Hebrews 10:19-21

Drawing Near to God in Enduring Faith

10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, ¹  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 ²  through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ³  10:21 and since we have a great priest ⁴  over the house of God,

[10:19]  ¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.

[10:20]  ² tn Grk “that he inaugurated for us as a fresh and living way,” referring to the entrance mentioned in v. 19.

[10:20]  ³ 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]  ³ tn Grk “and a great priest,” continuing the construction begun in v. 19.