Hebrews 10:5
A plain-spoken deep dive on this verse. Read the chapter →
Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Christ's voluntary self offering, in contrast to those inefficient sacrifices, is shown to fulfill perfectly "the will of God" as to our redemption, by completely atoning "for (our) sins." Wherefore--seeing that a nobler than animal sacrifices was needed to "take away sins." when he cometh--Greek, "coming." The time referred to is the period before His entrance into the world, when the inefficiency of animal sacrifices for expiation had been proved [THOLUCK]. Or, the time is that between Jesus' first dawning of reason as a child, and the beginning of His public ministry, during which, being ripened in human resolution, He was intently devoting Himself to the doing of His Father's will [ALFORD]. But the time of "coming" is present; not "when He had come," but "when coming into the world"; so, in order to accord with ALFORD'S view, "the world" must mean His PUBLIC ministry: when coming, or about to come, into public. The Greek verbs are in the past: "sacrifice . . . Thou didst not wish, but a body Thou didst prepare for Me"; and, "Lo, I am come." Therefore, in order to harmonize these times, the present coming, or about to come, with the past, "A body Thou didst prepare for Me," we must either explain as ALFORD, or else, if we take the period to be before His actual arrival in the world (the earth) or incarnation, we must explain the past tenses to refer to God's purpose, which speaks of what He designed from eternity as though it were already fulfilled. "A body Thou didst prepare in Thy eternal counsel." This seems to me more likely than explaining "coming into the world," "coming into public," or entering on His public ministry. David, in the fortieth Psalm (here quoted), reviews his past troubles and God's having delivered him from them, and his consequent desire to re…
Open source ↗The apostle knew very well that the Hebrews, to whom he wrote, were strangely fond of the Levitical dispensation, and therefore he fills his mouth with arguments to wean them from it; and in order thereto proceeds in this chapter, I. To lay low the whole of that priesthood and sacrifice (Heb 10:1-6). II. He raises and exalts the priesthood of Christ very high, that he might effectually recommend him and his gospel to them (Heb 10:7-18). III. He shows to believers the honours and dignities of their state, and calls them to suitable duties (Heb 10:19 to the end).
Open source ↗10:5-7 These verses quote Ps 40:6-8. Psalm 40 is a hymn of praise to God in which the psalmist confesses his desire to do God’s will. The author of Hebrews understands Christ to be the speaker. 10:5 But you have given me a body to offer: God had prepared the psalmist to be obedient, ready to do God’s will; Hebrews now applies this idea to Christ. For Hebrews, the preparation of a human body, specifically Christ’s body, shows that God would use it as a superior sacrifice.
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
Then I said, ‘Here I am, it is written about Me in the scroll: I have come to do Your will, O God.’”
Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,
And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all God’s angels worship Him.”
But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
And by that will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
And since every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, it was necessary for this One also to have something to offer.
By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed in throughout the world, was taken up in glory.