X-Dreamers
Bible chapter guide
Hebrews 9
The first covenant had a sanctuary: the holy place with the lampstand and table, and behind the second veil the most holy place with the ark, entered by the high priest once a year with blood. Christ entered the greater and more perfect tent, once for all, by his own blood.
Summary written for the Labs; read the chapter itself for the full text.
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- Textually stated
It stood in the Holy Place, just outside the veil.
Exodus 30:6 puts it 'before the veil'; Hebrews 9:4 associates it with the Most Holy Place, which interpreters reconcile in different ways.
- Textually stated
Only the priests passed through this screen; they went into the first room continually to carry out their service.
Hebrews describes the priests going into the first tent continually; Numbers gives the priesthood to Aaron and his sons and bars anyone else who comes near.
- Textually stated
Only the high priest went beyond the veil, once a year, on the Day of Atonement, and not without blood.
Stated directly in the text; the other priests served before the veil but never passed it.
- Textually stated
Only the high priest entered, once a year and not without blood.
Leviticus 16 for the Tabernacle; Hebrews 9:7 describes the same rule.
- Strongly supported
Hebrews 9:4: "altar of incense" or "censer"?: The Greek thymiatērion can mean an altar of incense or a censer. KJV reads "the golden censer" and the 和合本 "金香爐" (a golden censer): both take the censer reading. Meyer argues for the altar, since a description of the tent would hardly leave it out; the Cambridge Bible notes that Philo and Josephus use the word for the altar. Exodus puts the altar before the veil; the Cambridge Bible reads Hebrews as saying the altar belonged to the most holy place in its service, while Ellicott and Meyer admit a difficulty.