Hebrews 9:1-5
Expanded Bible
The Old Agreement
9 The first ·agreement [covenant; contract; C given to Israel through Moses; 8:7, 13] had ·rules [regulations; requirements] for worship and a ·place on earth for worship [L earthly sanctuary/holy place]. 2 The ·Holy Tent [T Tabernacle; Ex. 25:8–9; 26:1] was ·set up [constructed; prepared] for this. The first area in the Tent was called the Holy Place. In it were the lampstand [Ex. 25:31–39] and the table [Ex. 25:23–30] with the ·bread that was made holy for God [consecrated bread; bread of presentation/offering; Ex. 25:30; Lev. 24:5–8]. 3 Behind the second curtain was a ·room [section; L tent] called the ·Most Holy Place [T Holy of Holies; Ex. 26:31–34]. 4 In it was a golden altar for burning incense [Lev. 16:12–13] and the ·Ark [box; chest] ·that held the old agreement [L of the covenant/contract; Ex. 25:10; 26:33], covered [L completely; on all sides] with gold. Inside this Ark was a golden jar of manna [Ex. 16:33–34], Aaron’s rod that once grew leaves [Num. 17:1–11], and the stone tablets of the ·old agreement [covenant; contract; Ex. 25:16; 40:20; Deut. 10:2]. 5 Above the Ark were the ·creatures that showed God’s glory [or glorious cherubim; Ex. 25:18–22; C angelic beings representing God’s presence and glory; Gen. 3:24; Ezek. 9:3; 10:1–22], ·whose wings reached over [L overshadowing] the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover; Lev. 16:2]. But we cannot ·tell everything about [discuss in detail] these things now.
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Hebrews 9:1-5
Amplified Bible
The Old and the New
9 Now even the first covenant had regulations for divine worship and for the earthly sanctuary.(A) 2 A tabernacle (sacred tent) was put up, the outer one or first section, in which were the lampstand and the table with [its loaves of] the sacred showbread; this is called the Holy Place.(B) 3 Behind the second veil there was another tabernacle [the inner one or second section] known as the Holy of Holies,(C) 4 [a]having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. This contained a golden jar which held the manna, and the rod of Aaron that sprouted, and the [two stone] tablets of the covenant [inscribed with the Ten Commandments];(D) 5 and above the ark were the [golden] cherubim of glory overshadowing [b]the mercy seat; but we cannot now go into detail about these things.
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- Hebrews 9:4 The Greek participle translated “having” probably conveys the notion of “associated with it” and hence refers to the fact that the altar of incense, although located in the Holy Place according to Ex 30:6, here does not refer to location but to use, given the fact that the incense wafted behind the veil into the Holy of Holies.
- Hebrews 9:5 I.e. the lid of the ark where blood was sprinkled by the high priest.
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