Bible Strands
Hebrews 9:28
so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The anonymous author of Hebrews writes to Jewish believers, contrasting the repeated sacrifices of the Levitical priesthood with Christ's single offering, immediately after stating that man dies once and then faces judgment (9:27).
The words — ἅπαξ (hapax, "once") is not a casual "one time" but a single, unrepeatable occurrence; it is the same word behind "once for all" in 7:27 and 10:10, marking the sacrifice as categorically finished.
The thread — The "second appearance" echoes Titus 2:13 ("glorious appearance of our great God and Savior") and Isaiah 25:9 ("we have waited for Him, and He has saved us"); the bearing of sins connects to 1 Peter 2:24.
Why it lands — The verse places the reader on one side of a fixed line: Christ's first coming removed sin; his second will not repeat that work but will deliver those who are still waiting, and the text offers no third category.
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
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Cross-references
- Titus 2:13 as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
- 1 Peter 2:24 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
- Isaiah 25:9 And in that day it will be said, “Surely this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
- Romans 6:10 The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God.
- 2 Timothy 4:8 From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.
- Romans 8:23 Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
- 1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.
- Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
- 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.
- Acts 1:11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”