Hebrews 9 · Verse 22

Hebrews 9:22

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Hebrews 9:22, King James Version

Hebrews 9:22 in other translations

BSBAccording to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
WEBAccording to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.
ASVAnd according to the law, I may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.
YLTand with blood almost all things are purified according to the law, and apart from blood-shedding forgiveness doth not come.
DARBYand almost all things are purified with blood according to the law, and without blood-shedding there is no remission.
BBEAnd by the law almost all things are made clean with blood, and without blood there is no forgiveness.
WebsterAnd almost all things are by the law cleansed with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

What does Hebrews 9:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
22. almost--to be joined with "all things," namely almost all things under the old dispensation. The exceptions to all things being purified by blood are, Ex 19:10; Le 15:5, &c.; 16:26, 28; 22:6; Nu 31:22-24. without--Greek, "apart from." shedding of blood--shed in the slaughter of the victim, and poured out at the altar subsequently. The pouring out of the blood on the altar is the main part of the sacrifice (Le 17:11), and it could not have place apart from the previous shedding of the blood in the slaying. Paul has, perhaps, in mind here, Lu 22:20, "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." is--Greek, "takes place": comes to pass. remission--of sins: a favorite expression of Luke, Paul's companion. Properly used of remitting a debt (Mt 6:12; 18:27, 32); our sins are debts. On the truth here, compare Le 5:11-13, an exception because of poverty, confirming the general rule.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 22. And almost all things. It is a general custom to purify everything by blood. This rule was not universal, for some things were purified by fire and water, (Nu 31:22,23,) and some by water only, Nu 31:24, Lev 16:26,28. But the exceptions to the general rule were few. Almost everything in the tabernacle and temple service was consecrated or purified by blood.

And without shedding of blood is no remission. Remission or forgiveness of sins. That is, though some things were purified by fire and water, yet when the matter pertained to the forgiveness of sins, it was universally true that no sins were pardoned except by the shedding of blood. Some impurities might be removed by water and fire, but the stain of sin could be removed only by blood. This declaration referred, in its primary meaning, to the Jewish rites; and the sense is, that under that dispensation it was universally true that in order to the forgiveness of sin blood must be shed. But it contains a truth of higher order and importance still. It is universally true that sin never has been, and never will be forgiven, except in connexion with and in virtue of the shedding of blood. It is on this principle that the plan of salvation by the atonement is based, and on this that God in fact bestows pardon on men. There is not the slightest evidence that any man has ever been pardoned except through the blood shed for the remission of sins. The infidel who rejects the atonement has no evidence that his sins are pardoned; the man who lives in the neglect of the gospel, though he has abundant evidence that he is a sinner, furnishes none that his sins are forgiven; and the Mohamadin and the heathen can point to no proof that their sins are blotted out. It remains to be demonstrated that one single member of the human family has ever had the slightest evidence of pardoned sin, except through the blood of expiation. In the Divine arrangement there is no principle better established than this, that all sin which is forgiven is remitted through the blood of the atonement; a principle which has never been departed from hitherto, and which never will be. It follows, therefore,

(1.) that no sinner can hope for forgiveness except through the blood of Christ;

(2.) that if men are ever saved they must be willing to rely on the merits of that blood;

(3.) that all men are on a level in regard to salvation, since all are to be saved in the same way; and

(4.) that there will be one and the same song in heaven--the song of redeeming love.

(c) "blood" Lev 17:11

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 And almost all things are - purged with blood - The apostle says almost, because in some cases certain vessels were purified by water, some by fire, Num 31:23, and some with the ashes of the red heifer, Num 19:2-10, but it was always understood that every thing was at first consecrated by the blood of the victim. And without shedding of blood is no remission - The apostle shows fully here what is one of his great objects in the whole of this epistle, viz. that there is no salvation but through the sacrificial death of Christ, and to prefigure this the law itself would not grant any remission of sin without the blood of a victim. This is a maxim even among the Jews themselves, אין כפרה אלא בדם ein capparah ella bedam, "There is no expiation but by blood." Yoma, fol. 5, 1; Menachoth, fol. 93, 2. Every sinner has forfeited his life by his transgressions, and the law of God requires his death; the blood of the victim, which is its life, is shed as a substitute for the life of the sinner. By these victims the sacrifice of Christ was typified. He gave his life for the life of the world; human life for human life, but a life infinitely dignified by its union with God.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hebrews 9:15-22

The solemn transactions between God and man, are sometimes called a covenant, here a testament, which is a willing deed of a person, bestowing legacies on such persons as are described, and it only takes effect upon his death. Thus Christ died, not only to obtain the blessings of salvation for us, but to give power to the disposal of them. All, by sin, were become guilty before God, had forfeited every thing that is…

Read the full comment on Hebrews 9:15-22 →

Hebrews 9:22 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
σχεδὸνschedonalmostG4975
ἐνenwithG1722
αἵματιaimatibloodG129
πάνταpantaall thingsG3956
καθαρίζεταιkatharizetaiare purifiedG2511
κατὰkataaccording toG2596
τὸνtontheG3588
νόμονnomonlawG3551
καὶkaiandG2532
χωρὶςchōrisapart fromG5565
αἱματεκχυσίαςhaimatekchusiasblood-sheddingG130
οὐounotG3756
γίνεταιginetaithere isG1096
ἄφεσις.¶aphesisforgiveness.G859

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Hebrews 9:22

  • Leviticus 17:11

    For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

  • Leviticus 6:7

    And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.

  • Leviticus 4:35

    And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the Lord: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

  • Leviticus 5:18

    And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist it not, and it shall be forgiven him.

  • Leviticus 14:14

    And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:

  • Leviticus 5:10

    And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.

  • Leviticus 14:6

    As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:

  • Leviticus 4:20

    And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.

  • Leviticus 5:12

    Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the Lord: it is a sin offering.

  • Leviticus 4:26

    And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.

  • Leviticus 14:25

    And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:

  • Leviticus 14:51-52

    And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times: And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
almost.
Le 14:6,14,25,51,52
and without.
Le 4:20,26,35; 5:10,12,18; 6:7; 17:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Hebrews 9:21

    Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

  • Hebrews 9:22

    And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

  • Hebrews 9:23

    It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

Read all of Hebrews 9

Hebrews 9:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y casi todo es purificado según la ley con sangre; y sin derramamiento de sangre no se hace remisión.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et presque toutes choses sont purifiées par du sang, selon la loi; et sans effusion de sang il n’y a pas de rémission.
German
Elberfelder 1871		und fast alle Dinge werden mit Blut gereinigt nach dem Gesetz, und ohne Blutvergießung ist keine Vergebung.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et omnia pene in sanguine secundum legem mundantur: et sine sanguinis effusione non fit remissio.