Hebrews 9:1-10
AFTER THUS TRACING THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE TWO COVENANTS, THE WRITER PROCEEDS TO SHEW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEIR ORDINANCES OF MINISTRATION... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THUS TRACING THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE TWO COVENANTS, THE WRITER PROCEEDS TO SHEW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEIR ORDINANCES OF MINISTRATION... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἡ ΠΡΏΤΗ. The addition of σκηνὴ in the rec. is very ill supported, and the sense requires the word διαθήκη to be understood. Besides which ἡ πρ. σκ. has a different meaning altogether in the next verse. 1. ΕἾΧΕ ΜῈΝ ΟΥ̓͂Ν Κ.Τ.Λ. “_To resume then, even the first_ (διαθήκη) _had its ordinances_.” No su... [ Continue Reading ]
CH. 9. After thus tracing the contrast between the Two Covenants, the writer proceeds to shew the difference between their _ordinances of ministration_ (Hebrews 9:1 to Hebrews 10:18). He contrasts the sanctuary (1–5), the offering, and the access (6, 7) of the Levitical Priests, in their shadowy and... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΤΕΣΚΕΥΆΣΘΗ. “_Was prepared_” or “_established_.” He treats of the Sanctuary in 2–5, and of the Services in 6–10. Ἡ ΠΡΏΤΗ. By this is not meant the Tabernacle in contrast with the Temple, but “_the outer chamber_ (or Holy Place).” It is however true that the writer _is thinking exclusively of the... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΕΤᾺ ΔῈ ΤῸ ΔΕΎΤΕΡΟΝ ΚΑΤΑΠΈΤΑΣΜΑ. “_Behind the second veil_.” There were two veils in the Tabernacle—one called מָסָךְ (Exodus 26:36-37, LXX. κάλυμμα, or ἐπίσπαστρον) which hung before the entrance; and “the second,” called פָּרֹכֶת (LXX. καταπέτασμα), which hung between the Holy Place and the Holies... [ Continue Reading ]
ΧΡΥΣΟΥ͂Ν … ΘΥΜΙΑΤΉΡΙΟΝ. It has been long disputed whether θυμιατήριον means _Censer_ or _Altar of Incense_. It does not occur in the Greek version of the Pentateuch (except as a various reading), where the “altar of incense” is rendered by θυσιαστήριον θυμιάματος (Exodus 30:27; comp. Luke 1:11); but... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΌΞΗΣ. This is much better supported than the τῆς δ. of the rec. 5. ΧΕΡΟΥΒΕΊΝ. “_The Cherubim_,” since _im_ is the Hebrew plural termination (not as in A. V. “Cherubims”). ΔΌΞΗΣ. Not “the glorious Cherubim” but “_the Cherubim of the Shechinah_” or cloud of glory. This was regarded as the symbol of... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΎΤΩΝ ΔῈ ΟὝΤΩΣ ΚΑΤΕΣΚΕΥΑΣΜΈΝΩΝ. “_Since then these things have been thus arranged_.” ΕἸΣ ΜῈΝ ΤῊΝ ΠΡΏΤΗΝ … ἘΠΙΤΕΛΟΥ͂ΝΤΕΣ. “_Into the outer tabernacle the priests enter continually in performance of their ministrations_.” Their ordinary ministrations were to offer sacrifice, burn incense, and light... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῊΝ ΔΕΥΤΈΡΑΝ, i.e. “_the inner_,” “the Holiest.” There was a graduated sanctity in the Tabernacle and in the Temple. In the Temple any one might go into the Outer Court or Court of the Gentiles; Jews into the Second Court; men only into the Third; priests only in their robes into the Holy Place; and... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῊΝ ΤΩ͂Ν ἉΓΊΩΝ ὉΔΌΝ. Entrance into the Holiest symbolised direct access to God, and the “way” into it had not been made evident until He came who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He is “the new and living way” (Hebrews 10:19-20). ΤΗ͂Σ ΠΡΏΤΗΣ ΣΚΗΝΗ͂Σ ἘΧΟΎΣΗΣ ΣΤΆΣΙΝ. “_While yet the_... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΘʼ ἭΝ אABD. The καθʼ ὅν of the rec. was a correction of the more difficult expression. 9. ἬΤΙΣ ΠΑΡΑΒΟΛῊ ΕἸΣ ΤῸΝ ΚΑΙΡῸΝ ΤῸΝ ἘΝΕΣΤΗΚΌΤΑ. ἥτις. It is perhaps better, with Mr Rendall, to refer this to στάσιν rather than to σκηνῆς “while this outer tabernacle is still holding a position which &c.” It i... [ Continue Reading ]
[ΚΑῚ]. Not in אAD. ΔΙΚΑΙΏΜΑΤΑ אAB. 10. ΜΌΝΟΝ ἘΠΊ. The “which” of the A.V. refers to the “present time.” The Greek is here elliptical. The meaning is that the “gifts and sacrifices” consist only in meats and drinks and divers washings—being ordinances of the flesh, imposed (only) till the season of... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΩ͂Ν ΜΕΛΛΌΝΤΩΝ. This is also the reading of the rec. and is better than τῶν γενομένων of BD adopted by Lachmann, &c., which is perhaps accidentally due to the preceding παραγενόμενος. 11. ΠΑΡΑΓΕΝΌΜΕΝΟΣ. “_Being come among us_.” ΤΩ͂Ν ΜΕΛΛΌΝΤΩΝ�. Another and perhaps better reading is “_of the good t... [ Continue Reading ]
ASSURANCE OF CONSCIENCE, THE CONDITION OF ACCESS TO GOD, WAS SECURED THROUGH CHRIST ALONE... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕὙΡΆΜΕΝΟΣ. The rarer form, altered by D into εὑρόμενος. 12. ΟΥ̓ΔΈ. “_Nor yet_.” ΔΙʼ ΑἽΜΑΤΟΣ ΤΡΆΓΩΝ ΚΑῚ ΜΌΣΧΩΝ. “_By means of the blood of goats and calves_” (this is the order of the words in the best MSS.). It is not meant that the sacrifices of the Old Covenant were _useless_, but only that when... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸ ΓᾺΡ ΤῸ ΑἾΜΑ Κ.Τ.Λ. The writer has designedly chosen the _two_ most striking sacrifices and ceremonials of the Levitical Law, namely the calf and the goat offered for the sins of people and priest on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), and “the water of separation,” or rather “of impurity,” i.e.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΌΣΩΙ ΜΑ͂ΛΛΟΝ. Again we have the characteristic word—the keynote as it were—of the Epistle. ΤῸ ΑἿΜΑ ΤΟΥ͂ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ͂. Which is typified by “the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1). ΔΙᾺ ΠΝΕΎΜΑΤΟΣ ΑἸΩΝΊΟΥ. If “_through_ the _Eternal Spirit_” be the right rendering the reference... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙᾺ ΤΟΥ͂ΤΟ, i.e. _on account of_ the grandeur of His offering. ΔΙΑΘΉΚΗΣ ΚΑΙΝΗ͂Σ ΜΕΣΊΤΗΣ. “_A mediator of a_ NEW _Covenant_.” Moses had been called by Philo “the Mediator” of the Old Covenant, i.e. he who came between God and Israel as the messenger of it. But Christ’s intervention—His coming as One... [ Continue Reading ]
THE INDISPENSABLENESS AND EFFICACY OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΠΟΥ ΓᾺΡ ΔΙΑΘΉΚΗ. In these two verses (16, 17), and these only, διαθήκη is used in its Greek and Roman sense of “a will,” and not in its Hebrew sense of “a covenant.” The sudden and momentary change in the significance of the word explains itself, for he has just spoken of _an inheritance_, and of t... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠῚ ΝΕΚΡΟΙ͂Σ. Lit., “_over the dead_.” The A.V. rendering (“after men are dead”) expresses the meaning rightly—a will is only valid “in cases of death,” “in the case of men who are dead.” _Ex vi termini_, “a testament” is the disposition which a man makes of his affairs with a view to his death. The... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΘΕΝ. “_Wherefore_”; because both “a covenant” and “a testament” involve the idea of death. ΟΥ̓Δʼ. “_Not even_.” ἘΝΚΕΚΑΊΝΙΣΤΑΙ. Lit., “_has been handselled_” or “inaugurated.” The word is from the same root as “Encaenia,” the name given to the re-dedication of the Temple by the Maccabees (John 10:... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΡΆΝΤΙΣΕΝ. Better supported than the ἐῤῥάντισεν of the rec. 19. ΚΑῚ ΤΩ͂Ν ΤΡΆΓΩΝ. This is not specially mentioned, but it may be supposed that “goats” were among the burnt-offerings mentioned in Exodus 24:5. ὝΔΑΤΟΣ ΚΑῚ ἘΡΊΟΥ ΚΟΚΚΊΝΟΥ ΚΑῚ ὙΣΣΏΠΟΥ. These again are not mentioned in Exodus 24:6, but ar... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΥ͂ΤΟ. In the Hebrew “Behold!” Some have supposed that the writer adopted the variation from a reminiscence of our Lord’s words—“This is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). But if such a reference or comparison had been at all present to h... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΤῊΝ ΣΚΗΝῊΝ ΔΈ. This again is not mentioned in the scene to which the writer seems to be referring (Exodus 24:6-8), which indeed preceded the building of the Tabernacle. It is nowhere recorded in Scripture that the _Tabernacle_ was sprinkled, although it is perhaps _implied_ that on a later occas... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΧΕΔῸΝ … ΠΆΝΤΑ. There were a few exceptions (Exodus 19:10; Leviticus 5:11-13; Leviticus 15:5; Leviticus 16:26. &c.). The word σχεδὸν, “almost,” is only found in two other passages of the N. T. (Acts 13:44; Acts 19:26). ΧΩΡῚΣ ΑἹΜΑΤΕΚΧΥΣΊΑΣ. “Without _shedding_ of blood.” This, and not “_pouring out_... [ Continue Reading ]
ὙΠΟΔΕΊΓΜΑΤΑ. “_Copies,_” or outlines—_Abbilden_ (not _Urbilden_) Hebrews 4:11; Hebrews 8:5. ΑΥ̓ΤᾺ ΔῈ ΤᾺ ἘΠΟΥΡΆΝΙΑ. Not “the New Covenant,” or “the Church,” or “ourselves as heirs of heaven,” but apparently the Ideal Tabernacle in the Heavens, which was itself impure before Him to whom “_the very he... [ Continue Reading ]
ΧΡΙΣΤΌΣ אACD. By the time that this Epistle was written the _title_ ὁ Χριστὸς (rec.) had been superseded in general by the _name_ Χριστός. 24. ΟΥ̓ ΓᾺΡ ΕἸΣ ΧΕΙΡΟΠΟΊΗΤΑ Κ.Τ.Λ. “_For not into any Material Sanctuary did Christ enter—a_ (_mere_) _imitation of the Ideal,—but into Heaven itself, now to be... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΤʼ ἘΝΙΑΥΤΌΝ. In this entrance of the High Priest once a year, on the Day of Atonement, into the Holiest Place culminated all that was gorgeous and awe inspiring in the Jewish ritual. The writer therefore purposely chose it as his point of comparison between the ministrations of the Two Covenants.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἜΔΕΙ. Sub. ἂν. “_It would have been necessary_ for Him.” The omission of ἂν only calls more forcible attention to the _necessity_ in the case supposed. See Winer, p. 356. ΠΟΛΛΆΚΙΣ. Since He could not have entered the Sanctuary of God’s Holiest in the Heavens without some offering of atoning blood.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΘʼ ὍΣΟΝ. “_Inasmuch as_.” ἈΠΌΚΕΙΤΑΙ. “_It is reserved_”; lit., “it is laid up for.” ΚΡΊΣΙΣ. “_A judgement_.” By this apparently is not meant “a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31), but a judgement which follows immediately after death.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΧΡΙΣΤΌΣ. “The Christ”; the Anointed High Priest. ἍΠΑΞ ΠΡΟΣΕΝΕΧΘΕΊΣ. “_Having been once offered_.” Christ may also be said as in Hebrews 9:14 “_to offer Himself_”; just as He is said “to be delivered for us” (Romans 4:25) and “to deliver up Himself” (Ephesians 5:2). ΠΟΛΛΩ͂Ν. “Many” is only used a... [ Continue Reading ]