TRV
“The Law is a Shadow of the Good Things”· Hebrews 10:1–4
Translation
King James Version
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Complete Jewish Bible
For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.
Berean Standard Bible
because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
American Standard Version
For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.
World English Bible Messianic
For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.
Geneva Bible (1599)
For it is vnpossible that the blood of bulles and goates should take away sinnes.
Young's Literal Translation
for it is impossible for blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
In the KJVVerse 30,138 of 31,102 · 96.9%
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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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Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
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.
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.
"For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
So that their being many, and offered "continually," proves that they (the worshipers) were never made clean. For as a medicine, when it is powerful and productive of health, and able to remove the disease entirely, effects all after one application; as, therefore, if being once applied it accomplishes the whole, it proves its own strength in being no more applied, and this is its business, to be no more applied; whereas if it is applied continually, this is a plain proof of its not having strength.
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 10:4 succinctly declares the inherent inability of the Old Covenant animal sacrifices to truly and permanently remove sin, thereby establishing the theological necessity for a superior, definitive atonement. This verse serves as a crucial bridge in the author's argument, underscoring the temporary and symbolic nature of the Levitical system and pointing towards the ultimate efficacy of Christ's perfect sacrifice.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is strategically placed within the author's sustained and intricate argument for the supremacy of Jesus Christ and the New Covenant over the Old. It follows chapters 7-9, which meticulously establish Christ's high priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek and contrast His singular, perfect sacrifice with the repeated, imperfect sacrifices of the Levitical system. Immediately preceding, Hebrews 10:1-3 states that the Law, with its sacrifices, was merely "a shadow of the good things to come" and served as a "continual remembrance of sins." Hebrews 10:4 then provides the theological rationale for this inadequacy, explaining why these sacrifices could not perfect the worshiper, thus setting the stage for the profound declaration of Christ's willing obedience and His once-for-all offering in Hebrews 10:5-10 and the subsequent exposition of its eternal efficacy in Hebrews 10:11-18.
Historical & Cultural Context
The original audience of the Book of Hebrews was likely Jewish Christians, possibly facing persecution or internal struggles that tempted them to revert to familiar Jewish practices and the perceived security of the Old Covenant rituals. They were deeply steeped in the traditions of the Mosaic Law, the Levitical priesthood, and the Temple sacrificial system, particularly the annual observance of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The concept of animal sacrifice as the divinely ordained means of dealing with sin and maintaining fellowship with God was central to their religious identity. The author's argument directly addresses their understanding of sin, atonement, and access to God, challenging the sufficiency of their deeply ingrained traditions by demonstrating their limitations in light of Christ's ultimate and perfect work.
Key Themes
Hebrews 10:4 is pivotal in developing several major theological themes in the epistle. It powerfully articulates the inadequacy of the Old Covenant sacrifices, emphasizing that they could not provide true spiritual purification or a complete removal of sin. This deficiency highlights the superiority of Christ's sacrifice, which alone possesses the power to truly cleanse and perfect. The verse also reinforces the theme of shadow versus reality, asserting that the Law and its rituals were mere prefigurations, pointing to the ultimate reality found in Christ (Hebrews 10:1). Furthermore, by declaring the impossibility of animal blood taking away sins, it implicitly establishes the necessity of a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice, directly leading to the exposition of Christ's definitive atonement, which brings about the perfection of believers (Hebrews 10:14) and grants confident access to God (Hebrews 10:19-22).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From the negative particle 'a' and 'dynatos' (able), this word signifies an inherent lack of power or capability. It is not merely that God chose not to allow animal blood to take away sins, but that the sacrifices themselves were intrinsically incapable of achieving such a profound and permanent spiritual effect. This emphasizes the absolute and inherent limitation of the Old Covenant system.
This verb means to remove completely, to abolish, or to carry off. It implies a definitive and permanent eradication, not just a temporary covering or ceremonial cleansing. The author uses this strong term to highlight the qualitative difference between the Old Covenant sacrifices, which could not achieve this, and Christ's sacrifice, which definitively does.
This term refers to the fundamental problem of humanity's transgression against God's holy law, encompassing both individual acts of disobedience and the inherent sinful nature. The verse underscores that the core issue of human sinfulness, in its totality, could not be truly or eternally dealt with by the blood of animals.
Verse Breakdown
"For [it is] not possible"
The introductory "For" (Greek, gár) indicates that this statement provides the logical reason or explanation for the preceding verses (Hebrews 10:1-3), which describe the Law as a "shadow" and its sacrifices as a "continual remembrance of sins." The phrase "not possible" (Greek, adýnatos) asserts an absolute, inherent impossibility. It is a theological declaration that the very nature of animal sacrifices rendered them incapable of achieving the ultimate removal of sin.
"that the blood of bulls and of goats"
This refers specifically to the animal sacrifices prescribed under the Mosaic Law, particularly those offered during the annual Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), which were considered the pinnacle of the Old Covenant's atoning rituals. "Bulls" (taûros) and "goats" (trágos) represent the primary sacrificial animals used in these most significant ceremonies for national and individual purification. The mention of their "blood" emphasizes the life-giving essence offered in sacrifice.
"should take away sins"
The crucial phrase "take away" (Greek, aphairéō) signifies a complete and permanent removal, an abolition, or a carrying off. While Old Covenant sacrifices could provide ceremonial cleansing, temporary covering, and a means for fellowship to continue, they could not fundamentally eradicate the guilt, stain, or power of sin from the worshiper's conscience or from God's sight in a definitive, eternal way. They lacked the inherent spiritual efficacy to provide the perfect, internal purification necessary for ultimate reconciliation and perfection before a holy God.
Literary Devices
The author employs several literary devices to convey this profound theological truth. Rhetorical Declaration is evident in the direct and forceful assertion "it is not possible," which immediately grabs the reader's attention and establishes an undeniable premise. This is followed by Contrast, implicitly setting the stage for the superiority of Christ's sacrifice by highlighting the inherent limitations of the Old Covenant system. The phrase "blood of bulls and of goats" uses Metonymy, where "blood" stands in for the entire animal sacrificial system and its rituals, representing the essence of their atoning power (or lack thereof). This concise declaration serves as a Theological Axiom, a self-evident truth within the author's framework, upon which the subsequent arguments for Christ's perfect atonement are built.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Hebrews 10:4 is a foundational statement for understanding the redemptive-historical progression from the Old Covenant to the New. It clarifies that the Levitical system, while divinely instituted and purposeful for its time, was never intended as the ultimate solution for sin. Its repeated nature (Hebrews 10:1) underscored its inadequacy, serving as a constant reminder of sin rather than its definitive removal. This verse highlights the profound holiness and justice of God, which demand a perfect sacrifice for sin—something animal blood, being finite and imperfect, could never fully provide. It also emphasizes the nature of sin as a profound spiritual defilement requiring a divine remedy that transcends mere external ritual. The inherent inability of animal blood to "take away sins" therefore necessitates the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of God's own Son.
Reflection and Application
Hebrews 10:4 invites profound reflection on the nature of our salvation and the depth of God's grace. It calls us to appreciate the immeasurable value of Christ's sacrifice, recognizing that what countless animal lives, meticulously offered over centuries, could not achieve, one perfect life accomplished in a single, definitive act. This truth liberates believers from any reliance on self-effort, religious rituals, or human merit for forgiveness and righteousness. It fosters a deep sense of gratitude and security, knowing that our sins are not merely covered but truly "taken away" by a definitive, once-for-all act. This should lead to confident access to God, a conscience cleansed from guilt, and a life lived in joyful response to such an astonishing and complete gift. It reminds us that our standing before God is entirely dependent on Christ's perfect work, not on our own imperfect attempts at atonement.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Did the Old Testament sacrifices have any value if they couldn't take away sins?
Yes, absolutely. While Hebrews 10:4 states they couldn't permanently remove sins, the Old Testament sacrifices were divinely ordained and served crucial purposes within God's covenant with Israel. They provided ceremonial cleansing, allowing the Israelites to maintain fellowship with a holy God despite their sin. They also served as a constant, tangible reminder of the seriousness of sin and the absolute necessity of atonement, pointing forward to the ultimate, perfect sacrifice that God Himself would provide. They covered sins in a temporal sense, allowing for continued covenant relationship, but they did not cleanse the conscience or provide eternal redemption in the way Christ's sacrifice does (Hebrews 9:13-14).
What does "take away sins" truly mean in this context, and how is it different from "covering" sins?
The Greek verb aphairéō (G851), translated "take away," signifies a complete removal, abolition, or carrying off. It implies more than just a temporary covering or a ceremonial cleansing. In the context of Hebrews 10:4, it means that the animal sacrifices lacked the inherent power to fundamentally eradicate the guilt, stain, and power of sin from the worshiper's conscience or from God's sight in a definitive, eternal way. "Covering" sins, as the Old Testament sacrifices did, meant that God, in His grace, provided a temporary means for His people to approach Him despite their sin, deferring the ultimate judgment. "Taking away" sins, however, implies a full and final expiation, where the sin is no longer remembered or held against the individual, providing true spiritual purification and perfection (Hebrews 10:14 and Hebrews 10:17).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Hebrews 10:4 serves as a powerful theological pivot, establishing the absolute necessity for the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The inherent inability of "the blood of bulls and of goats" to truly "take away sins" underscores the profound chasm between humanity's pervasive sinfulness and God's unblemished holiness—a chasm that only a divine, unblemished offering could bridge. Christ fulfills this need perfectly. As the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, He offered Himself "once for all" (Hebrews 9:26), not with the blood of animals but with His own precious blood (1 Peter 1:18-19). His sacrifice does not merely cover sins; it definitively removes them, perfecting those who are sanctified (Hebrews 10:14) and providing eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12). Thus, Hebrews 10:4, by highlighting the Old Covenant's deficiency, magnificently magnifies the all-sufficiency and eternal efficacy of Christ's atoning work, revealing Him as the ultimate solution to humanity's sin problem and the sole means of true reconciliation with God, establishing a new and living way into God's presence.