1 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 thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3 But in those [sacrifices there is] a remembrance again [made] of sins every year. 4 For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 5◆ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6◆ In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7◆ Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure [therein]; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15 [Whereof] the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these [is, there is] no more offering for sin. 19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And [having] an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 [It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. 35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Hebrews · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Hebrews 10 King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (39)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Hebrews 8:5; Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 9:11; Hebrews 9:23; Hebrews 7:18–19
- 2 Isaiah 43:25; Micah 7:19; Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 44:22; Hebrews 9:13–14
- 3 Hebrews 9:7; Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 23:27–28; Leviticus 16:34; Leviticus 16:6–11
- 4 Hebrews 10:11; Isaiah 1:11–15; Micah 6:6–8; Romans 11:27; 1 John 3:5
- 5 Psalm 40:6–8; Isaiah 1:11; Isaiah 7:14; 1 Peter 2:24; Matthew 1:20–23
- 6 Hebrews 10:4; Matthew 3:17; Malachi 1:10; Leviticus 1:1–6; Psalm 147:11
- 7 Psalm 40:7–8; John 4:34; John 6:38; John 5:30; Hebrews 10:9–10
- 8 Hebrews 10:5; Mark 12:33
- 9 Hebrews 7:18–19; Hebrews 12:27–28; Hebrews 10:7; Hebrews 9:11–14; Hebrews 8:7–13
- 10 Hebrews 10:14; Hebrews 10:12; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 7:27; John 17:19
- 11 Hebrews 10:4; Hebrews 5:1; Numbers 28:3; Psalm 50:8–13; Hebrews 7:27
- 12 Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 3:1; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 8:1; Acts 2:33–34
- 13 Hebrews 1:13; Psalm 110:1; Luke 20:43; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Mark 12:36
- 14 Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 10:1; Hebrews 2:11; Romans 15:16
- 15 Hebrews 3:7; Revelation 2:11; Revelation 3:6; 2 Peter 1:21; John 15:26
- 16 Jeremiah 31:33–34; Hebrews 8:8–12; Romans 11:27
- 17 Hebrews 8:12; Jeremiah 31:34
- 18 Hebrews 10:2; Hebrews 10:14
- 19 Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 4:16; Ephesians 3:12; Romans 5:2
- 20 John 14:6; John 10:9; Hebrews 9:3; Hebrews 9:8; Hebrews 6:19
- 21 Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 4:14–16; Hebrews 6:20; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 3:1
- 22 Ezekiel 36:25; John 3:5; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Peter 3:21; 1 Corinthians 6:11
- 23 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2
- 24 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 John 3:18; Hebrews 13:1; Galatians 5:13; Colossians 3:16
- 25 Acts 2:42; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Matthew 18:20; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:24
- 26 2 Peter 2:20–22; Hebrews 6:4–6; John 9:41; Luke 12:47; Matthew 12:43–45
- 27 Isaiah 26:11; Zephaniah 1:18; Hebrews 2:3; Hebrews 9:27; Hebrews 12:25
- 28 Hebrews 2:2; Deuteronomy 19:15; Deuteronomy 17:2–13; 2 Corinthians 13:1; Deuteronomy 19:13
- 29 Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 6:6; Isaiah 63:10; 1 Corinthians 11:27; Luke 12:10
- 30 Deuteronomy 32:35–36; Romans 12:19; Nahum 1:2; Psalm 50:4; 2 Corinthians 5:10
- 31 Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:5; Hebrews 12:29; Isaiah 33:14; Psalm 76:7
- 32 Hebrews 6:4; Galatians 3:3–4; 2 Timothy 4:7–8; 2 Timothy 2:3–13; Hebrews 12:4
- 33 1 Corinthians 4:9; Philippians 4:14; Isaiah 51:7; 2 Corinthians 12:10; Philippians 1:7
- 34 1 Peter 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:16; Matthew 6:19–20; James 1:2; Colossians 1:5
- 35 1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 6:8–10; Hebrews 3:6; Luke 14:14; Hebrews 11:26
- 36 Hebrews 12:1; Psalm 37:7; James 5:7–11; 1 Corinthians 13:7; Luke 21:19
- 37 James 5:7–9; Habakkuk 2:3–4; Luke 18:8; Isaiah 26:20; Isaiah 60:22
- 38 Galatians 3:11; Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Psalm 85:8; Hebrews 6:4–6
- 39 1 John 5:5; 1 Peter 1:5; Mark 16:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:12–14; 1 Samuel 15:11
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
Why does my Bible say something different?
- Psalm 40:6 and Hebrews 10:5: “ears” or “a body”?
In the Hebrew text of Psalm 40 God has “dug” or “opened” the psalmist’s ears. In the Greek Septuagint (Psalm 39:7) God has “prepared a body” for him, and the Epistle to the Hebrews quotes that Greek wording of Christ coming into the world. The Orthodox Church reads the Greek. Scholars still debate how the Greek reading arose.
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
In what has gone before he had shown that the sacrifices were unavailing for perfect purification, and were a type, and greatly defective. Since then there was this objection to his argument, If they are types, how is it that, after the truth is come, they have not ceased, nor given place, but are still performed?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 14 (1889)
… incur danger, or are deprived of their goods, but of these also, thus saying, "Call to remembrance the former days, in which after ye were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions; partly whilst ye were made a gazing stock by reproaches, and afflictions." On this account then Christ hath appointed the reward also to be great.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… one incorporeal for the incorporeal part, and the other bodily for the body: the water cleanses the body, and the Spirit seals the soul; that we may draw near unto God, having our heart sprinkled by the Spirit, and our body washed with pure water.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
You hope to "reign with" Christ; but you "do despite unto the Spirit of grace" by assigning Him the rank of a slave and a subordinate.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)
Hear him saying, "Yet a little while, and He that cometh will come, and will not tarry. The Lord is at hand, be careful for nothing;" and again, "The fashion of this world passeth away." For neither doth he command only, but also soothes, as a physician should.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)