Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
Nor {G3761} yet that {G2443} he should offer {G4374} himself {G1438} often {G4178}, as {G5618} the high priest {G749} entereth {G1525} into {G1519} the holy place {G39} every {G2596} year {G1763} with {G1722} blood {G129} of others {G245};
Further, he did not enter heaven to offer himself over and over again, like the cohen hagadol who enters the Holiest Place year after year with blood that is not his own;
Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place year by year with blood not his own;
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Hebrews 9:12
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. -
Hebrews 9:7
But into the second [went] the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and [for] the errors of the people: -
Hebrews 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? -
Hebrews 10:19
¶ Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, -
Hebrews 9:26
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. -
Exodus 30:10
And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it [is] most holy unto the LORD. -
Hebrews 10:10
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all].
Hebrews 9:25 stands as a powerful statement highlighting the unparalleled nature of Jesus Christ's sacrifice, contrasting it sharply with the temporary and repetitive rituals of the Old Covenant. This verse is central to the book of Hebrews' argument for the superiority of Christ's priesthood and the New Covenant he inaugurated.
Context
This verse is part of a larger exposition in Hebrews chapters 8-10, where the author meticulously compares and contrasts the Old Testament sacrificial system, particularly the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), with the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. Under the Old Covenant, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies once a year, bearing the "blood of others"—animal sacrifices—to make atonement for the sins of himself and the people (see Leviticus 16). The author of Hebrews emphasizes that this annual ritual, though divinely ordained, was a shadow pointing to a greater reality yet to come.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The Greek phrase for "offer himself often" (οὐδ' ἵνα πολλάκις προσφέρῃ ἑαυτόν, oud' hina pollakis prosphere heauton) powerfully conveys the idea of Christ's unique, non-repetitive act. The contrast is stark: the high priest's actions were characterized by repetition ("often"), while Christ's offering was a singular, perfect act. The "holy place" (τὰ ἅγια, ta hagia) specifically refers to the Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctuary of the Tabernacle/Temple, where God's presence dwelt.
Practical Application
For believers today, Hebrews 9:25 offers immense assurance and comfort: