EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Hebrews 9:23
23The tabernacle and the things that were in it needed animals' blood to make them clean. That was a picture of the true place in heaven where people worship God. But the true things in heaven need better sacrifices to make them clean than the sacrifices of animals.
Hebrews 9:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Context of Hebrews 9:23
21In the same way, Moses threw some of the blood onto the tabernacle. He also caused blood to drop onto all the things that the priests used to serve God there. 22God's Law taught that blood was necessary to make almost everything clean. We see that God does not forgive people for their sins unless there is blood from a death. The tabernacle and the things that were in it needed animals' blood to make them clean. That was a picture of the true place in heaven where people worship God. But the true things in heaven need better sacrifices to make them clean than the sacrifices of animals. 24Christ did not go into a holy place that people had made on earth. A place like that is only a picture of the true place in heaven. No, Christ went into heaven itself, where God is. Now he is there with God and he speaks to God on our behalf. 25The leader of the priests here on earth goes into the Most Holy Place every year. Each time, he takes with him the blood of an animal and he offers it to God. But when Christ went into heaven to offer himself to God, he did not do that again and again.
Read all of Hebrews 9Hebrews 9:23 word by word
Ἀνάγκη οὖν τὰ μὲν ὑποδείγματα τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς τούτοις καθαρίζεσθαι αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ ἐπουράνια κρείττοσιν θυσίαις παρὰ ταύτας.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- necessary thatἀνάγκηanagkē · necessityG318
- ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
- the patternsὑπόδειγμαhupodeigma · exampleG5262
- of thingsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the heavensοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- should be purifiedκαθαρίζωkatharizō · to cleanG2511
- with theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- butδέde · thenG1161
- the heavenly thingsἐπουράνιοςepouranios · heavenlyG2032
- themselvesαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- withθυσίαthusia · sacrificeG2378
- betterκρείττωνkreittōn · strongerG2909
- thanπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
Cross-references for Hebrews 9:23
- Hebrews 9:9This is like a picture that means something for us today. It teaches us about the gifts and sacrifices that people offered to God, to worship him. When someone gave those things to God, it could not make him clean again in his mind.
- Hebrews 8:5But the way that those Levite priests work is only like a picture of the true things in heaven. It is like a shadow of what would happen in heaven. Long ago, when Moses was ready to make the tabernacle, God warned him about it. God said to Moses, ‘Be careful to make everything just like the plan which I showed you on the mountain.’
- Hebrews 10:1God's laws which he gave to Moses are like a shadow of the good things that would come later. But those laws do not show exactly what those good things are like. They say that the priests must continue to offer the same sacrifices on behalf of the people, year after year. So those sacrifices can never make the people completely clean when they come to worship God.
- Colossians 2:17Rules like that are only like shadows of real things that would happen later. But now we have what is real, Christ himself!
- Hebrews 9:11But now Christ has come as our special priest. He brings us the good things that are now here. He has gone into God's own place in heaven. That is a greater and much better tent than the old tabernacle. No person made this tent. It does not belong to this world at all.
- Hebrews 10:4We know that the blood of bulls and of goats cannot remove the punishment for sins.
- Luke 24:26You should have known that the Messiah had to die. Only then would he return to heaven and show how great and powerful he is.’
- John 14:3After I have prepared a place for you, I will return. Then I will take you so that you will be with me. You will be where I am.
- 1 Peter 1:19Instead, he bought you with the very valuable blood of Christ, who died as a sacrifice for our sins. He died like a lamb that is completely good and has nothing wrong with it.
- Revelation 5:9The beings that are alive and the leaders sang a new song. They sang: ‘You are so good! You are good enough to take the book. You can break its seals and open it. You can do this because they killed you. When you died, you bought people for God with your blood. You bought them from every tribe, from every language and every nation.
Commentaries on Hebrews 9:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23The 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, ̔, exemplars, earthly things, which were the representatives of heavenly things. And there is no doubt that every thing in the tabernacle, its parts, divisions…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23The patterns of things in the heavens - The tabernacle and its various utensils; see the notes on Hebrews 8:5. Be purified with these - With water and blood, and by these ceremonies. But the heavenly things themselves - The heavenly tabernacle or sanctuary into which Christ has entered, and where he performs the functions of his ministry. The use of the word “purified” here applied to heaven, does not imply that heaven was before “unholy,” but it denotes…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-28Verses 23-28 It is evident that the sacrifices of Christ are infinitely better than those of the law, which could neither procure pardon for sin, nor impart power against it. Sin would still have been upon us, and have had dominion over us; but Jesus Christ, by one sacrifice, has destroyed the works of the devil, that believers may be made righteous, holy, and happy. As no wisdom, learning, virtue, wealth, or power, can keep one of the human race from…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23This verse uses a comparison from lesser to greater (see study note on Hebrews 9:14). Just as heaven is greater than the earthly tabernacle, Christ’s sacrifice had to be much better than earthly sacrifices. So it was necessary: See 9:16–22; Leviticus 16:14–19. copies of the heavenly things: See study note on Hebrews 8:5. heavenly things to be purified: Just as the tabernacle needed cleansing because of the Israelites' sin (Leviticus 16:16–19), the…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. patterns--"the suggestive representations"; the typical copies (see on He 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 9:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hebrews 9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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