Discovery BoxHebrews 9:1--13:25
Context9:1 Now the first covenant, 1 in fact, had regulations for worship and its earthly sanctuary. 9:2 For a tent was prepared, the outer one, 2 which contained 3 the lampstand, the table, and the presentation of the loaves; this 4 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 5 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 6 were the cherubim 7 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 8 as they perform their duties. 9:7 But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, 9 and not without blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. 10 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 11 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 12 and various washings; they are external regulations 13 imposed until the new order came. 14
9:11 But now Christ has come 15 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 16 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, 17 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our 18 consciences from dead works to worship the living God.
9:15 And so he is the mediator 19 of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised, 20 since he died 21 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. 22 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. 23 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.” 24 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 25 of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, 26 but the heavenly things themselves required 27 better sacrifices than these. 9:24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands – the representation 28 of the true sanctuary 29 – but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God’s presence for us. 9:25 And he did not enter to offer 30 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 31 are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment, 32 9:28 so also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, 33 to those who eagerly await him he will appear a second time, not to bear sin 34 but to bring salvation. 35
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. 36 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 37 no further consciousness of sin? 10:3 But in those sacrifices 38 there is a reminder of sins year after year. 10:4 For the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. 39 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: 40 I have come – it is written of me in the scroll of the book – to do your will, O God.’” 41
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” 42 (which are offered according to the law), 10:9 then he says, “Here I am: I have come to do your will.” 43 He does away with 44 the first to establish the second. 10:10 By his will 45 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 46 serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again – sacrifices that can never take away sins. 10:12 But when this priest 47 had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand 48 of God, 10:13 where he is now waiting 49 until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 50 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, 51 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put 52 my laws on their hearts and I will inscribe them on their minds,” 53 10:17 then he says, 54 “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no longer.” 55 10:18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, 56 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 57 through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 58 10:21 and since we have a great priest 59 over the house of God, 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, 60 because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience 61 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, 62 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 63 drawing near. 64
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, 65 10:27 but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury 66 of fire that will consume God’s enemies. 67 10:28 Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death 68 without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 69 10:29 How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt for 70 the Son of God, and profanes 71 the blood of the covenant that made him holy, 72 and insults the Spirit of grace? 10:30 For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” 73 and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 74 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, 75 and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly 76 had a better and lasting possession. 10:35 So do not throw away your confidence, because it 77 has great reward. 10:36 For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised. 78 10:37 For just a little longer 79 and he who is coming will arrive and not delay. 80 10:38 But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I 81 take no pleasure in him. 82 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. 83
11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. 11:2 For by it the people of old 84 received God’s commendation. 85 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds 86 were set in order at God’s command, 87 so that the visible has its origin in the invisible. 88 11:4 By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith 89 he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faith 90 he still speaks, though he is dead. 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God. 11:6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 11:7 By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard 91 constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going. 11:9 By faith he lived as a foreigner 92 in the promised land as though it were a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs 93 of the same promise. 11:10 For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, 94 whose architect and builder is God. 11:11 By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, 95 he received the ability to procreate, 96 because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy. 11:12 So in fact children 97 were fathered by one man – and this one as good as dead – like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand 98 on the seashore. 99 11:13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, 100 but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners 101 on the earth. 11:14 For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 11:15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 11:16 But as it is, 102 they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, 103 yet he was ready to offer up 104 his only son. 11:18 God had told him, “Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,” 105 11:19 and he reasoned 106 that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense 107 he received him back from there. 11:20 By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future. 11:21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped as he leaned on his staff. 108 11:22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, 109 mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel 110 and gave instructions about his burial. 111
11:23 By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him 112 for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 11:24 By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 11:25 choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure. 11:26 He regarded abuse suffered for Christ 113 to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on 114 the reward. 11:27 By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible. 11:28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, 115 so that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. 11:29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry ground, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up. 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho 116 fell after the people marched around them 117 for seven days. 11:31 By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of 118 the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace.
11:32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets. 11:33 Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, 119 gained what was promised, 120 shut the mouths of lions, 11:34 quenched raging fire, 121 escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, 122 became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight, 11:35 and women received back their dead raised to life. 123 But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life. 124 11:36 And others experienced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 11:37 They were stoned, sawed apart, 125 murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 11:38 (the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth. 11:39 And these all were commended 126 for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. 127 11:40 For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us. 128
12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 129 we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 12:2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 130 12:3 Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up. 12:4 You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed 131 in your struggle against sin. 12:5 And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons?
“My son, do not scorn 132 the Lord’s discipline
or give up when he corrects 133 you.
12:6 “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.” 134
12:7 Endure your suffering 135 as discipline; 136 God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? 12:8 But if you do not experience discipline, 137 something all sons 138 have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. 12:9 Besides, we have experienced discipline from 139 our earthly fathers 140 and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life? 141 12:10 For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness. 12:11 Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. 142 But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness 143 for those trained by it. 12:12 Therefore, strengthen 144 your listless hands and your weak knees, 145 12:13 and make straight paths for your feet, 146 so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.
12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, 147 for without it no one will see the Lord. 12:15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up 148 and causing trouble, and through him many become defiled. 12:16 And see to it that no one becomes 149 an immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 150 12:17 For you know that 151 later when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance, although he sought the blessing 152 with tears. 12:18 For you have not come to something that can be touched, 153 to a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a whirlwind 12:19 and the blast of a trumpet and a voice uttering words 154 such that those who heard begged to hear no more. 155 12:20 For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” 156 12:21 In fact, the scene 157 was so terrifying that Moses said, “I shudder with fear.” 158 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion, the city 159 of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly 12:23 and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect, 12:24 and to Jesus, the mediator 160 of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel’s does. 161
12:25 Take care not to refuse the one who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less shall we, if we reject the one who warns from heaven? 12:26 Then his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven too.” 162 12:27 Now this phrase “once more” indicates the removal of what is shaken, that is, of created things, so that what is unshaken may remain. 12:28 So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. 12:29 For our God is indeed a devouring fire. 163
13:1 Brotherly love must continue. 13:2 Do not neglect hospitality, because through it some have entertained angels without knowing it. 164 13:3 Remember those in prison as though you were in prison with them, 165 and those ill-treated as though you too felt their torment. 166 13:4 Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers. 13:5 Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” 167 13:6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and 168 I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” 169 13:7 Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith. 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! 13:9 Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings. 170 For it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not ritual meals, 171 which have never benefited those who participated in them. 13:10 We have an altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from. 13:11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood the high priest brings 172 into the sanctuary as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. 13:12 Therefore, to sanctify the people by his own blood, Jesus also suffered outside the camp. 13:13 We must go out to him, then, outside the camp, bearing the abuse he experienced. 173 13:14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 13:15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name. 13:16 And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, 174 for God is pleased with such sacrifices.
13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. 175 Let them do this 176 with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you. 13:18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to conduct ourselves rightly in every respect. 13:19 I especially ask you to pray 177 that I may be restored to you very soon.
13:20 Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, 13:21 equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us 178 what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. 179 Amen.
13:22 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, 180 bear with my message of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you briefly. 13:23 You should know that 181 our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon, he will be with me when I see you. 182 13:24 Greetings to all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. 13:25 Grace be with you all. 183
[9:1] 1 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] 2 tn Grk “the first,” in order of approach in the ritual.
[9:2] 3 tn Grk “in which [were].”
[9:2] 4 tn Grk “which,” describing the outer tent.
[9:4] 5 tn Grk “in which”; in the translation the referent (the ark) has been specified for clarity.
[9:5] 6 tn Grk “above it”; in the translation the referent (the ark) has been specified for clarity.
[9:5] 7 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] 8 tn Grk “the first tent.”
[9:7] 9 tn Grk “the second tent.”
[9:7] 10 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] 11 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] 12 tn Grk “only for foods and drinks.”
[9:10] 13 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
[9:10] 14 tn Grk “until the time of setting things right.”
[9:11] 15 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] 16 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] 17 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] 18 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 1739c 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] 19 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] 20 tn Grk “the promise of the eternal inheritance.”
[9:15] 21 tn Grk “a death having occurred.”
[9:16] 22 tn Grk “there is a necessity for the death of the one who made it to be proven.”
[9:18] 23 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] 24 tn Grk “which God commanded for you (or in your case).”
[9:23] 25 tn Or “prototypes,” “outlines,” referring to the earthly sanctuary. See Heb 8:5 above for the prior use of this term.
[9:23] 26 tn Grk “with these”; in the translation the referent (sacrifices) has been specified for clarity.
[9:23] 27 tn Grk “the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”
[9:24] 28 tn Or “prefiguration.”
[9:24] 29 tn The word “sanctuary” is not in the Greek text at this point, but has been supplied for clarity.
[9:25] 30 tn Grk “and not that he might offer,” continuing the previous construction.
[9:27] 31 tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).
[9:27] 32 tn Grk “and after this – judgment.”
[9:28] 33 sn An allusion to Isa 53:12.
[9:28] 34 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] 35 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] 36 tn Grk “those who approach.”
[10:2] 37 tn Grk “the worshipers, having been purified once for all, would have.”
[10:3] 38 tn Grk “in them”; the referent (those sacrifices) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:4] 39 tn Grk “for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”
[10:7] 40 tn Grk “behold,” but this construction often means “here is/there is” (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).
[10:7] 41 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] 42 sn Various phrases from the quotation of Ps 40:6 in Heb 10:5-6 are repeated in Heb 10:8.
[10:9] 43 tc The majority of
[10:10] 45 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] 46 tn Or “daily,” “every day.”
[10:12] 47 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] 48 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.
[10:13] 49 tn Grk “from then on waiting.”
[10:13] 50 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.
[10:15] 51 tn Grk “after having said,” emphasizing the present impact of this utterance.
[10:16] 52 tn Grk “putting…I will inscribe.”
[10:16] 53 sn A quotation from Jer 31:33.
[10:17] 55 sn A quotation from Jer 31:34.
[10:19] 56 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.
[10:20] 57 tn Grk “that he inaugurated for us as a fresh and living way,” referring to the entrance mentioned in v. 19.
[10:20] 58 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] 59 tn Grk “and a great priest,” continuing the construction begun in v. 19.
[10:22] 60 tn Grk “in assurance of faith.”
[10:22] 61 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] 62 tn Grk “let us consider one another for provoking of love and good deeds.”
[10:25] 63 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] 64 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] 65 tn Grk “is left,” with “for us” implied by the first half of the verse.
[10:27] 66 tn Grk “zeal,” recalling God’s jealous protection of his holiness and honor (cf. Exod 20:5).
[10:27] 67 tn Grk “the enemies.”
[10:28] 69 sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.
[10:29] 70 tn Grk “tramples under foot.”
[10:29] 71 tn Grk “regarded as common.”
[10:29] 72 tn Grk “by which he was made holy.”
[10:30] 73 sn A quotation from Deut 32:35.
[10:30] 74 sn A quotation from Deut 32:36.
[10:34] 75 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] 76 tn Grk “you yourselves.”
[10:35] 77 tn Grk “which,” but showing the reason.
[10:36] 78 tn Grk “the promise,” referring to the thing God promised, not to the pledge itself.
[10:37] 79 sn A quotation from Isa 26:20.
[10:37] 80 sn A quotation from Hab 2:3.
[10:38] 82 sn A quotation from Hab 2:4.
[10:39] 83 tn Grk “not…of shrinking back to perdition but of faith to the preservation of the soul.”
[11:2] 84 tn Or “the elders,” “the ancients.”
[11:2] 85 tn Grk “were attested,” “received commendation”; and Heb 11:4-6 shows this to be from God.
[11:3] 86 tn Grk “ages.” The temporal (ages) came to be used of the spatial (what exists in those time periods). See Heb 1:2 for same usage.
[11:3] 87 tn Grk “by God’s word.”
[11:3] 88 sn The Greek phrasing emphasizes this point by negating the opposite: “so that what is seen did not come into being from things that are visible.”
[11:4] 89 tn Or “through his sacrifice”; Grk “through which.”
[11:4] 90 tn Or “through his sacrifice”; Grk “through it.”
[11:7] 91 tn Cf. BDAG 407 s.v. εὐλαβέομαι 2, “out of reverent regard (for God’s command).”
[11:9] 92 tn Or “settled as a resident alien.”
[11:9] 93 tn Or “heirs with him.”
[11:10] 94 tn Grk “that has foundations.”
[11:11] 95 tn Grk “past the time of maturity.”
[11:11] 96 tn Grk “power to deposit seed.” Though it is not as likely, some construe this phrase to mean “power to conceive seed,” making the whole verse about Sarah: “by faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and too old, she received ability to conceive, because she regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy.”
[11:12] 97 tn Grk “these”; in the translation the referent (children) has been specified for clarity.
[11:12] 98 tn Grk a collective “the sand.”
[11:12] 99 sn An allusion to Gen 22:17 (which itself goes back to Gen 15:5).
[11:13] 100 tn Grk “the promises,” referring to the things God promised, not to the pledges themselves.
[11:13] 101 tn Or “sojourners.”
[11:17] 103 tn Here “received the promises” refers to the pledges themselves, not to the things God promised.
[11:17] 104 tn Grk “he was offering up.” The tense of this verb indicates the attempt or readiness to sacrifice Isaac without the actual completion of the deed.
[11:18] 105 tn Grk “in Isaac seed will be named for you.”
[11:19] 106 tn Grk “having reasoned,” continuing the ideas of v. 17.
[11:19] 107 tn Grk “in/by a symbol.”
[11:21] 108 tn Grk “worshiped on the top of his staff,” a quotation from Gen 47:31 (LXX).
[11:22] 109 tn Grk “coming to an end,” “dying.”
[11:22] 110 sn Joseph’s prophecy about the exodus of the sons of Israel is found in Gen 50:24.
[11:22] 111 tn Grk “about his bones,” which refers by metonymy to the disposition of his bones, i.e., his burial.
[11:23] 112 tn Grk “Moses, when he was born, was hidden by his parents.”
[11:26] 113 tn Grk “the abuse [or ‘reproach’] of Christ.”
[11:26] 114 tn Grk “he was looking away to.”
[11:28] 115 tn Grk “the pouring out of the blood.”
[11:30] 116 map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
[11:30] 117 tn Grk “after they had been encircled.”
[11:31] 118 tn Grk “did not perish together with.”
[11:33] 119 tn This probably refers to the righteous rule of David and others. But it could be more general and mean “did what was righteous.”
[11:33] 120 tn Grk “obtained promises,” referring to the things God promised, not to the pledges themselves.
[11:34] 121 tn Grk “quenched the power of fire.”
[11:34] 122 tn Or “recovered from sickness.”
[11:35] 123 tn Grk “received back their dead from resurrection.”
[11:35] 124 tn Grk “to obtain a better resurrection.”
[11:37] 125 tc The reading ἐπρίσθησαν (ejprisqhsan, “they were sawed apart”) is found in some important witnesses (Ì46 [D* twice reads ἐπίρσθησαν, “they were burned”?] pc syp sa Orpt Eus). Other
[11:39] 126 sn The expression these all were commended forms an inclusio with Heb 11:2: The chapter begins and ends with references to commendation for faith.
[11:39] 127 tn Grk “the promise,” referring to the thing God promised, not to the pledge itself.
[11:40] 128 tn The Greek phrasing emphasizes this point by negating the opposite: “so that they would not be made perfect without us.”
[12:1] 129 tn Grk “having such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us.”
[12:2] 130 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.
[12:4] 131 tn Grk “until blood.”
[12:5] 132 tn Or “disregard,” “think little of.”
[12:5] 133 tn Or “reproves,” “rebukes.” The Greek verb ἐλέγχω (elencw) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.
[12:6] 134 sn A quotation from Prov 3:11-12.
[12:7] 135 tn Grk “endure,” with the object (“your suffering”) understood from the context.
[12:7] 136 tn Or “in order to become disciplined.”
[12:8] 137 tn Grk “you are without discipline.”
[12:8] 138 tn Grk “all”; “sons” is implied by the context.
[12:9] 139 tn Grk “we had our earthly fathers as discipliners.”
[12:9] 140 tn Grk “the fathers of our flesh.” In Hebrews, “flesh” is a characteristic way of speaking about outward, physical, earthly life (cf. Heb 5:7; 9:10, 13), as opposed to the inward or spiritual dimensions of life.
[12:11] 142 tn Grk “all discipline at the time does not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow.”
[12:11] 143 tn Grk “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
[12:12] 144 tn Or “straighten.”
[12:12] 145 sn A quotation from Isa 35:3. Strengthen your listless hands and your weak knees refers to the readers’ need for renewed resolve and fresh strength in their struggles (cf. Heb 10:36-39; 12:1-3).
[12:13] 146 sn A quotation from Prov 4:26. The phrase make straight paths for your feet is figurative for “stay on God’s paths.”
[12:14] 147 sn The references to peace and holiness show the close connection between this paragraph and the previous one. The pathway toward “holiness” and the need for it is cited in Heb 12:10 and 14. More importantly Prov 4:26-27 sets up the transition from one paragraph to the next: It urges people to stay on godly paths (Prov 4:26, quoted here in v. 13) and promises that God will lead them in peace if they do so (Prov 4:27 [LXX], quoted in v. 14).
[12:15] 148 tn Grk “that there not be any root of bitterness,” but referring figuratively to a person who causes trouble (as in Deut 29:17 [LXX] from which this is quoted).
[12:16] 149 tn Grk “that there not be any,” continuing from v. 15.
[12:16] 150 sn An allusion to Gen 27:34-41.
[12:17] 151 tn Or a command: “for understand that.”
[12:17] 152 tn Grk “it,” referring either to the repentance or the blessing. But the account in Gen 27:34-41 (which the author appeals to here) makes it clear that the blessing is what Esau sought. Thus in the translation the referent (the blessing) is specified for clarity.
[12:18] 153 tn This describes the nation of Israel approaching God on Mt. Sinai (Exod 19). There is a clear contrast with the reference to Mount Zion in v. 22, so this could be translated “a mountain that can be touched.” But the word “mountain” does not occur here and the more vague description seems to be deliberate.
[12:19] 154 tn Grk “a voice of words.”
[12:19] 155 tn Grk “a voice…from which those who heard begged that a word not be added to them.”
[12:20] 156 sn A quotation from Exod 19:12-13.
[12:21] 157 tn Grk “that which appeared.”
[12:21] 158 tn Grk “I am terrified and trembling.”
[12:22] 159 tn Grk “and the city”; the conjunction is omitted in translation since it seems to be functioning epexegetically – that is, explaining further what is meant by “Mount Zion.”
[12:24] 160 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.
[12:24] 161 sn Abel’s shed blood cried out to the Lord for justice and judgment, but Jesus’ blood speaks of redemption and forgiveness, something better than Abel’s does (Gen 4:10; Heb 9:11-14; 11:4).
[12:26] 162 sn A quotation from Hag 2:6.
[12:29] 163 sn A quotation from Deut 4:24; 9:3.
[13:2] 164 sn This is a vague allusion to people described in scripture and extra-biblical literature and may include Abraham and Sarah (Gen 18:2-15), Lot (Gen 19:1-14), Gideon (Judg 6:11-18), Manoah (Judg 13:3-22), and possibly Tobit (Tob 12:1-20).
[13:3] 165 tn Grk “as being imprisoned together.”
[13:3] 166 tn Or “since you too are vulnerable”; Grk “you also being in the body.”
[13:5] 167 sn A quotation from Deut 31:6, 8.
[13:6] 168 tc Some important
[13:6] 169 sn A quotation from Ps 118:6.
[13:9] 170 tn Grk “by diverse and strange teachings.”
[13:9] 171 tn Grk “foods,” referring to the meals associated with the OT sacrifices (see the contrast with the next verse; also 9:9-10; 10:1, 4, 11).
[13:11] 172 tn Grk “whose blood is brought by the high priest.”
[13:13] 173 tn Grk “his abuse.”
[13:16] 174 tn Grk “neglect doing good and fellowship.”
[13:17] 175 tn Or “as ones who will give an account”; Grk “as giving an account.”
[13:17] 176 tn Grk “that they may do this.”
[13:19] 177 tn Grk “I urge you to do this all the more.”
[13:21] 178 tc Some
[13:21] 179 tc ‡ Most
[13:22] 180 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.
[13:23] 181 tn Grk “Know that” (an imperative).
[13:23] 182 tn Grk “has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.”
[13:25] 183 tc Most witnesses, including several important ones (א2 A C D H Ψ 0243 1739 1881 Ï lat sy bo), conclude the letter with ἀμήν (amhn, “amen”). Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, there is sufficient testimony (Ì46 א* Ivid 6 33 sa) for the lack of the particle, rendering its omission the preferred reading.
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