Hebrews 13:10
in Hebrews 13We have an altar from which those who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat that serve the tabernacle.
KJV
We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
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This verse in Hebrews 13
Commentary
15 notes on this verseWe have an altar - The altar is here put for the sacrifice on the altar; the Christian altar is the Christian sacrifice, which is Christ Jesus, with all the benefits of his passion and death. To these privileges they had no right who continued to offer the Levitical sacrifices, and to trust in them for remission of sins.
This site's exposition
all kinds of strange teachings
on Hebrews 13:9-10
The drift the letter fights is named a last time, all kinds of strange teachings, and the example is food laws. The heart is to be strengthened by grace. We have an altar from which those who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
This site's exposition
We have an altar
The verse makes two claims, We have an altar, and those who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat from it. Verses 11 to 14 develop the exclusion, and verses 15 and 16 name the sacrifices offered at this altar.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"We have an altar." Since Paul said that we should not observe foods, lest they think our offerings are shameful by being unobserved, he says: For do we not also have observances? But not of foods, rather of our altar, namely, of the unbloody sacrifice …
But the one of them, begirt with scarlet, amid cursing and universal spitting, and tearing, and piercing, was cast away by the People outside the city into perdition, marked with manifest tokens of Christ's passion; who, after being begirt with scarlet garment, and subjected to universal spitting, and afflicted with all contumelies, was crucified outside the city. The other, however: offered for sins, and given as food to the priests merely of the temple, gave signal evidences of the second appearance; in so far as, after the expiation of all sins, the priests of the spiritual temple, that is, of the church, were to enjoy a spiritual public distribution (as it were) of the Lord's grace, while all others are fasting from salvation.
That we may not be as far from the ears of God as we are from His precepts, the memory of His precepts paves for our prayers a way unto heaven; of which precepts the chief is, that we go not up unto God's altar before we compose whatever of discord or offence we have contracted with our brethren.
For "we have an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle." Not as the Jewish ordinances, are those among us, as it is not lawful even for the High Priest to partake of them. So that since he had said, "Do not observe," and this seemed to be the language of one who is throwing down his own building, he again turns it round. What, have not we then observances as well (he says)? Yea we have, and we observe them very earnestly too, not sharing them even with the priests themselves.
A commentator
CyprianTreatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews · Written before 258.
proposed
That charity and brotherly affection are to be religiously and stedfastly practised. In Malachi: "Hath not one God created us? Is there not one Father of us all? Why have ye certainly deserted every one his brother? " Of this same thing according to John: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." Also in the same place: "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love than this has no man, than that one should lay down his life for his friends."
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
Having said that there is no need to strictly observe dietary regulations, lest it seem that our way, free from such observance, is worthy of contempt, he says that we too have an observance, only not in regard to these foods, but to the altar, …
Then when he says, We have an altar, from which they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle, he gives the reason, and it is quite subtle. For, as it is stated in Leviticus (chap. 16), on the tenth day of the seventh …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Observe, ( a. ) The Christian church has its altar. It was objected against the primitive Christians that their assemblies were destitute of an altar; but this was not true. We have an alter, not a material altar, but a personal one, and that is Christ; he is both our altar, and our sacrifice; he sanctifies the gift.
); he then bespeaks their prayers for him, and offers up his prayers to God for them, gives them some hope of seeing himself and Timothy, and ends with the general salutation and benediction,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
We have an altar,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Our meat, which we by faith spiritually eat, is the flesh of Christ, in contrast to the typical ceremonial meats. The two cannot be combined (Ga 5:2). That not a literal eating of the sacrifice of Christ is meant in the Lord's Supper, but a spiritual is meant, appears from comparing Heb 13:9 with Heb 13:10, "with GRACE, NOT with MEATS." 11, 12.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
We have an altar - We who are Christians. The Jews had an altar on which their sacrifices were offered which was regarded as sacred, and of the benefit of which no others might partake. The design of the apostle is to show that the same thing substantially, so far as “privilege” and “sanctifying influence” were concerned, was enjoyed by Christians. The “altar” to which he here refers is evidently the cross on which the great sacrifice was made. Whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle - A part of the meat offered in sacrifice among the Jews became the property of the priests and Levites, and they had, by the Law, a right to this as a part of their support; see Lev 6:25-26; Num 18:9-10. But the apostle says that there is a higher and more valuable sacrifice of which they have no right to partake while they remain in the service of the “tabernacle” or temple; that is, while they remain Jews. The participation in the great Christian sacrifice appertained only to those who were the friends of the Redeemer, and however much they might value themselves on the privilege of partaking of the sacrifices offered under the Jewish Law, that of partaking of the great sacrifice made by the Son of God was much greater. Which serve the tabernacle - notes, Heb 9:2-3. The Jewish priests and Levites.
The words behind it
12 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἔχομεν | echomen | We have | G2192 → | 707 times |
| θυσιαστήριον | thusiasterion | an altar | G2379 → | |
| ἐξ | ex | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| οὗ | hou | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| φαγεῖν | phagein | to eat | G5315 → | |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἔχουσιν | echousin | they have | G2192 → | 707 times |
| ἐξουσίαν | exousian | authority | G1849 → | |
| οἱ | hoi | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τῇ | tea | in the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σκηνῇ | skenea | tabernacle | G4633 → | 20 times |
| λατρεύοντες. | latreuontes | serving. | G3000 → | 21 times |
ἔχομενWe have
echomenG2192 →707 times
θυσιαστήριονan altar
thusiasterionG2379 →
ἐξfrom
exG1537 →911 times
οὗwhich
houG3739 →1405 times
φαγεῖνto eat
phageinG5315 →
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἔχουσινthey have
echousinG2192 →707 times
ἐξουσίανauthority
exousianG1849 →
οἱthose
hoiG3588 →19766 times
τῇin the
teaG3588 →19766 times
σκηνῇtabernacle
skeneaG4633 →20 times
λατρεύοντες.serving.
latreuontesG3000 →21 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 10:20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.
it leads to
- Revelation 9:20
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze,…
- Psalms 106:37–39
They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
- Deuteronomy 32:16–17
They provoked His jealousy with foreign gods; they enraged Him with abominations.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
- Leviticus 17:7
They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons to which they have prostituted themselves. This will be a permanent statute for them for the generations to come.’
- Revelation 9:20
Through
1 Corinthians 9:13Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?
it leads to
- Numbers 18:8–20
Then the LORD said to Aaron, “Behold, I have put you in charge of My offerings. As for all the sacred offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons…
- Numbers 5:9–10
Every sacred contribution the Israelites bring to the priest shall belong to him.
- Leviticus 6:26
The priest who offers it shall eat it; it must be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.
- Numbers 18:8–20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
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About Hebrews
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cyprian, Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Hebrews 33; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Owen, An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews; Tertullian, An Answer to the Jews; Tertullian, On Prayer; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Hebrews and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Hebrews.