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King James Version
Hebrews 10:1
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For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.
For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.
That old agreement between God and his people was just the shadow on the ground of the real thing to come. Every single year, every sacrifice had to be made again and again. Animal blood just couldn't get the job done for very long. The cleaning it gave just wasn't pure. Following rules and sacrificing animals couldn't make anyone perfect.
For the law, being only a poor copy of the future good things, and not the true image of those things, is never able to make the people who come to the altar every year with the same offerings completely clean.
For the law, having a shadow of the coming good things, not the image itself of the things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually yearly, perfect those who approach.
For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices which they offer year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect.
For, since the Law exhibits only an outline of the blessings to come and not a perfect representation of the things themselves, the priests can never, by repeating the same sacrifices which they continually offer year after year, give complete freedom from sin to those who draw near.
For the Law hauing a shadow of good things to come, and not the very Image of the things, can neuer with those sacrifices which they offered yeere by yeere continually, make the commers thereunto perfect:
For the Law had a shadow of the coming good things, not the image itself of those things. Appearing year by year with the same sacrifices, which they offer continually, they never are able to perfect the ones drawingnear.
For the lawe which hath but the shadowe off good thinges to come, and not the thinges in their awne fashion, can neuer by the sacrifices which they offer yeare by yeare continually, make the commers there vnto perfecte:
For the law being only an allusion to a future dispensation that was more excellent, and not an exact imitation of such a state, cannot by the anniversary sacrifices, which are offered, entirely purify those that present themselves.
The old plan was only a hint of the good things in the new plan. Since that old "law plan" wasn't complete in itself, it couldn't complete those who followed it. No matter how many sacrifices were offered year after year, they never added up to a complete solution. If they had, the worshipers would have gone merrily on their way, no longer dragged down by their sins. But instead of removing awareness of sin, when those animal sacrifices were repeated over and over they actually heightened awareness and guilt. The plain fact is that bull and goat blood can't get rid of sin. That is what is meant by this prophecy, put in the mouth of Christ: You don't want sacrifices and offerings year after year; you've prepared a body for me for a sacrifice. It's not fragrance and smoke from the altar that whet your appetite. So I said, "I'm here to do it your way, O God, the way it's described in your Book." When he said, "You don't want sacrifices and offerings," he was referring to practices according to the old plan. When he added, "I'm here to do it your way," he set aside the first in order to enact the new plan—God's way—by which we are made fit for God by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus.
For since the Law has only a shadow [just a pale representation] of the good things to come—not the very image of those things—it can never, by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year, make perfect those who approach [its altars].
For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh.
For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices which are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near.
For the lawe which hath but the shadowe of good thynges to come and not the thynges in their awne fassion can never with ye sacryfises which they offer yere by yere continually make the comers thervnto parfayte.
For the law having a shadow of the good [things] to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those that draw near.
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, [and] not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers to [them] perfect.
For the law having a shadow of the coming good things -- not the very image of the matters, every year, by the same sacrifices that they offer continually, is never able to make perfect those coming near,
The law is only an unclear picture of the good things coming in the future; it is not the real thing. The people under the law offer the same sacrifices every year, but these sacrifices can never make perfect those who come near to worship God.
For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.
For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. It can never, by the same sacrifices offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
The Law of Moses is like a shadow of the good things to come. This shadow isn't the good things themselves, because it cannot free people from sin by the sacrifices that are offered year after year.
For the Torah has in it a shadow of the good things to come, but not the actual manifestation of the originals. Therefore, it can never, by means of the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, bring to the goal those who approach the Holy Place to offer them.
For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.
For the Lawe hauing the shadowe of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can neuer with those sacrifices, which they offer yeere by yeere continually, sanctifie the commers thereunto.
FOR the law had in it a shadow of the good things to come, but was not the essence of the things themselves; hence although the same sacrifices were offered every year, they could not perfect those who offered them.
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the actual form of those realities, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year.
For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.
For the law, being only a reflectionshadow">[fn] of the blessings to come and not their substance, can never, by the same sacrifices repeatedly offered year after year, make those who come near perfect.Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5;">[xr]
For there was in the law the shadow of good things to come, not the subsistence of the very things, therefore (though) every year the same sacrifices were offered they could never perfect those who offered them.
For in the law there was a shadow of the good things to come; not the substance of the things themselves. Therefore, although the same sacrifices were every year offered, they could never perfect those who offered them.
For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.
The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.
The Law is like a picture of the good things to come. The Jewish religious leaders gave gifts on the altar in worship to God all the time year after year. Those gifts could not make the people who came to worship perfect.
For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, they can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh.
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who approach.
For the law, having in a shadow of the destined good things, not the very image of the things, they can never, with the same sacrifices which year by year they offer evermore, make them who approach, perfect;
For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, by the selfsame sacrifices which they offer continually every year, can never make the comers thereunto perfect.
For the law, possessing a shadow of the good things that are about to come, not the form of things itself, is never able year by year by means of the same sacrifices which they offer without interruption to make perfect those who draw near.
For the lawe, hauyng the shadow of good thynges to come, and not the very fashion of the thinges the selues, can neuer with those sacrifices whiche they offer yere by yere continually, make the commers therevnto perfect.
The law gave us only an unclear picture of the good things coming in the future. The law is not a perfect picture of the real things. The law tells people to offer the same sacrifices every year. Those who come to worship God continue to offer those sacrifices. But the law can never make them perfect.
For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the form of those things itself, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, make those who approach perfect.
The Jewish Law is not a full and faithful model of the real things; it is only a faint outline of the good things to come. The same sacrifices are offered forever, year after year. How can the Law, then, by means of these sacrifices make perfect the people who come to God?
For the lawe hauinge a schadewe of good thingis `that ben to come, not the ilke image of thingis, mai neuer make men neiyinge perfit bi the ilke same sacrifices, which thei offren without ceessing bi alle yeeris;
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
having: Hebrews 8:5, Hebrews 9:9, Hebrews 9:11, Hebrews 9:23, Colossians 2:17
with: Hebrews 10:3, Hebrews 10:4, Hebrews 10:11-18, Hebrews 7:18, Hebrews 7:19, Hebrews 9:8, Hebrews 9:9, Hebrews 9:25
perfect: Hebrews 10:14
Reciprocal: Exodus 40:26 - General Leviticus 9:16 - manner Leviticus 16:30 - General Psalms 119:18 - wondrous Song of Solomon 2:9 - he standeth Song of Solomon 2:17 - the shadows Isaiah 29:1 - add Ezekiel 46:15 - a continual Luke 22:16 - until Luke 24:44 - in the law John 19:30 - It is Acts 6:14 - change Romans 3:21 - being Romans 8:3 - For what 1 Corinthians 10:4 - that Rock 2 Corinthians 3:13 - to the Galatians 3:24 - the law Ephesians 2:15 - the law 1 Timothy 6:21 - have Hebrews 7:11 - perfection Hebrews 7:16 - the law
Cross-References
These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For the law having a shadow of good things to come,.... By which is meant not the moral law, for that is not a shadow of future blessings, but a system of precepts; the things it commands are not figuratively, but really good and honest; and are not obscure, but plain and easy to be understood; nor are they fleeting and passing away, as a shadow, but lasting and durable: but the ceremonial law is intended; this was a "shadow", a figure, a representation of something true, real, and substantial; was dark and obscure, yet had in it, and gave, some glimmering light; and was like a shadow, fleeting and transitory: and it was a shadow of good things; of Christ himself, who is the body, the sum and substance of it, and of the good things to come by him; as the expiation of sin, peace and reconciliation, a justifying righteousness, pardon of sin, and eternal life; these are said to be "to come", as they were under the former dispensation, while the ceremonial law was in force, and that shadow was in being, and the substance not as yet.
And not the very image of the things; as it had not neither the things themselves, nor Christ, the substance of them, so it did not give a clear revelation of them, as is made in the Gospel, nor exhibit a distinct delineation of them, such as an image expresses; it only gave some short and dark hints of future good things, but did not exactly describe them: and therefore
can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually: namely, the sacrifices of bullocks and goats, which were offered on the day of atonement, year after year, in successive generations, from the first appointment of that day, to the writing of this epistle: sacrifices of such a kind, and so often repeated, could never
make the comers thereunto perfect; either the people that came to the temple, and brought them to the priests to offer them for them, or the priests that offered them; so the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it, "perfect them that offer"; and if not one, then not the other: legal sacrifices could not make perfect expiation of sin; there is no proportion between them and sin: nor did they extend to all sin, and at most only typically expiated; nor could they justify and cleanse from sin. Contrary to this, the Jews p say,
"when Israel was in the holy land, there was no iniquity found in them, for the sacrifices which they offered every day stoned for them;''
but spiritual sacrificers and worshippers were expiated, justified, and cleansed another way, even by the blood of Christ, slain from the foundation of the world in purpose, promise, and type, and to which their faith had respect in every sacrifice.
p Zohar in Gen. fol. 107. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
For the law having a shadow - That is, the whole of the Mosaic economy was a shadow; for so the word âLawâ is often used. The word âshadowâ here refers to a rough outline of anything, a mere sketch, such as a carpenter draws with a piece of chalk, or such as an artist delineates when he is about to make a picture. He sketches an outline of the object which he designs to draw, which has âsomeâ resemblance to it, but is not the âvery image;â for it is not yet complete. The words rendered âthe very imageâ refer to a painting or statue which is finished, where every part is an exact copy of the original. The âgood things to comeâ here refer to the future blessings which would be conferred on man by the gospel. The idea is, that under the ancient sacrifices there was an imperfect representation; a dim outline of the blessings which the gospel would impart to people. They were a typical representation; they were not such that it could be pretended that they would answer the purpose of the things themselves which they were to represent, and would make those who offered them perfect. Such a rude outline; such a mere sketch, or imperfect delineation, could no more answer the purpose of saving the soul than the rough sketch which an architect makes would answer the purpose of a house, or than the first outline which a painter draws would answer the purpose of a perfect and finished portrait. All that could be done by either would be to convey some distant and obscure idea of what the house or the picture might be, and this was all that was done by the Law of Moses.
Can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually - The sacrifices here particularly referred to were those which were offered on the great day of atonement. These were regarded as the most sacred and efficacious of all, and yet the apostle says that the very fact that they were offered every year showed that there must be some deficiency about them, or they would have ceased to be offered.
Make the comers thereunto perfect - They could not free them from the stains of guilt; they could not give ease to a troubled conscience; there was in them no efficacy by which sin could be put away; compare the notes on Hebrews 7:11; Hebrews 9:9.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER X.
The insufficiency of the legal sacrifices to take away sin,
1-4.
The purpose and will of God, as declared by the Psalmist,
relative to the salvation of the world by the incarnation of
Christ; and our sanctification through that will, 5-10.
Comparison between the priesthood of Christ and that of the
Jews, 11-14.
The new covenant which God promised to make, and the blessings
of it, 15-17.
The access which genuine believers have to the holiest by the
blood of Jesus, 18-20.
Having a High Priest over the Church of God, we should have
faith, walk uprightly, hold fast our profession, exhort and help
each other, and maintain Christian communion, 21-25.
The danger and awful consequences of final apostasy, 26-31.
In order to our perseverance, we should often reflect on past
mercies, and the support afforded us in temptations and
afflictions; and not cast away our confidence, for we shall
receive the promise if we patiently fulfil the will of God,
32-37.
The just by faith shall live; but the soul that draws back shall
die, 38.
The apostle's confidence in the believing Hebrews, 39.
NOTES ON CHAP. X.
Verse Hebrews 10:1. The law, having a shadow of good things to come — A shadow, Ïκια, signifies,
1. Literally, the shade cast from a body of any kind, interposed between the place on which the shadow is projected, and the sun or light; the rays of the light not shining on that place, because intercepted by the opacity of the body, through which they cannot pass.
2. It signifies, technically, a sketch, rude plan, or imperfect draught of a building, landscape, man, beast, c.
3. It signifies, metaphorically, any faint adumbration, symbolical expression, imperfect or obscure image of a thing and is opposed to ÏÏμα, body, or the thing intended to be thereby defined.
4. It is used catachrestically among the Greek writers, as umbra is among the Latins, to signify any thing vain, empty, light, not solid; thus Philostratus, Vit. Soph., lib. i. cap. 20: ÎÌÏι Ïκια και ονειÏαÏα Î±Î¹Ì Î·Ìδοναι ÏαÏαιΠAll pleasures are but SHADOWS and dreams. And Cicero, in Pison., cap. 24: Omnes umbras falsae gloriae consectari. "All pursue the SHADOWS of FALSE GLORY." And again, De Offic., lib. iii. cap. 17: Nos veri juris germanaeque justitiae solidam et expressam effigiem nullam tenemus; umbra et itnaginibus utimur. "We have no solid and express effigy of true law and genuine justice, but we employ shadows and images to represent them."
And not the very image — εικÏν, image, signifies,
1. A simple representation, from εικÏ, I am like.
2. The form or particular fashion of a thing.
3. The model according to which any thing is formed.
4. The perfect image of a thing as opposed to a faint representation.
5. Metaphorically, a similitude, agreement, or conformity.
The law, with all its ceremonies and sacrifices, was only a shadow of spiritual and eternal good. The Gospel is the image or thing itself, as including every spiritual and eternal good.
We may note three things here:
1. The shadow or general outline, limiting the size and proportions of the thing to be represented.
2. The image or likeness completed from this shadow or general outline, whether represented on paper, canvass, or in statuary,
3. The person or thing thus represented in its actual, natural state of existence; or what is called here the very image of the things, Î±Ï Ïην Ïην εικονα ÏÏν ÏÏαγμαÏÏν.
Such is the Gospel, when compared with the law; such is Christ, when compared with Aaron; such is his sacrifice, when compared with the Levitical offerings; such is the Gospel remission of sins and purification, when compared with those afforded by the law; such is the Holy Ghost, ministered by the Gospel, when compared with its types and shadows in the Levitical service; such the heavenly rest, when compared with the earthly Canaan. Well, therefore, might the apostle say, The law was only the shadow of good things to come.
Can never - make the comers thereunto perfect. — Cannot remove guilt from the conscience, or impurity from the heart. I leave preachers to improve these points.
