Hebrews 9:26

then--in that case.

must . . . have suffered--rather as Greek, "It would have been necessary for Him often to suffer." In order to "offer" (Heb 9:25), or present Himself often before God in the heavenly holiest place, like the legal high priests making fresh renewals of this high priestly function. He would have had, and would have often to suffer. His oblation of Himself before God was once for all (that is, the bringing in of His blood into the heavenly Holy of Holies), and therefore the preliminary suffering was once for all.

since the foundation of the world--The continued sins of men, from their first creation, would entail a continual suffering on earth, and consequent oblation of His blood in the heavenly holiest place, since the foundation of the world, if the one oblation "in the fulness of time" were not sufficient. PHILO [The Creation of the World, p. 637], shows that the high priest of the Hebrews offered sacrifices for the whole human race. "If there had been greater efficacy in the repetition of the oblation, Christ necessarily would not have been so long promised, but would have been sent immediately after the foundation of the world to suffer, and offer Himself at successive periods" [GROTIUS].

now--as the case is,

once--for all; without need of renewal. Rome's fiction of an UNBLOODY sacrifice in the mass, contradicts her assertion that the blood of Christ is present in the wine; and also confutes her assertion that the mass is propitiatory; for, if unbloody, it cannot be propitiatory; for without shedding of blood there is no remission (Heb 9:22). Moreover, the expression "once" for all here, and in Heb 9:28, and Heb 10:10, Heb 10:12, proves the falsity of her view that there is a continually repeated offering of Christ in the Eucharist or mass. The offering of Christ was a thing once done that it might be thought of for ever (compare Note, see on Heb 10:12).

in the end of the world--Greek, "at the consummation of the ages"; the winding up of all the previous ages from the foundation of the world; to be followed by a new age (Heb 1:1-2). The last age, beyond which no further age is to be expected before Christ's speedy second coming, which is the complement of the first coming; literally, "the ends of the ages"; Mat 28:20 is literally, "the consummation of the age," or world (singular; not as here, plural, ages). Compare "the fulness of times," Eph 1:10.

appeared--Greek, "been manifested" on earth (Ti1 3:16; Pe1 1:20). English Version has confounded three distinct Greek verbs, by translating all alike, Heb 9:24, Heb 9:26, Heb 9:28, "appear." But, in Heb 9:24, it is "to present Himself," namely, before God in the heavenly sanctuary; in Heb 9:26, "been manifested" on earth: in Heb 9:28, "shall be seen" by all, and especially believers.

put away--abolish; doing away sin's power as well by delivering men from its guilt and penalty, so that it should be powerless to condemn men, as also from its yoke, so that they shall at last sin no more.

sin--singular number; all the sins of men of every age are regarded as one mass laid on Christ. He hath not only droned for all actual sins, but destroyed sin itself. Joh 1:29, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin (not merely the sins: singular, not plural) of the world."

by the sacrifice of himself--Greek, "by (through) His own sacrifice"; not by "blood of others" (Heb 9:25). ALFORD loses this contrast in translating, "by His sacrifice."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

9:26 If that had been necessary: The author makes an argument using reductio ad absurdum (reduction to absurdity), logically showing that Christ’s one-time sacrifice must be permanently effective. Since Christ himself is the sacrifice as well as the high priest, if his offering were made every year as with the earthly high priests, he would have to die again and again. But of course this is absurd; so, clearly, Christ died once for all time . . . to remove sin.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Heb 9:26. Ἐπεὶ ἔδει, for then it would have been necessary) Here it is taken for granted that Christ suffered for the sins committed from the beginning of the world: Heb 9:15. Christ in the beginning already was He who is according to the divine nature.[53] Philo shows that the high priest of the Hebrews offered sacrifices for the whole human race, de mon., p. 637.—παθεῖν, that He should often have suffered) Therefore the offering is not (there can be no oblation) without suffering.—ἅπαξ, once) This once is absolute, being shadowed forth in the once, relative, which was Levitical: Heb 9:7.—ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ, at the consummation) when sin had reached its height; comp. note to Joh 1:10.—τῶν αἰώνων, of ages) The beginning of these ages is not to be computed from the time of Moses, but from the foundation of the world: comp. ch. Heb 1:2, note: and therefore the consummation here is not the end of the Old Testament, but of the world. Ἡ συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος, is the very consummation of the world or age (seculi), a phrase which we often find in Matthew: ἡ συντέλεια τῶν αἰώνων in this passage includes times nearer our own, as being in the plural number. The sacrifice of Christ divides the age of the world into two portions, of which the first is certainly not shorter than the second.—ἉΜΑΡΤΊΑς, of sin) The singular, with great force.[54]—πεφανέρωται, has been manifested) in the world.

[53] Beng. seems to mean, that Christ from the very beginning sustained His character as the Word of God, Joh 1:1—a title implying His divine nature, at the same time implying also His coming into the world, as seat by the Father, to be its Saviour.—ED.

[54] All the sins of all men of every age are regarded as one mass laid on Christ. Sin is here put in the abstract, to express that He destroyed sin itself, as well as atoned for actual sins.—ED.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heb_9:26. Proof of the necessity that Christs sacrifice should take place only once for all, from the non-reasonableness of the opposite. For if the sacrifice of Christ sufficed not once for all for the cancelling of sin, He must oftentimes in successionbecause no generation of mankind, so long as the world has endured, has been free from sinhave undergone death since the beginning of the world. But now, seeing this is contrary to reason, the matter stands in reality quite otherwise. From this reasoning it is evident that the author supposed an expiation of the sins of all the earlier generations of mankind too, by virtue of the sacrificial death of Christ. An erroneous statement of the connection of thought is given by Hofmann (Schriftbew. II. 1, p. 441), Delitzsch, and Alford. See, on the other hand, Riehm, Lehrbegr. des Hebräerbr. p. 552, Obs.

ἐπεί] since otherwise, alioquin. Comp. 1Co_5:10; 1Co_7:14, al.

ἔδει αὐτὸν πολλάκις παθεῖν] it were needful that He should often suffer.

On ἔδει without ἄν, see Winer, Gramm., 7 Aufl. p. 266.

παθεῖν specially of the suffering of death, as Heb_13:12.

ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμον] from the foundation or creation of the world onwards (comp. Heb_4:3), i.e. here: so long as there are men in the world.

νυνὶ δέ] as Heb_8:6, in the logical sense: but now. Opposition to ἐπεὶ κ.τ.λ.

ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων] in the end of the ages, periods of time. Antithesis to ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, and equivalent in signification to ἐπ ̓ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων, Heb_1:1. Comp. also ἐν τῇ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος, Mat_13:40; Mat_13:49.

εἰς ἀθέτησιν ἁμαρτίας διὰ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῦ] for the cancelling of sin by His sacrifice. These words belong together. The conjoining of διὰ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῦ with πεφανέρωται, which has been preferred by Jac. Cappellus, Grotius, Carpzov, Heinrichs, Schulz, Böhme, Tholuck, and others, is, in connection with the right determination of the sense of the verb (vid. infra), harsh and unnatural, and not at all justified by the alleged analogon: ὁ ἐλθὼν δι ̓ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος, 1Jn_5:6. Tholucks objection, however, that ἅπαξ … αἰώνων is antithetically opposed to the κατ ̓ ἐνιαυτόν, Heb_9:25, and πεφανέρωται διὰ τῆς θυσίας to the εἰσέρχεται ἐν αἵματι ἀλλοτρίῳ, does not apply, inasmuch as the second clause of Heb_9:26 forms the antithesis to the first clause of that verse, but not to Heb_9:25; on which account also ἐπεὶ … κόσμου is not, with Beza, Mill, Griesbach, Carpzov, Schulz, Bloomfield, and others, to be enclosed within a parenthesis.

No emphasis for the rest falls upon the personal pronoun employed with θυσίας, in such wise that the sense would be: by the sacrifice of Himself (so Erasmus, Calvin, Beza, in their translations, Piscator, Jac. Cappellus, Owen, Limborch, Schulz, Heinrichs, Böhme, Stuart, Stengel, Tholuck, Ebrard, Conybeare, and others). It means simply: by His sacrifice (Bleek, de Wette), so that not αὑτοῦ, but αὑτοῦ is to be written. The contrast between His own blood and the blood of other victims was already sufficiently brought out afresh at Heb_9:25.

πεφανέρωται] He has been manifested, i.e. He has appeared or come forth before the sight of men upon earth. Comp. 1Pe_1:20; 1Jn_3:5; 1Jn_3:8; also Col_3:4; 1Jn_2:28; 1Pe_5:4 [1Ti_3:16]. To explain the expression of the appearing before God, and to make it of like import with ἐμφανισθῆναι τῷ προσώτῳ τοῦ θεοῦ, Heb_9:24 (Jac. Cappellus, Heinrichs, Schulz, al.), is forbidden alike by the absence of the, in that case indispensable, addition τῷ θεῷ, as by the ἐκ δευτέρου ὀφθήσεται, Heb_9:28, corresponding as it does to the πεφανέρωται.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heb 9:26 . ἐπεὶ ἔδει αὐτὸν … “Since in that case he must often have suffered since the creation.” If Christ’s one offering of Himself were not eternally efficacious, if it required periodical renewal, then this demanded periodical sacrifice. It was “not without blood” the entrance was made, and if the entrance required repetition, so must the sacrifice be repeated. And as sin prevailed ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου , the παθεῖν must also date from the first. The contrast is with the one offering ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ κ . τ . λ . “If his offering of Himself were not independent of time and valid as a single act, if it were valid only for the generation for whom it is immediately made, then in order to benefit men in the past, He must have suffered often, indeed in each generation of the past” (Davidson). νυνὶ δὲ ἅπαξ … “But now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested for sin’s abolition by His sacrifice”, νυνὶ , “as things are,” in contrast to the case supposed in Heb 9:25 , the possibility of His repeated entrance and sacrifice. For the word, see Heb 8:6 . ἅπαξ not πολλάκις , Heb 9:25-26 ; and this, ἐπὶ συντελίᾳ τῶν αἰώνεν [for ἐπὶ in this use see Winer, p. 489] at that period of history in which all that has happened since the foundation of the world ( ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου ) finds its interpretation and adjustment. If there was to be one sacrifice for all generations, the occurrence of that sacrifice itself marked the period as the consummation. It closes the periods of symbolism, expectation and doubt, suggesting, perhaps, the word πεφανέρωται for Christ’s appearance, as that which was dimly foreshadowed, blindly longed for. εἰς ἀθέτησιν τῆς ἁμαρτίας , The object of Christ’s appearance, the abolition of sin, made the repetition of His sacrifice unnecessary. In Heb 7:18 ἀθέτησις is used of permanent displacement, removal, or setting aside, that is, abolition, τῆς ἁμαρτίας of sin, in its most general and comprehensive sense, all sin. This was the great object of Christ’s manifestation, the annulling of sin, its total destruction, the counteraction of all its effects. This was to be accomplished διὰ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῦ “through His sacrifice,” the simple subjective genitive. The sentence draws attention not to the nature of the sacrifice, but to its three characteristics, that it was made once for tall, in the consummation, for sin’s abolition.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That whole root of sin.

In the latter days.

An argument to prove that Christ’s offering ought not to be repeated: Seeing that sins were to be purged from the beginning of the world, and it is proved that sins cannot be purged, but by the only blood of Christ: he must needs have died oftentimes since the beginning of the world. But a man can die but once: therefore Christ’s oblation which was once done in the latter days, neither could nor can be repeated. Seeing then it is so, surely the virtue of it extendeth both to sins that were before, and to sins that are after his coming.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 26. For then must he often have suffered] In the counsel of God, Christ was considered the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Re 13:8, so that all believers before his advent were equally interested in his sacrificial death with those who have lived since his coming. Humanly speaking, the virtue of the annual atonement could not last long, and must be repeated; Christ's sacrifice is ever the same; his life's blood is still considered as in the act of being continually poured out. See Re 5:6.

The end of the world] The conclusion of the Jewish dispensation, the Christian dispensation being that which shall continue till the end of time.

To put away sin] εις αθετησιν αμαρτιας. To abolish the sin-offerings; i.e. to put an end to the Mosaic economy by his one offering of himself. It is certain that, after Christ had offered himself, the typical sin-offerings of the law ceased; and this was expressly foretold by the Prophet Daniel, Da 9:24. Some think that the expression should be applied to the putting away the guilt, power, and being of sin from the souls of believers.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

26. For then must he often have suffered, etc. He shows how great an absurdity follows, if we do not count it enough that an expiation has been made by the one sacrifice of Christ. For he hence concludes that he must have died often; for death is connected with sacrifices. How this latter supposition is most unreasonable; it then follows that the virtue of the one sacrifice is eternal and extends to all ages. And he says since the foundation of the world, or from the beginning of the world for in all ages from the beginning there were sins which needed expiation. Except then the sacrifice of Christ was efficacious, no one of the fathers would have obtained salvation; for as they were exposed to God’s wrath, a remedy for deliverance would have failed them, had not Christ by suffering once suffered so much as was necessary to reconcile men to God from the beginning of the world even to the end. Except then we look for many deaths, we must be satisfied with the one true sacrifice.

And hence it is evident how frivolous is the distinction, in the acuteness of which the Papists take so much delight; for they say that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was bloody, but that the sacrifice of the mass which they pretend to offer daily to God, is unbloody. Were this subtle evasion adopted, then the Spirit of God would be accused of inadvertence, having not thought of such a thing; for the Apostle assumes it here as an admitted truth, that there is no sacrifice without death. I care nothing that ancient writers have spoken thus; for it is not in the power of men to invent sacrifices as they please. Here stands a truth declared by the Holy Spirit, that sins are not expiated by a sacrifice except blood be shed. Therefore the notion, that Christ is often offered, is a device of the devil.

But now once in the end of the world, etc. He calls that the end of the world or the consummation of the ages, which Paul calls “the fullness of time,” (Galatians 4:4;) for it was the maturity of that time which God had determined in his eternal purpose; and thus cut off is every occasion for men’s curiosity, that they may not dare to inquire why it was no sooner, or why in that age rather than in another. For it behooves us to acquiesce in God’s secret purpose, the reason for which appears clear to him, though it may not be evident to us. In short, the Apostle intimates that Christ’s death was in due time, as he was sent into the world for this end by the Father, in whose power is the lawful right to regulate all things as well as time, and who ordains their succession with consummate wisdom, though often hid from us

This consummation is also set in opposition to the imperfection of past time; for God so held his ancient people in suspense, that it might have been easily concluded that things had not yet reached a fixed state. Hence Paul declares that the end of the ages had come upon us, (1 Corinthians 10:11;) by which he means that the kingdom of Christ contained the accomplishment of all things. But since it was the fullness of time when Christ appeared to expiate sins, they are guilty of offering him an atrocious insult, who seek to renew his sacrifice, as though all things were not completed by his death. He then appeared once for all; for had he done so once or twice, there must have been something defective in the first oblation; but this is inconsistent with fullness.

To put away, or to destroy sin, etc. This agrees with Daniel’s prophecy, in which the sealing up and the abolition of sins are promised, and in which it is also declared that there would be an end to sacrifices, (Daniel 9:24-27;) for to what purpose are expiations when sins are destroyed? But this destruction is then only effected, when sins are not imputed to those who flee to the sacrifice of Christ; for though pardon is to be sought daily, as we daily provoke God’s wrath; yet as we are reconciled to God in no other way than by the one death of Christ, sin is rightly said to be put away or destroyed by it.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(26) For then must he often have suffered.—The repeated presentation of Himself to God must imply, as a necessary condition, a repeated “suffering of death; as the high priest’s offering of the blood of expiation in the Holiest Place implied the previous sacrifice of the victim. The writer’s point of view is the time when “Christ entered into heaven itself.” In speaking of the repeated “suffering” (Luk_24:26; Luk_24:46, et al.), he marks the limits within which it must lie, reaching back to the “foundation of the world.” The expression in the second part of the verse is the converse of this: looking forward from the “foundation of the world,” through all the successive periods of human history until the Incarnation, he writes, “Now once at the end of the world”—“at the consummation of the ages”—hath Christ “been manifested.” The words “consummation of the age” occur five times in St. Matthew’s Gospel—Mat_13:39-40; Mat_13:49; Mat_24:3; Mat_28:20. (See the Notes.) The phrase here is more expressive still. The history of all preceding ages was a preparation for the manifestation of the Christ (“who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times” (literally, at the end of the times), 1Pe_1:20; all subsequent history develops the results of that manifestation. A similar thought is contained in St. Paul’s words “the fulness of the seasons” (Eph_1:10), “the fulness of the time” (Gal_4:4). (See further the Note on Heb_1:2.)

To put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.—Literally, for the annulling of sin through His sacrifice. The word which in Heb_7:18 was used for the abrogation of the command relating to the line of earthly priests, is here applied to the destruction of the power and abolition of the results of sin. As in the manifestation before the face of God we see the proof that the goal which the human high priest failed to reach had been attained, so these words proclaim full deliverance from guilt and penalty, and from the hold of sin itself—a deliverance which the sin-offering could but express in figure.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26. for then must he often have suffered] Since He could not have entered the Sanctuary of God’s Holiest in the Heavens without some offering of atoning blood.

once] “Once for all.”

in the end of the world] This phrase does not convey the meaning of the Greek which has “at the consummation of the ages” (Mat_13:39; Mat_13:49; Mat_24:3; Mat_28:20), in other words “when God’s full time was come for the revelation of the Gospel” (comp. Heb_1:1; 1Co_10:11).

hath he appeared] Lit., “He has been manifested”—namely, “in the flesh” at the Incarnation (1Ti_3:16; 1Pe_1:20, &c.).

to put away sin] The word is stronger—“for the annulment of sin.” Into this one word is concentrated the infinite superiority of the work of Christ. The High Priest even on the Day of Atonement could offer no sacrifice which could put away sin (Heb_10:4), but Christ’s sacrifice was able to annul sin altogether.

by the sacrifice of himself] The object of which was, as St Peter tells us, “to bring us to God” (1Pe_3:18).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world,.... For if it was necessary that he should often offer up himself now, which is the same as to suffer, since the sacrifice of himself, the same was necessary before; seeing sin was in the world from the beginning, and the saints from the foundation of the world had their sins expiated by the sacrifice of Christ; but the truth is, Christ's sufferings were but once, though the virtue of them is always, both before and after; nor can he suffer more, or again, because of his power over death and the grave, and because he has effectually obtained what he suffered for:

but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; this is to be understood, not of his appearance in heaven, of which mention is made in Heb 9:24 but of his incarnation on earth, called an appearance; not as though his human nature was a mere phantom or apparition, for it was a real thing; or as if he was then manifested to be what he really was before; for before his incarnation he was not truly and actually man; but this is said with respect to the manifestation of his invisible deity; or of him as the Son of God in human nature; and in regard to the types of the old law, under which he was hid; and with respect to the prophecies of his coming; and it designs the same thing with his descent from heaven, and coming into this world, in which he appeared in fashion as a man, as a mean man, as an afflicted one; yea, he looked like a sinful man, bearing the infirmities and sins of his people; his appearance was but to a very few, and for a little time; and the time of it was, "in the end of the world"; the same with the last days; the last age of the world; the end of the Jewish economy; at the close of their civil and ecclesiastical state, according to Hab 2:3 & so the Jews expect their Messiah , "at the end of days" (n): and this appearance was but "once"; there were many appearances of him in an human form, under the Old Testament dispensation; and there were many after his resurrection; but this is said to be but once, in opposition to the many types and sacrifices under the law, and agrees with his one oblation, and once suffering: the end of his appearance was, to put away sin; the filth of it, by his blood; the guilt of it, by his atoning sacrifice; and the punishment of it, by his sufferings and death, the penalty of the law; and in consequence of all this, the dominion of it by the power of his grace, and the very being of it hereafter: and this putting it away is signified by his bearing, carrying, and taking it away; by removing it as far as the east is from the west; by finishing and making an end of it; by crucifying the old man, destroying the body of sin, and by an utter disannulling and abolishing it, as a debt, and as a law; and all this is done by the sacrifice of himself; by the offering up of his body and soul an offering for sin; as in Heb 9:14.

(n) Seder Tephillot, Ed. Amstelod. fol. 2. 1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Ver. 26. To put away sin] To abrogate it, Heb 1:3, to bind it in a bundle, seal it up in a bag, Dan 9:24, cast it behind him as cancelled obligations, Mic 7:18-20, blot out the black handwriting with the red lines of his blood drawn over it.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For then must he often have suffered - That is, if his blood had no more efficacy than what the Jewish high priest offered, and which was so often repeated, it would have been necessary that Christ should have often died.

But now once - Once for all; once in the sense that it is not to be repeated again - ἅπαξ hapax.

In the end of the world - In the last dispensation or economy; that under which the affairs of the world will be wound up; see the phrase fully explained in Heb 1:2 note, and Act 2:17 note; 1Co 10:11, and Isa 2:2.

Hath he appeared - He has been manifested in human form.

To put away sin -

To remove the punishment due to sin, or to provide a way of pardon; and,

(2)To remove the stain of sin from the soul; see the notes on Heb 9:14.

By the sacrifice of himself - see the notes on Heb 1:3; Heb 2:14; Heb 7:27.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He came at the end of the ages, as it were in the last age of the world, to the putting away or abrogating of sin. (Witham) --- Though less, viz. a single tear, might have satisfied the justice of God, nothing less than his own precious blood could satisfy the charity of Jesus Christ. By his death, as St. Augustine observes, Christ has bound the devil in a chain, so that he can tempt us no further than we are able to resist: he may bark, he may tempt, he may solicit us; but he can bite none, except those that wilfully cast themselves within his reach. (Serm. 1. post Trin.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

For then must he often have suffered; epei the consequent is drawn ab impossibili; if he had often offered himself, he must have often suffered, but he could not suffer often. For where there was offering, there must be a sacrifice, and so suffering. Now that Christ should do so in his own person, was impossible and absurd, for God to have put his Son on suffering so cruel a death so often.

Since the foundation of the world; from the fall of Adam at the beginning of the world, ever since sin needed a sacrifice: but his once suffering as a sacrifice for it was of eternal virtue in God’s purpose, answering and satisfying God’s justice; one death of the Second Adam for the sin said penalty of the first, in the efficacy and virtue of his death, which was everlasting. The often and annual sacrificing of the Aaronical priests, and entering of the holy of holiest with the blood of beasts, was to show the Jews their weakness, and to instruct them in, and lead them to, this one sacrifice once to be offered, of eternal avail, as is subjoined.

But now: but Christ the gospel High Priest was not only God-man, manifested to be so, and exhibited as such an officer by his work, but was manifested to be such by promise, and in types and figures from Adam’s fall; but now showed it clearly in his suffering work, 1Ti 3:16.

Once in the end of the world; the days of Christ’s ministry on earth under the fourth monarchy, called the last time, 1Jo 2:18, the ends of the world, 1Co 10:11, the fulness of the time, Gal 4:4, God’s set and best time for his appearance; and it was but once that he appeared in these days, performing this work.

Hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; then he sacrificed himself, offered up his blood to God within the veil, taking away by his own blood, which God required, the guilt, stain, and power of all sin, justifying believers from any condemnation by it, by what he did and suffered in their stead for their good, who fly from it for refuge to him, Isa 53:1-12; Dan 9:24; Rom 7:24,25; 1Jo 3:5.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

26. Often have suffered—The One great sacrifice was often typified by the dying victims as successive human sinners sacrificed them. Had there been but one victim his sacrifice must have ever been repeated; he must have died millions of deaths.

Since the foundation of the world—From as early as man began to sin and needed a sacrifice.

But now—As the fact really is.

In the end of the world—In the together-ending of the ages. The Greek word here (as in Mat_13:39-40; Mat_13:49; Mat_24:3; Mat_28:20) is συντελεια, compounded of two words signifying together and ending:— an epoch where all the threads of events converge to a common terminus. Such an epoch was the first advent; a still greater epoch will be the second advent. To put away, or abolish, sin—Both by justification from the guilt, and sanctification from the power, of sin.

Sacrifice of himself—Rather, by his own sacrifice, not that of a human high priest.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For then he must often have suffered from the foundation of the world - This supposes,

1. That by suffering once he atoned for all the sins which had been committed from the foundation of the world.

2. That he could not have atoned for them without suffering. At the consummation of the ages - The sacrifice of Christ divides the whole age or duration of the world into two parts, and extends its virtue backward and forward, from this middle point wherein they meet to abolish both the guilt and power of sin.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

sin

Sin. (See Scofield "Rom 3:23").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26. For then. In that case he must have suffered many times. But now once. Only once did he offer sacrifice, viz., himself. In the end of the world. At the end of the Jewish dispensation; literally, “the end of the ages,” the end of the antediluvian, patriarchal and Jewish ages.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

26. ἔδει. Sub. ἂν. “It would have been necessary for Him.” The omission of ἂν only calls more forcible attention to the necessity in the case supposed. See Winer, p. 356.

πολλάκις. Since He could not have entered the Sanctuary of God’s Holiest in the Heavens without some offering of atoning blood.

ἅπαξ. “Once for all.” This is emphasized several times in the Epistle.

ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων. The phrase of the A. V. “in the end of the world” hardly conveys the meaning of the Greek, which is “at the consummation of the ages” (Mat 13:39; Mat 13:49; Mat 24:3; Mat 28:20), in other words “when God’s full time was come for the revelation of the Gospel” (comp. Heb 1:1; 1Co 10:11).

εἰς ἀθέτησιν ἁμαρτίας. “For the annulment of sin.” Into this one word is concentrated the infinite superiority of the work of Christ. The High Priest even on the Day of Atonement could offer no sacrifice which could even put away (ἀφαιρεῖν) sin (Heb 10:4), but Christ’s sacrifice was able to annul (ἀθετεῖν) sin altogether.

διὰ τῆς θυσίσς αὐτοῦ. “By His sacrifice.” If the A. V. rendering “by the sacrifice of Himself” had been correct we should have had ἑαυτοῦ. The object of the sacrifice was, as St Peter tells us, “to bring us to God” (1Pe 3:18).

πεφανέρωται. Lit., “He has been manifested”—namely, “in the flesh” at the Incarnation (1Ti 3:16; 1Pe 1:20, &c.).

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26.] since (in that case) it were necessary (no ἄν, which we should naturally expect: but the indicative is in fact dependent on and included in the hypothesis just made: “posito, eum ita cœlum intrasse, ut sæpius seipsum offerret, necesse erat …:” see 1Co 5:10; 1Co 7:14: Rom 11:6: Winer, edn. 6, § 41, a. 2) that He should oftentimes suffer (not, “have suffered” as E. V.; by ἔδει we are already carried back to a time antecedent to the supposed repeated acts indicated by παθεῖν, and therefore do not need another carrying back in time. Notice, as against the Commentators mentioned above under προσφέρειν ἑαυτόν, and others, that this παθεῖν is here not equivalent to that προσφέρειν, but is emphatically placed as a new necessity, involved in that; the πολλάκις being common to both: the πολλάκις προσφέρειν necessitated the πολλάκις παθεῖν. If Christ’s view in entering heaven was, to offer, present, himself often to God, then, as a condition of that frequent presentation, there would be an antecedent necessity for Him to suffer often: because that self-presentation is in fact the bringing in before God of the Blood of that his suffering: and if the one was to be renewed, so must the other be likewise. So that the meaning is not, that Christ must again and again have descended on earth and died. To such a descent there is no allusion, as there is none to a renewed entrance into the ἅγια in heaven. That entrance Christ has effected once for all: this lies, as a ‘fait accompli,’ at the ground of the hypothesis. But the rejected hypothesis is, that once being in the celestial ἅγια, Christ intended to renew often his oblation of Himself. And in that case, says our Writer, it would be necessary that he should often suffer, often die: because each such oblation necessitated as its condition a corresponding παθεῖν. When, as in the case of the Jewish high priests, the αἷμα was ἀλλότριον, such repetition was possible (see Lev 16:14, Lev 16:15): but not so, when the blood was τὸ ἴδιον. Thus, in the main, Delitzsch; and Hofmann, Schriftb. ii. 1. 311. Cf. also Thl., ἐπεί, εἰ ἔμελλε, φησίν, πολλάκις προσενεγκεῖν, ἔδει αὐτὸν καὶ πολλάκις ἀποθανεῖν, διὰ τὸ τὸ ἴδιον αἷμα ὀφείλειν προσάγειν) since the foundation of the world (why this addition? Not, as often understood, e. g. by Bengel (“pro peccatis ab initio mundi commissis”), Böhme, Thol., Bleek, De Wette, Lünem., so as to bring under the merits of the Suffering, all the sins of mankind past as well as future,—which thought, arising from the erroneous view of a frequently-repeated entrance into heaven being supposed, has nothing whatever to do with the argument: but, inasmuch as the theatre of Christ’s sufferings is of necessity this present world, pointing out that those supposed repeated sufferings must necessarily in that case take place within the temporal limits indicated by ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου: that such sufferings would be spread over the space of time from the καταβολὴ κόσμου till He entered into the presence of God, each oblation of Himself there being the sequel of, and conditioned by, one such παθεῖν since the world has been. I may mention, that no parenthesis is here admissible. The words ἐπεὶ.… κόσμου are strictly and indispensably a link in the argument): now, however (νυνί, not temporal, but = ‘ut res se habent’), once (for all, without need of renewal) at (as close upon, put in immediate contiguity with, ‘sub finem mundi:’ see Winer, edn. 6, § 48, c: superimposed, as an event, on its period as a substratum: see above on ver. 15) the end of the ages of time (i. e. when the whole period above indicated by ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου is gathered up and brought to an end. Between the first and second coming of Christ, the N. T. Scriptures know of no intermediate interposition of the divine dealings with men: in Him we are τέλειοι, and at His appearing, our αἰῶνες had their συντέλεια. All these centuries which have been since, are merely the lengthening out of the time in the mercy of God. The first Christians universally spoke of the second coming of the Lord as close at hand, as indeed it ever was and is: the σιτιστά are τεθυμένα, and all is ready: but the long-suffering of God waits while the guests are being gathered in: or, in the other view of His coming, while the ark is a preparing) hath He been manifested (viz. at His first coming in our flesh: the φανέρωσις ἐν σαρκί, spoken of 1Ti 3:16: 1Pe 1:20. On the other meaning given, see below) for the putting away of sin (on ἀθέτησις see ch. 7:18 note: putting away, i. e. abrogation, “quæ fit, quum peccato omnis vis et potestas adimitur. Quod dupliciter factum est: tum quatenus nullam vim habet ad homines condemnandos: tum quatenus vim non habet ad eosdem sub jugo suo retinendos. Utrumque enim ut fieret, Christus apparuit: tum ut homines a peccatorum reatu et pœnis, tum ut eosdem ab ipsis peccatis liberaret.” Schlichting) by means of His sacrifice (i. e. in the sense, ‘the sacrifice of Himself,’ but not here so expressed: had the Writer intended αὑτοῦ to express ἑαυτοῦ, he would have so written it, as in ver. 25.

By very many expositors, the construction of this verse is differently taken. Some understand πεφανέρωται of His appearance before God—the ἐμφανισμός above mentioned. So Jac. Cappellus, Grot., Heinrichs, Schulz, al. But this cannot be for a moment maintained. The analogy of the reff. is wholly against it, and so is the ἐκ δευτέρου ὀφθήσεται below: not to mention that had it been so, we should certainly have had ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ, or some such qualification, added. But more, keeping the right sense of πεφανέρωται, join διὰ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῦ with it. So a gloss in Œc.: διὰ τῆς θυσίας πεφανέρωται, τουτέστιν, μετὰ τῆς σαρκὸς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ: so Böhme, Tholuck, al. But none of the passages whereby this is defended, is applicable: neither vv. 12, 14 (διὰ), nor Rom 2:27: 1Jn 5:6: and for this reason, that θυσία, as Delitzsch observes, is not a continuing state, nor an accompanying circumstance, but an act, by which ἀθέτησις ἁμαρτίας, the scope of the whole, is brought about).

27,

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Since the foundation of the world [απο καταβολης κοσμου] . For, from the foundation of the world, sin required atonement by sa ===Heb10

CHAPTER X

1 - 18. A summary restatement of the matters discussed from ch. 8 1.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.