Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Hebrews 9:6
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Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Now when these things were thus ordained, etc..] Or prepared and got ready; that is, when the tabernacle was finished, and set up, and provided with all its vessels and furniture: the priests went always into the first tabernacle; the first part of the tabernacle, which was called the holy place, (<580902>Hebrews 9:2) here the common priests went continually every day, morning and evening; the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, “the outward tabernacle”, in distinction from the innermost part of the tabernacle, or the most holy place: accomplishing the service of God; by offering sacrifices, burning incense, and trimming the lamps, which they did every day: the priests entered into the holy place every day for service; but they might not go in at any other time but the time of service f179 the phrase, “of God”, is not in the text, but is a supplement; and it was usual with the Jews to call the worship of the temple, and especially that part of it which lay in sacrifices, hdwb[, “the service”: Simeon the just used to say, the world stands upon three things; upon the law, hdwb[h l[w, “and upon the service”, and upon beneficence f180; by “the service”, the commentators f181 on the passage understand sacrifices; and again it is said f182, no man enters into the court hdwb[l, “for service”, though he is clean, until he has dipped himself: the word here used in the Greek text is in the plural number, and may be rendered the services, because there were several sorts of services performed every day, as before observed, and several sacrifices offered; and the Vulgate Latin version renders it, “the offices of sacrifices”; and the Ethiopic version, “their offerings”; and the Arabic version, “offices”: and the service which the high priest performed in the holiest of all once a year, was divers, which is mentioned in the following verses, and is called “service”, (<580908>Hebrews 9:8) it is said, that on the day of atonement there were five twdwb[, “services” of the morning daily sacrifice f183, in which the high priest ministered in his golden garments: but here the service of the common priests is meant, which was every day; and it becomes such who are employed in sacred service; both to be constant in it, and to do it fully and completely. Ver. 7 But into the second went the high priest alone, once every year, etc..] Though this is not expressed in so many words in (<031602>Leviticus 16:2) only it is said that “Aaron came not at all times into the holy place within the vail”; yet it is the constant and generally received sense of the Jewish writers, in agreement with the apostle here, that the high priest went into the holy of holies but once a year f184, on the day of atonement, which was on the tenth of the month Tisri, and answers to part of September; not but that he went in more than once on that day, for he went in no less than four times f185; the first time he went in to offer incense; the second time with the blood of the bullock, to sprinkle it; the third time with the blood of the goat; and the fourth time to bring out the censer f186; and if he entered a fifth time, they say he was worthy of death; wherefore Philo the Jew f187 seems to be mistaken when he affirms that, if he went in three or four times on the same day, he suffered death, nor was there any pardon for him; and as it was but one day in a year he might enter, so when he did, no other man, either Israelite or priest, might go in along with him; he went in alone without…
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