Hebrews 9:1

¶ Then verily the first [covenant] had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.

Then {G3767} verily {G3303} the first {G4413} covenant had {G2192} also {G2532} ordinances {G1345} of divine service {G2999}, and {G5037} a worldly {G2886} sanctuary {G39}.

Now the first covenant had both regulations for worship and a Holy Place here on earth.

Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary.

Now even the firstcovenanthad ordinances of divine service, and its sanctuary, a sanctuary of this world.

Context

Hebrews 9:1 introduces the author's detailed comparison between the Old Covenant (Mosaic Law) and the New Covenant established by Jesus Christ. Having already asserted the superiority of Christ's priestly ministry and the "more excellent ministry" of the New Covenant in the previous chapter, this verse begins to elaborate on the characteristics and limitations of the "first covenant." It sets the stage for a comprehensive argument demonstrating why the former system, though divinely instituted, was temporary and imperfect, pointing forward to a greater reality.

Key Themes

  • The Nature of the Old Covenant: This verse highlights that the Old Covenant was not without divine purpose. It possessed specific "ordinances of divine service," meaning God-given rules and rituals for worship and purification.
  • The Earthly Sanctuary: The phrase "a worldly sanctuary" refers to the Tabernacle (and later the Temple), a physical structure built on earth according to God's instructions. This emphasizes its tangible, temporal nature, in contrast to the heavenly sanctuary where Christ ministers. For details on its construction, see Exodus 25:8-9.
  • Preparation and Imperfection: While divinely ordained, the Old Covenant system, with its earthly sanctuary and external rituals, served as a foreshadowing. It was a preparatory system designed to point to the ultimate, perfect sacrifice and heavenly ministry of Christ, as further explored in Hebrews 9:24.

Linguistic Insights

The term "ordinances" in Greek is dikaiōmata (δικαιώματα), which can mean righteous requirements, regulations, or decrees. It underscores that these were divinely established rules for proper conduct and worship under the Old Covenant, given by God as part of His righteous law.

The phrase "worldly sanctuary" translates from kosmikon hagion (κοσμικὸν ἅγιον). Kosmikon means "belonging to the world" or "earthly," emphasizing that this sanctuary was part of the physical, created realm, temporary and subject to decay, unlike the eternal, spiritual reality of the heavenly sanctuary.

Significance and Application

Hebrews 9:1 is crucial for understanding the entire book's argument. It establishes the foundation for contrasting the Old and New Covenants, showing that even the good and God-given elements of the former were limited. For believers today, this verse underscores the profound shift from a system of external rituals and a physical place of worship to a spiritual reality centered on Christ's finished work. We no longer need a "worldly sanctuary" or a system of animal sacrifices because Christ himself is our great High Priest and the ultimate sacrifice, offering perfect and eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12). This perspective encourages a focus on faith in Christ's completed work rather than reliance on human efforts or external observances for salvation.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Exodus 25:8

    And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

  • Hebrews 9:10

    [Which stood] only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed [on them] until the time of reformation.

  • Hebrews 9:11

    But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

  • Leviticus 18:30

    Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that [ye] commit not [any one] of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I [am] the LORD your God.

  • Hebrews 8:2

    A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

  • Leviticus 18:3

    After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

  • Leviticus 18:4

    Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I [am] the LORD your God.

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