent righteousness, but in its design from God himself. It was never intended to be his final revelation or provision for mankind; it was provisional, always pointing toward the fulfillment to come in Christ.

[8:8]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:8]  ⁷⁷ tc ‡ Several witnesses (א* A D* I K P Ψ 33 81 326 365 1505 2464 al latt co Cyr) have αὐτούς (autous) here, “[in finding fault with] them, [he says],” alluding to Israel’s failings mentioned in v. 9b. (The verb μέμφομαι [memfomai, “to find fault with”] can take an accusative or dative direct object.) The reading behind the text above (αὐτοίς, autoi"), supported by Ì⁴⁶ א² B D² 0278 1739 1881 Ï, is perhaps a harder reading theologically, and is more ambiguous in meaning. If αὐτοίς goes with μεμφόμενος (memfomeno", here translated “showing its fault”), the clause could be translated “in finding fault with them” or “in showing [its] faults to them.” If αὐτοίς goes with the following λέγει (legei, “he says”), the clause is best translated, “in finding/showing [its] faults, he says to them.” The accusative pronoun suffers no such ambiguity, for it must be the object of μεμφόμενος rather than λέγει. Although a decision is difficult, the dative form of the pronoun best explains the rise of the other reading and is thus more likely to be original.

[8:9]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “not like the covenant,” continuing the description of v. 8b.

[8:10]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “putting…I will inscribe.”

[8:10]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “mind.”

[8:10]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “I will be to them for a God and they will be to me for a people,” following the Hebrew constructions of Jer 31.

[8:11]  ⁸² tn Grk “they will not teach, each one his fellow citizen…” The Greek makes this negation emphatic: “they will certainly not teach.”

[8:11]  ⁸³ tn Grk “from the small to the great.”

[8:12]  ⁸⁴ sn A quotation from Jer 31:31-34.

[8:13]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “when he says, ‘new,’” (referring to the covenant).

[8:13]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “near to disappearing.”

[9:1]  ⁸⁷ tn Grk “the first” (referring to the covenant described in Heb 8:7, 13). In the translation the referent (covenant) has been specified for clarity.

[9:2]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “the first,” in order of approach in the ritual.

[9:2]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “in which [were].”

[9:2]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “which,” describing the outer tent.

[9:4]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “in which”; in the translation the referent (the ark) has been specified for clarity.

[9:5]  ⁹² tn Grk “above it”; in the translation the referent (the ark) has been specified for clarity.

[9:5]  ⁹³ sn The cherubim (pl.) were an order of angels mentioned repeatedly in the OT but only here in the NT. They were associated with God’s presence, glory, and holiness. Their images that sat on top of the ark of the covenant are described in Exod 25:18-20.

[9:6]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “the first tent.”

[9:7]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “the second tent.”

[9:7]  ⁹⁶ tn Or perhaps “the unintentional sins of the people”; Grk “the ignorances of the people.” Cf. BDAG 13 s.v. ἀγνόημα, “sin committed in ignorance/unintentionally.” This term seems to be simply a synonym for “sins” (cf. Heb 5:2) and does not pick up the distinction made in Num 15:22-31 between unwitting sin and “high-handed” sin. The Day of Atonement ritual in Lev 16 covered all the sins of the people, not just the unwitting ones.

[9:8]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “the first tent.” The literal phrase “the first tent” refers to either (1) the outer chamber of the tabernacle in the wilderness (as in vv. 2, 6) or (2) the entire tabernacle as a symbol of the OT system of approaching God. The second is more likely given the contrast that follows in vv. 11-12.

[9:10]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “only for foods and drinks.”

[9:10]  ⁹⁹ tc Most witnesses (D¹ Ï) have “various washings, and external regulations” (βαπτισμοῖς καὶ δικαιώμασιν, baptismoi" kai dikaiwmasin), with both nouns in the dative. The translation “washings; they are… regulations” renders βαπτισμοῖς, δικαιώματα (baptismoi", dikaiwmata; found in such important mss as Ì⁴⁶ א* A I P 0278 33 1739 1881 al sa) in which case δικαιώματα is taken as the nominative subject of the participle ἐπικείμενα (epikeimena). It seems far more likely that scribes would conform δικαιώματα to the immediately preceding datives and join it to them by καί than they would to the following nominative participle. Both on external and internal evidence the text is thus secure as reading βαπτισμοῖς, δικαιώματα.

[9:10]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “until the time of setting things right.”

[9:11]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “But Christ, when he came,” introducing a sentence that includes all of Heb 9:11-12. The main construction is “Christ, having come…, entered…, having secured…,” and everything else describes his entrance.

[9:12]  ¹⁰² tn This verb occurs in the Greek middle voice, which here intensifies the role of the subject, Christ, in accomplishing the action: “he alone secured”; “he and no other secured.”

[9:13]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “for the purifying of the flesh.” The “flesh” here is symbolic of outward or ritual purity in contrast to inner purity, that of the conscience (cf. Heb 9:9).

[9:14]  ¹⁰⁴ tc The reading adopted by the translation is attested by many authorities (A D* K P 365 1739* al). But many others (א D² 0278 33 1739^c 1881 Ï lat sa) read “your” instead of “our.” The diversity of evidence makes this a difficult case to decide from external evidence alone. The first and second person pronouns differ by only one letter in Greek, as in English, also making this problem difficult to decide based on internal evidence and transcriptional probability. In the context, the author’s description of sacrificial activities seems to invite the reader to compare his own possible participation in OT liturgy as over against the completed work of Christ, so the second person pronoun “your” might make more sense. On the other hand, TCGNT 599 argues that “our” is preferable because the author of Hebrews uses direct address (i.e., the second person) only in the hortatory sections. What is more, the author seems to prefer the first person in explanatory remarks or when giving the logical grounds for an assertion (cf. Heb 4:15; 7:14). It is hard to reach a definitive conclusion in this case, but the data lean slightly in favor of the first person pronoun.

[9:15]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The Greek word μεσίτης (mesith", “mediator”) in this context does not imply that Jesus was a mediator in the contemporary sense of the word, i.e., he worked for compromise between opposing parties. Here the term describes his function as the one who was used by God to enact a new covenant which established a new relationship between God and his people, but entirely on God’s terms.

[9:15]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “the promise of the eternal inheritance.”

[9:15]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “a death having occurred.”

[9:16]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “there is a necessity for the death of the one who made it to be proven.”

[9:18]  ¹⁰⁹ sn The Greek text reinforces this by negating the opposite (“not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood”), but this double negation is not used in contemporary English.

[9:20]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “which God commanded for you (or in your case).”

[9:23]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “prototypes,” “outlines,” referring to the earthly sanctuary. See Heb 8:5 above for the prior use of this term.

[9:23]  ¹¹² tn Grk “with these”; in the translation the referent (sacrifices) has been specified for clarity.

[9:23]  ¹¹³ tn Grk “the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”

[9:24]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “prefiguration.”

[9:24]  ¹¹⁵ tn The word “sanctuary” is not in the Greek text at this point, but has been supplied for clarity.

[9:25]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “and not that he might offer,” continuing the previous construction.

[9:27]  ¹¹⁷ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

[9:27]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “and after this – judgment.”

[9:28]  ¹¹⁹ sn An allusion to Isa 53:12.

[9:28]  ¹²⁰ tn Grk “without sin,” but in context this does not refer to Christ’s sinlessness (as in Heb 4:15) but to the fact that sin is already dealt with by his first coming.

[9:28]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “for salvation.” This may be construed with the verb “await” (those who wait for him to bring them salvation), but the connection with “appear” (as in the translation) is more likely.

[10:1]  ¹²² tn Grk “those who approach.”

[10:2]  ¹²³ tn Grk “the worshipers, having been purified once for all, would have.”

[10:3]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “in them”; the referent (those sacrifices) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:4]  ¹²⁵ tn Grk “for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

[10:7]  ¹²⁶ tn Grk “behold,” but this construction often means “here is/there is” (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).

[10:7]  ¹²⁷ sn A quotation from Ps 40:6-8 (LXX). The phrase a body you prepared for me (in v. 5) is apparently an interpretive expansion of the HT reading “ears you have dug out for me.”

[10:8]  ¹²⁸ sn Various phrases from the quotation of Ps 40:6 in Heb 10:5-6 are repeated in Heb 10:8.

[10:9]  ¹²⁹ tc The majority of mss, especially the later ones (א² 0278^vid 1739 Ï lat), have ὁ θεός (Jo qeo", “God”) at this point, while most of the earliest and best witnesses lack such an explicit addressee (so Ì⁴⁶ א* A C D K P Ψ 33 1175 1881 2464 al). The longer reading is a palpable corruption, apparently motivated in part by the wording of Ps 40:8 (39:9 LXX) and by the word order of this same verse as quoted in Heb 10:7.

[10:9]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “abolishes.”

[10:10]  ¹³¹ tn Grk “by which will.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[10:11]  ¹³² tn Or “daily,” “every day.”

[10:12]  ¹³³ tn Grk “this one.” This pronoun refers to Jesus, but “this priest” was used in the translation to make the contrast between the Jewish priests in v. 11 and Jesus as a priest clearer in English.

[10:12]  ¹³⁴ sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.

[10:13]  ¹³⁵ tn Grk “from then on waiting.”

[10:13]  ¹³⁶ sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.

[10:15]  ¹³⁷ tn Grk “after having said,” emphasizing the present impact of this utterance.

[10:16]  ¹³⁸ tn Grk “putting…I will inscribe.”

[10:16]  ¹³⁹ sn A quotation from Jer 31:33.

[10:17]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Grk “and.”

[10:17]  ¹⁴¹ sn A quotation from Jer 31:34.

[10:19]  ¹⁴² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.

[10:20]  ¹⁴³ tn Grk “that he inaugurated for us as a fresh and living way,” referring to the entrance mentioned in v. 19.

[10:20]  ¹⁴⁴ sn Through his flesh. In a bold shift the writer changes from a spatial phrase (Christ opened the way through the curtain into the inner sanctuary) to an instrumental phrase (he did this through [by means of] his flesh in his sacrifice of himself), associating the two in an allusion to the splitting of the curtain in the temple from top to bottom (Matt 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). Just as the curtain was split, so Christ’s body was broken for us, to give us access into God’s presence.

[10:21]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “and a great priest,” continuing the construction begun in v. 19.

[10:22]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Grk “in assurance of faith.”

[10:22]  ¹⁴⁷ sn The phrase our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience combines the OT imagery of the sprinkling with blood to give ritual purity with the emphasis on the interior cleansing provided by the new covenant: It is the heart that is cleansed and the conscience made perfect (cf. Heb 8:10; 9:9, 14; 10:2, 16).

[10:24]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Grk “let us consider one another for provoking of love and good deeds.”

[10:25]  ¹⁴⁹ sn The day refers to that well-known time of Christ’s coming and judgment in the future; see a similar use of “day” in 1 Cor 3:13.

[10:25]  ¹⁵⁰ tn This paragraph (vv. 19-25) is actually a single, skillfully composed sentence in Greek, but it must be broken into shorter segments for English idiom. It begins with several subordinate phrases (since we have confidence and a great priest), has three parallel exhortations as its main verbs (let us draw near, hold, and take thought), and concludes with several subordinate phrases related to the final exhortation (not abandoning but encouraging).

[10:26]  ¹⁵¹ tn Grk “is left,” with “for us” implied by the first half of the verse.

[10:27]  ¹⁵² tn Grk “zeal,” recalling God’s jealous protection of his holiness and honor (cf. Exod 20:5).

[10:27]  ¹⁵³ tn Grk “the enemies.”

[10:28]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Grk “dies.”

[10:28]  ¹⁵⁵ sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.

[10:29]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Grk “tramples under foot.”

[10:29]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Grk “regarded as common.”

[10:29]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Grk “by which he was made holy.”

[10:30]  ¹⁵⁹ sn A quotation from Deut 32:35.

[10:30]  ¹⁶⁰ sn A quotation from Deut 32:36.

[10:34]  ¹⁶¹ tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א D² 1881 Ï), read δεσμοῖς μου (desmoi" mou, “my imprisonment”) here, a reading that is probably due to the widespread belief in the early Christian centuries that Paul was the author of Hebrews (cf. Phil 1:7; Col 4:18). It may have been generated by the reading δεσμοῖς without the μου (so Ì⁴⁶ Ψ 104 pc), the force of which is so ambiguous (lit., “you shared the sufferings with the bonds”) as to be virtually nonsensical. Most likely, δεσμοῖς resulted when a scribe made an error in copying δεσμίοις (desmioi"), a reading which makes excellent sense (“[of] those in prison”) and is strongly supported by early and significant witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western texttypes (A D* H 6 33 81 1739 lat sy co). Thus, δεσμίοις best explains the rise of the other readings on both internal and external grounds and is strongly preferred.

[10:34]  ¹⁶² tn Grk “you yourselves.”

[10:35]  ¹⁶³ tn Grk “which,” but showing the reason.

[10:36]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Grk “the promise,” referring to the thing God promised, not to the pledge itself.

[10:37]  ¹⁶⁵ sn A quotation from Isa 26:20.

[10:37]  ¹⁶⁶ sn A quotation from Hab 2:3.

[10:38]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Grk “my soul.”

[10:38]  ¹⁶⁸ sn A quotation from Hab 2:4.

[10:39]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Grk “not…of shrinking back to perdition but of faith to the preservation of the soul.”