Hebrews 9:3

New Testament Epistle (General) ASV (1901)

What does Hebrews 9:3 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holy of holies;” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holy of holies;
Hebrews 9:3 — American Standard Version

Context — Hebrews 9

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
3And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holy of holies;

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And after the second vail, etc..] Were there more vails than one? the Scripture speaks but of one, (<022631>Exodus 26:31) there was indeed an hanging for the door of the tent, but that is not called a vail; nor was there more than one vail in the tabernacle, nor in the temple of Solomon; but in the second temple, under which the apostle lived, there were two vails, which divided between the holy place, and the holy of holies; and the innermost of these the apostle means: and so the Jewish writers f137 constantly affirm, that there were two vails between the said places, and that two new ones were made every year f138. So on the day of atonement, when the high priest went into the most holy…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And--Greek, "But." after--behind; within. second veil--There were two veils or curtains, one before the Holy of Holies (catapetasma), here alluded to, the other before the tabernacle door (calumma). called--as opposed to "the true."”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And after the second veil - There were two “veils” to the tabernacle. The one which is described in Exodus 26:36-37, was called “the hanging for the door of the tent,” and was made of “blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen,” and was suspended on five pillars of shittim-wood, overlaid with gold. This answered for a door to the whole tabernacle. The second or inner veil, here referred to, divided the holy from the most holy place. This is described in Exodus 26:31-33. It was made of the same materials as the other, though it would seem in a more costly manner, and with more embroidered work. On this veil the figures of the cherubim were curiously wrought. The design of this veil…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“The second veil divided the holy place from the most holy, as the first veil did the holy place from the courts. Hebrews 9:4”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“9:3 At the back of the first room of the Tabernacle was a curtain that separated the first room from the second room called the Most Holy Place (Exod 26:31-33). This curtain was a sacred barrier: Only the high priest could go behind it into the Most Holy Place, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Heb 9:7; see Exod 30:6, 10; Lev 16:2-34; 23:27-32).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“the second: Heb 6:19, Heb 10:20; Exo 26:31-33, Exo 36:35-38, Exo 40:3, Exo 40:21; Ch2 3:14; Isa 25:7; Mat 27:51 the Holiest: Heb 9:8, Heb 10:19; Kg1 8:6 Hebrews 9:4”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification