Hebrews 10 12

Hebrews 10:12 kjv

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Hebrews 10:12 nkjv

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,

Hebrews 10:12 niv

But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

Hebrews 10:12 esv

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

Hebrews 10:12 nlt

But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand.

Hebrews 10 verses

Hebrews 10 12 Meaning

Hebrews 10:12 declares the radical sufficiency and finality of Jesus Christ's sacrifice. Unlike the priests of the Old Covenant who continually offered ineffective sacrifices, Christ offered a single, perfect sacrifice for sins that has eternal validity and efficacy. His subsequent act of "sitting down at the right hand of God" signifies the completion of His redemptive work, His supreme authority, and His glorious exaltation as King and High Priest. It marks the ultimate divine acceptance and triumph over sin and death, establishing a new and permanent way for humanity to approach God.

Hebrews 10 12 Context

Hebrews chapter 10 continues the Epistle's central argument from chapter 9, demonstrating the superiority of Christ's New Covenant sacrifice over the Old Covenant system. The Old Covenant sacrifices, performed daily and yearly by Levitical priests (Heb 10:1-4, 10:11), were imperfect shadows that could never truly take away sins or bring about spiritual perfection; they merely served as a continual reminder of sin. They were temporary, incomplete, and required repetition, symbolized by the priests standing to perform their endless duties.

In stark contrast, Hebrews 10:12 pivots to present Christ's decisive action. He is the ultimate High Priest and the perfect sacrifice. His offering, made "once for all," perfectly and eternally cleanses from sin. His subsequent sitting down (Heb 10:12, in contrast to the priests' standing in Heb 10:11) powerfully symbolizes the finished nature of His work and His glorious vindication and authority at God's right hand. This passage underscores that Christ's single sacrifice perfectly fulfills God's will and brings about true, lasting sanctification and access to God for believers (Heb 10:14, 10:19-20).

Hebrews 10 12 Word Analysis

• But (δὲ - de): A strong adversative conjunction. It marks a sharp contrast with the preceding verse (Heb 10:11), highlighting the profound difference between the Old Covenant priesthood and Christ. While earthly priests stood offering countless sacrifices, Christ, conversely, acted with ultimate finality.

• this Man (οὗτος - houtos): Refers unequivocally to Jesus Christ. The Greek demonstrative pronoun emphasizes "He, Himself" or "this one," asserting His singular identity and preeminence above all Levitical priests. It underscores His humanity as the sacrifice, and His divinity as the one whose sacrifice holds ultimate value.

• after He had offered (προσεγκας - prosenegkas): An aorist participle, denoting a completed action in the past, preceding the main verb. It emphasizes the definitive, historical event of Christ's offering of Himself. It is a one-time, non-repeatable event.

• one (μίαν - mian): A feminine numeral adjective emphasizing singularity. It stands in direct opposition to the "many" and "repeated" sacrifices of the Old Covenant (Heb 10:1, 10:11). This "one" sacrifice possesses infinite value.

• sacrifice (θυσίαν - thysian): Refers to the sacrificial offering. In this context, it is Christ Himself who is both the priest and the perfect offering (Heb 9:14, 9:26). This is the climax of all sacrificial systems.

• for sins (ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν - hyper hamartion): The purpose of the sacrifice. Hyper means "on behalf of," "for the sake of," indicating substitutionary atonement. Christ's death directly addressed and dealt with human sin.

• forever (εἰς τὸ διηνεκές - eis to dienekes): This phrase indicates the perpetual, continual, and unending efficacy of the "one sacrifice." It means "continuously," "perpetually," or "eternally valid." The impact of Christ's offering lasts for all time and never needs repeating.

• sat down (ἐκάθισεν - ekathisen): A key verb. It's an aorist active indicative, a definite action that took place. Unlike Levitical priests who "stood" daily because their work was never done, Jesus sat. Sitting implies completion, rest, authority, and ultimate achievement. This posture signals that His work of atonement is finished and accepted by God. It also denotes the commencement of His reign.

• at the right hand of God (ἐκ δεξιᾶς τοῦ Θεοῦ - ek dexias tou Theou): A profoundly significant phrase signifying a position of supreme honor, power, authority, and shared rule. This is the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy (Ps 110:1) and indicates Christ's full divine exaltation. It signifies His ongoing intercession and supreme governmental authority.

• "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice": This phrase directly contrasts with the Old Covenant priestly system (Heb 10:11) which necessitated repeated sacrifices. It highlights Christ's singular, all-sufficient act.

• "for sins forever sat down": The "forever" qualifies the efficacy of the "one sacrifice," implying its permanent effect, which then undergirds the definitive "sat down." This phrase links the eternal nature of the sacrifice's effect with Christ's settled, triumphant position, reinforcing that no further offering for sins is needed or possible.

• "at the right hand of God": This phrase denotes divine vindication and authorization. It is not merely a place but a status of ultimate power, honor, and dominion over all creation and sin.

Hebrews 10 12 Bonus section

The contrast between "standing" (Heb 10:11, referring to Levitical priests) and "sitting down" (Heb 10:12, referring to Christ) is one of the most powerful literary and theological devices in the Book of Hebrews. It highlights not just a posture difference, but a fundamental distinction in the nature of their work: repetitive and incomplete versus decisive and complete. No temple furniture included a chair for the Old Covenant priests, as their work was unending. However, for Christ, a seat awaited Him, symbolizing the glorious rest and authoritative reign that followed His successful sacrifice. This underscores the total finality and sufficiency of His redemptive mission. His position "at the right hand of God" is the ultimate sign of divine vindication, marking the acceptance of His sacrifice as entirely satisfactory for the purification of sins. This glorious position ensures believers' permanent access to God through Christ.

Hebrews 10 12 Commentary

Hebrews 10:12 stands as a theological epicenter within the Epistle to the Hebrews, concisely articulating the core difference between the Old and New Covenants: the infinite efficacy of Christ's finished work. The verse serves as a climactic declaration following the discourse on the inadequacy of Levitical sacrifices. While Old Covenant priests stood daily, constantly ministering because their offerings were merely ceremonial and temporary, unable to perfect the conscience or genuinely cleanse from sin (Heb 10:1, 10:4, 10:11), Jesus, as "this Man," definitively offered a "one sacrifice" – His own life.

This singularity ("one sacrifice") is paramount, underlining the perfect, once-for-all nature of His atonement (Heb 9:26-28). The phrase "for sins forever" asserts that Christ's single offering perpetually addresses the problem of sin for all who believe, without any need for repetition. Its validity and power are not bound by time or circumstance; it is eternally effective.

The pinnacle of the verse is "He sat down at the right hand of God." This imagery is loaded with profound theological meaning. Sitting down signifies a completed work, a triumphant cessation of labor. Unlike earthly priests, whose work was unending, Christ's work of redemption is perfect and finished. His sitting implies that His atoning sacrifice was fully accepted by God, successfully achieving its purpose. Furthermore, being at "the right hand of God" conveys a position of ultimate authority, honor, and power. It points to Christ's divine exaltation, His kingship, and His present reign, fulfilling the prophetic psalms (Ps 110:1). This seat is a throne of majesty from which He intercedes for His people and exercises sovereign rule over all things.

The profound implication for believers is that their sanctification and access to God are now eternally secured not by their own efforts or by continued sacrifices, but by Christ's singular, accomplished work.