<- Previous   First   Next ->

Levitical sacrifices, the daily sacrifices habitually offered by the priests (10:11), and the single yearly sacrifice of the High-priest, found their fulfilment in Christ.
tai'" aujtai'" ...] The identical repetition was a sign of the powerlessness of the system. It could provide nothing fresh. And yet further, what it had once done it did again. Evidently therefore the effect was as inadequate as it was unalterable.
a}" prosfevrousin ] which they , the appointed ministers of the system, offer. For this impersonal use of the plural, compare John 15:6; 20:2; Apoc. 12:6; Matt. 7:16; Mark 10:13; Lk. 17:23. It is far less natural to take the subject from tou;" prosercomevnou" .
eij" to; dihn. ... tou;" proserc. teleiw'sai ] make perfect for ever —so that
the effect once obtained lasts onwards without break—
those worshippers who come to God through the High-priest or priests. The whole congregation is included in the title, which cannot be limited either to the priests or to special offerers. The daily sacrifices and the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement were for all.
teleiw'sai ] See Additional Note on Heb. 2:10.
eij" to; dihnekev" ] Vulg. indesinenter , O. L. in frequentiam. The phrase is found in the N. T. only in this Epistle: 10:12, 14 (Vulg. in sempiternum ); 7:3 (Vulg. in perpetuum ) note. As distinguished from eij" to;n aijw'na it expresses the thought of a continuously abiding result. The former phrase looks to the implied absence of limit while eij" ti; dihnekev" affirms uninterrupted duration in regard to some ruling thought.
oujdevpote ] 10:11. The use of this temporal negative in place of the simple negative emphasises the thought of the many occasions, of the long experience, by which the inefficacy of the sacrifices was shewn.

The word oujdevpote is rare in N.T. (in Epp. only here and 1 Cor. 13:8 oujdevpote pivptei ). The use in Matt. 21:16, 42 ( oujdevpote ajnevgnwte ) is instructive.
tou;" prosercomevnou" ] See Heb. 7:25 note. 10:2. The inefficacy of the sacrifices is proved by their repetition. If it be said that the repeated sacrifice dealt only with the later sins; the answer is that we have to deal with sin and not with sins only: to be assured that our true relation with God has been re-established. A sacrifice which effects this for humanity, and we need no less, cannot be repeated.
ejpei; oujk a[n ...] Vulg. alioquin cessassent ...O.L. nam nec cessassent ... The words are a question which is followed up by ajllav 10:3. ‘ Since in that case (Else), would they not...? but in fact...’

For ejpeiv see Heb. 9:26 note. ejpauvs. prosferovmenai ] So frequently with an active participle: Acts 5:42; 6:13 & c.
suneivdhsin aJm. ] Vulg. conscientiam peccati. Compare 1 Pet. 2:19
(
suneivdhsi" qeou' ), (in 1 Cor. 8:7 sunhqeiva/ tou' eijdwvlou not suneidhvsei tou' eijd. ).

For suneivdhsi" see Heb. 9:9 Additional Note. tou;" latreuvonta" ] Vulg. cultores. The worship would still continue though the necessity for atoning sacrifices had ceased to exist. Comp. Apoc. 22:3 f.; Heb. 9:9.


<- Previous   First   Next ->