Hebrews 9

Hebrews 9:1

That first covenant indeed had ceremonial laws, peculiar ways of worshipping God, and a tabernacle. And first for the latter of them, (see note [b] Matt. vii,) the tabernacle, (that was a type of the whole world, of earth and heaven, this made by Moses, but that by God, ch. viii. 2,) this consisted of two parts.

[a] first covenant] That it must be read ἡ πρώτη, the first, without σκηνή, tabernacle, will appear by the authority of ancient MSS. (as, besides others taken notice of by other men, in an ancient one in Magd. Coll. library in Oxon) and of the Syriac and old Latin translation, and of St. Chrysostom, and the Greek fathers, who read it not: and then there is little doubt but the substantive to it must be διαθήκη covenant, mentioned in the former chapter, and called τὴν πρώτην, the first, in the verse immediately preceding this, ch. viii. 15, which anciently was conjoined with this, before the division into chapters. Besides, the addition of σκηνή, tabernacle, will not be very congruous; for then the tabernacle must be said to have in it τὸ ἅγιον κοσμικὸν, the worldly holy, that is, the tabernacle, as appears, ver. 3, where σκηνή, tabernacle, is called ἅγια ἁγίων, the holy of holies. As for δικαιώματα, ordinances, see note [d] on Rom. viii., and λατρείας is in any reason to be taken, not in the genitive, but the accusative plural, and so will note sacrifices and other institutions for God’s worship, which belonged to that Mosaical covenant.

Hebrews 9:2

For as this world consists of two parts, this lower world, and the highest heavens, so also the tabernacle had two regions in it; the first was called the holies, (or the sanctuary,) wherein was the candlestick (with six branches, and one in the midst, to signify the planets) and the bread, or twelve loaves set upon the table, (to signify the fruits of the earth, brought forth by that enlivening influence of the heavens, saith Philo;)

Hebrews 9:3

And the second was a place of more sanctity than the former, which was beyond the former, answerable to the place where the oracle was in the former temple, and is the image of the highest heaven,

Hebrews 9:4

Having a golden censer belonging to it, not always kept in it, but carried in when the priest went in, who was not to go without incense, and the ark covered round about with gold; and in this the pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod, and the tables of the commandments, in respect of which it is called the ark of the covenant;

[b] golden pot] It is a matter of some difficulty to determine, whether it were the ark, in which the pot of manna and the rod are here said to be kept, or more generally the holy of holies, wherein, as in a common place, both they and the ark were. For first, the phrase ἐν ᾖ, in which, may equally refer to σκηνὴ λεγομένη τὸ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων, the tabernacle called the holy of holies, and to κιβωτὸς, the ark: and secondly, it is positively affirmed, 1 Kings viii. 9, that there was nothing in the ark but the tables of stone. But then on the other side it is apparent that those tables of the law were in the ark, and therefore the mention of those being immediately subjoined to the mention of the pot and the rod, and connected distinctly with a καὶ, the pot and the rod and the tables, in all reason they must be thought affirmed to be in the ark, where it is certain the tables were; and, 2, it is as manifest that the ὑπεράνω αὐτῆς, over it, ver. 5, denotes the ark, on the covering of which, and not of the holy of holies, the cherubim were. To this difficulty that which Theophylact hath affirmed is most satisfactory, that though at that time which is referred to 1 Kings viii. 9, that is, in Solomon’s time, there was nothing in the ark but the tables, yet in after-times the pot and the rod were put there, viz., in Jeremiah’s time, when the ark was to be hid by him: and all this, saith he, St. Paul may be supposed

Hebrews 9:5

And over it the images of the cherubim, by which God is wont to appear and shew himself, Exod. xxv. 22; and these shadowing the covering of the ark from whence God was wont to speak with Moses, to

[c] glory] Δόξα, glory, is here set to signify the Schechina, or appearing of God, which was wont to be by angels, of which these cherubims were the representations. See note [n] on Matt. xvi., and [a] on Mark i.

[d] mercyseat] The word Ἰλαστήριον is answerable to the Hebrew כפרת. Now the word כפר signifies two things, first, to cover, (and indeed the English word cover seems to come from it,) and that either simply to cover, or to cover with pitch, &c.; and, secondly, in Piel, to cleanse, expiate, and to be propitious. Hence it is rendered sometimes ἀσφαλτῶσαι, to plaster, or cover, with bitumen or pitch, and sometimes, most ordinarily, Ἰλάσκομαι, ἑξιλάσκομαι, καθαρίζω, to propitiate or cleanse. And accordingly כפרת is rendered sometimes καταπέτασμα, a covering, Exod. xxvi. 36, sometimes Ἰλαστήριον, propitiatory; and Ἰλαστήριον, propitiatory, when the sense is καταπέτασμα, covering. See note [h] on Rom. iii. And so in this place, where it notes a part of the ark, it must be taken in the notion of the Hebrew, and rendered in that sense of καταπέτασμα, covering, as it is Exod. xxvi. 34, and xxx. 6, or as the Hebrew, כפרת, if it had been here retained, would have imported.

Hebrews 9:6

And this being thus described, we may ascend to the former things mentioned ver. 1, the priests’ officiating, and the statutes about that: and that service of the priests was of two sorts; the daily service, and that was in the former outward part of the tabernacle;

Hebrews 9:7

But into the inner part of the tabernacle, or the holy of holies, none entered but the high priest, and he only one day in the year, on the fast, or great day of expiation; and then always he carried with him blood of calves and of goats; of calves, to offer for himself; and of goats, to offer for the people. (By which it appears, that the offering of Christ, which is answerable to this, is, after his passion, performed at his going into heaven, which was signified by the holy of holies;)

[e] errors] The word ἀγνοῖν, though it signifies peculiarly ignorance, yet is taken among the Greek writers in the Old Testament for sinning indifferently. So Tob. iii. 3, Judith v. 20, Ecclus. li. 26, 1 Macc. xiii. 39, 2 Macc. xiii. 37, Ecclus. xxiii. 2, and 3 Macc. σύστημα μηδέν ἡγνοηκός, a company that had not sinned against the king, according to the notion of the Hebrew שָׁבָה, which as it signifies ignoravit, erravit, ignorance, error, so also it signifies defecit, recessit, falling off, failing; and so here it signifies all those sins for which there was allowed expiation and sacrifice under the law, that is, all sins but those of presumption, or will.

Hebrews 9:8

By which the Holy Ghost typically signified, that no man by the power of that first covenant could go to heaven, or that the way to heaven was not there revealed, none being then admitted thither but the high priest once a year, who was a type of Christ; but now that that holy of holies is destroyed, and therewithal the Judaical law, there is now admission for all true Christians or worshippers of God, who now have promises and right to heaven, though till after death they are not admitted to their possessions.

Hebrews 9:9

And the parabolical, typical meaning of this will be applicable to those of this time, that still observe and contend for the observation of the Judaical forms of worship, and think it is still in force; for all these performances will not be able to give any man confidence to pray to God, to bring any man to heaven, or to obtain for him the pardon of any wilful or presumptuous sin in the sight of God, to free him from any sin that hath wasted his conscience, or give him grace to purge himself from such sin: (see note [c] 1 John iii.)

Hebrews 9:10

But only to purge him from legal uncleannesses or pollutions, as having eaten any unclean meat, drinking wine at any unlawful time, (Lev. x. 9.)

³ ignorances.

⁴ which parable belongs to the time approaching, ἦτις παραβολή εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τὸν ἐκστηκότα.

⁵ according to which (parable:) for the King’s MS. reads καθ’ ἦν. ⁶ are offered, προσφέρονται.

⁷ being not able to perfect the worshipper, μὴ δυνάμειναι τελειώσαι τὸν λατρεύοντα

⁸ being only imposed for meats, μόνον ἐπὶ βρώμασι ἐπικείμενα.

Hebrews 9:13

And this form of speech, A new covenant, is an argument that the former was old, and an evidence, that so indeed that legal covenant or Mosaical law was; and being now perfectly old and decayed, it is not likely to live long, but, with the Jewish church and commonweal, within few years (within ten after the writing of this epistle) it is sure enough to be destroyed. ### CHAP. IX.

For if the legal pollutions, the eating or touching of unclean things, &c. be expiated by blood and ashes, so far as to keep them that are polluted so from being turned out of the congregation, and from any legal punishment;

[f] sanctifieth] Ἁγιάζειν, to sanctify, in this place signifies to purify, in the notion that belongs to the Hebrew שָׁהָר, which is sometimes rendered καθαρὸς, pure, sometimes ἅγιος, holy; and accordingly ἀκάθαρτα and ἅγια, impure and holy, are set opposite 1 Cor. vii. 14. So also the Hebrew קָרָשׁ, which is vulgarly ἁγιάζειν, to sanctify, is used for washing among the Jews. See note [d] on 1 Cor. vii. Thus it appears to be used here, not only by the κεκοινωμένους, unclean, or polluted, immediately precedent, and the καθαρότητα, cleansing, or purity, following; but by the evidence of the matter here spoken of. For that was the design of the legal sacrifice, blood and ashes, to cleanse them that were legally polluted, which is the meaning of πρὸς τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς καθαρότητα, for the cleansing of the flesh, that is, to make them legally clean, such as might come into the congregation again. But this still in a metaphorical signification, as cleansing signifies expiation, or obtaining pardon of sin, freeing from the inconveniences or censures that belonged to it. In this same sense the word is used ch. x. 10. Through which will we are sanctified, ἡγιασμένοι ἑσμίν, that is, our sins are expiated, through the offering of the body of Christ once for all, which, ver. 26, is expressed by another phrase, that he hath now once appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebrews 9:14

How much more shall Christ’s death, the shedding of his blood for you; and after that, his presenting himself to his Father in heaven in a body

Hebrews 9:15

And for this end was Christ made use of to intercede between God and us, and establish and seal a new covenant with us, that by the intervention of his death for the expiation of all sins and transgressions, even such as could not be expiated under the old covenant, they which are effectually called, the truly penitent reformed believers, may have heaven and eternal bliss made over to, and possessed and instated on them, by way of inheritance.

Hebrews 9:16

He shed his blood, I say; because, that a testament be valid, or that any man enjoy any thing by the death of another, the death of the testator is required necessarily, and must be avouched or produced by him;

Hebrews 9:17

There being no stability in a will as long as the testator liveth, because he may change it if he will; and besides, it is to be supposed of him, that he meant not the benefit of it to his heir till after his own death.

Hebrews 9:18

And therefore agreeably to this nature of covenants, which are among the eastern nations still signed with blood, and of testaments which are not in force till the testator’s death, we read in the law, that the ceremony of blood was used in the sanction of the first covenant, that under the law.

Hebrews 9:19

For when the commandments Exod. xx—xxiii. were by Moses recited to all the people according to God’s appointment, then, as it follows, Exod. xxiv. 6, he took, &c. and sprinkled, &c. (which noted this sanction of covenants (as of testaments by death) by the ceremony of blood, and foresignified the shedding of the blood of Christ for the making of a new covenant with us,)

Hebrews 9:20

Saying, This blood is the ceremony of establishing the covenant which God hath made with you.

Hebrews 9:21

And so likewise he sprinkled the tabernacle, and all the utensils that were used in the worship of God, with blood.

Hebrews 9:22

And generally under the law the course was, that all things that were purified should be purified by that ceremony of shedding blood, and so in like manner, that when any sin was committed a beast should be slain for a sacrifice, by way of confession that that sin deserved death.

Hebrews 9:23

And therefore the law commanding that the tabernacle, which (in respect of the two parts of it, but especially the inmost part) is an image of the highest heavens, should thus be purified with the blood of bullocks or goats; that is, that the priest should never enter in thither without such bloodshedding, it is most agreeable and proportionable to these types that Christ should die, shed his own blood, and so enter into heaven to be our high priest, (and in like manner that we through many sufferings should enter into the kingdom of God.)

Hebrews 9:24

For Christ was not so an high priest as to enter into any holy place built by men, the image or representation to signify heaven, (see Wisd. ix. 8,) but into heaven itself, there to appear before God, as the priest was said to do in the holy of holies, and to recommend our wants and affairs to him, and negotiate for us, and so to relieve us when we stand in need of him;

Hebrews 9:25

Nor was the similitude betwixt him and an high priest to hold in this, that as the priest enters into the holy place every year with the bood of bullocks and goats, so Christ should enter every year into that which was signified by the holy of holies;

Hebrews 9:26

(For then he should from time to time ever since the beginning of the world have died many times,) but in this, his presenting himself in the sight of God, his going to heaven to intercede for us, differs from the priest’s going into the holy of holies, that Christ doth shed none but his own blood, and that but once for all, and that now in this last age, (see note [c] Matt. xxiv,) this close or shutting up of the Jewish state, on purpose to obtain pardon for whatsoever sins repented of, and to work reformation among us.

Hebrews 9:27

For in this is the condition of Christ like to the condition of other men, that as they must die but once, and then be judged to all eternity: