Hebrews 10
1 Since the Torah contains a silhouette of the coming beneficial things, not the actual statue itself,a they perpetually bring the same sacrificial offerings each year which are never able to complete those who approach with them. 2 Otherwise, wouldn’t they have been stopped being offered because no one would have consciousness of deviations anymore if the representative servants had been cleansed once and for all? 3 Instead, there is a reminder of deviations with those sacrifices each year 4 since it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to bring an end tob deviations.
5 That’s why, coming into the world system, he says,
“You did not want a sacrificial offering and a presentation,
But you prepared a body for me.c
6 Offerings burnt whole and those concerning deviations
You did not cherish.’
7 Then I said, ‘Look! I am here.
It has been written about me on the spindle of the scroll
About doing what you dod want, God.’”e
8 When he says above, “A sacrificial offering and a presentation” and “offerings burnt whole and those concerning deviations you did not want and did not cherish” (which are offered based on Torah), 9 he has then said, “Look! I am here to do what you do want.” He revokes the first so that he may set up the second. 10 By that desire, we have been designated for sacred purposesf through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.
11 While every priest has taken their place each day performing service as representativesg and repeatedly offering the same sacrifices, which are never able to strip away deviations, 12 in contrast, this one sat at the right hand of Godh after offering one permanent sacrifice for deviations, 13 waiting out the remaining time until his enemies are placed as a footstool under his feet.i 14 With one offering, he has made those who have been designated for sacred purposes permanently complete.
15 The Sacred Life-breath tells us about this very thing since after having stated, 16 “‘This is the covenant I will make with them after those days,’ says the Lord, ‘while imparting my instructionsj on their hearts, and I will write them on their way of thinking.k’”l 17 then she states,m “‘Their deviations and their actions that are devoid of Torah I absolutely won’t still call to mind.’”n 18 So where there is a letting goo of these things, there is no longer an offering concerning deviations.
19 Therefore, Family, since we have freedom to speakp within the entrance of the Sacred Place on the basis of the blood of Jesus— 20 whichq he initiatedr for us as a fresh and currents path through the curtain, that is, by means of his body— 21 and a great priest over the House of God, 22 we can approach with a sincere heart on the basis of the complete accomplishmentt of faithfulness,u with our heartv having been sprinkled for cleansing from simple awareness of harmw and the body having been washed with clean water. 23 We can hold onto the tireless acknowledgment of hope because the one who made the Promise is faithful, 24 and we can set our attention on each other to prompt love and graciousx actions, 25 not abandoning gathering ourselves together, as has become customary for some people, but encouraging each other, and all the more so as you see the Day getting closer.
26 You see, for those of us who deviate voluntarily after receiving understanding of the truth, there is no sacrificial offering left anymore. 27 Instead, there’s a terrifying expectation of justice, an impassioned firey about to consume those who are hostilez.aa 28 Anyone who disregarded Moses’ Torah was killed without pitybb based on two or three witnesses.cc 29 How much more severe retributiondd do you think will be considered appropriate for the one who tramples overee the Son of God and considers worthlessff the blood of the covenant with which they were designated for sacred purposes, and who behaves insultinglygg toward the Life-breath of generosity?hh 30 We have come to know the one who says, “‘Carrying out a sentenceii is for me; I will repay.jj’”kk and then, “The Lord will carry out justice for his people.”ll 31 Falling into the hands of the God-who-is-Alive is terrifying.
32 Remember the earlier times when you endured enormous, agonizing conflict after you were enlightened.mm 33 On the one hand, this involved being made a spectacle with both abuses and oppression, but on the other hand, it involved becoming co-participants with those who are treated this way. 34 In fact, you experienced the same suffering as those imprisoned and accepted the seizure of your possessions with joy since you knew that you have a better and more lasting possession. 35 Therefore, don’t throw away your freedom to speak up, which has a large payoff, 36 because you have need of endurance so that you can experience the promise by doing what God desires. 37 You see, “in only a little while longer, the one who is coming will arrive and not delay; 38 but whoever of mine lives justlynn will be alive because of faithfulness, and if they back down, my very being is not content with them.”oo 39 But we are not characterized by backing down, which leads to destruction, but we are characterized by faithfulness, which leads to protection from harm for our very being.pp
FOOTNOTES:
a A physical representation, such as a statue or picture. The statement here seems to be saying, The priests’ actions prescribed in Torah are to Christ’s actions as a shadow is to the statue that casts it. It’s enough to bring to mind the real one, but it isn’t the real one itself.
b Or ‘take away.’ The grammar here is not talking about the guilt of having deviated but rather the occurrence of deviation itself.
c This is a quotation of the Septuagint version of Psalm 40:6. The Hebrew version reads something more like “You have hollowed out ears for me” which scholars are unsure of what it means. Some think it means to make something clear to a hearer. Why the Septuagint differs is also unknown. It could have to do with an interpretation of what it means to hollow out someone’s ears.
d This word does not reflect a Greek word but rather emphasizes the contrasting connection with ‘You did not want’ in verse 5.
e Quotation of Psalm 40:6-8
f Traditionally ‘we have been made holy.’
g Traditionally, ‘worshiping’
h Reference to Psalm 110:1a
i Reference to Psalm 110:1b
j Or torot (plural of torah), traditionally, ‘laws.’
k Or ‘thoughts’ or ‘mindsets,’ traditionally, ‘minds’
l Quotation of Jeremiah 31:33a
m The Greek only has kai, ‘and,’ here, but in English, more is needed to connect the thought with ‘after having stated’ in verse 15. Some translations do that by adding something like “then he said” in their assumption that God is always referred to with masculine language. However, the subject here is the Life-Breath, which in Greek is a grammatically neuter word, and in Hebrew is a feminine word and concept. In faithfulness to the Hebraic tradition, I have used the feminine pronoun here.
n Quotation of Jeremiah 31:34b. The pairing of these two quotes strongly suggests the writer intended the whole of both verses to be called to mind here. The original audience would have had this section, maybe the whole book memorized. Modern readers ought to read the full context in Jeremiah to understand what the writer of Hebrews is indicating.
o Traditionally, ‘forgiveness.’ The word most literally has to do with creating separation or distance, and is the word that is translated as ‘divorce’ or ‘send away’ in some places. ‘Forgiveness’ works in the sense of releasing claim on a debt, letting go of what is owed. The people are not what is forgiven; the deviations are what is let go.
p Or ‘outspokenness’ or ‘speaking openly.’ Traditionally, ‘confidence.’
q Referring back to ‘the entrance’ in verse 19.
r Compare with Hebrews 9:18
s Or ‘valid.’ Traditionally, ‘living’ which is one (and the more common) meaning of the Greek word, but the context suggests that the definition of ‘valid’ or ‘be of the here and now’ is more appropriate. It is contrasting the updated ‘entrance’ of the Sacred Place with the outdated covenant in Hebrews 9.
t Traditionally, ‘assurance.’ This word is a compound word of ‘complete’ or ‘fulfill’ or ‘carry out/live out’ and the word for ‘carry’ or ‘transport.’ The verb form is often translated as ‘accomplish’ or ‘fulfill’ (in the sense of completing a task, like ‘fulfill an order’ would be to process and deliver what someone ordered). This word is the noun describing that action, so something like ‘fulfillment’ or ‘accomplishment’ or ‘completion’ or ‘enactment.’ Assurance, then, is not the right word to translate this concept, but it could be seen as a result of this word. When there is consistent follow through or delivery on a promise, assurance follows that the outcome is secure.
u Traditionally, ‘faith.’
v The heart represents not mere sentimentality, nor all emotions, nor simply a symbol of any internal experience. In the culture of the time, ‘heart’ represented desire and the emotions that motivated pursuing desires.
w Traditionally, ‘evil conscience.’ The word for ‘evil’ (poneros) essentially means ‘hardship’ or ‘causing harm’ or ‘something harmful.’ The word suneidesis means a consciousness or ‘being in the know’ about something, including with the sense of being complicit in it or choosing not to take action about it. It can be translated as ‘having it on one’s conscience’ but in this construction of ‘consciousness of evil’ it is not saying that the conscience is bad but that the people have harmful behavior in their awareness in a way that ends with awareness and does not lead to action to change the behavior.
x Traditionally, ‘good.’ The word carries a meaning of ‘beautiful,’ ‘fine quality,’ ‘favorable,’ ‘noble,’ or ‘appropriate.’ It is often contrasted with poneros (‘hardship’ or ‘something harmful’).
y Compare to Zephaniah 1:18
z Or ‘those who are opposed/opponenents’
aa Reference to Isaiah 26:11
bb Or ‘regret’ or ‘compassion’ or ‘mercy’
cc Reference to Deuteronomy 17:6
dd Or ‘revenge’ or ‘help (for a person who was wronged).’ The sense is that those who are hostile or harmful receive a response to make the situation right again.
ee An idiom meaning to disregard and show contempt for something
ff This word has several meanings, many of them relating to something being ‘shared’ or ‘common’ or ‘ordinary.’ When used in a religious context, it is used as the opposite of sacred, something literally like ‘profane’ or ‘sacrilegious.’ It was used of things that were considered unclean.
gg Or ‘outrageously’
hh Compare with Matthew 12:30-32
ii Whether the verdict is ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty.’ Or perhaps ‘enacting justice’ would be appropriate.
jj Repay could be give back what is owed in both a positive or negative sense.
kk Quotation of Deuteronomy 32:35
ll Quotation of Deuteronomy 32:36
mm Literally from the word for ‘light,’ indicating that the audience was shown something that was previously not seen or perceived or understood.
nn Or ‘is just’ or ‘promotes justice.’ Traditionally, ‘my righteous one.’
oo Mixed quotation of Isaiah 26:20 and Habakkuk 2:3-4
pp Traditionally, ‘soul’