Hebrews 9:10 - Exposition

Rendered in A.V.," Which stood only in ( μόνον ἐπὶ ) meats and drinks and divers washings, and carnal ordinances [ καὶ δικαιώμασι σαρκὸς , Textus Receptus], imposed on them ( ἐπικείμενα ) until the time of reformation." This is a satisfactory rendering of the Textus Receptus, ἐπὶ before "meats," etc., being taken in the sense of dependence , and ἐπικείμενα necessarily as agreeing with "gifts and sacrifices" ( δῶρα τε καὶ θυσίαι ) in Hebrews 9:9 . But there are other readings, though none, any more than that of the Textus Receptus, to be decidedly preferred on the mere ground of manuscript authority. The best sense seems to be given by that of δικαιώματα instead of καὶ δικαιώματι , so that we may render ( ἐπὶ being taken in the sense of addition ), Being only ( with meats and drinks and divers washings ) carnal ordinances, imposed until the time of reformation. We thus have an obvious neuter plural ( δικαιώματα ) for ἐπικείμενα to agree with, and we avoid the assertion that the "gifts and sacrifices" of the Law "stood only" in "meats," etc. This was not so; their essential part was blood-shedding ( αἱματεκχύσια , Hebrews 9:22 ) the other things here mentioned were but accompaniments and appendages. The "meats and drinks" spoken of may refer mainly to the distinctions between clean and unclean viands, which we know were made such a point of by the Jews of the apostolic ago. The "diverse washings" ( βαπτισμοῖς ) may be taken to include both the ablutions of the priests before sacrifice, and those enjoined on the people in many parts of the Law after ceremonial defile-merit, which kind of washings had been further multiplied variously in the traditional law.