ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Hebrews 10.1-4

Book: Hebrews · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV

1. For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh. 2. Else would they not have ceased to be offered? because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. 4. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.

  1. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, But a body didst thou prepare for me; 6. In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure: (Hebrews 10:1-6, ASV)
WEB

1. For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. 2. Or else wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins? 3. But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. 4. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.

  1. Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, “Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire, but you prepared a body for me. 6. You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. (Hebrews 10:1-6, WEB)
KJV

1. For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. would: or, they would have ceased to be offered, because, etc. 3. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

  1. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: hast: or, thou hast fitted me 6. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. (Hebrews 10:1-6, KJV)
YLT

1. For the law having a shadow of the coming good things, not the very image of the matters, every year, by the same sacrifices that they offer continually, is never able to make perfect those coming near, 2. since, would they not have ceased to be offered, because of those serving having no more conscience of sins, having once been purified? 3. but in those [sacrifices] is a remembrance of sins every year, 4. for it is impossible for blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

  1. Wherefore, coming into the world, he saith, 'Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not will, and a body Thou didst prepare for me, 6. in burnt-offerings, and concerning sin-offerings, Thou didst not delight, (Hebrews 10:1-6, YLT)

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Setting

  • Speaker: the anonymous author of Hebrews. Pauline authorship was doubted in antiquity and Origen concluded that who wrote it, God knows
  • Audience: Jewish believers under pressure to fall back from Christ into the older covenant observances
  • Location: unknown; the closing greeting from those of Italy (13:24) points in two directions at once
  • Time period: most likely before AD 70, since the sacrificial system is discussed as still operating

Theological reading

The paragraph delivers the letter's sharpest statement about the older sacrifices, and it should be read with the care the author gives it rather than as a dismissal.

The shadow argument (1). The law has a shadow of good things to come, not the very image. A shadow requires a body; the relation is derivative, not fictional.

The argument from repetition (2-3). Would they not have ceased to be offered? If the worshippers had once been cleansed, they would have had no more consciousness of sins. Instead there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. The Day of Atonement's annual return is treated as the system's own admission. The very rite that dealt with sin also reminded Israel that the matter was not closed.

The verdict (4). For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Impossible is a strong word and the author chooses it.

Two things follow that are easy to get wrong. First, this does not mean the sacrifices were pointless or that God was indifferent to them; 9:13 grants that they sanctified to the cleanness of the flesh, and 9:15 says the one offering redeemed the transgressions committed under the first covenant. Second, the argument is the ground for the letter's positive claim at 10:10-14, that a single offering has perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

See Atonement and Mosaic Law.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Concepts:

Lexicon:

Guides:

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.