Hebrews 9:14
What does Hebrews 9:14 mean?
A plain-English look at Hebrews 9:14 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Hebrews 9:14 means
If animal blood sanctified outwardly, how much more will the blood of Christ cleanse the conscience. He offered Himself to God without blemish, through the eternal Spirit—language that stresses the moral perfection of the offering and its divine power. The result is not merely removal of ritual defilement but inner purification from dead works, freeing believers to serve the living God. Dead works are those deeds that cannot bring life or merit righteousness before God. Christ’s sacrifice transforms worshippers from the inside out, turning duty into living service. This verse shows the goal of atonement: not simply pardon, but a purified people joyfully engaged in God’s service, made possible by the once-for-all offering of the spotless Christ.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
KJV
King James Version · 1611How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949How much more will the blood of Christ, who, being without sin, made an offering of himself to God through the Holy Spirit, make your hearts clean from dead works to be servants of the living God?
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862how much more shall the blood of the Christ (who through the age-during Spirit did offer himself unblemished to God) purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752How much more shall the blood of Christ, who by the Holy Ghost offered himself unspotted unto God, cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890how much rather shall the blood of the Christ, who by the eternal Spirit offered himself spotless toGod, purify your conscience from dead works to worship [the] livingGod?
Context
Verse 14 concludes the lesser-to-greater argument started in verse 13. Having affirmed the old rites’ external effect, the writer now proclaims Christ’s inward, conscience-cleansing power, achieved by His flawless self-offering through the eternal Spirit. The flow then moves in verse 15 to Christ’s mediating role in the new covenant and the necessity of His death to redeem transgressions under the first covenant. The sequence ties cleansing to covenant: inner purification enables true service, and that blessing is secured and legally enacted by Christ’s mediating death.
v.13For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh:
v.14This passage
v.15And for this cause he is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 1 Peter 2:24
who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.
- John 3:34
For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for he giveth not the Spirit by measure.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
- Romans 1:4
who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord,
- Luke 12:28
But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more shall he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
- Isaiah 53:9
And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
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