Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Hebrews 9:7
But into the second [went] the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and [for] the errors of the people:
7. But into the second ] i.e. “the inner,” “the Holiest.” There was a graduated sanctity in the Tabernacle and in the Temple. In the Temple any one might go into the Outer Court or Court of the Gentiles; Jews into the Second Court; men only into the Third; priests only in their robes into the Holy Place; and only the High Priest into the inmost shrine (Jos. c. Apion. ii. 8).
once every year ] i.e. only on one day of the whole year, viz. on the tenth day of the seventh month Tisri, the Day of Atonement. In the course of that day he had to enter it at least three, and possibly four times, namely (1) with the incense, (2) with the blood of the bullock offered for his own sins, (3) with the blood of the goat for the sins of the people, and perhaps (4) to remove the censer (Lev 16:12-16; Yoma, Heb 5:2). But these entrances were practically one.
offered ] The present “offers” is here used, as before.
for the errors of the people ] Lit. “for the ignorances,” but the word seems to be used in the LXX. to include sins as well as errors (Heb 5:2-3; Exo 34:7; Lev 16:2; Lev 16:11; Lev 16:34; Num 15:27-31).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
But into the second – The second apartment or room, called the most holy place; Heb 9:3.
Went the high priest alone once every year – On the great day of atonement; Exo 30:10. On that day he probably entered the Holy of Holies three or four times, first to burn incense, Lev 16:12; then to sprinkle the blood of the bullock on the mercy-seat, Lev 16:14; then he was to kill the goat of the sin-offering, and bring that blood within the Veil and sprinkle it also on the mercy-seat, and then, perhaps, he entered again to bring out the golden censer. The Jewish tradition is, that he entered the Holy of Holies four times on that day. After all, however, the number of times is not certain, nor is it material, the only important point being that he entered it only on one day of the year, while the holy place was entered every day.
Not without blood – That is, he bare with him blood to sprinkle on the mercy-seat. This was the blood of the bullock and of the goat – borne in at two different times.
Which he offered for himself – The blood of the bullock was offered for himself and for his house or family – thus keeping impressively before his own mind and the mind of the people the fact that the priests even of the highest order were sinners, and needed expiation like others; Lev 9:7.
And for the errors of the people – The blood of the goat was offered for them; Lev 16:15. The word rendered errors – agnoema – denotes properly ignorance, involuntary error; and then error or fault in general – the same as the Hebrew mishgeh – from shaagah – to err. The object was to make expiation for all the errors and sins of the people, and this occurred once in the year. The repetition of these sacrifices was a constant remembrancer of sin, and the design was that neither the priests nor the people should lose sight of the fact that they were violators of the Law of God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. But into the second] That is, the holy of holies, or second part of the tabernacle, the high priest alone, once every year, that is, on one day in the year only, which was the day on which the general atonement was made. The high priest could enter into this place only on one day in the year; but on that day he might enter several times. See Lev. 16.
Not without blood] The day prescribed by the law for this great solemnity was the tenth of the month Tisri, in which the high priest brought in the incense or perfumes, which he placed on the golden censer; he brought also the blood of the bullock; and sprinkled some portion of it seven times before the ark, and the veil which separated the holy place from the holy of holies. See Le 16:14. He then came out, and, taking some of the blood of the goat which had been sacrificed, he sprinkled it between the veil and the ark of the covenant, Le 16:15.
Which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people] For transgressions of which they were not conscious: there were so many niceties in the ritual worship of the Jews, and so many ways in which they might offend against the law and incur guilt, that it was found necessary to institute sacrifices to atone for these sins of ignorance. And as the high priest was also clothed with infirmity, he required to have an interest in the same sacrifice, on the same account. This was a national sacrifice; and by it the people understood that they were absolved from all the errors of the past year, and that they now had a renewed right of access to the mercy-seat.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This verse contains the special anniversary of the high priest alone in the inward tabernacle, the holy of holiest, of which you have the law, Exo 30:14; Lev 16:2, &c.
But into the second went the high priest alone once every year; into this place the high priest was to enter once a year only, and every year to repeat it, as Exo 30:10, upon the atonement day, being the tenth day of the month Tisri, the seventh month in their ecclesiastical year, and the first of their civil: that day was he to enter several times into that place, first for himself, Lev 16:11-14, and then for the people, Lev 16:15,16, &c., carrying in the blood first within the veil, and then coming out again, and carrying in the incense on the golden censer: none of the other priests were to enter into the holy place while he was ministering, but him alone, as Lev 16:17.
Not without blood: when he first entered into the holiest of all, it was with the blood of a young bull, of a ram, Lev 16:3,14, with the blood of the he-goat, Heb 9:15,27. After he had offered the incense on his golden censer, Heb 9:4, he must sprinkle the blood upon the mercy-seat and before it, by which expiatory blood there was made an atonement, Heb 9:12-14.
Which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people; first, for his sinful self and family, Lev 16:11, and then for the ignorances, incogitancies, errors, and all sorts of sins committed by the people, Heb 9:16; Heb 7:27; all of them being committed with some error of the understanding. Which type, in all its parts, was perfectly fulfilled in Christ, the gospel High Priest, as is shown in the following verses; whereby not only his office, but his services, are transcendently set above, and preferred to, all the Aaronical ones.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. once every yearthe tenthday of the seventh month. He entered within the veil on that daytwice at least. Thus “once” means here on the oneoccasion only. The two, or possibly more, entrances on that oneday were regarded as parts of the one whole.
not without blood (Heb8:3).
offeredGreek,“offers.”
errorsGreek,“ignorances”: “inadvertent errors.” They mighthave known, as the law was clearly promulged, and they were bound tostudy it; so that their ignorance was culpable (compareAct 3:17; Eph 4:18;1Pe 1:14). Though one’s ignorancemay mitigate one’s punishment (Lu12:48), it does not wholly exempt from punishment.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Ver. 7 But into the second went the high priest alone, once every year,…. Though this is not expressed in so many words in
Le 16:2 only it is said that “Aaron came not at all times into the holy place within the vail”; yet it is the constant and generally received sense of the Jewish writers, in agreement with the apostle here, that the high priest went into the holy of holies but once a year q, on the day of atonement, which was on the tenth of the month Tisri, and answers to part of September; not but that he went in more than once on that day, for he went in no less than four times r; the first time he went in to offer incense; the second time with the blood of the bullock, to sprinkle it; the third time with the blood of the goat; and the fourth time to bring out the censer s; and if he entered a fifth time, they say he was worthy of death; wherefore Philo the Jew t seems to be mistaken when he affirms that, if he went in three or four times on the same day, he suffered death, nor was there any pardon for him; and as it was but one day in a year he might enter, so when he did, no other man, either Israelite or priest, might go in along with him; he went in alone without any attendance: the Jews say u, that a cord or thong was bound to the feet of the high priest when he went into the holy of holies, that if he died there, the rest might be able to draw him out; for it was not lawful for another priest to go in, no, not an high priest, none besides him on the day of atonement. Pausanias w makes mention of a temple of Minerva into which the priests entered once every year; which very likely was observed in imitation of this custom of the Jewish high priest; who in it was a type of Christ, and of his entrance into heaven, and of his constant and continued intercession there:
not without blood; for he went in with the blood of the bullock and the blood of the goat; which was typical of the blood of Christ, by which he entered in once into the holy place, into heaven, when he had obtained eternal redemption by it, Heb 9:12 which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people; the bullock was offered by the high priest for himself and his family; and the goat for the sins of the people of Israel, even all their iniquities, transgressions, and sins, Le 16:11, but Christ the antitype having no sin, had no need to offer for himself, only for the sins of the people; [See comments on Heb 7:27].
q T. Hieros. Yoma, fol. 42. 4. & 43. 1. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 86. 1. r Bemidbar Rabba, sect 7. fol. 188. 4. Maimon. Biath Hamikdash, c. 2. sect. 3. Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora, pr. neg. 303. s Maimon. & Bartenora in Misna Celim, c. 1. sect. 9. t De Legatione ad Caium, p. 1035. u Zohar in Lev. fol. 43. 3. & Imre Binah in ib. w Arcadica, sive l. 8. p. 531.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Alone (). Predicate adjective with .
Once in the year ( ). Once for each year (not , at any time) with genitive of time.
Not without blood ( ). According to Le 16:14f. Not even he could enter the second tent (Holy of Holies) without blood.
The errors of the people ( ). Late word from , not to know (5:2), only here in the N.T., but in LXX, papyri, and inscriptions where a distinction is drawn between errors () and crimes (). In Ge 43:12 is “an oversight.” But these sins of ignorance () were sins and called for atonement. See Heb 10:26 for wilful sinning.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Errors [] . Lit. ignorances. See on ch. Heb 5:2.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “But into the second,” (eis de ten deuteran) “But on the other hand, into the second,” the second tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, or most Holy place.
2) “Went the high priest alone once every year,” (hapaks tou eniauton monos ho archiereus) “The high priest goes alone once in the year,” once each year, as prescribed by and in the Law of Moses, Heb 9:25; Exo 30:10; Lev 16:2; Lev 16:17; Lev 16:34. Upon entering the High Priest carried not only blood for atonement, but also a censer with coals and sweet incense within the veil as he made the atonement in sprinkling blood upon the mercy seat, Lev 16:11-14.
3) “Not without blood,” (ou choris haimatos) “Not without (apart from) blood,” as prescribed by the ordinance of the law, lest he die there, Lev 16:13-14; Exo 25:21-22.
4) “Which he offered for himself,” (ho prospherei huper heautou) “Which he offers on behalf of himself,” Lev 4:3; Heb 5:3; Heb 7:27.
5) “And for the errors of the people,” (kai ton tou laou agnoematon) “And on behalf of the ignorance of the people, the laity,” Lev 4:1-2; This especially refers to the sins of ignorance or sins people committed while ignorant that they were sinning at the time of committing the sin, yet, ignorance of wrong does not make the doer innocent, Num 15:27-29. But the person who deliberately and in presumption broke the law was to die for it, Num 15:30-36.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
7. For himself and for the errors of the people, or for his own and the ignorances of the people. As the verb |shagag|, means in Hebrew to err, to mistake, so |shgagah|, derived from it, properly denotes error, or mistake; but yet it is generally taken for any kind of sin; and doubtless we never sin except when deceived by the allurements of Satan. The Apostle does not understand by it mere ignorance, as they say, but, on the contrary, he includes also voluntary sins; but as I have already said, no sin is free from error or ignorance; for however knowingly and willfully any one may sin, yet it must be that he is blinded by his lust, so that he does not judge rightly, or rather he forgets himself and God; for men never deliberately rush headlong into ruin, but being entangled in the deceptions of Satan, they lose the power of judging rightly. (144)
(144) It is said that the high priest entered the holiest place “once every year,” that is, on one day, the day of expiation, every year; but on that day he went in at least three times. See Lev 16:12; and probably four times, according to the Jewish tradition; and one of the times, as supposed by Stuart, was for the purpose of bringing out the golden censer.
The word rendered “errors,” literally means “ignorances,” and so some render it “sins of ignorance;” but it is used in the Apocrypha as designating sins in general; and Grotius refers to Tob 3:3. And that it means sins of all kinds is evident from the account given in Lev 16:1 of the atonement made on the annual man, says Estius, “is ignorant; and all sins proceed from error in judgement.” Hence it seems, sins were called ignorances. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) Went . . . offered.Rather, entereth . . . offereth.
Errors.Literally, ignorances. (See Heb. 5:2-3; Heb. 7:27.) By once in the year we must of course understand on one day of the year, viz., the tenth day of Tisri. On that day, according to Leviticus 16, it was the duty of the high priest to enter the Holy of Holies twice: (1) with the incense and with the blood of the bullock, his own sin-offering (Lev. 16:12-14); (2) with the blood of the same bullock and that of the goat, the sin-offering for the people (Heb. 9:15-19). In the ritual described in the tract Joma of the Talmud, he is said to enter four times; the first ministration being separated into its two parts (offering incense, sprinkling the blood of the bullock), and a fourth entering (to bring out the censer) being added.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Second The most holy.
Once every year On the great day of atonement, the tenth day of the month Tisri. On that day he really entered more than literally once; but there was but one service, and the whole was but one proper ritual entrance.
Not without blood The details are given in Lev 16:2-19. A bullock was slain for the sins of the high priest, and a goat for the sins of the people.
Errors A softened term for sins. All sins are errors, and all transgressions which are not presumptuous sins are here included.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘But into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself, and for the errors of the people.’
But into the second tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, even the priests have no entry. Note the deliberate contrast between ‘the priest go in continually’ and ‘the High Priest alone once in the year’. The Holy of Holies existed in solitary splendour along with its accoutrements, in total darkness except for when the light of God shone there (no earthly light was allowed), only to be entered once a year and that by the High Priest alone. On that day there were two brief, but memorable and awesome, visits, by the High Priest, one for himself and one for the people, and those only after the offering of special sacrifices of sin offerings of which the blood was to be presented, sacrifices which were offered on the Day of Atonement both for the High Priest’s sins and the sins of the people (see Leviticus 16).
‘Offers.’ Not as a sacrifice but as evidence that the ritual has been carried through correctly, ensuring the overall atonement for himself and the people for another year. The word ‘offering’ does not appear with respect to the Holy of Holies in the ritual for the Day of Atonement. The word used there is ‘sprinkled’ which indicates application of the blood. It demonstrated that the necessary sin offerings had been made. It also confirmed that atonement had been made.
‘The errors (or ‘ignorances’) of the people.’ Man’s sins were a mixture of error, folly, wilfulness and ignorance. And all had to be atoned for.
This day was looked on as especially holy, and the rightness of the preparations had to be carefully ensured. For it was a fearsome experience for a man, even though he be the High Priest. First the tabernacle would be emptied of all personnel, so that the veil could be partially pulled aside. Only the one who was fully ritually prepared could be allowed in the sanctuary without the veil fully pulled across.
He would previously have carefully clothed himself in the High Priestly garments, knowing that any mistake would be his last, and then fearfully and tentatively he would move through the sanctuary towards the veil, take the golden censer and fill it with coals from the altar of incense, and place incense on them. All the time his heart would be beating strongly within him at the thought of what he was going to do. Then he would draw a portion of the veil aside and enter alone through the veil into the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies where no man but he would ever go while he was still alive. The tension would be horrific.
The glowing ashes for the burning of incense which he carried in his censer would provide the only dim light, and by that dim light he would approach in almost sheer darkness the dim shape of the Mercy Seat that he could make out before him, with all that it signified of the presence of the holy and invisible God, in order that he might present the incense and the blood of bull and goat. He would at the same time be filled with fear that one mistake might mean his end, that one moment of God’s displeasure could strike him down. For so it was believed.
And it was always with great relief that he would finally, after two such visits, first to make atonement for himself, and then to make atonement for the people, withdraw again the second time, grateful to be alive and could recognise at last that what he had done had been accepted. The people and the priests would meanwhile have been waiting in silent awe all through the process, filled with tension until he reappeared, and at that point there would be huge jubilation. Atonement had been satisfactorily accomplished for another year. All the sins of Israel for a whole year had been ‘covered’. (Indeed so holy was the place that there grew up a tradition, not mentioned in Scripture, that sometimes a rope would be tied around his leg so that if God should strike him down his body could be recovered without anyone else entering, for none would dare to enter in order to recover it even in such an emergency).
The procedures were carried through even when the Ark was gone, possibly carried off by the victorious Babylonians. But it is interesting that no mention was ever made of it, (2Ch 36:10 refers to ‘the goodly vessels of the house of Yahweh’), and surely had they believed it to be in Babylon great efforts would have been made to ensure its recovery. Perhaps then they knew that it had been destroyed or that it had been melted down in the King’s treasury. (A Jewish record, 4 Ezr 10:22, declares that ‘the light of our lamp is extinguished, the Ark of our covenant is spoiled’). There appears to have been no Ark in the second Temple. Tacitus writes, “The first Roman to subdue the Jews and set foot in their Temple by right of conquest was Gnaeus Pompaeus (Pompey). Thereafter it was a matter of common knowledge that there were no representations of the gods within, but that the place was empty and the secret shrine contained nothing” (Hist. Heb 5:9). 2Ma 2:4-7 refers to a tradition that the prophet Jeremiah hid the tabernacle, the Ark and the altar of incense in a cave. However, there was certainly later an altar of incense in the Temple.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Heb 9:7. But into the second, &c. ‘, rendered errors, signifies, sins of error, or ignorance. Respecting the day of expiation, see Leviticus 16.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Heb 9:7 . ] sc . , the Most Holy Place.
] once in the year, i.e. only on a single day of the year, namely, on the tenth of the seventh month (Tisri), on the great solemnity of atonement. The supposition that the high priest on this day more than once entered the Most Holy Place is not excluded by the expression, and the disputed question as to how many times this took place has no bearing on our passage. That the high priest was obliged to enter the Most Holy Place at least twice on this day, follows from Lev 16:12-16 . That he entered into it as many as four times is the teaching of the Talmud (tract. Joma , v. 1, vii. 4) and Rabbins.
] sc . .
] is not to be explained, as by Calov and others, of the sacrifices outside of the Most Holy Place. For in this case we should have to expect the aorist. It is employed of the blood of the victim before slain, which blood the high priest carries into the Most Holy Place, and here in the Most Holy Place presents to God (the Socinians, Grotius, Bleek).
] for himself and the transgressions of the people . To make likewise depend upon (for his own sins and those of the people: Vulgate, Luther (?), Calvin, Piscator, Schlichting, Jac. Cappellus, Grotius, Storr, Stuart, Paulus, and others), is, although the thought is not thereby altered (comp. Heb 7:27 ), grammatically false; because in that case the article could not have been wanting before .
] see at Heb 5:2 , p. 198.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
Ver. 7. For the errors ] Gr. , The not knowings of the people; those errors that they could not help, and yet must else have answered for. Ignorat sane improbus omnis, saith Aristotle. Ignorance is the source of all sin, the very well spring from which all wickedness doth ooze and issue. What will not an ignorant man do, who knows not but he may do anything? “The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty,” Psa 74:20 . Christ therefore expiated the ignorances of his people.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
7 .] but into the second (innermost, the Holy of holies) once in the year (i. e. on the day of atonement, the 10th day of the 7th month: the same expression is used in reff. Exod. and Levit. The entrance took place, on that day , twice at least, from Lev 16:12-16 ; the Mischna says, four (three?) times, Joma Heb 9:1 ; vii. 4. Much trouble has been spent by antiquarians on the question: see the whole treated in Bleek, if it be thought worth while: it may suffice here to say that the Writer follows the ordinary way of speaking among the Jews and ourselves, meaning by ‘once,’ on one occasion . No one would think, if I said I was in the habit of seeing a certain person but once in every year, of asking how long I spent in his company during that day, and how often I looked upon him. Cf. Philo, Leg. ad Cai. 39, vol. ii. p. 591, ( ) . So , id. de Monarch. ii. 2, p. 223: , Jos. B. J. v. 5. 7: and 3Ma 1:11 ) the high priest alone, not without (see ch. Heb 7:20 ) blood, which he offers (see ch. Heb 8:3 ) on behalf of himself and the ignorances (sins of ignorance, see ch. Heb 5:2 ; cf. Philo, Plant. No, 25, vol. i. p. 345, . . See Schweighuser’s Lexicon Polybianum, where he gives as the sense of , “peccatum, delictum, prsertim errore et per imprudentiam commissum:” giving numerous instances. But further on, he says, “Nonnunquam tamen de graviori culpa et deliberato crimine usurpatur:” giving also examples. And similarly under , “nude, peccare: , bellum gerere cum eis qui peccarunt, deliquerunt, v. 11. 5: , errata, peccata, xxxviii. 1. 5.” So that here the word may have a wider meaning than mere sins of ignorance) of the people (it has been a question, whether can be taken as dependent on “on behalf of his own sins and those of the people.” So vulg. (“pro sua et populi ignorantia”), Luth., Calv. (vers.), Schlichting, Limborch (vers.), al.: but as above Syr., D-lat. (“pro se et populi delictis”), Faber Stap., Vatabl., Erasm. (vers.), Beza (vers.), Calov., Bengel, Schulz, Bhme, De Wette, al. And no doubt grammatically this latter is in strictness right: the other rendering requiring before . The question however in all such cases is not whether the sense would not be better expressed by a more elegant construction, but whether the N. T. dialect was likely to have expressed it without that more elegant construction. And here, though I prefer the more strictly grammatical rendering, I am by no means sure that the other is absolutely excluded. The parallel of ch. Heb 7:27 , , , is very strong: and we have a similar irregularity of grammatical construction in 1Jn 2:2 , , , ):
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Heb 9:7 . The law is given in Lev 16 , both negatively and positively; negatively in Lev 16:2 . promiscuous or continuous, daily entrance was forbidden; and positively, in Lev 16:34 , i.e. , one day each year, viz. , on the day of Atonement, the tenth of the seventh month the High Priest is to enter. On that day the High Priest was to enter the Holiest at least thrice , first with the incense, then with the blood of the bullock which atoned for his own sins and those of his house, and finally with the blood of the goat for the sins of the people. in contrast with of Heb 9:6 . This point is also emphasised by Philo, De Mon. , p. 821 E., where he says that the things inside the veil were hidden from everyone , and by Josephus ( Bell . Jud . ver. 5; ver. 7) . See also Lev 16:17 . The law was emphasised by the destruction of Nadab and Abhu, Lev 10:1 . The Holiness of the Presence and the difficulty of access was further illustrated and enforced by the demand that sacrifice should open the way . This blood was offered, i.e. , sprinkled with the finger on the , first, the blood of the calf to cleanse from his own sins, and then, the blood of the goat to atone for the people’s sins. [ is manifestly under the direct government of and does not follow . This word does not occur in Lev 16 ; on the contrary the strongest words are used, , , , but cf. Heb 5:2 .] These three points, then, bring out the impossibility of free access to the Presence; not but . ; not promiscuously, but ; not freely, but . This was the which could not be neglected under pain of death. What did it signify? . “ this the Holy Spirit signifying, that the way into the Holy of Holies has not yet been made manifest, while the fore-tent has still a place”. , the Holy Spirit is viewed as the author of the ritual and as meaning to teach by every part of it. Vaughan compares 1Pe 1:11 and adds, “As there O.T. prophecy , so here O.T. ritual , is ascribed to the Holy Spirit.” . “the way into the Holiest” as in Heb 8:2 . Access to the Holy of Holies being thus barred was an intimation that the true access to God had not yet been furnished and that therefore worship and fellowship with God (that is, religion) were not yet perfect. [ Cf. Theoph. . , . . Weiss, “der Weg zum himmlischen Heiligthum”.] So long as the fore-tent ( ) has an appointed place as part of the Divine arrangements for worship ( as in Polyb . Heb 9:5 ; Heb 9:3 ) this signifies that the very Presence of God is inaccessible. The very object of the division of the Tabernacle into two rooms, an outer and an inner, was to impress men with the fact that the way of access had not actually been disclosed ( ). Hence the appropriateness of the rending of the veil as the Symbol that by the perfected work and sacrifice of Christ the new and living way (Heb 10:20 ) was opened.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
second. i.e. the Holy of Holies.
once. Greek. hapax. See Heb 6:4.
every. Literally “of the”.
without = apart from. Greek. choris.
for. Greek. huper. App-104.
errors = ignorances. Greek. agnoema. Only here. See Lev 4:2.
people. Greek. laos. See Act 2:47.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
7.] but into the second (innermost, the Holy of holies) once in the year (i. e. on the day of atonement, the 10th day of the 7th month: the same expression is used in reff. Exod. and Levit. The entrance took place, on that day, twice at least, from Lev 16:12-16; the Mischna says, four (three?) times, Joma Heb 9:1; vii. 4. Much trouble has been spent by antiquarians on the question: see the whole treated in Bleek, if it be thought worth while: it may suffice here to say that the Writer follows the ordinary way of speaking among the Jews and ourselves, meaning by once, on one occasion. No one would think, if I said I was in the habit of seeing a certain person but once in every year, of asking how long I spent in his company during that day, and how often I looked upon him. Cf. Philo, Leg. ad Cai. 39, vol. ii. p. 591, () . So , id. de Monarch. ii. 2, p. 223: , Jos. B. J. v. 5. 7: and 3Ma 1:11) the high priest alone, not without (see ch. Heb 7:20) blood, which he offers (see ch. Heb 8:3) on behalf of himself and the ignorances (sins of ignorance, see ch. Heb 5:2; cf. Philo, Plant. No, 25, vol. i. p. 345, . . See Schweighusers Lexicon Polybianum, where he gives as the sense of , peccatum, delictum, prsertim errore et per imprudentiam commissum: giving numerous instances. But further on, he says, Nonnunquam tamen de graviori culpa et deliberato crimine usurpatur: giving also examples. And similarly under , nude, peccare: , bellum gerere cum eis qui peccarunt, deliquerunt, v. 11. 5: , errata, peccata, xxxviii. 1. 5. So that here the word may have a wider meaning than mere sins of ignorance) of the people (it has been a question, whether can be taken as dependent on -on behalf of his own sins and those of the people. So vulg. (pro sua et populi ignorantia), Luth., Calv. (vers.), Schlichting, Limborch (vers.), al.: but as above Syr., D-lat. (pro se et populi delictis), Faber Stap., Vatabl., Erasm. (vers.), Beza (vers.), Calov., Bengel, Schulz, Bhme, De Wette, al. And no doubt grammatically this latter is in strictness right: the other rendering requiring before . The question however in all such cases is not whether the sense would not be better expressed by a more elegant construction, but whether the N. T. dialect was likely to have expressed it without that more elegant construction. And here, though I prefer the more strictly grammatical rendering, I am by no means sure that the other is absolutely excluded. The parallel of ch. Heb 7:27, , , is very strong: and we have a similar irregularity of grammatical construction in 1Jn 2:2, , , ):
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Heb 9:7. ) So LXX., Lev 16:34, once every year; on one day of the year, and on that same day but once. See A. A. Hochstetteri Ex. de Ingressu Summi Pontificis in Sanctum Sanctorum, pp. 19-24.- ) for himself. The Vulgate has pro sua, for his own, viz. error of ignorance; I do not think, however, that was in the Greek copy from which it was translated. Although the priest was exempt from the errors or ignorance of the people, yet he was not without sin, and therefore stood in need of sacrifices, ch. Heb 7:27.-, ignorance, errors) This term has a very extensive meaning, as; on the contrary, , knowledge. See Num 15:22-31.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
into: Heb 9:24, Heb 9:25, Exo 30:10, Lev 16:2-20, Lev 16:34
not: Heb 5:3, Heb 7:27, Heb 10:19, Heb 10:20
errors: Lev 5:18, 2Sa 6:7, 2Ch 33:9, Psa 19:12, Psa 95:10, Isa 3:12, Isa 9:16, Isa 28:7, Isa 29:14, Hos 4:12, Amo 2:14
Reciprocal: Exo 40:33 – up the court Lev 4:2 – through Lev 9:7 – offer thy Lev 16:6 – which Lev 16:14 – General Lev 16:15 – Then shall Lev 16:17 – no man Rom 10:4 – Christ Heb 6:19 – entereth Heb 9:12 – he entered Heb 9:14 – offered Heb 10:3 – a remembrance 1Jo 5:6 – blood
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Heb 9:7. The second means the most holy place which was “within the vail” (chapter 6:19, 20), and no one but the high priest was permitted to enter this room while it was in service. Once every year means on the one day only, for he made more than one entrance into the most holy place on that day. (See Leviticus 16.) Not without blood. The passage just cited explains where and how he got the blood. Offered for himself. That was necessary because those priests were all erring creatures (contrary to our High Priest). The people signifies that the service performed in the most holy place by the high priest was for the sake of the nation as a whole. If any individual was personally indebted to the Lord because of his sin, he was required to attend to that as his own personal duty. (See Lev 4:27-35.)
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Observe here, 1. The person administering described, The high priest alone; none of the priests were permitted to be so near him as the sanctuary, when he administered in the most holy place. Thus sacredly was the presence of God, in the holy of holies, made inaccessible not only to the people, but even to all the priests themselves. The great truth which was represented and shadowed forth was, that there was no entrance into the gracious presence of God, but by our great High Priest the Holy Jesus. The high priest alone, and no other person, entered into the holy of holies.
Observe, 2. The high priest engaging in his service. He entered through the vail into the holy place. This was a type both of the entrance by him into the throne of grace. We read,Mat 27:15. Of the rending of this vail, at the death of our Saviour, from top to bottom: Signifying thereby, that the way was laid open into the holy place, and the gracious presence of God discovered, and made accessible to all that come unto him by Jesus Christ.
Observe, 3. The time of this service expressed, it was once only every year; and the day, the precise day of the year, determined, Lev 16:29, to wit, the tenth day of the month Tizri, answering our September called the great day of atonement; on which day such a complete atonement was made for sin, that the Jews had a saying, “That on the day of expiation all Israel was made as innocent as in the day of creation.”
Observe, 4. The nature of this service; the apostle tells us, it was not without blood, that is, he did it by blood, sprinkling it seven times with his finger towards the mercy-seat, Lev 26:11-12. There is an emphasis in the expression, not without blood, to manifest the necessity of the death and blood-shedding of Jesus Christ our great High Priest, and the impossibility of our entering into the gracious presence of God without the blood of the reconciling sacrifice Christ Jesus.
Observe, 5. For whom this blood was offered; first, for himself, then for the people; that is, for his own sins, and the sins of the people: This argued the great imperfection of that state; whereas Christ our great High Priest, was not to offer up the blood of goats, but his own blood, not for himself at all, but for others only; not once a year, but once for all; by one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Heb 9:7. But into the second The holy of holies; went the high-priest alone And no other person; and he was to be so alone as that none were to attend in order to assist him in any part of the service; yea, no one was allowed to be in the other part of the sanctuary where he might so much as see the veil opened, but all the priests, as well as the people, were kept without the sanctuary, Lev 16:2; Lev 16:17; Lev 16:32. Hence it was always provided, in case of the sickness or occasional pollutions of the actual high-priest, the next in succession should perform this office, who was therefore called the second priest. From whence, in times of disorder and confusion, they had two high-priests at once. This entrance was a type, both of the entrance of Christ into heaven, and of our entrance by him to the throne of grace, Heb 9:24; Heb 10:19-20. And this was the veil which, in the temple, was rent from top to bottom upon the death of our Lord. For by his death the way was laid open to the most holy place, and the gracious presence of God discovered to all that come to God by him. Once every year That is, on one day only, namely, the day of expiation, Lev 16:2; but on that day he went in several times: not without blood To signify that there is no entrance into Gods gracious presence but by the blood of Christ. After the high-priest had filled the holy place with a cloud of incense, he returned to the altar of burnt-offerings without the tabernacle, where the sacrifice had been newly slain; and while the blood of the beasts was fresh, and, as it were, living, he took of it in his hand, and entering again into the most holy place, sprinkled it seven times with his finger toward the mercy-seat. Which he offered Where or when he offered it is not expressed: in the holy place there was no use of blood but for the sprinkling of it, but the sprinkling of blood was always consequential to the offering properly so called. Probably by the word , here used, he intends only bringing, and not properly offering. For himself and the errors of the people The apostle refers to the distinct sacrifices that were to be offered on that day, the first of which was of a bullock and a ram, which were offered for the high-priest himself; such being the imperfection of their state, that they could have no priests to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people, but he must first offer for himself. By the errors of the people, are meant their sins of ignorance, to which only, and not to sins presumptuously committed, those atonements extended. They were offered for the whole nation, to make atonement for the sins which they had ignorantly committed during the preceding year, and to open the tabernacle for their acts of worship during the succeeding year. And to show this, the high-priest carried the blood of these sacrifices into the inward tabernacle, and sprinkled it before the symbol of the divine presence.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Verse 7
Not without blood; Leviticus 16:14,15.–The errors; the sins.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
9:7 But into the second [went] the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and [for] the {e} errors of the people:
(e) For the sins, see Heb 5:2 .