Discovery BoxHebrews 9:1-12
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.
Hebrews 9:19-26
Context9:19 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.” 17 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 18 of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, 19 but the heavenly things themselves required 20 better sacrifices than these. 9:24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands – the representation 21 of the true sanctuary 22 – but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God’s presence for us. 9:25 And he did not enter to offer 23 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.
[9:1] 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] 3 tn Grk “in which”; in the translation the referent (the ark) has been specified for clarity.
[9:5] 4 tn Grk “above it”; in the translation the referent (the ark) has been specified for clarity.
[9:5] 5 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] 5 tn Grk “the first tent.”
[9:7] 6 tn Grk “the second tent.”
[9:7] 7 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] 7 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] 8 tn Grk “only for foods and drinks.”
[9:10] 9 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] 10 tn Grk “until the time of setting things right.”
[9:11] 9 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] 10 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.”
[9:20] 11 tn Grk “which God commanded for you (or in your case).”
[9:23] 12 tn Or “prototypes,” “outlines,” referring to the earthly sanctuary. See Heb 8:5 above for the prior use of this term.
[9:23] 13 tn Grk “with these”; in the translation the referent (sacrifices) has been specified for clarity.
[9:23] 14 tn Grk “the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”
[9:24] 13 tn Or “prefiguration.”
[9:24] 14 tn The word “sanctuary” is not in the Greek text at this point, but has been supplied for clarity.
[9:25] 14 tn Grk “and not that he might offer,” continuing the previous construction.
