_THE RITES AND BLOODY SACRIFICES OF THE LAW, FAR INFERIOR TO THE DIGNITY AND PERFECTION OF THE BLOOD AND SACRIFICE OF CHRIST._ _Anno Domini 63._ TO shew that the Sinaitic covenant was justly laid aside, the apostle judged it necessary to enter into a particular examination of the religious service... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THERE WAS A TABERNACLE, &C.— Concerning the tabernacle and its furniture we refer to the notes on that subject in Exodus.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HOLIEST OF ALL;— Or, _The holy of holies._... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH HAD THE GOLDEN CENSER,— Some have started a difficulty here; "Whence is it that the holy of holies is said to have this _golden censer,_ as part of the things deposited in it, whereas Moses mentions only the ark, the pot of manna, Aaron's rod, the two tables of the law, laid up _in_ or _near_... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OVER IT THE CHERUBIMS— That these things were shadows, emblems, and patterns of heavenly things, is past a doubt, from what we meet with in this epistle; nor does it appear difficult to understand of what the mercy-seat was an emblem, since St. Paul expressly speaks of Christ under that notion,... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN, &C.— The common priests went every day into the outward tabernacle, to light the lamps, to burn the incense, or to put, at the appointed times, the shew-bread upon the table: the doing these, and such like acts, is called _accomplishing the service of God._ The lamps were to be lighted eve... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT INTO THE SECOND, &C.— 'Αγνοηματων, rendered _errors,_ signifies, _sins of error,_ or _ignorance._ Respecting the day of expiation, see Leviticus 16.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HOLY GHOST THIS SIGNIFYING, &C.— _"The Holy Ghost manifesting,_ δηλουντος _, plainly shewing this:_ not intimating, but clearly pointing it out,—_that the way of the holies_ (or _into the holy of holies,_) _was not open to all, while the first tabernacle stood."_ By the _first tabernacle,_ the a... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH WAS A FIGURE FOR THE TIME THEN PRESENT,— The word _then_ is not in the original, though our translators have not distinguished it, as usual in such cases, by putting it in a different character. By the _present time_ many eminent commentators understand the present time of the temple service:... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT CHRIST BEING COME, &C.— The apostle here begins to set forth the superiority of our High-priest, by shewing that, in respect to his priestly office, he has no concern with mundane, secular, worldlymatters, but is wholly engaged with _future good things_ for his people. Christ did not pass into t... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER BY THE BLOOD OF GOATS, &C.— This and the preceding verse may be connected and paraphrased as follows: "But Christ an High-priest of good things to be afterwards bestowed, being come, through a greater and more perfect tabernacle, which was not, as the Jewish tabernacle, made with hands, or f... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF THE BLOOD OF BULLS AND OF GOATS,— The legal impurities debarred the Jews from an attendance upon the public service; but they were freed from these bythe sacrifices, washings, and sprinklings appointed by the Mosaic law, which are called _carnal ordinances,_ Hebrews 9:10 and so became qualifi... [ Continue Reading ]
_HEBREWS 9:15_.— What follows in this chapter seems to be in a good measure a digression, though a most pertinent and useful one. Having, in what goes before, by comparing the ancient tabernacles and the service thereof with Christ, shewn the weakness of it, he returns to this topic in the beginning... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHERE A TESTAMENT IS, &C.— "For where a covenant is engaged in, answerable to that which typified this of which I now speak,—to make it firm and binding, there must be necessarily something done, which implies the death of the covenanting party." Nothing can be more foreign to the apostle's subj... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR A TESTAMENT IS OF FORCE, &C.— _For a covenant made where death is, is valid._ The verse may be paraphrased thus: "For you know that sacrificial rites have ever attended the most celebrated covenants which God hath made with man; so that I may say, _a covenant is confirmed over the dead; so that... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREUPON, NEITHER THE FIRST TESTAMENT, &C.— _Whence neither was the first covenant originally transacted,_ or _made without blood._... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHEN MOSES HAD SPOKEN EVERY PRECEPT, &C.— Moses, in his account of the transaction, Leviticus 16 does not mention all the circumstances spoken of in this verse. St. Paul might very probably have received them from tradition. However, the apostle's account was confirmed by the inspiration of the... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING, THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE TESTAMENT— _Of the covenant,_ that is, the blood by which the covenant between God and this people is ratified and confirmed. Our blessed Saviour seems to have had the passage of Moses here referred to in view, when he gave to his disciples the cup in his last supper... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALMOST ALL THINGS ARE—PURGED WITH BLOOD;— Some things by the law were _purified_ or _cleansed_ with water only: Exodus 19:10. Leviticus 16:28 others were purified with the water of separation; Numbers 19:9; Numbers 19:11; Numbers 19:22 other things were cleansed by fire (Numbers 31:22.) and by t... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WAS THEREFORE NECESSARY— The sense stands thus: "It was necessary that these patterns of heavenly things, ch. Hebrews 8:5 should be purified with these sacrifices of calves, and goats, &c. but as the heavenly things themselves are unspeakably more noble and excellent, so if they are to be purifie... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR CHRIST IS NOT ENTERED INTO THE HOLY PLACES, &C.— The apostle here pursues his grand point, which was to shew the infinite superiority and preference of the Christian covenant above that of the Jews. The sacrifice of Christ is more valuable than their sacrifices; the place into which Christ enter... [ Continue Reading ]
NOR YET— _Not, indeed._ See Hebrews 9:12. There is an ellipsis in this place, to be supplied from Hebrews 9:23 thus: "Nor indeed was it necessary that he should often offer himself." _With blood of others_ means, the blood of _bulls_ and of _goats;_ and is rendered much more agreeably to the origina... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEN MUST HE OFTEN HAVE SUFFERED— The apostle's design was, to shew the difference between the high-priest's offering once every year, and Christ's offering once for all;—that had frequent oblation been necessary, then Christ must have offered himself often since the foundation of the world. But... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS IT IS APPOINTED UNTO MEN ONCE TO DIE.— The apostle had several times asserted, that Christ was made like unto us in all things, except sin; and this consideration he seems to allege in this place, in order to clear up what he says of Christ's only _dying once._ By dying once, he submits to th... [ Continue Reading ]
SO CHRIST WAS ONCE OFFERED— The comparison here used is this: "Whereas all men die once, and after this there is to be a judgment for them; so Christ died once, and, having offered himself to bear away sin, he too, as well as all others, shall appear a second time, but _without sin,_ or, _bearing aw... [ Continue Reading ]