Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

10 The law is only a shadow(A) of the good things(B) that are coming—not the realities themselves.(C) For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect(D) those who draw near to worship.(E) Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.(F) But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.(G) It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats(H) to take away sins.(I)

Therefore, when Christ came into the world,(J) he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
    but a body you prepared for me;(K)
with burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you were not pleased.
Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll(L)
    I have come to do your will, my God.’”[a](M)

First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”(N)—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.”(O) He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy(P) through the sacrifice of the body(Q) of Jesus Christ once for all.(R)

11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices,(S) which can never take away sins.(T) 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins,(U) he sat down at the right hand of God,(V) 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.(W) 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect(X) forever those who are being made holy.(Y)

15 The Holy Spirit also testifies(Z) to us about this. First he says:

16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
    after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
    and I will write them on their minds.”[b](AA)

17 Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts
    I will remember no more.”[c](AB)

18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

A Call to Persevere in Faith

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence(AC) to enter the Most Holy Place(AD) by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way(AE) opened for us through the curtain,(AF) that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest(AG) over the house of God,(AH) 22 let us draw near to God(AI) with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,(AJ) having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience(AK) and having our bodies washed with pure water.(AL) 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope(AM) we profess,(AN) for he who promised is faithful.(AO) 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,(AP) 25 not giving up meeting together,(AQ) as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another(AR)—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.(AS)

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning(AT) after we have received the knowledge of the truth,(AU) no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire(AV) that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.(AW) 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God(AX) underfoot,(AY) who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant(AZ) that sanctified them,(BA) and who has insulted the Spirit(BB) of grace?(BC) 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d](BD) and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”[e](BE) 31 It is a dreadful thing(BF) to fall into the hands(BG) of the living God.(BH)

32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light,(BI) when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.(BJ) 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution;(BK) at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.(BL) 34 You suffered along with those in prison(BM) and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.(BN) 35 So do not throw away your confidence;(BO) it will be richly rewarded.

36 You need to persevere(BP) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.(BQ) 37 For,

“In just a little while,
    he who is coming(BR) will come
    and will not delay.”[f](BS)

38 And,

“But my righteous[g] one will live by faith.(BT)
    And I take no pleasure
    in the one who shrinks back.”[h](BU)

39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 10:7 Psalm 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)
  2. Hebrews 10:16 Jer. 31:33
  3. Hebrews 10:17 Jer. 31:34
  4. Hebrews 10:30 Deut. 32:35
  5. Hebrews 10:30 Deut. 32:36; Psalm 135:14
  6. Hebrews 10:37 Isaiah 26:20; Hab. 2:3
  7. Hebrews 10:38 Some early manuscripts But the righteous
  8. Hebrews 10:38 Hab. 2:4 (see Septuagint)

10 For the Torah, als (since) it has only a shadow of the tovot ha’atidot (good things to come) and is not the etzem (actual) things, can never by the same yearly zevakhim (sacrifices), which they offer continually, make shleimut (whole, complete) those drawing kiruv (near).

Otherwise, would these zevakhim not have stopped being offered, because the worshipers, having experienced tohorah (purification, cleansing) even once, would no longer have had consciousness of averos?

But by those zevakhim there is a zikaron (remembrance) and a reminder of averos year after year.

For it is impossible for the dahm of parim (young bulls) and se’irim (goats) to take away chatta’im (sins).

Therefore, when he comes into the Olam Hazeh, he says "ZEVACH UMINCHAH LO CHAFATZTA ("sacrifice and offering" Ps 40:7 (6) You did not desire but a body you prepared for me; (Ps 39:7 TARGUM HA-SHIVIM)

OLAH V’CHATA’AH LO SH’ALTA ("Burnt offering and sin offering you have not desired")

Then I said, 'Look, here I am, I have come‖it is written about me in the megillah [scroll’) LA’ASOT RETZONECHAH ELOHAI CHAFATZTI ("I desire to do your will, O G-d.")

When he said above, "ZEVACH and MINCHAH and OLAH and CHATA’AH you have not desired, nor have you taken pleasure in them"‖these are offered according to the Torah

—Then he said, "I have come LA’ASOT RETZONECHAH ("to do your will.") He takes away HaRishonah (the way of the zevakhim of the kehunah of Levi) in order to establish HaSheniyah (the way of the zevach of the kehunah of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach).

10 And it is by the ratzon Hashem that we will have been set apart for kedushah through the korban NEFESH (YESHAYAH 53:10 cf. ASHAM KORBAN) of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, once and for all.

11 And every kohen stands daily at his avodas kodesh sherut ministering and offering again and again the same korbanot that can never take away chatta’im;

12 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, having offered up one korban for chatta’im for all time, YASHAV LIMIN HASHEM ("Sat down at the right hand of G-d Ps 110:1),

13 Waiting from that time onward until "OYVAV ("His enemies) be made "a footstool for his feet".

14 For by one korban he has perfected forever HaMekudashim (the ones being set apart as Kadoshim).

15 And the Ruach Hakodesh also bears solemn edut to us; for after saying,

16 ZOT HABRIT ASHER EKHROT with them "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days," says the L-rd, "I will put my Torah in the mind of them and I will inscribe it on their heart" Jer 31:33). He then says:

17 LA’AVONAM U’LECHATTATAM LO EZKAR ("And their wickedness and their sin I will remember no more" Jer 31:34).

18 Now where there is selicha (forgiveness) for these things, there is no longer a korban for chatta’im.

19 Therefore, Achim b’Moshiach, having confidence for bevitachon (confidently) entering haSha’ar laHashem (gate to approach G-d’s presence, access of the tzaddikim TEHILLIM 118:20) into the Kodesh HaKodashim by HaDahm HaYehoshua,

20 Which he opened for us as a Derech Chadasha, a Derech Chayyah, through the parokhet, that is to say, the parokhet of the basar of Moshiach. [Ps 16:9-10; Dan 9:26; Isa 53:5-12]

21 And als (since) we have a Kohen Gadol over the Beis Hashem,

22 Let us approach and draw near to Hashem with a lev shalem, with full assurance and bitachon of Emunah, our levavot having been sprinkled clean (tehorim) [YAZZEH, "MOSHIACH WILL SPRINKLE," YESHAYAH 52:15] from an evil matzpun (conscience) and our bodies plunged kluhr (pure) into a tevilah in a mikveh mayim [YECHEZKEL 36:25-26].

23 Let us, without wavering, hold firmly to the Ani Ma’amin of Tikveteinu (our Hope), for Ne’eman is the One having given the havtachah (promise).

24 And let us consider how to meorer (stimulate, motivate, shtarken) one another to ahavah and mitzvos,

25 And let us not turn away and defect from our noiheg (habitually) conducted daily minyan, as some are doing; let us impart chizzuk (strengthening, encouragement) to one another, and by so much the more as you see the Yom [HaDin (Day of Judgment)] approaching.

26 For when we intentionally commit chet b’yad ramah ["wilful sin with a high hand of defiance" BAMIDBAR 15:30] after having received the full da’as of HaEmes, there remains no longer a korban for chattoteinu,

27 But only a terrible expectation of Din and Mishpat and of a blazing EISH TZARECHA TOKHLEM ("Fire that will consume the enemies of Hashem" YESHAYAH 26:11).

28 Anyone who was doiche (rejecting or setting aside) the Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu, upon the dvar of SHNI EDIM O AL PI SHLOSHA EDIM ("Testimony of two or three witnesses" DEVARIM 19:15), dies without rachamim.

29 By how much worse onesh (penalty) do you think the one will be considered worthy who trampled on the Ben HaElohim and also treated as mechallel kodesh (profane) the Dahm HaBrit which set him apart mekudash and also committed Chillul Hashem gidduf against the Ruach Hakodesh of Hashem’s chesed?

30 For we have da’as of the One who said, LI NAKAM V’SHILEM ("Vengeance is mine and I will repay") [DEVARIM 32:35] and again YADIN HASHEM AMMO ("The L-rd will judge his people" DEVARIM 32:36).

31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Elohim Chayyim.

32 But have zikaron of the yamim mikedem (earlier days) in which, when you had received the Ohr Hashem, you endured a great tzoros, a great “Kristallnacht” of yissurim (suffering),

33 sometimes being publicly abused with baleidikung (insult) and fargolgung (persecution) yourselves; other times being oppressed chavrusa partners with the ones so treated.

34 For you showed Gemilut Chasadim for the Achim b’Moshiach in the beis hasohar and with simcha you accepted the pogrom-like confiscation of your property because you have da’as that you possess a better and more enduring yerushah (inheritance).

35 Do not discard, then, your bitachon (confident trust) which has gadol sachar (great reward).

36 You are nitzrach (needy) of the kind of zitzfleisch (patience) that has endurance, in order that, having accomplished the ratzon Hashem, you will receive the havtachah (promise).

37 For yet a little while and Hu HaBah [Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach] YAVO LO YE’ACHER ("He will come, he will not delay")

38 V’TZADDIK VE’EMUNATO YICHEYEH ("And my tzaddik will live by Emunah"‖CHABAKUK 2:3-4) And, if he shrinks back as a shmad defector, LO YASHRAH NAFSHO BO ("his desire is not upright in him").

39 But we are not of those who shrink back as shmad defectors toward churban destruction, but we are of those with Emunah whose neshamah is preserved in Yeshu’at Eloheinu.

Chapter 10

A Unique Sacrifice[a]

The Law Was a Shadow. The Law contains little more than a shadow of the good things to come and not the true image of them. These sacrifices that are offered year after year can never bring the worshipers to perfection. If they could, those sacrifices would no longer be offered, for the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all and would no longer feel guilty for sins.

However, in these sacrifices sins are brought to mind year after year, because sins cannot be taken away by the blood of bulls and goats.

One Sacrifice for Sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
    but a body you have prepared for me.
You took no delight
    in holocausts and sin offerings.
Then I said, ‘As it is written of me in the scroll,
    behold, I have come to do your will, O God.’ ”

First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in,” even though they are offered according to the Law. Then he adds, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He thus abolishes the first to establish the second. 10 And it was by this “will” that we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 [b]Day after day every priest stands to perform his ministry, offering over and over again the same sacrifices that can never remove sins. 12 But Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, and then took his seat at the right hand of God, 13 where he now waits until his enemies are made his footstool. 14 Therefore, by a single offering he has made perfect forever those who are being sanctified.

15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For he first says,

16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
    after those days, says the Lord.
I will place my laws in their hearts
    and inscribe them on their minds.”

17 Then he also asserts,

“Their sins and their lawless acts
    I will remember no more.”

18 When these have been forgiven, there are no longer any offerings for sins.

Perseverance in Faith[c]

The Need To Stand Firm

19 Let Us Approach with Sincerity of Heart.[d] Therefore, brethren, the blood of Jesus has given us confidence to enter the sanctuary 20 by the new and living way that he has opened for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh. 21 Since we have a great priest over the household of God, 22 let us approach with sincerity of heart and the full assurance of faith, with hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and bodies washed in pure water.

23 Let us remain firm in the confession of our hope without wavering, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. 24 And let us consider how to spur one another to love and good works. 25 Do not neglect to attend your assemblies, as some do, but rather encourage one another, especially since you can see the Day[e] approaching.

26 Apostasy Remains Unforgiven.[f] If we deliberately persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, then there no longer remains any sacrifice for sins. 27 There is only a terrifying expectation of judgment and of a fierce fire that will consume the adversaries.

28 Anyone who violates the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more punishment do you think is deserved by the one who has contempt for the Son of God, profanes the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know the one who said,

“Vengeance is mine; I will repay,”

and

“The Lord will judge his people.”

31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 Do Not Abandon Your Assurance.[g] Remember the days gone by when, after you had been enlightened,[h] you endured a difficult struggle filled with suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes you were companions of those who were treated in the same way. 34 You not only had compassion upon those who were in prison but also cheerfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you realized that you possessed something better and more lasting.

35 Therefore, do not lose your confidence now, since your reward will be so great. 36 You need to be steadfast if you want to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.

37 “For, after a little while,
    he who is to come will do so,
    and he will not delay.
38 My righteous one shall live by faith,
    but if he shrinks back,
    I will not be pleased with him.”

39 But we are not among those who draw back and are lost. Rather, we are among those who have faith and are saved.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 10:1 The great, endless act of self-giving that extends through the entire existence of Christ is the authentic priestly act, the authentic sacrifice of Christ. He takes away sin and restores the bond with God in his own person, in his own living experience. He founds the New Covenant, the new people who have access to God.
  2. Hebrews 10:11 Every priest stands to perform his ministry . . . Jesus . . . took his seat: members of the Levitical priesthood always “stood” because their work was never finished; Jesus “took his seat” because his work was completed.
  3. Hebrews 10:19 A definitive event has been realized for the world: the Death and Resurrection of Christ. The Letter to the Hebrews makes us aware of this by presenting it as the act of the authentic priesthood, the authentic sacrifice, while at the same time downgrading the status of the preceding religious regime, although that too had been established by God. So, too, faith in Christ is a decisive step forward in the life of a human being. The believer is henceforth engaged in a march toward the full encounter with the Lord. In the midst of temptations, fears, and risks, the Christian life is not a simple fidelity to a past but a thrust forward toward the future, toward God. These chapters are a pressing invitation not to let such perspectives be obscured.
  4. Hebrews 10:19 The path that leads to God is a person, Christ recognized under the characteristics of a high priest. Once baptized, Christians are associated with the Son of God. They must strengthen their conviction and the links of mutual love. May the signs of crises be a call for them to prepare for the return of the Lord.
  5. Hebrews 10:25 The Day: this refers to the Day of the Lord at the end of time.
  6. Hebrews 10:26 Once again the author repeats this somber warning (see Heb 6:1-8; Mt 12:31). Those who rebel against Christ exclude themselves from Christ’s forgiveness, from his life, and from his grace. Let them, therefore, meditate on the threats of God’s vengeance about which the Bible speaks, and especially the texts cited here (see Ex 24:8; Deut 17:6; 32:35f; Isa 26:11).
  7. Hebrews 10:32 As soon as they were baptized and enlightened, believers sacrificed everything for Christ and confronted all difficulties. Now is not the time for them to be discouraged. The Lord will come and he is the recompense for all who do not weaken. Faith is the courageous commitment to Christ.
  8. Hebrews 10:32 Been enlightened: an ancient phrase for “been baptized”; “enlightenment” or “illumination” was an ancient term for Baptism (see Heb 6:4; Eph 5:14).