Hebrews 13:11

Although the high priest brings the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, the bodies are burned outside the camp.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The author addresses Jewish Christians under pressure to revert to temple rituals, placing this instruction immediately after contrasting the old covenant altar with the new covenant reality.

The words — The Greek εἰσφέρεται (eispheretai) literally means "is brought in," describing the ritual movement of sacrificial blood into the Holy Place. The phrase περὶ ἁμαρτίας (peri hamartias) translates directly to "for sin," specifying the purpose of the animal sacrifice.

The thread — This ritual pattern traces back to Levitical law where sin offerings required burned remains outside the camp (Exodus 29:14; Leviticus 9:11; Leviticus 16:27). The author uses this established pattern to frame the subsequent statement about Jesus suffering outside the city gate.

Why it lands — The text states that the high priest's sin offering physically isolates the sacrificed bodies outside the community. It requires the reader to accept that the new covenant similarly locates Jesus' redemptive work beyond the boundaries of the old religious center.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.

Cross-references

Leviticus 16:27 The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; and their hides, flesh, and dung must be burned up.
Exodus 29:14 But burn the flesh of the bull and its hide and dung outside the camp; it is a sin offering.
Leviticus 9:11 But he burned up the flesh and the hide outside the camp.
Numbers 19:3 Give it to Eleazar the priest, and he will have it brought outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.
Leviticus 6:30 But no sin offering may be eaten if its blood has been brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it must be burned.
Leviticus 4:5 Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the Tent of Meeting.
Leviticus 4:11 But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, with its head and legs and its entrails and dung—
Leviticus 4:16 Then the anointed priest is to bring some of the bull’s blood into the Tent of Meeting,
Leviticus 9:9 The sons of Aaron brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and applied it to the horns of the altar. And he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
Leviticus 16:14 And he is to take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the mercy seat; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the mercy seat.