Hebrews 13:15
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Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
As the "altar" was mentioned in Heb 13:10, so the "sacrifices" here (compare Pe1 2:5, namely, praise and doing good, Heb 13:16). Compare Psa 119:108; Rom 12:1. By him--as the Mediator of our prayers and praises (Joh 14:13-14); not by Jewish observances (Psa 50:14, Psa 50:23; Psa 69:30-31; Psa 107:22; Psa 116:17). It was an old saying of the rabbis, "At a future time all sacrifices shall cease, but praises shall not cease." of praise--for salvation. continually--not merely at fixed seasons, as those on which the legal sacrifices were offered, but throughout all our lives. fruit of our lips-- (Isa 57:19; Hos 14:2). giving thanks--Greek, "confessing." BENGEL remarks that the Hebrew, "todah," is beautifully emphatic. It literally means "acknowledgment" or "confession." In praising a creature, we may easily exceed the truth; but in praising God we have only to go on confessing what He really is to us. Hence it is impossible to exceed the truth, and here is genuine praise.
Open source ↗The apostle, having treated largely of Christ, and faith, and free grace, and gospel privileges, and warned the Hebrews against apostasy, now, in the close of all, recommends several excellent duties to them, as the proper fruits of faith (v. 1-17); he then bespeaks their prayers for him, and offers up his prayers to God for them, gives them some hope of seeing himself and Timothy, and ends with the general salutation and benediction (Heb 13:18 to the end).
Open source ↗13:15-16 In light of Jesus’ decisive, sacrificial work on our behalf, we still have sacrifices to offer: praise and obedience. Because Christ has eradicated the sacrificial system of the old covenant through the sacrifice of himself (7:27-28; 8:13; 9:11-14; 10:11-14), these are the sacrifices that please God. 13:15 sacrifice of praise: This probably refers to a peace offering (Lev 7:11-14). The person bringing the offering had to be made ritually clean before the offering could be made. Our thank offering to God can be continual because Jesus has made us clean for all time. When we give thanks to Jesus continually, we are proclaiming our allegiance to his name.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Bring your confessions and return to the LORD. Say to Him: “Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips.
He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who rights his way, I will show the salvation of God.”
bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.”
Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and he told Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.
If he offers it in thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers coated with oil, and well-kneaded cakes of fine flour mixed with oil.
The priests stood at their posts, as did the Levites with the musical instruments of the LORD, which King David had made for giving thanks to the LORD and with which David had offered praise, saying, “For His loving devotion endures forever.” Across from the Levites, the priests sounded trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.
At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.