Devine Scripture

Hebrews 9:22

What does Hebrews 9:22 mean?

A plain-English look at Hebrews 9:22 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Hebrews 9:22 means

Summarizing the law’s practice, the writer states that almost all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. This is the heart of the sacrificial system: atonement requires life given in the place of the guilty. The “almost” allows for exceptions of ritual cleansings by water or fire, but it does not blunt the central truth—blood is essential for forgiveness. This prepares the reader to see Christ’s death not as a tragic accident but as the necessary, God-ordained means of securing pardon. The old order taught this relentlessly; the new covenant fulfills it decisively in the once-for-all shedding of Christ’s blood for sinners.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And according to the law, I may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

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

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And according to the law, I may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And by the law almost all things are made clean with blood, and without blood there is no forgiveness.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and with blood almost all things are purified according to the law, and apart from blood-shedding forgiveness doth not come.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And almost all things, according to the law, are cleansed with blood: and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

and almost all things are purified with blood according to the law, and without blood-shedding there is no remission.

Context

After recounting the first covenant’s dedication with blood (verses 18–21), verse 22 states the general principle linking cleansing and forgiveness to bloodshed. With that principle in place, verse 23 will argue that while earthly copies were cleansed by such means, the heavenly realities required better sacrifices. Verses 24–26 will then apply this to Christ’s entrance into heaven itself with His own blood, not repeatedly but once, at the end of the ages, to put away sin. The progression moves from law’s pattern to gospel’s fulfillment.

v.21Moreover the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry he sprinkled in like manner with the blood.

v.22This passage

v.23It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Leviticus 5:12

    And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as the memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, upon the offerings of Jehovah made by fire: it is a sin-offering.

  • 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 atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life.

  • Leviticus 5:18

    And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, according to thy estimation, for a trespass-offering, unto the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning the thing wherein he erred unwittingly and knew it not, and he shall be forgiven.

  • 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 14:14

    And the priest shall take 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 4:35

    And all the fat thereof shall he take away, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of peace-offerings; and the priest shall burn them on the altar, upon the offerings of Jehovah made by fire; and the priest shall make atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned, and he shall be forgiven.

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