Hebrews 9:13

13 For if the blood of goat bucks, and of bulls, and the ashes of a cow calf sprinkled, halloweth unclean men to the cleansing of flesh,

Hebrews 9:13 Meaning and Commentary

Hebrews 9:13

For if the blood of bulls and of goats
Shed either on the day of atonement, or at any other time: the former of thee, Pausanias ^F25 relates, was drank by certain priestesses among the Grecians, whereby they were tried, whether they spoke truth or no if not, they were immediately punished; and the latter, he says ^F26, will dissolve an adamant stone; but neither of them can purge from sin:

and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean;
the apostle refers to the red heifer, ( Numbers 19:1-22 ) which being burnt, its ashes were gathered up and put into a vessel, and water poured upon them, which was sprinkled with a bunch of hyssop on unclean persons; the ashes and the water mixed together made the water of separation, or of sprinkling; for so it is called by the Septuagint, (udwr) (rantismou) , "the water of sprinkling", and in the Targum in a following citation: this was the purification for sin, though it only

sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh;
the body, or only in an external and typical way, but did not really sanctify the heart, or purify and cleanse the soul from sin. The Jews say, that the waters of purification for sin were not waters of purification for sin, without the ashes ^F1; and to this the Targumist, on ( Ezekiel 36:25 ) and on ( Zechariah 13:1 ) refers, paraphrasing both texts thus;

``I will forgive their sins as they are cleansed with the water of sprinkling, and with the ashes of the heifer, which is a purification for sin.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Achaica, sive l. 7. p. 450.
F26 Arcadica, sive l. 8. p. 485.
F1 Misn. Temura, c. 1. sect. 5. Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.

Hebrews 9:13 In-Context

11 But Christ being a bishop of goods to coming, entered by a larger and perfecter tabernacle [Forsooth Christ being a bishop of goods to come, by a larger and perfecter tabernacle], not made by hand, that is to say, not of this making,

12 neither by blood of goat bucks, or of calves, but by his own blood, entered once into the holy things, that were found by an everlasting redemption. [neither by blood of goat bucks, or calves, but by his own blood, entered once into holy things, when everlasting redemption was found.]

13 For if the blood of goat bucks, and of bulls, and the ashes of a cow calf sprinkled, halloweth unclean men to the cleansing of flesh,

14 how much more the blood of Christ, which by the Holy Ghost offered himself unwemmed to God, shall cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve God that liveth [for to serve to living God]?

15 And therefore he is a mediator of the new testament, that by death falling betwixt [that death falling between], into redemption of the trespassings that were under the former testament, they that be called take the promise of everlasting heritage.