Hebrews 10 22

Hebrews 10:22 kjv

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10:22 nkjv

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10:22 niv

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10:22 esv

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10:22 nlt

let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10 verses

Hebrews 10 22 Meaning

Hebrews 10:22 is a profound exhortation for believers to approach God confidently and intimately, based on the completed work of Jesus Christ. It describes the necessary inner state of a believer (a true heart, full assurance of faith, and a conscience cleansed from guilt by Christ's blood) and the external spiritual purification (signified by washing with pure water), which together provide access to God's presence. This access is now available to all believers through the new and living way consecrated by Jesus' sacrifice, replacing the old ceremonial system.

Hebrews 10 22 Context

Verse Context: Hebrews 10:22 marks a transition from a theological exposition about Christ's superior sacrifice to practical exhortations for Christian living. Building upon the declaration that believers now have confidence to enter the holiest places (v. 19) and that Christ has consecrated a "new and living way" (v. 20) through His flesh, this verse issues a direct command ("let us draw near"). It outlines the internal and external spiritual conditions necessary for believers to appropriate this access. It directly precedes the threefold call to persevere in faith, hold to our hope, and encourage one another (vv. 23-25).

Chapter Context: Chapter 10 continues the High Priestly theme from earlier chapters, asserting the decisive superiority and finality of Christ's sacrifice over the Old Testament rituals. The author emphasizes that the Old Covenant laws and animal sacrifices were merely a "shadow" (v. 1) and could never truly "make perfect those who draw near" (v. 1). Christ's one-time offering perfectly accomplished redemption, fulfilling Jeremiah's New Covenant prophecy of internalizing God's laws and forgetting sins (vv. 15-18). Having established Christ's finished work and priesthood (seated at God's right hand, vv. 11-13), the author now applies these theological truths directly to the readers' lives, inviting them to fully embrace the access and cleansing provided by Christ.

Historical/Cultural Context: The Epistle to the Hebrews was likely addressed to Jewish Christians facing pressure, possibly persecution or internal struggles, who were tempted to revert to aspects of Judaism. The author's strong emphasis on the inadequacy of the Old Covenant system and the absolute superiority of Christ would have been crucial for them. They were familiar with Temple rituals, the sacrificial system, and the concepts of ritual purity. The language of "sprinkling" and "washing" would immediately resonate with their understanding of purification ceremonies (e.g., sin offerings, red heifer ashes, Levitical cleanings). The author's polemic is against any notion that one must return to these ceremonial laws, or that they add anything to Christ's complete work. He reinterprets these familiar terms in light of Christ, showing that genuine access to God and true purification are now accomplished spiritually through Him, not through external rituals of the law.

Hebrews 10 22 Word analysis

• let us draw near (Gk. proserchometha): A present subjunctive verb in the first-person plural, acting as an exhortation or invitation. It denotes coming close, approaching, especially approaching God in worship or prayer. It carries a priestly connotation in the Septuagint for priests drawing near the altar. Here, it signifies that all believers, through Christ, are priests with direct access.
• with a true heart (Gk. en alēthinē kardia): Refers to inward sincerity, genuineness, and integrity. Not hypocrisy or outward show, but an authentic, unreserved commitment from one's innermost being. The "heart" in biblical terms represents the center of personality, thought, will, and emotion.
• in full assurance of faith (Gk. en plērophoria pisteōs): Plērophoria means "fullness," "complete conviction," "firm persuasion," "absolute certainty." This faith is not mere intellectual assent but a settled, unwavering confidence in God's promises and Christ's finished work, banishing all doubt regarding His ability to save and sanctify. It's the conviction that gives boldness for access.
• having our hearts sprinkled (Gk. rerantismenoi tas kardias): Rerantismenoi is a perfect passive participle, indicating a completed action with ongoing results. It means "having been sprinkled." The act is done to them. "Sprinkled" directly evokes Old Testament purification rites, especially with blood, which cleansed from defilement and enabled access (e.g., Ex. 24:8, Lev. 14:7). Here, the sprinkling is spiritual, performed by Christ's atoning blood.
• from an evil conscience (Gk. apo syneidēseōs ponēras): An "evil" or "guilty" conscience is one defiled by the awareness of sin and unworthiness before God. It implies guilt, condemnation, and accusation. The sprinkling with Christ's blood purifies this inner sense of moral defilement, removing the barrier of guilt.
• and our bodies washed (Gk. kai lelousmenoi to sōma): Lelousmenoi is also a perfect passive participle, "having been washed." It refers to a full bodily ablution, a complete washing.
• with pure water (Gk. hydati katharō): Refers to cleansing water. While often associated with physical baptism in the early church, it also carries the deeper spiritual meaning of internal purification and regeneration effected by the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5) and the Word of God (Eph. 5:26). It symbolizes a radical break from the old defiled life and a cleansing for consecrated living. The purity implies absolute moral and spiritual cleanliness.

Hebrews 10 22 Bonus section

The structure of Hebrews 10:22 mirrors the Old Testament requirements for priests entering the Holy Place or High Priests entering the Holy of Holies, who had to be physically clean and make atonement. However, the author elevates this, showing that in the New Covenant, it is the heart (inner being) that is truly cleansed by Christ's blood from the conscience's accusations, and the entire self (represented by the body) that is purified by a complete spiritual washing. This means every believer now functions as a priest.

The use of the perfect passive participles (rerantismenoi and lelousmenoi) implies a completed action that has lasting results. This highlights that the purification (spiritual sprinkling and washing) has already taken place for the believer (likely at conversion/baptism) and provides the basis for their present confident access to God. It’s not something we do to be cleansed, but something Christ has done for us, enabling us to now "draw near."

Hebrews 10 22 Commentary

Hebrews 10:22 is a foundational exhortation derived from the high Christology and redemptive theology of the book. It pivots from exposition to application, urging believers to act upon the unparalleled access to God procured by Christ's perfect, once-for-all sacrifice.

The "let us draw near" is not a tentative suggestion but an urgent summons for intimate fellowship with God. This divine invitation is extended to all believers, indicating a universal priesthood, a radical departure from the Old Covenant system where only the high priest had such access. The conditions for approaching God are twofold: internal disposition and spiritual purification.

"A true heart" emphasizes absolute sincerity and genuineness. God seeks not outward conformity but inward reality, a heart undivided in its devotion. This is paired with "full assurance of faith," highlighting the unshakeable confidence that comes from trusting in the sufficiency of Christ's work, rather than in one's own merit or rituals. This faith eradicates doubt and enables boldness to enter God's presence.

The dual purification of "hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience" and "bodies washed with pure water" signifies the comprehensive nature of Christ's saving work. The sprinkling of the heart refers to the inner, moral cleansing from sin and guilt achieved by the blood of Christ. An "evil conscience" is one burdened by the guilt of past sins, hindering confident approach to a holy God. Christ's blood removes this condemnation, purifying the very seat of moral awareness. This spiritual purification addresses our deep need for forgiveness and removal of alienation from God.

The "washing of bodies with pure water" broadly points to outward cleansing. While undoubtedly linked to Christian baptism as a symbol of identification with Christ's death and resurrection and the washing away of sins (Acts 22:16; Tit. 3:5), it extends to the ongoing sanctification process. It represents a transformed life, separation from the world's defilement, and commitment to purity in thought and deed—a practical outflow of the internal change. Together, the sprinkled heart and washed body describe the complete purification (justification and sanctification) necessary and provided for direct communion with God.

In essence, because Christ's sacrifice has perfectly purged sin and removed the veil between humanity and God, believers can now, and indeed must, confidently and sincerely approach the living God. It's a call to profound intimacy and continuous fellowship, based not on human effort, but on divine grace.