Hebrews 9:23 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Hebrews 9:23
It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
constraint (literally or figuratively) · noun — nominative singular feminine
patterns
ὑποδείγματαhupodeigmata
G5262
an exhibit for imitation or warning (figuratively · noun — accusative plural neuter
things
τὰta
G3588
the (sometimes to be supplied · article — accusative plural neuter
in
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
heavens
οὐρανοῖςouranois
G3772
the sky · noun — dative plural masculine
purified
καθαρίζεσθαιkatharizesthai
G2511
to cleanse (literally or figuratively) · verb — present passive infinitive
these
τούτοιςtoútois
G5125
to (for
but
δὲde
G1161
but · conjunction
things
ἐπουράνιαepourania
G2032
above the sky · adjective — accusative plural neuter
themselves
αὐτὰauta
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative plural neuter
with
θυσίαιςthusiais
G2378
sacrifice (the act or the victim · noun — dative plural feminine
better
κρείττωνkreíttōn
G2909
stronger
sacrifices
θυσίαthysía
G2378
sacrifice (the act or the victim
than
παρὰpara
G3844
properly · preposition
these
τούτοιςtoutois
G3778
the he (she or it) · demonstrative pronoun — dative plural neuter
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
1 Peter 1:19-21 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead…
Hebrews 9:9-12 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service…
Hebrews 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in…
Hebrews 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See,…
Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us…
Luke 24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Hebrews 9:23–end
In this last part of the chapter, the apostle goes on to tell us what the Holy Ghost has signified to us by the legal purifications of the patterns of the things in heaven, inferring thence the necessity of better sacrifices to consecrate the heavenly things themselves.
I. The necessity of purifying the patterns of the things in heaven, Heb 9:23. This necessity arises both from the divine appointment, which must always be obeyed, and from the reason of that appointment, which was to preserve a proper resemblance between the things typifying and the things typified. It is observable here that the sanctuary of God on earth is a pattern of heaven, and communion with God in his sanctuary is to h…
patterns--"the suggestive representations"; the typical copies (see on Heb 8:5).
things in the heavens--the heavenly tabernacle and the things therein.
purified with these--with the blood of bulls and goats.
heavenly things themselves--the archetypes. Man's sin had introduced an element of disorder into the relations of God and His holy angels in respect to man. The purification removes this element of disorder and changes God's wrath against man in heaven (designed to be the place of God's revealing His grace to men and angels) into a smile of reconciliation. Compare "peace in heaven" (Luk 19:38). "The uncreated heaven of God, though in itself untroubled light, yet needed a purificati…
The patterns of things in the heavens - That is: The tabernacle and all its utensils, services, etc., must be purified by these, viz.: The blood of calves and goats, and the sprinkling of the blood and water with the bunch of hyssop bound about with scarlet wool. These are called patterns, ὑποδειγματα, exemplars, earthly things, which were the representatives of heavenly things. And there is no doubt that every thing in the tabernacle, its parts, divisions, utensils, ministry, etc., as appointed by God, were representations of celestial matters; but how far and in what way we cannot now see.
Purification implies, not only cleansing from defilement, but also dedication or consecration. All t…
The Church Fathers
The statement that "he entered into the heaven itself" must be taken by common agreement as this: "And so that he might not offer himself often, he entered into the very heaven." For it is characteristic of those entering the "antitypes of the true things" to bear sacrifices "often" and "with blood," but not of the one entering "into heaven itself."
"Therefore it was necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens." The heavenly things in the new covenant are said to be, since the initiation in it is heavenly, and the faithful are citizens of heaven, even if they are still living on earth. For the examples of the old covenant are types of the new covenant. "should be purified with these." These have been mentioned, with the blood of calves and goats, and with the ashes of a heifer, and with the other things so lowly. "but the heavenly things." Which are in the New Testament. "with better sacrifices." Therefore, since it was necessary according to their values to have better sacrifices, the Son of God Himself was offered, so that the death of the Lord not only benefited and enacted the confirmation of the covenantbut also to affect the true purification of the soul. And in the preceding and following, it demonstrates that the death of the Lord worked salvation for humankind, because some weaker ones were offended because of the cross.
And how come these to be patterns of the things in the heavens? And what does he call the things which are now in the heavens? Is it heaven? is it the angels? No, none of these, but our things, for heavenly things are ours, yea, even though they be accomplished on the earth, since the angels also are on the earth, and are nevertheless called heavenly. And the Cherubim too appeared on the earth, and yet they are heavenly. But what am I saying?—that they appeared? Is it upon the earth then they spend their time as if in Paradise? Nay, not so, for they are heavenly and our citizenship is in the heavens, although we spend our life with those that are here." And subsequently He says: "I show by actual facts those that attain to this height. And who be these? I mean Paul and his followers, who, though they were on earth, sojourned in heaven. But what am I saying?—in heaven? Nay, they were higher exalted than heaven, yea even than the other heaven, for they ascended to God Himself.
Dictionary and topics
Altar — (Heb. mizbe’ah, from a word meaning “to slay”), any structure of earth (Ex. 20:24) or unwrought stone (20:25) on which sacrifices were offered. Altars were generally erected in conspicuous places…
Atonement, The Day Of — I. The great day of national humiliation, and the only one commanded in the Mosaic law. [Fasts] The mode of its observance is described in Levi 16, and the conduct of the people is emphatically…
High priest — Aaron was the first who was solemnly set apart to this office (Ex. 29:7; 30:23; Lev. 8:12). He wore a peculiar dress, which on his death passed to his successor in office (Ex. 29:29, 30). Besides…
Tabernacle — (1.) A house or dwelling-place (Job 5:24; 18:6, etc.). (2.) A portable shrine (comp. Acts 19:24) containing the image of Moloch (Amos 5:26; marg. and R.V., “Siccuth”). (3.) The human body (2 Cor.…
Christ, The High Priest · His sacrifice superior to all others — His sacrifice superior to all others
Covenant, The · Ratified by the blood of Christ — Ratified by the blood of Christ
Offerings · .A type of Christ — .A type of Christ
Pattern · Of the tabernacle — Of the tabernacle
Symbols And Similitudes · The whole system of Mosaic rites — The whole system of Mosaic rites
Types · OF THE SAVIOUR — OF THE SAVIOUR
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
It was therefore necessary,.... On account of the divine appointment, and that types and antitypes might correspond; and especially it was necessary with respect to the Messiah, the substance and body of all types. So Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases the text in Exodus 40:9,
"and thou shalt take the anointing oil, and thou shalt anoint the tabernacle, and all that is in it; and thou shall sanctify it, because of the crown of the kingdom of the house of Judah, and the King Messiah, who shall redeem Israel in the latter days.''
Upon his account it was necessary,
that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; that is, that all the people, and the book of the covena…
Hebrews 9:18-23
18. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
18. Inde neque primum illud sine sanguine dedicatum fuit.
19. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
19. Nam postquam exposuisset Moses secundum legem totum mandatum universo populo, accipiens sanguinem vitulorum et hircorum, cum aqua et lana coccinea et hysopo, librum et totum populum aspersit,
20. Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
20. Dicens, Hic est sanguis testamenti quod Deus mandav…
This verse argues from lesser to greater (see study note on 9:14). Just as heaven is greater than the earthly Tabernacle, so Christ’s sacrifice had to be . . . far better than the earthly sacrifices. • That is why: See 9:16-22; Lev 16:14-19. • copies of things in heaven: See study note on Heb 8:5. • in heaven, had to be purified: Just as the Tabernacle had to be cleansed because of the sin of the Israelites (Lev 16:16-19), the heavenly Tabernacle required that the uncleanness be removed from those who would enter heaven under the new covenant.
