TRV
“The Law is a Shadow of the Good Things”· Hebrews 10:1–4
Translation
King James Version
But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Complete Jewish Bible
No, it is quite the contrary — in these sacrifices is a reminder of sins, year after year.
American Standard Version
But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year.
Geneva Bible (1599)
But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance againe of sinnes euery yeere.
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In the KJVVerse 30,137 of 31,102 · 96.9%
LawLawHistoryHistPoetryPoetProphetsProphNew TestamentNT
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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Hebrews 10:1–6. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Passage under commentHebrews 10:1–6
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.
2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
3But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
5Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points
Here the apostle, by the direction of the Spirit of God, sets himself to lay low the Levitical dispensation; for though it was of divine appointment, and very excellent and useful in its time and place, yet, when it was set up in competition with Christ, to whom it was only designed to lead the people, it was very proper and necessary to show the weakness and imperfection of it, which the apostle does effectually, from several arguments. As,
I.That the law had a shadow, and but a shadow, of good things to come; and who would dote upon a shadow, though of good things, especially when the substance has come? Observe,
1.The things of Christ and the gospel are good things; they are the best things; they are best in themselves, and the best for us: they are realities of an excellent nature.
2.These good things were, under the Old Testament, good things to come, not clearly discovered, nor fully enjoyed.
3.That the Jews then had but the shadow of the good things of Christ, some adumbrations of them; we under the gospel have the substance.
II.That the law was not the very image of the good things to come.
An image is an exact draught of the thing represented thereby. The law did not go so far, but was only a shadow, as the image of a person in a looking-glass is a much more perfect representation than his shadow upon the wall. The law was a very rough draught of the great design of divine grace, and therefore not to be so much doted on.
III.The legal sacrifices, being offered year by year, could never make the comers thereunto perfect; for then there would have been an end of offering them, Heb 10:1, Heb 10:2. Could they have satisfied the demands of justice, and made reconciliation for iniquity, - could they have purified and pacified conscience, - then they had ceased, as being no further necessary, since the offerers would have had no more sin lying upon their consciences. But this was not the case; after one day of atonement was over, the sinner would fall again into one fault or another, and so there would be need of another day of atonement, and of one every year, besides the daily ministrations. Whereas now, under the gospel, the atonement is perfect, and not to be repeated; and the sinner, once pardoned, is ever pardoned as to his state, and only needs to renew his repentance and faith, that he may have a comfortable sense of a continued pardon.
IV.As the legal sacrifices did not of themselves take away sin, so it was impossible they should, Heb 10:4. There was an essential defect in them.
1.They were not of the same nature with us who sinned.
2.They were not of sufficient value to make satisfaction for the affronts offered to the justice and government of God. They were not of the same nature that offended, and so could not be suitable. Much less were they of the same nature that was offended; and nothing less than the nature that was offended could make the sacrifice a full satisfaction for the offence.
3.The beasts offered up under the law could not consent to put themselves in the sinner's room and place. The atoning sacrifice must be one capable of consenting, and must voluntarily substitute himself in the sinner's stead: Christ did so.
V.There was a time fixed and foretold by the great God, and that time had now come, when these legal sacrifices would be no longer accepted by him nor useful to men. God never did desire them for themselves, and now he abrogated them; and therefore to adhere to them now would be resisting God and rejecting him. This time of the repeal of the Levitical laws was foretold by David (Psa 40:6, Psa 40:7), and is recited here as now come. Thus industriously does the apostle lay low the Mosaical dispensation.
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Historical interpretation
Six Centuries of Reception
15 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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If they had become perfect, their priesthood would have ceased, because they should have abstained from their sacrifices. And if their conscience was cleansed from sin, at the same time they would have been cleansed from the impurity of flesh. But “in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin” every day. “For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin.” Therefore our Lord, who came to this world, said through the mouth of David, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me,” so that the victims of sacrifices might be abolished through his sacrifice.
"For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged, should have had no more conscience of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year."
What then? do not we offer every day? We offer indeed, but making a remembrance of His death, and this remembrance is one and not many. How is it one, and not many? Inasmuch as that Sacrifice was once for all offered, and carried into the Holy of Holies. This is a figure of that sacrifice and this remembrance of that. For we always offer the same, not one sheep now and to-morrow another, but always the same thing: so that the sacrifice is one. And yet by this reasoning, since the offering is made in many places, are there many Christs? but Christ is one everywhere, being complete here and complete there also, one Body. As then while offered in many places, He is one body and not many bodies; so also He is one sacrifice. He is our High Priest, who offered the sacrifice that cleanses us. That we offer now also, which was then offered, which cannot be exhausted. This is done in remembrance of what was then done. For (saith He) "do this in remembrance of Me." (Luke xxii. 19.) It is not another sacrifice, as the High Priest, but we offer always the same, or rather we perform a remembrance of a Sacrifice.
Do you see that the law takes its force from the place? And, since the city is gone, there can no longer be a priesthood. There can be no emperor if there are no armies, no crown, no purple robe, none of the other things that weld together an empire. So, too, there can be no priesthood if sacrifice has been destroyed, if offerings are forbidden, if the sanctuary has been trampled into the dust, if everything that constituted it has disappeared. For the priesthood depended on all these things.…That great and wonderful prophet, David … made it clear that the one kind of sacrifice would be abolished and another brought in to take its place when he said, “You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be numbered.” See how wise the prophet is. He said, “You have multiplied your wondrous deeds,” and he stood aghast at God’s power to work miracles. But he did not go on to tell us about the creation of the things we see—of heaven, earth, and oceans, of water in Egypt or of any other miracles like those. What did he say were wondrous works? “Sacrifice and offering you do not desire.” …
David went on to say, “But a body you have fitted to me.” By this he meant the Lord’s body which became the common sacrifice for the whole world, the sacrifice which cleansed our souls, canceled sin, put down death, opened heaven, gave us many great hopes and made ready all the other things which Paul knew well and spoke of when he exclaimed, “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways.”56
David, then, foresaw all this when he said, “Many are the wondrous works you have done, O Lord my God.” He went on to say, speaking of the person of Christ, “In holocausts and sin offerings you had had no pleasure,” and then continued, “Then I said, ‘Lo, I come.’ ” When was “then”? When the time was ripe for more perfect instructions. We had to learn the less perfect lessons through his servants, but the loftier lessons which surpass the nature of humankind we had to learn from the lawgiver himself.
These things have been spoken to those in Babylon who wanted to say to God, “You did not demand sacrifices from me but only to obey you and to do your will.” And right away the things pertaining to the quotation have become unambiguous as far as I am concerned. Changing it he speaks in this way about the person of Christ, saying, “I will establish a body” instead of “I will establish ears.”
How could the blood of brute beasts declare guiltless some murderer or parricide? This is the reason blessed David also said, “Had you wanted it, I would have offered sacrifice; you will take no delight in burned offerings.”
He showed both the law’s limitations and its usefulness: while it cannot remove sins, it mounts an accusation against them, instills fear and obliges one to have recourse to grace.
By “first” he meant the sacrifice of brute beasts, by the “second” the rational one, offered by himself.… He brought out clearly that God’s will is the salvation of humankind. The Lord also said as much, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who believes in me may not be lost but may have eternal life.”
Christ spoke, “while coming into the world,” not “after he had entered it.” But manifestly he was already entering it when he promised David and maintained that he would seat one from the fruit of his loins on his throne until the age would come. Therefore, “while entering into the world” because of the promises made to David, he also says this through him, since “you did not wish for sacrifice and offering, neither were you well pleased” with the rites in the law. And he did not say, “you are not well pleased nor wish,” but “you did not want nor were you well pleased,” all but saying, “From their very institution and introduction the sacrifices were not entirely satisfactory and well pleasing. But really if any of them were accepted by you, it was accepted owing to the weakness of the one who brought them. Since then I reject these things and ‘I prepare a body for myself,’ then ‘I have come’ in order ‘to do your will.’ For this also is spoken concerning me not in a simple manner and in passing, but as the chief matter and the supposition of the book which foretold about me.” And he calls the book the whole Old Testament. For the chief thing and the most noteworthy supposition of the Old Testament are the predictions about Christ.
He calls them “the same sacrifices” because they are always being offered for the same things, since those sacrifices and offerings which have taken place and are taking place are not strong enough to strip away any sin purely and completely.
It is said by holy Gregory, who is among the saints, in the Apologeticus and in the Address to the Politicians, that the present laws are types of greater mysteries. And again in the Treatise on the Resurrection; "We will partake of the Passover," he says, "now in a typical manner, but later in a more perfect way." For I dare to say that the legal Passover was a type of a type.
Having said these things, in none of these does the Apostle refer to a shadow and an image, and the good things to come, which he also calls true things. For as concerning the presentation of a shadow and an image, the things indicate truth, and indeed they are truth. Therefore, he knows the things in the law as a shadow, the image as our own of the Christians, and the good things to come and true things that are in the coming age. For as much as the image departs from the truth, so much is the shadow of the image. For the image, even if it does not have the truth itself, is nevertheless a clear imitation of the truth, preserving the form through colors, and the proportion of the parts, and the color of the subject.
The shadow is a faint image of the reality, nothing of those things which the image reveals. And I suppose the theologian was led from these apostolic statements to speak about the topics at hand. And similar to Gregory, many other fathers have spoken likewise.
"For the law having a shadow." It is merely a type of the future good things, namely of the new covenant.Not the very image of the things themselves. These, not the very truth. Of what things? Of sacrifice, of forgiveness. For the old things were like a shadowy outline, being dim; but the new things are an image; these, in truth, as having been clearly manifested and accomplished.
It is also possible to understand in this way.
"year by year." What then? Do we not always bring forth unbloody sacrifices? But we also make memorials of one death of Christ and we always eat one body of Christ. For now we do not have one Christ, and at another time another, but always the same. The sacrifices of the Jews had various victims, such as sheep, oxen, goats. Therefore, there were many sacrifices. For ours, even if there are many in action, are one in power.
"with the same sacrifices."In the same way. For the offerings are various.
"continually." For they were offered annually without end.
"can never." The law, that is.
"make those who approach perfect." Why? Because it is a type. For the truth, that is Christ, did this, having accomplished purification through one sacrifice.
"For they would not have ceased." According to the question, read. For if they had ceased, he says, those sacrifices would certainly not have ceased to be offered, because the consciousness of sins would no longer have been taken away, because it has been once for all purified.
"But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins." In them, he says, those sacrifices are only a reminder and a proof of sins, but there is no longer any forgiveness. And the proof that there is no forgiveness is the continual existence of sacrifices.
For, he says, not only are the sacrifices offered for the sins that arise, but rather for all, as they have not been forgiven, for the sins that have already occurred.
"For it is impossible for the blood of bulls." Therefore, he shows the truth of what has been said, from the insignificance of the blood.
"of the things." He calls the future life things; the image of things, the evangelical life; and the shadow of the image of things, the Old Testament. For the image more clearly shows the archetypes. But the outline of the image reveals these things more faintly. For in this way, the weakness of the Old Testament is illustrated. For many, he says, offering sacrifices and the same ones year by year, can never makeperfect those who are governed by the law.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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Summary
Hebrews 10:3 highlights the inherent inadequacy of the Old Covenant sacrificial system, particularly the annual offerings on the Day of Atonement. Far from permanently removing sin, these repeated sacrifices served as a yearly "remembrance" or "calling to mind" of sins, underscoring the persistent need for atonement and the inability of animal blood to truly perfect the conscience of the worshiper. This continuous cycle implicitly pointed to the necessity of a superior, once-for-all sacrifice that could genuinely deal with the problem of sin.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is deeply embedded within the author's sustained argument in the book of Hebrews concerning the superiority of Christ's new covenant ministry over the Old Covenant Law and its sacrificial system. Immediately preceding this verse, Hebrews 10:1-2 establishes that the Law, with its shadows, could never make perfect those who drew near. If it could, the sacrifices would have ceased because the worshipers, once purified, would have no more consciousness of sins. Hebrews 10:3 then directly explains why the sacrifices did not cease: they merely served as an annual reminder of sins, not their eradication. This sets the stage for the subsequent exposition of Christ's perfect, once-for-all sacrifice in Hebrews 10:4-18.
Historical & Cultural Context
The "sacrifices" referenced here primarily allude to the annual rituals performed on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, as prescribed in Leviticus 16. On this most solemn day of the Israelite calendar, the high priest entered the Most Holy Place to offer blood sacrifices for his own sins and for the sins of the entire nation. This was not a one-time event but an annual necessity, reinforcing the provisional and temporary nature of the atonement it provided. The meticulous rituals, the specific animals, and the yearly repetition were deeply ingrained in the Jewish religious consciousness, representing their ongoing relationship with a holy God and their persistent need for cleansing from defilement.
Key Themes
Several major themes converge in this verse. First, the inadequacy of Old Covenant sacrifices is starkly presented; their very repetition proves their inability to achieve ultimate cleansing. If they were truly effective, they would have ceased, as Hebrews 10:2 asserts. Second, the theme of perpetual remembrance of sins is central. Instead of removing the memory or guilt of sin, the annual ritual served to bring sins back to mind, highlighting the continuous human failure and the persistent need for divine mercy. This contrasts sharply with the New Covenant promise where God declares, "their sins and iniquities will I remember no more". Finally, this verse subtly contributes to the overarching theme of foreshadowing Christ's perfect work. While insufficient in themselves, these divinely ordained rituals established the principle of atonement through blood, preparing God's people for the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This conjunction introduces a strong contrast. In the context of Hebrews 10:1-2, which speaks of the Law being a shadow and the sacrifices ceasing if they could perfect, "but" signals a counterpoint. It emphasizes that despite the Law's purpose, the reality was that the sacrifices did not perfect; instead, they served a different, albeit temporary, function.
This term signifies a "calling to mind" or "recollection." It is crucial for understanding the verse's point. The annual sacrifices did not erase sins from God's memory or the worshiper's conscience. Instead, they acted as an annual re-presentation of the problem of sin, a fresh reminder that sin was still present and required ongoing propitiation. This "remembrance" is not about God forgetting and then remembering, but about the ritual serving as a perpetual memorial of human sinfulness and the need for atonement.
This word refers to "sin" in its abstract sense, encompassing both individual transgressions and the inherent sinful nature. The fact that "sins" are continually "remembered" underscores the deep-seated nature of humanity's fallen condition. It highlights that the Old Covenant sacrifices could only cover, not eradicate, the fundamental problem of sin, leaving a persistent consciousness of guilt and separation from God.
Verse Breakdown
"But in those sacrifices"
This phrase directly refers to the annual animal offerings under the Old Covenant, particularly those on the Day of Atonement. The "but" introduces a contrast, setting the stage for an explanation of their true, limited function.
"there is a remembrance again made of sins"
This is the core assertion of the verse. It means that the very act of offering these sacrifices served to bring sins to mind, to make them present and accounted for once more. It was a yearly acknowledgment of the ongoing reality of sin and the need for its provisional covering, rather than a definitive removal.
"every year"
This temporal phrase emphasizes the cyclical, repetitive nature of these sacrifices. The yearly repetition is the proof of their imperfection and inability to provide a final solution to the sin problem. If they truly cleansed, they would only need to be offered once.
Literary Devices
The author of Hebrews masterfully employs several literary devices to convey his theological argument. Contrast is a primary device, evident in the "But" which introduces a distinction between what the Law could not do (perfect the worshiper) and what the sacrifices did do (provide a remembrance of sins). This sets up the later, ultimate contrast with Christ's perfect sacrifice. Repetition is also key, highlighted by the phrase "every year." This emphasizes the cyclical, unending nature of the Old Covenant rituals, which stands in stark opposition to the "once for all" nature of Christ's offering. Finally, there is a subtle use of Metonymy, where "sacrifices" stand in for the entire Old Covenant system and its inability to provide ultimate atonement. The annual "remembrance" itself becomes a symbol of the Law's provisional and incomplete nature, pointing to the need for a better covenant.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Hebrews 10:3 profoundly underscores the provisional and preparatory nature of the Old Covenant sacrificial system. It reveals that the Law, while holy and good, was never intended to be the ultimate solution to humanity's sin problem. Instead, its annual rituals, particularly the Day of Atonement, served as a perpetual reminder of sin's ongoing presence and the deep chasm it created between a holy God and sinful humanity. This constant "remembrance" highlighted the inadequacy of animal blood to truly cleanse the conscience or remove the guilt of sin, thereby creating a profound longing and theological necessity for a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice that could truly deal with sin definitively.
Reflection and Application
Hebrews 10:3, when understood in its full redemptive-historical context, offers profound comfort and assurance to believers today. It liberates us from any lingering sense that our forgiveness is conditional upon repeated rituals or ongoing efforts to appease God. The very inadequacy of the Old Covenant sacrifices, highlighted by their annual repetition and the "remembrance of sins" they entailed, serves to magnify the perfect, complete, and permanent work of Jesus Christ. We are no longer under a system that perpetually brings our sins to mind, but under a covenant where sins are truly forgiven and remembered no more by God. This truth should lead to a deep sense of gratitude, freedom, and confidence in our access to God, knowing that our standing before Him is secured not by our imperfect works, but by Christ's finished work.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "remembrance again made of sins" truly mean in this verse?
The phrase "remembrance again made of sins" (Greek: anámnēsis) signifies that the annual sacrifices, particularly on the Day of Atonement, did not permanently remove or obliterate the guilt and consciousness of sin. Instead, they served as a yearly "calling to mind" or "recollection" of the people's sins. It was a solemn reminder that sin was still a present reality requiring ongoing, albeit temporary, propitiation. This cyclical act underscored the provisional nature of the Old Covenant's atonement, highlighting that the fundamental problem of sin had not yet been definitively solved, thereby creating an anticipation for a more perfect solution.
How does this verse relate to the Christian practice of communion (the Lord's Supper)?
While Hebrews 10:3 speaks of the Old Covenant sacrifices, the Greek word anámnēsis ("remembrance") is also used by Jesus in the institution of the Lord's Supper, where He says, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). The contrast is profound: the Old Covenant sacrifices brought sins to remembrance, emphasizing their ongoing presence and the need for repeated atonement. In contrast, the Lord's Supper brings Christ's finished work to remembrance, celebrating the once-for-all sacrifice that has definitively dealt with sin, securing full forgiveness and new covenant blessings. It is a remembrance of salvation accomplished, not of sins still needing to be covered.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Hebrews 10:3, by exposing the inherent inadequacy of the Old Covenant sacrifices, powerfully sets the stage for the absolute necessity and ultimate sufficiency of Christ's atoning work. The yearly "remembrance of sins" in the ancient rituals served as a stark demonstration that animal blood could never truly take away sin or perfect the conscience, as Hebrews 10:4 explicitly states. This continuous cycle of sin and sacrifice was a divine object lesson, patiently educating God's people about the depth of their sin problem and the provisional nature of the Law, thereby cultivating a longing for a definitive solution. This longing is gloriously fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who, by His single, perfect offering, has forever dealt with sin. Unlike the priests who stood daily offering the same sacrifices, Christ "offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, He sat down at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12). His sacrifice not only covers sins but truly takes them away, perfecting those who are sanctified and ensuring that their "sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (Hebrews 10:17). Thus, Hebrews 10:3, though seemingly negative, serves as a vital dark backdrop against which the brilliant light of Christ's finished work shines with unparalleled glory, securing for us eternal redemption.