Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
CONCLUSION OF THE FOREGOING ARGUMENT. THE YEARLY RECURRING LAW SACRIFICES CANNOT PERFECT THE WORSHIPPER, BUT CHRIST'S ONCE-FOR-ALL OFFERING CAN. (Heb. 10:1-39)
Previously the oneness of Christ's offering was shown; now is shown its perfection as contrasted with the law sacrifices.
having—inasmuch as it has but "the shadow, not the very image," that is, not the exact likeness, reality, and full revelation, such as the Gospel has. The "image" here means the archetype (compare Hebrews 9:24), the original, solid image [BENGEL] realizing to us those heavenly verities, of which the law furnished but a shadowy outline before. Compare II Corinthians 3:13-14, II Corinthians 3:18; the Gospel is the very setting forth by the Word and Spirit of the heavenly realities themselves, out of which it (the Gospel) is constructed. So ALFORD. As Christ is "the express image (Greek, 'impress') of the Father's person" (Hebrews 1:3), so the Gospel is the heavenly verities themselves manifested by revelation—the heavenly very archetype, of which the law was drawn as a sketch, or outline copy (Hebrews 8:5). The law was a continual process of acted prophecy, proving the divine design that its counterparts should come; and proving the truth of those counterparts when they came. Thus the imperfect and continued expiatory sacrifices before Christ foretend, and now prove, the reality of, Christ's one perfect antitypical expiation.
good things to come— (Hebrews 9:11); belonging to "the world (age) to come." Good things in part made present by faith to the believer, and to be fully realized hereafter in actual and perfect enjoyment. Lessing says, "As Christ's Church on earth is a prediction of the economy of the future life, so the Old Testament economy is a prediction of the Christian Church." In relation to the temporal good things of the law, the spiritual and eternal good things of the Gospel are "good things to come." Colossians 2:17 calls legal ordinances "the shadow," and Christ "the body."
never—at any time (Hebrews 10:11).
with those sacrifices—rather, "with the same sacrifices.
year by year—This clause in the Greek refers to the whole sentence, not merely to the words "which they the priests offered" (Greek, "offer"). Thus the sense is, not as English Version, but, the law year by year, by the repetition of the same sacrifices, testifies its inability to perfect the worshippers; namely, on the YEARLY day of atonement. The "daily" sacrifices are referred to, Hebrews 10:11.
continually—Greek, "continuously," implying that they offer a toilsome and ineffectual "continuous" round of the "same" atonement-sacrifices recurring "year by year."
comers thereunto—those so coming unto God, namely, the worshippers (the whole people) coming to God in the person of their representative, the high priest.
perfect—fully meet man's needs as to justification and sanctification (see on Hebrews 9:9).
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Hebrews 10:1:
Exodus 29:35
Exodus 37:17-22
Song of Solomon 2:17
Isaiah 1:11
Micah 6:8
1 Corinthians 11:25
Colossians 2:17
Hebrews 3:5
Hebrews 7:27
Hebrews 9:11
Hebrews 9:13
Hebrews 10:14
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