Hebrews Chapter 9 verse 10 Holy Bible

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 10. - Rendered in A.V.," Which stood only in (μόνον ἐπὶ) meats and drinks and divers washings, and carnal ordinances [καὶ δικαιώμασι σαρκὸς, Textus Receptus], imposed on them (ἐπικείμενα) until the time of reformation." This is a satisfactory rendering of the Textus Receptus, ἐπὶ before "meats," etc., being taken in the sense of dependence, and ἐπικείμενα necessarily as agreeing with "gifts and sacrifices" (δῶρα τε καὶ θυσίαι) in ver. 9. But there are other readings, though none, any more than that of the Textus Receptus, to be decidedly preferred on the mere ground of manuscript authority. The best sense seems to be given by that of δικαιΩ´ματα instead of καὶ δικαιώματι, so that we may render (ἐπὶ being taken in the sense of addition), Being only (with meats and drinks and divers washings) carnal ordinances, imposed until the time of reformation. We thus have an obvious neuter plural (δικαιώματα) for ἐπικείμενα to agree with, and we avoid the assertion that the "gifts and sacrifices" of the Law "stood only" in "meats," etc. This was not so; their essential part was blood-shedding (αἱματεκχύσια ver. 22) the other things here mentioned were but accompaniments and appendages. The "meats and drinks" spoken of may refer mainly to the distinctions between clean and unclean viands, which we know were made such a point of by the Jews of the apostolic ago (cf. Colossians 2:16-23; Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 8; also Mark 7:15). The "diverse washings" (βαπτισμοῖς) may be taken to include both the ablutions of the priests before sacrifice, and those enjoined on the people in many parts of the Law after ceremonial defile-merit, which kind of washings had been further multiplied variously in the traditional law (cf. Mark 7:3, 4, 8).

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10) Which stood only in . . .--Better, only joined with meats and drinks and divers washings,--carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation. Here again the best authorities correct the received Greek text, omitting "and" before the word "carnal," and so altering the next word as to make it descriptive of the "gifts and sacrifices" mentioned in Hebrews 9:9. These sacrifices--looked at in themselves, as powerless to attain the end designed (Hebrews 10:1; Hebrews 10:4)--are mere appendages of such regulations as deal with meats and drinks and washings. The character of this latter class of ordinances no one could mistake; and what the writer here says is that these powerless sacrifices belong to the same line of things. On the, "washings" see Note on Hebrews 6:2. The preceding words would most naturally refer to meats, &c., of which men were required to partake (as Exodus 12; Leviticus 7:15, et al.); but no doubt include the various restrictions and distinctions of the ceremonial law (Leviticus 11; Numbers 6, et al.). All these are "ordinances of flesh," ordinances which relate to the outward state of things only; closely connected with the maintenance of external privileges and relations, but (in themselves) nothing more. "Imposed," comp. Acts 15:10 : "reformation," Hebrews 8:7-12. . . .