Hebrews 9:7
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But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
once every year--the tenth day of the seventh month. He entered within the veil on that day twice at least. Thus "once" means here on the one occasion only. The two, or possibly more, entrances on that one day were regarded as parts of the one whole. not without blood-- (Heb 8:3). offered--Greek, "offers." errors--Greek, "ignorances": "inadvertent errors." They might have known, as the law was clearly promulged, and they were bound to study it; so that their ignorance was culpable (compare Act 3:17; Eph 4:18; Pe1 1:14). Though one's ignorance may mitigate one's punishment (Luk 12:48), it does not wholly exempt from punishment.
Open source ↗The apostle, having declared the Old Testament dispensation antiquated and vanishing away, proceeds to let the Hebrews see the correspondence there was between the Old Testament and the New; and that whatever was excellent in the Old was typical and representative of the New, which therefore must as far excel the Old as the substance does the shadow. The Old Testament was never intended to be rested in, but to prepare for the institutions of the gospel. And here he treats, I. Of the tabernacle, the place of worship (Heb 9:1-5). II. Of the worship and services performed in the tabernacle (Heb 9:6, Heb 9:7). III. He delivers the spiritual sense and the main design of all (Heb 9:8 to the end).
Open source ↗9:7 The yearly duty was carried out on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest offered sacrifices for the sins not covered by other sacrifices during the previous year (Lev 16:1-25).
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
This is to be a permanent statute for you, to make atonement once a year for the Israelites because of all their sins.” And all this was done as the LORD had commanded Moses.
He is to bring to the priest an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock as a guilt offering. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the wrong he has committed in ignorance, and he will be forgiven.
Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.
Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. The altar is most holy to the LORD.”
For those who guide this people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up.
My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God.
Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths.
These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments.
For forty years I was angry with that generation, and I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known My ways.”
Instead, those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,