希伯来书 Hebrews Chapter 9

Hebrews
Chapter 9

1 1 Now (even) the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary.

第一个盟约固然也有行敬礼的规程,和属于世界的圣殿,

2 For a tabernacle was constructed, the outer one, 2 in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of offering; this is called the Holy Place.

因为有支搭好了的帐幕,前边的帐幕称为圣所,里面设有灯台、桌子和供饼;

3 3 Behind the second veil was the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies,

在第二层帐幔后边,还有一个帐幕,称为至圣所,

4 in which were the gold altar of incense 4 and the ark of the covenant entirely covered with gold. In it were the gold jar containing the manna, the staff of Aaron that had sprouted, and the tablets of the covenant.

里面设有金香坛和周围包金的约柜,柜内有盛“玛纳”的金罐,和亚郎开花的棍杖及约版。

5 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the place of expiation. Now is not the time to speak of these in detail.

柜上有天主荣耀的“革鲁宾”,遮着赎罪盖:关于这一切,现今不必一一细讲。

6 With these arrangements for worship, the priests, in performing their service, 6 go into the outer tabernacle repeatedly,

这一切既如此安置了,司祭们就常进前边的帐幕去行敬礼;

7 but the high priest alone goes into the inner one once a year, not without blood 7 that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people.

至于后边的帐幕,惟独大司祭一年一次进去,常带上血,去为自己和为人民的过犯奉献。

8 In this way the holy Spirit shows that the way into the sanctuary had not yet been revealed while the outer tabernacle still had its place.

圣神藉此指明:几时前边的帐幕还存在,到天上圣殿的道路就还没有打开。

9 This is a symbol of the present time, 8 in which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper in conscience

以上所述是现今时期的预表,表示所奉献的供物和牺牲,不能使行敬礼的人,在良心上得到成全,

10 but only in matters of food and drink and various ritual washings: regulations concerning the flesh, imposed until the time of the new order.

因为这一切都是属于外表礼节的规程,只着重食品、饮料和各样的洗礼,立定为等待改良的时期。

11 9 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, 10 passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation,

可是基督一到,就作了未来鸿恩的大司祭,衪经过了那更大、更齐全的,不是人手所造,不属于受造世界的帐幕,

12 he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

不是带着公山羊和牛犊的血,而是带着自己的血,一次而为永远进入了天上的圣殿,获得了永远的救赎。

13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes 11 can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed,

假如公山羊和牛犊的血,以及母牛的灰烬,洒在那些受玷污的人身上,可净化他们得到肉身的洁净,

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit 12 offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.

何况基督的血呢?衪借着永生的神,已把自己毫无瑕疵的奉献于天主,衪的血岂不更能洁净我们的良心,除去死亡的行为,好去事奉生活的天主?

15 13 For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.

为此,衪作了新约的中保以衪的死亡补赎了在先前的盟约之下所有的罪过,好叫那些蒙召的人,获得所应许的永远的产业。

16 14 Now where there is a will, the death of the testator must be established.

凡是遗嘱,必须提供立遗嘱者的死亡,

17 For a will takes effect only at death; it has no force while the testator is alive.

因为有了死亡,遗嘱才能生效,几时立遗嘱者还活着,总不得生效。

18 Thus not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.

因此,连先前的盟约也得用血开创。

19 15 When every commandment had been proclaimed by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves (and goats), together with water and crimson wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,

当日梅瑟向全民众按法律宣读了一切诫命之后,就用朱红线和牛膝草,蘸上牛犊和公山羊的血和水,洒在约书和全民众身上,

20 saying,"This is ‘the blood of the covenant which God has enjoined upon you.'"

说:‘这是天主向你们所命定的盟约的血。’

21 In the same way, he sprinkled also the tabernacle 16 and all the vessels of worship with blood.

连帐幕和为敬礼用的一切器皿,他也照样洒上了血;

22 17 According to the law almost everything is purified by blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

并且按照法律,几乎一切都是用血洁净的,若没有流血,就没有赦免。

23 18 Therefore, it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified by these rites, but the heavenly things themselves by better sacrifices than these.

那么,既然连那些天上事物的模型还必须这样洁净,而那天上的本物,自然更须要用比这些更高贵的牺牲,

24 For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf.

因为基督并非进入了一座人手所造,为实体模型的圣殿,而是进入了上天本境,今后出现在天主面前,为我们转求。

25 Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own;

衪无须再三奉献自己,好象大司祭每年应带着不是自己的血进入圣殿一样,

26 if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages 19 to take away sin by his sacrifice.

否则,从创世以来,衪就必须多次受苦受难了;可是现今,在今世的末期,只出现了一次,以自己作牺牲,除灭了罪过。

27 Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment,

就如规定人只死一次,这以后就是审判;

28 so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, 20 will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

同样,基督也只一次奉献了自己,为除免大众的罪过;将来衪要再次显现,与罪过无关,而是要向那些期待衪的人施行救恩。



Footnotes(注解)

1 [1-10] The regulations for worship under the old covenant permitted all the priests to enter the Holy Place (Hebrews 2:6), but only the high priest to enter the Holy of Holies and then only once a year (Hebrews 9:3-5, 7). The description of the sanctuary and its furnishings is taken essentially from Exodus 25-26. This exclusion of the people from the Holy of Holies signified that they were not allowed to stand in God's presence (Hebrews 9:8) because their offerings and sacrifices, which were merely symbols of their need of spiritual renewal (Hebrews 9:10), could not obtain forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:9).

2 [2] The outer one: the author speaks of the outer tabernacle (Hebrews 9:6) and the inner one (Hebrews 9:7) rather than of one Mosaic tabernacle divided into two parts or sections.

3 [3] The second veil: what is meant is the veil that divided the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. It is here called the second, because there was another veil at the entrance to the Holy Place, or"outer tabernacle" (Exodus 26:36).

4 [4] The gold altar of incense: Exodus 30:6 locates this altar in the Holy Place, i.e., the first tabernacle, rather than in the Holy of Holies. Neither is there any Old Testament support for the assertion that the jar of manna and the staff of Aaron were in the ark of the covenant. For the tablets of the covenant, see Exodus 25:16.

5 [5] The place of expiation: the gold"mercy seat" (Greek hilasterion, as in Romans 3:25), where the blood of the sacrificial animals was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:14-15). This rite achieved"expiation" or atonement for the sins of the preceding year.

6 [6] In performing their service: the priestly services that had to be performed regularly in the Holy Place or outer tabernacle included burning incense on the incense altar twice each day (Exodus 30:7), replacing the loaves on the table of the bread of offering once each week (Lev 24:8), and constantly caring for the lamps on the lampstand (Exodus 27:21).

7 [7] Not without blood: blood was essential to Old Testament sacrifice because it was believed that life was located in the blood. Hence blood was especially sacred, and its outpouring functioned as a meaningful symbol of cleansing from sin and reconciliation with God. Unlike Hebrews, the Old Testament never says that the blood is"offered." The author is perhaps retrojecting into his description of Mosaic ritual a concept that belongs to the New Testament antitype, as Paul does when he speaks of the Israelites' passage through the sea as a"baptism" (1 Cor 10:2).

8 [9] The present time: this expression is equivalent to the"present age," used in contradistinction to the"age to come."

9 [11-14] Christ, the high priest of the spiritual blessings foreshadowed in the Old Testament sanctuary, has actually entered the true sanctuary of heaven that is not of human making (Hebrews 9:11). His place there is permanent, and his offering is his own blood that won eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12). If the sacrifice of animals could bestow legal purification (Hebrews 9:13), how much more effective is the blood of the sinless, divine Christ who spontaneously offered himself to purge the human race of sin and render it fit for the service of God (Hebrews 9:14).

10 [11] The good things that have come to be: the majority of later manuscripts here read"the good things to come"; cf Hebrews 10:1.

11 [13] A heifer's ashes: ashes from a red heifer that had been burned were mixed with water and used for the cleansing of those who had become ritually defiled by touching a corpse; see Numbers 19:9, 14-21.

12 [14] Through the eternal spirit: this expression does not refer either to the holy Spirit or to the divine nature of Jesus but to the life of the risen Christ,"a life that cannot be destroyed" (Hebrews 7:16).

13 [15-22] Jesus' role as mediator of the new covenant is based upon his sacrificial death (cf Hebrews 8:6). His death has effected deliverance from transgressions, i.e., deliverance from sins committed under the old covenant, which the Mosaic sacrifices were incapable of effacing. Until this happened, the eternal inheritance promised by God could not be obtained (Hebrews 9:15). This effect of his work follows the human pattern by which a last will and testament becomes effective only with the death of the testator (Hebrews 9:16-17). The Mosaic covenant was also associated with death, for Moses made use of blood to seal the pact between God and the people (Hebrews 9:18-21). In Old Testament tradition, guilt could normally not be remitted without the use of blood (Hebrews 9:22; cf Lev 17:11).

14 [16-17] A will . . . death of the testator: the same Greek word diatheke, meaning"covenant" in Hebrews 9:15, 18, is used here with the meaning will. The new covenant, unlike the old, is at the same time a will that requires the death of the testator. Jesus as eternal Son is the one who established the new covenant together with his Father, author of both covenants; at the same time he is the testator whose death puts his will into effect.

15 [19-20] A number of details here are different from the description of this covenant rite in Exodus 24:5-8. Exodus mentions only calves ("young bulls," NAB), not goats (but this addition in Hebrews is of doubtful authenticity), says nothing of the use of water and crimson wool and hyssop (these features probably came from a different rite; cf Lev 14:3-7; Numbers 19:6-18), and describes Moses as splashing blood on the altar, whereas Hebrews says he sprinkled it on the book (but both book and altar are meant to symbolize the agreement of God). The words of Moses are also slightly different from those in Exodus and are closer to the words of Jesus at the Last Supper in Mark 14:24; Matthew 26:28.

16 [21] According to Exodus, the tabernacle did not yet exist at the time of the covenant rite. Moreover, nothing is said of sprinkling it with blood at its subsequent dedication (Exodus 40:9-11).

17 [22] Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness: in fact, ancient Israel did envisage other means of obtaining forgiveness; the Old Testament mentions contrition of heart (Psalm 51:17), fasting (Joel 2:12), and almsgiving (Sirach 3:29). The author is limiting his horizon to the sacrificial cult, which did always involve the shedding of blood for its expiatory and unitive value.

18 [23-28] Since the blood of animals became a cleansing symbol among Old Testament prefigurements, it was necessary that the realities foreshadowed be brought into being by a shedding of blood that was infinitely more effective by reason of its worth (Hebrews 9:23). Christ did not simply prefigure the heavenly realities (Hebrews 9:24) by performing an annual sacrifice with a blood not his own (Hebrews 9:25); he offered the single sacrifice of himself as the final annulment of sin (Hebrews 9:26). Just as death is the unrepeatable act that ends a person's life, so Christ's offering of himself for all is the unrepeatable sacrifice that has once for all achieved redemption (Hebrews 9:27-28).

19 [26] At the end of the ages: the use of expressions such as this shows that the author of Hebrews, despite his interest in the Platonic concept of an eternal world above superior to temporal reality here below, nevertheless still clings to the Jewish Christian eschatology with its sequence of"the present age" and"the age to come."

20 [28] To take away the sins of many: the reference is to Isaiah 53:12. Since the Greek verb anaphero can mean both"to take away" and"to bear," the author no doubt intended to play upon both senses: Jesus took away sin by bearing it himself. See the similar wordplay in John 1:29. Many is used in the Semitic meaning of"all" in the inclusive sense, as in Mark 14:24. To those who eagerly await him: Jesus will appear a second time at the parousia, as the high priest reappeared on the Day of Atonement, emerging from the Holy of Holies, which he had entered to take away sin. This dramatic scene is described in Sirach 50:5-11.