Hebrews 9:13

King James Version

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,

Legacy Standard Bible
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,

Simplified Cowboy Version
The blood and ashes of animals could cleanse someone's body, but not their soul.

Bible in Basic English
For if the blood of goats and oxen, and the dust from the burning of a young cow, being put on the unclean, make the flesh clean:

Darby Translation
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and a heifer's ashes sprinkling the defiled, sanctifies for the purity of the flesh,

World English Bible
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh:

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

Weymouth's New Testament
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have contracted defilement make them holy so as to bring about ceremonial purity,

King James Version (1611)
For if the blood of Bulls, and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the vncleane, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

Literal Translation
For if the blood of bulls and goats, and ashes of a heifer sprinkling those having been defiled, sanctifies to the purity of the flesh,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For yff the bloude off oxen and off goates, and the asshes off the cowe whan it is sprenkled, haloweth the vncleane as touchynge the purificacion of the flesh,

Mace New Testament (1729)
For if the blood of goats and of bulls, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkled on the unclean, can cleanse them from external impurities;

Amplified Bible
For if the sprinkling of [ceremonially] defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a [burnt] heifer is sufficient for the cleansing of the body,

American Standard Version
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh:

Revised Standard Version
For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For yf the bloud of oxen and of Gotes and the asshes of an heyfer whe it was sprynckled puryfied the vnclene as touchynge the purifiynge of the flesshe:

Update Bible Version
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those that have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh:

Webster's Bible Translation
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctify to the purifying of the flesh:

Young's Literal Translation
for if the blood of bulls, and goats, and ashes of an heifer, sprinkling those defiled, doth sanctify to the purifying of the flesh,

New Century Version
The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a cow are sprinkled on the people who are unclean, and this makes their bodies clean again.

New English Translation
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled consecrated them and provided ritual purity,

Berean Standard Bible
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,

Contemporary English Version
According to the Law of Moses, those people who become unclean are not fit to worship God. Yet they will be considered clean, if they are sprinkled with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a sacrificed calf.

Complete Jewish Bible
For if sprinkling ceremonially unclean persons with the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer restores their outward purity;

English Standard Version
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,

Geneva Bible (1587)
For if the blood of bulles and of goates, and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling them that are vncleane, sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh,

George Lamsa Translation
For if the blood of goats and calves, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkled on those who were defiled, sanctified them even to the cleansing of their flesh;

Christian Standard Bible®
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,

Hebrew Names Version
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh:

International Standard Version
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are unclean purifies them with physical cleansing,Leviticus 16:14,16; Numbers 19:2,17, 16;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For if the blood of goats and of calves, and the dust of an heifer, sprinkled upon those who were unclean, sanctifieth them for the purification of their flesh,

Murdock Translation
For if the blood of goats and calves, with the ashes of a heifer, was sprinkled upon them that were defiled, and sanctified them as to the purification of their flesh;

New King James Version
For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,

New Living Translation
Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people's bodies from ceremonial impurity.

New Life Bible
With the Old Way of Worship, the blood and ashes of animals could make men clean after they had sinned.

English Revised Version
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh:

New Revised Standard
For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the profaned, halloweth unto the purity of the flesh,

Douay-Rheims Bible
For if the blood of goats and of oxen, and the ashes of an heifer, being sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled, to the cleansing of the flesh:

Lexham English Bible
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled sanctify them for the ritual purity of the flesh,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For if the blood of Oxen & of Goates, and the asshes of a young Cowe, sprinklyng the vncleane, sanctifieth to the purifiyng of the flesshe:

Easy-to-Read Version
The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a cow were sprinkled on those who were no longer pure enough to enter the place of worship. The blood and ashes made them pure again—but only their bodies.

New American Standard Bible
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,

Good News Translation
The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a burnt calf are sprinkled on the people who are ritually unclean, and this purifies them by taking away their ritual impurity.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For if the blood of gootbuckis, and of boolis, and the aische of a cow calf spreynd, halewith vnclene men to the clensing of fleisch,

Contextual Overview

⁸ The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: ⁹ Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; ¹⁰ Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. ¹¹ But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 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. ¹³ For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 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?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: Leviticus 16:14, Leviticus 16:16

and: Numbers 19:2-21

the purifying: Numbers 8:7, Numbers 19:12, 2 Chronicles 30:19, Psalms 51:7, Acts 15:9, 1 Peter 1:22

Reciprocal: Exodus 12:5 - be without Exodus 12:7 - General Exodus 29:12 - the blood Leviticus 5:16 - and the priest Leviticus 14:7 - sprinkle Leviticus 16:30 - General Numbers 19:4 - sprinkle Numbers 19:9 - clean Numbers 19:21 - General 2 Chronicles 35:6 - sanctify Psalms 51:2 - Wash Isaiah 6:7 - thine iniquity Isaiah 52:15 - sprinkle Ezekiel 36:25 - will I Ezekiel 37:23 - will cleanse Ezekiel 44:26 - General Zechariah 13:1 - a fountain John 3:25 - about John 11:55 - to purify John 17:19 - I sanctify John 19:34 - came Acts 11:9 - What Hebrews 9:9 - that could Hebrews 9:12 - by the Hebrews 10:2 - once Hebrews 10:4 - not Hebrews 10:22 - sprinkled Hebrews 10:29 - wherewith Hebrews 13:12 - sanctify

Cross-References

Ezekiel 1:28
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord . And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Revelation 4:3
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

Revelation 10:1
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For if the blood of bulls and of goats,.... Shed either on the day of atonement, or at any other time: the former of thee, Pausanias y relates, was drank by certain priestesses among the Grecians, whereby they were tried, whether they spoke truth or no if not, they were immediately punished; and the latter, he says z, will dissolve an adamant stone; but neither of them can purge from sin:

and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean; the apostle refers to the red heifer, Numbers 19:1 which being burnt, its ashes were gathered up and put into a vessel, and water poured upon them, which was sprinkled with a bunch of hyssop on unclean persons; the ashes and the water mixed together made the water of separation, or of sprinkling; for so it is called by the Septuagint, υδωρ

ραντισμου, "the water of sprinkling", and in the Targum in a following citation: this was the purification for sin, though it only

sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; the body, or only in an external and typical way, but did not really sanctify the heart, or purify and cleanse the soul from sin. The Jews say, that the waters of purification for sin were not waters of purification for sin, without the ashes a; and to this the Targumist, on Ezekiel 36:25 and on Zechariah 13:1 refers, paraphrasing both texts thus;

"I will forgive their sins as they are cleansed with the water of sprinkling, and with the ashes of the heifer, which is a purification for sin.''

y Achaica, sive l. 7. p. 450. z Arcadica, sive l. 8. p. 485. a Misn. Temura, c. 1. sect. 5. Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For if the blood of bulls and of goats - Referring still to the great day of atonement, when the offering made was the sacrifice of a bullock and a goat.

And the ashes of an heifer - For an account of this, see Numbers 19:2-10. In ver. 9, it is said that the ashes of the heifer, after it was burnt, should be kept “for a water of separation; it is a purification for sin.” That is, the ashes were to be carefully preserved, and being mixed with water were sprinkled on those who were from any cause ceremonially impure. The “reason” for this appears to have been that the heifer was considered as a sacrifice whose blood has been offered, and the application of the ashes to which she had been burnt was regarded as an evidence of participation in that sacrifice. It was needful, where the laws were so numerous respecting external pollutions, or where the members of the Jewish community were regarded as so frequently “unclean” by contact with dead bodies, and in various other ways, that there should be some method in which they could be declared to be cleansed from their “uncleanness.” The nature of these institutions also required that this should be in connection with “sacrifice,” and in order to this, it was arranged that there should be this “permanent sacrifice” - the ashes of the heifer that had been sacrificed - of which they could avail themselves at any time, without the expense and delay of making a bloody offering specifically for the occasion. It was, therefore, a provision of convenience, and at the same time was designed to keep up the idea, that all purification was somehow connected with the shedding of blood.

Sprinkling the unclean - Mingled with water, and sprinkled on the unclean. The word “unclean” here refers to such as had been defiled by contact with dead bodies, or when one had died in the family, etc.; see Numbers 19:11-22.

Sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh - Makes holy so far as the flesh or body is concerned. The uncleanness here referred to related to the body only, and of course the means of cleansing extended only to that. It was not designed to give peace to the conscience, or to expiate moral offences. The offering thus made removed the obstructions to the worship of God so far as to allow him who had been defiled to approach him in a regular manner. Thus, much the apostle allows was accomplished by the Jewish rites. They had an efficacy in removing ceremonial uncleanness, and in rendering it proper that he who had been polluted should be permitted again to approach and worship God. The apostle goes on to argue that if they had such an efficacy, it was fair to presume that the blood of Christ would have far greater efficacy, and would reach to the conscience itself, and make that pure.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hebrews 9:13. Sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh — Answers the end proposed by the law; namely, to remove legal disabilities and punishments, having the body and its interests particularly in view, though adumbrating or typifying the soul and its concerns.