THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE HEBREWS - Chapter 8 - Verse 2

Verse 2. A minister of the sanctuary. Marg. "or holy things." Gr. twn agiwn. The Greek may either mean the sanctuary—denoting the Holy of Holies—or holy things. The word sanctuary

HEBREW

kodesh—was given to the tabernacle or temple as a holy place, and the plural form which is here used— ta agia—was given to the most holy place by way of eminence —the full form of the name being—

HEBREW

—kodesh kodushim, or, agia agiwn hagia hagion, (Jahn's Arche. & 328,) or, as it is here used, simply as ta agia. The connexion seems to require us to understand it of the most holy place, and not of holy things. The idea is, that the Lord Jesus, the great High Priest, has entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven, of which that in the tabernacle was an emblem. For a description of the most holy place in the temple, See Barnes "Mt 21:12".

And of the true tabernacle. The real tabernacle in heaven, of which that among the Hebrews was but this type. The word tabernacle skhnh means, properly, a booth, hut, or tent, and was applied to the tent which Moses was directed to build as the place for the worship of God. That tabernacle, as the temple was afterwards, was regarded as the peculiar abode of God on earth. Here the reference is to heaven, as the dwelling place of God, of which that tabernacle was the emblem or symbol. It is called the "true tabernacle," as it is the real dwelling of God, of which the one made by Moses was but the emblem. It is not moveable and perishable like that made by man, but is unchanging and eternal.

Which the Lord pitched, and not man. The word pitched is adapted to express the setting up of a tent. When it is said that "the Lord pitched the true tabernacle"—that is, the permanent dwelling in heaven—the meaning is, that heaven has been fitted up by God himself, and that whatever is necessary to constitute that an appropriate abode for the Divine majesty has been done by him. To that glorious dwelling the Redeemer has been received, and there he performs the office of High Priest in behalf of man. In what way he does this the apostle specifies in the remainder of this chapter, and in chapters 9 and 10.

{1} "of the sanctuary" "holy things" {b} "sanctuary" Heb 9:8,12,24