Hebrews 8
DOYLY—the true tabernacle.] We learn from chap. ix. 24, compared with ver. 23, that the holy of holies made with hands were the figures of the true, even of that heaven wherein is the peculiar residence of God. Hence Christ is here called “a minister of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man;” and is said, chap. ix. 11, to be “an High Priest by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is to say, not of this,” the Mosaick, “building.” Parkhurst.
—which the Lord pitched, and not man.] For “by the word of the Lord were the heavens made,” Ps. xxxiii. 6. Dr. Whitby.
Hebrews 8:2
2.—which is called the sanctuary.] Or, the holy place; that is, the common place of publick worship. Pyle. The Apostle speaks, not of the sanctuary, but of the first tabernacle, which was only called “holy.” Theodoret observes, that the tabernacle was divided into two parts by the val; the one being called ‘holy,’ the other ’the holy of holies:’ and that the Apostle calls this “the first tabernacle,” to distinguish it from the sanctuary, as is evident from the following verse. Dr. Whitby.
Hebrews 8:3
- —to offer gifts and sacrifices:] In that sanctuary in which He executes His office. Dr. Whitby.
—that this man have somewhat also to offer.] Namely, in heaven the true sanctuary, where He presents Himself, after His death upon the cross, chap. ix. 12. Dr. Hammond.
Hebrews 8:4
- For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, &c.] For if He were such an High Priest, as ye Jews would have your Messiah to be, conversing still on earth, and exercising these Levitical actions, in a material temple, He should be indeed no Priest at all: seeing ye know those priests, which do these like functions, are another tribe than that whereof He was; neither were there any use of Him for these kind of sacrifices; neither could they be worthy of a High Priest of so glorious order and condition; others were by God assigned to that purpose. Bp. Hall.
Hebrews 8:5
- Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, &c.] Whose service was altogether typical; shadowing and representing heavenly things by those outward and earthly rites, fahricks, sacrifices, as Moses was admonished, &c. Bp. Hall.
5.—the cherubins of glory] So called because the glory of the Lord dwelt between them, and shined forth from them, I’s. lxxx. 1. Dr. Whitby.
Hebrews 8:6
- —a more excellent ministry.] Than this of theirs; namely, to officiate in the pattern itself. Bp. Fell.
—a better covenant,—established upon better promises.] Than those of the law. We, under this High Priest, having our consciences purified from sins by Christ’s blood, instead of the flesh purified from pollutions by the blood of beasts, Heb. ix. 13; having our justification now not depending on exact obedience unperformable, but on faith, Rom. iii, iv, as those also then
had who were of faith, Gal. iii. 9; having more large effusion of the graces of the Holy Spirit, whereby we are enabled to yield obedience to what is commanded, John i. 17; xiv. 26; Acts ii. 17; having a greater manifestation of all truth, and true sense of the law; having heavenly happiness proposed instead of earthly, the more to encourage us to undertake a holy life; having the covenants extended to all nations, not confined to the Jews only; being freed from the unsupportable burden of former legal ceremonies, because typical only of the new covenant, Col. ii. 17. Yet it is here to be noted, that this new covenant was also confirmed by God in Christ unto the fathers of old, before that which He made with the Israelites at their coming out of Egypt; yea, even from the beginning. See Gen. iii. 15; Rom. iv. 13; Gal. iii. 15, 17; Heb. xi. 2; Acts xxvi. 6. Both covenants, that of works and that of faith, having been on foot from the first times of the world; the one to shew us our weakness, and keep us in awe, in respect of our own merit; the other to shew God’s mercy, and to keep us in hope of, and dependence upon, His grace. So that those, who were under the law and the Levitical priesthood, had the same promises and Gospel as we now, but not by the law or Levitical priesthood: they had then the same promises and Gospel in substance, but these covered with types and not so fully manifested; the full performance of promise, not then received by them, but seen afar off, Heb. xi. 13; and darkly through a vail, 2 Cor. iii. 13: whilst the law was more largely propounded, and the literal land of promise more discoursed of, and the graces of the Spirit restrained, and the Messiah expected. Bp. Fell.
6.—accomplishing the service of God.] Namely, those made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called || the sanctuary. Anno DOMINI 64.
Hebrews 8:7
- For if that first covenant had been faultless, &c.] For if that other covenant of works and ritual observances could have been fully able to justify mankind, then should no place have been left for this other covenant of faith. Bp. Hall.
7.—once every year.] That is, only one day in the year, on the great day of expiation. Dr. Hammond. This sense is necessary, because on that day the priest entered into the holy of holies several times, Lev. xvi. 12, 15, 17. Dr. Whitby. —the errors of the people:] All those sins, for which there was allowed expiation and sacrifice under the law; that is, all such as were not committed wilfully and presumptuously. Dr. Hammond.
Hebrews 8:8
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For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, &c.] See Jer. xxxi. 31. Behold the days of the Messiah are coming, wherein I will make a new covenant with my church. Bp. Hall.
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The Holy Ghost this signifying, &c.] Compare chap. viii. 6. We are informed in the Pentateuch, that the LORD, Jehovah, spake unto Moses, saying, “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, so shall ye make it,” Exod. xxv. 1, 8, 9. St. Paul, referring to this, says, that Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle according to the pattern shewed him; which pattern he informs us was typical,
a figure for the time present, “the Holy Ghost signifying” thereby such and such truths. So that here the
very incommunicable name JAHUVAH is ascribed to the Holy Ghost, as it is elsewhere by the evangelical writers. Dr. Glocester Ridley. —that the way into the holiest of all] ‘Into the holy of holies,’ that is, heaven. Dr. Wells. See the note on chap. viii. 1. The spiritual use and signification of the Levitical service is here declared by the Apostle to be, that the true and proper means to enter into heaven,
the holy of holies, was not so fully and clearly manifested; and that heaven, represented by the holy of
holies, was as yet inaccessible: for Christ first entered into heaven, as our forerunner, with His blood, to
Hebrews 8:9
- —and I regarded them not.] But gave them up to their enemies, as a punishment for their sins. Bp. Fell. This is the rendering of the Septuagint, which the Apostle follows. We translate the passage, “though I was an husband unto them.” The learned Dr. Pocock hath shewn, that the Hebrew will bear either signification. Dr. Whitby, Pyle.
Anno DOMINI 64. The sacrifices of the law Anno DOMINI 64. a Jer. 31. 33. will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will * † put my laws into their mind, and write them || in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Hebrews 8:13
- In that he saith, A new covenant, &c.] Now it is
most evident, that by promising a new and better dispensation God must intend to abrogate the old and more
imperfect one. And accordingly, the ceremonial religion of the Jews is now going to be quite laid aside, and the Christian to succeed in its room. Pyle. Chap. IX. The argument of chap. viii. 5, &c. is here continued; namely, proving the Jewish tabernacle and temple, with the services performed therein, to have been figurative of Christ, of His sufferings, and religion. The comparison between them is enlarged upon, and the excellence of one above the other further demonstrated. Pyle. Ver. 1.—a worldly sanctuary.] That is, made of materials belonging to this world, and so not lasting. Dr. Wells. It was the Jewish notion, that God intended the tabernacle for an emblem of the whole world; the
outward representing the earth and sea, the inward heaven; the former, as sensible and familiar; the latter
invisible, and as yet inaccessible to us. Whence some have thought the title, “a worldly sanctuary,” to have been given to it here. Dean Stanhope.