translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: HEB

label: NET translator note

text: Grk “the first” (referring to the covenant described in Heb 8:7, 13 ). In the translation the referent (covenant) has been specified for clarity.


text: Grk “the first,” in order of approach in the ritual.


text: Grk “in which [were].”


text: Grk “which,” describing the outer tent.


text: Grk “in which”; in the translation the referent (the ark) has been specified for clarity.


text: Grk “above it”; in the translation the referent (the ark) has been specified for clarity.


text: Grk “the first tent.”


text: Grk “the second tent.”


text: Or perhaps “the unintentional sins of the people”; Grk “the ignorances of the people.” Cf. BDAG 13 s.v. ἀγνόημα , “ sin committed in ignorance / unintentionally .” This term seems to be simply a synonym for “sins” (cf. Heb 5:2 ) and does not pick up the distinction made in Num 15:22-31 between unwitting sin and “high-handed” sin. The Day of Atonement ritual in covered all the sins of the people, not just the unwitting ones.


text: Grk “the first tent.” The literal phrase “the first tent” refers to either (1) the outer chamber of the tabernacle in the wilderness (as in vv. 2, 6 ) or (2) the entire tabernacle as a symbol of the OT system of approaching God. The second is more likely given the contrast that follows in vv. 11-12 .


text: Grk “only for foods and drinks.”


text: א * A I P 0278 33 1739 1881 al sa) in which case δικαιώματα is taken as the nominative subject of the participle ἐπικείμενα ( epikeimena ). It seems far more likely that scribes would conform δικαιώματα to the immediately preceding datives and join it to them by καί than they would to the following nominative participle. Both on external and internal evidence the text is thus secure as reading βαπτισμοῖς , δικαιώματα .


text: Grk “until the time of setting things right.”


text: Grk “But Christ, when he came,” introducing a sentence that includes all of Heb 9:11-12 . The main construction is “Christ, having come…, entered…, having secured…,” and everything else describes his entrance.


text: This verb occurs in the Greek middle voice, which here intensifies the role of the subject, Christ, in accomplishing the action: “he alone secured”; “he and no other secured.”


text: Grk “for the purifying of the flesh.” The “flesh” here is symbolic of outward or ritual purity in contrast to inner purity, that of the conscience (cf. Heb 9:9 ).


text: 1881 Ï lat sa) read “your” instead of “our.” The diversity of evidence makes this a difficult case to decide from external evidence alone. The first and second person pronouns differ by only one letter in Greek, as in English, also making this problem difficult to decide based on internal evidence and transcriptional probability. In the context, the author’s description of sacrificial activities seems to invite the reader to compare his own possible participation in OT liturgy as over against the completed work of Christ, so the second person pronoun “your” might make more sense. On the other hand, TCGNT 599 argues that “our” is preferable because the author of Hebrews uses direct address (i.e., the second person) only in the hortatory sections. What is more, the author seems to prefer the first person in explanatory remarks or when giving the logical grounds for an assertion (cf. Heb 4:15; 7:14 ). It is hard to reach a definitive conclusion in this case, but the data lean slightly in favor of the first person pronoun.


text: The Greek word μεσίτης ( mesith" , “mediator”) in this context does not imply that Jesus was a mediator in the contemporary sense of the word, i.e., he worked for compromise between opposing parties. Here the term describes his function as the one who was used by God to enact a new covenant which established a new relationship between God and his people, but entirely on God’s terms.


text: Grk “the promise of the eternal inheritance.”


text: Grk “a death having occurred.”


text: Grk “there is a necessity for the death of the one who made it to be proven.”


text: Grk “which God commanded for you (or in your case).” sn A quotation from Exod 24:8 .


text: Or “prototypes,” “outlines,” referring to the earthly sanctuary. See Heb 8:5 above for the prior use of this term.


text: Grk “with these”; in the translation the referent (sacrifices) has been specified for clarity.


text: Grk “the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”


text: Or “prefiguration.”


text: The word “sanctuary” is not in the Greek text at this point, but has been supplied for clarity.


text: Grk “and not that he might offer,” continuing the previous construction.


text: Here ἀνθρώποις ( anqrwpoi" ) has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).


text: Grk “and after this – judgment.”


text: Grk “without sin,” but in context this does not refer to Christ’s sinlessness (as in Heb 4:15 ) but to the fact that sin is already dealt with by his first coming.


text: Grk “for salvation.” This may be construed with the verb “await” (those who wait for him to bring them salvation), but the connection with “appear” (as in the translation) is more likely.