Heb 9:9, 10:1 | JFB | STEP | 9. Which —"The which," namely, anterior tabernacle: " as being that which was " [ALFORD ]. figure — Greek, "parable": a parabolic setting forth of the character of the Old Testament. for —" in reference to the existing time. " The time of the temple-worship really belonged to the Old Testament, but continued still in Paul's time and that of his Hebrew readers. "The time of reformation" ( ) stands in contrast to this, "the existing time"; though, in reality, "the time of reformation," the New Testament time, was now present and existing. So "the age to come, " is the phrase applied to the Gospel, because it was present only to believers, and its fulness even to them is still to come. Compare , "good things to come." in which — tabernacle, not time, according to the reading of the oldest manuscripts. Or translate, "according to which" parabolic representation, or figure. were — Greek, "are." gifts —unbloody oblations. could not — Greek, "cannot": are not able. him that did the service —any worshipper. The Greek is " latreuein, " serve God, which is all men's duty; not " leitourgein, " to serve in a ministerial office. make . . . perfect —perfectly remove the sense of guilt, and sanctify inwardly through love. as pertaining to the conscience —"in respect to the (moral-religious) consciousness." They can only reach as far as the outward flesh (compare " carnal ordinances," ).

Hebrews 9:9

9. Which—"The which," namely, anterior tabernacle: "as being that which was" [ALFORD].

figure—Greek, "parable": a parabolic setting forth of the character of the Old Testament.

for—"in reference to the existing time." The time of the temple-worship really belonged to the Old Testament, but continued still in Paul's time and that of his Hebrew readers. "The time of reformation" (Heb 9:10) stands in contrast to this, "the existing time"; though, in reality, "the time of reformation," the New Testament time, was now present and existing. So "the age to come," is the phrase applied to the Gospel, because it was present only to believers, and its fulness even to them is still to come. Compare Heb 9:11, "good things to come."

in which—tabernacle, not time, according to the reading of the oldest manuscripts. Or translate, "according to which" parabolic representation, or figure.

were—Greek, "are."

gifts—unbloody oblations.

could not—Greek, "cannot": are not able.

him that did the service—any worshipper. The Greek is "latreuein," serve God, which is all men's duty; not "leitourgein," to serve in a ministerial office.

make . . . perfect—perfectly remove the sense of guilt, and sanctify inwardly through love.

as pertaining to the conscience—"in respect to the (moral-religious) consciousness." They can only reach as far as the outward flesh (compare "carnal ordinances," Heb 9:10, 13, 14).

Hebrews 10:1

1. Previously the oneness of Christ's offering was shown; now is shown its perfection as contrasted with the law sacrifices.

having—inasmuch as it has but "the shadow, not the very image," that is, not the exact likeness, reality, and full revelation, such as the Gospel has. The "image" here means the archetype (compare Heb 9:24), the original, solid image [BENGEL] realizing to us those heavenly verities, of which the law furnished but a shadowy outline before. Compare 2Co 3:13, 14, 18; the Gospel is the very setting forth by the Word and Spirit of the heavenly realities themselves, out of which it (the Gospel) is constructed. So ALFORD. As Christ is "the express image (Greek, 'impress') of the Father's person" (Heb 1:3), so the Gospel is the heavenly verities themselves manifested by revelation—the heavenly very archetype, of which the law was drawn as a sketch, or outline copy (Heb 8:5). The law was a continual process of acted prophecy, proving the divine design that its counterparts should come; and proving the truth of those counterparts when they came. Thus the imperfect and continued expiatory sacrifices before Christ foretend, and now prove, the reality of, Christ's one perfect antitypical expiation.

good things to come— (Heb 9:11); belonging to "the world (age) to come." Good things in part made present by faith to the believer, and to be fully realized hereafter in actual and perfect enjoyment. Lessing says, "As Christ's Church on earth is a prediction of the economy of the future life, so the Old Testament economy is a prediction of the Christian Church." In relation to the temporal good things of the law, the spiritual and eternal good things of the Gospel are "good things to come." Col 2:17 calls legal ordinances "the shadow," and Christ "the body."

never—at any time (Heb 10:11).

with those sacrifices—rather, "with the same sacrifices.

year by year—This clause in the Greek refers to the whole sentence, not merely to the words "which they the priests offered" (Greek, "offer"). Thus the sense is, not as English Version, but, the law year by year, by the repetition of the same sacrifices, testifies its inability to perfect the worshippers; namely, on the YEARLY day of atonement. The "daily" sacrifices are referred to, Heb 10:11.

continually—Greek, "continuously," implying that they offer a toilsome and ineffectual "continuous" round of the "same" atonement-sacrifices recurring "year by year."

comers thereunto—those so coming unto God, namely, the worshippers (the whole people) coming to God in the person of their representative, the high priest.

perfect—fully meet man's needs as to justification and sanctification (see on Heb 9:9).