The Letters · New Testament

Hebrews 9

Hebrews 9: the first tabernacle described, and a blood that enters once

General context

The first covenant is said to have had ordinances of divine service and a worldly sanctuary. The tabernacle is described in two parts: the first held the candlestick, the table and the shewbread; beyond the second veil lay the part called the Holiest of all, with the golden censer and the ark, holding manna, Aaron's rod that budded and the tables of the covenant, and the cherubims of glory over the mercyseat. The writer breaks off, unable to speak of these particularly. Priests went always into the first part; the high priest went alone into the second once a year, with blood for himself and for the errors of the people. The Holy Ghost is said to signify by this that the way into the holiest was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle stood, and that its gifts and sacrifices could not perfect the conscience, standing only in meats, drinks, washings and ordinances until the time of reformation. Christ is then described entering once by his own blood rather than that of goats and calves, and the argument runs from less to more: how much more shall that blood purge the conscience. He is the mediator of the new testament, and since a testament takes force by a death, the first was dedicated with blood when Moses sprinkled the book and the people. Almost all things are purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Christ has entered heaven itself rather than holy places made with hands, and does not offer himself often. As men die once and are judged after, so he was once offered, and will appear a second time to those who look for him.

Cited passages: Hebrews 9:1, Hebrews 9:2, Hebrews 9:3, Hebrews 9:4, Hebrews 9:5, Hebrews 9:6, Hebrews 9:7, Hebrews 9:8, Hebrews 9:9, Hebrews 9:10, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:16, Hebrews 9:19, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:24, Hebrews 9:27, Hebrews 9:28

Hebrews 9 (KJV)

¹Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.

²For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.

³And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

⁴Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

⁵And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we can not now speak particularly.

⁶Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.

⁷But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:

⁸The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

⁹Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

¹⁰Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

¹¹But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

¹²Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

¹³For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

¹⁴How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

¹⁵And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

¹⁶For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

¹⁷For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

¹⁸Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

¹⁹For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

²⁰Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.

²¹Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

²²And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

²³It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

²⁴For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

²⁵Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

²⁶For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

²⁷And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

²⁸So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

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Historical context

The description is given in the past tense and stops short of a full account: the writer says of the furnishings "of which we can not now speak particularly". He places the golden censer with the ark beyond the second veil and gives no further explanation. The sprinkling reported at verses 19 to 21 carries details the letter supplies, "with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop", and with the book sprinkled as well as the people, and the words quoted at Hebrews 9:20, "This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you", differ from Exodus 24:8, "Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words". The letter qualifies its own rule, saying "almost all things" are purged with blood rather than all. It calls the earlier arrangement "a figure for the time then present" and sets a limit, "until the time of reformation", without saying when that time comes or whether it has come. It names no date, no place and no reader in this chapter.

Cited passages: Hebrews 9:5, Hebrews 9:4, Hebrews 9:19, Hebrews 9:20, Exodus 24:8, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:9, Hebrews 9:10

Literary context

The chapter is built as a room, then a door, then a comparison. The first ten verses set out the tabernacle and its service, and the argument depends on one feature of it, the veil that keeps everyone but one man out once a year. The hinge is verse 11, "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come", after which every noun from the description returns transformed: blood, entering, holy place, the year. The comparison is pressed by degree rather than by denial, "How much more shall the blood of Christ". The word testament is used in two senses across verses 15 to 18, first as a covenant mediated and then as a will that requires "the death of the testator", and the second sense is what carries the argument back to Moses and the sprinkled book. Counting holds the chapter together: once every year, entered in once, offered once, and appointed unto men once to die. The last verse turns forward to a second appearing, the only future scene the letter has described so far.

Cited passages: Hebrews 9:3, Hebrews 9:7, Hebrews 9:11, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 9:16, Hebrews 9:17, Hebrews 9:26, Hebrews 9:28

Key moments

The tabernacle in two parts (Hebrews 9:2). The first room is furnished with candlestick, table and shewbread.
Once every year, with blood (Hebrews 9:7). Only the high priest enters the second room, once a year.
The way not yet manifest (Hebrews 9:8). The closed room is read as a sign about access.
Entered in once (Hebrews 9:12). Christ is described entering by his own blood rather than an animal's.
The death of the testator (Hebrews 9:16). The word testament is turned toward a will that requires a death.
Moses sprinkles the book (Hebrews 9:19). The first covenant is said to have been dedicated with blood.
He shall appear a second time (Hebrews 9:28). The chapter ends looking forward rather than back.

For reflection

The writer stops his own description by saying he cannot speak of these things particularly, then builds an argument on the part he has described. What does a reader do with an account that names its own limits partway through?