Hebrews 13:10 kjv
We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
Hebrews 13:10 nkjv
We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
Hebrews 13:10 niv
We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
Hebrews 13:10 esv
We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.
Hebrews 13:10 nlt
We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat.
Hebrews 13 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Heb 9:11-12 | But when Christ appeared as a high priest... not through the blood of goats and calves but through His own blood, thus entering once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. | Christ's singular, effective sacrifice. |
| Heb 9:25-26 | Nor was it that He should offer Himself often... but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. | Christ's finished work ends old sacrifices. |
| Heb 10:10 | By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. | Sanctification through Christ's sacrifice. |
| Heb 10:12 | But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, | Christ's permanent, sufficient sacrifice. |
| Heb 12:24 | and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. | New Covenant's superior blood/sacrifice. |
| Jn 6:53-56 | So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.” | Spiritual eating: communion with Christ's life. |
| 1 Cor 10:16 | Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? | Participation in Christ through the Lord's Supper. |
| 1 Cor 10:18 | Look at Israel according to the flesh: are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? | Eating from sacrifices implies participation. |
| Lev 7:6 | Every male among the priests may eat of it; it shall be holy to you. | Priests had right to eat certain sacrifices. |
| Lev 7:15 | The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it until morning. | Laypeople ate parts of specific offerings. |
| Num 18:7 | But you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood... no unauthorized person may come near you. | Separation of roles in Old Covenant worship. |
| Col 2:16-17 | Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink... things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance is of Christ. | Christ as the reality, rituals as shadows. |
| Col 2:20-22 | If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourselves to decrees... | Dying to outdated regulations/rituals. |
| Gal 5:4 | You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. | Those trusting law forfeit Christ's benefits. |
| Rom 10:4 | For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. | Christ ends the law's requirement for righteousness. |
| Php 3:3 | for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, | True worship is spiritual, not ritualistic. |
| Heb 8:5 | who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “SEE,” He says, “THAT YOU MAKE ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN TO YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN.” | Old Covenant institutions were temporary shadows. |
| Heb 9:8-10 | The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been opened while the outer tabernacle is still standing... these are mere regulations for the body, imposed until a time of reformation. | Old Covenant rites are temporary, preparatory. |
| Heb 13:12-14 | Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. | Call to separate from old system, join Christ. |
| 2 Cor 6:17 | “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. | Divine call to separation for believers. |
Hebrews 13 verses
Hebrews 13 10 Meaning
Hebrews 13:10 declares that Christians possess a spiritual altar, referring to Jesus Christ and His once-for-all sacrifice, from which those who adhere to the Old Covenant's physical tabernacle worship and its sacrificial system have no privilege or share in its benefits. This highlights the exclusivity and superiority of Christ's completed work over the now obsolete Levitical system.
Hebrews 13 10 Context
Hebrews 13 concludes the letter with practical exhortations and warnings. The broader context of Hebrews emphasizes the supremacy of Jesus Christ and the New Covenant over the Old Covenant system of Moses, the Law, priesthood, and animal sacrifices. The audience, likely Jewish Christians, faced pressure or temptation to revert to Judaism and its rituals, especially in light of persecution. Verse 10 builds on the letter's central theme that Christ's once-for-all sacrifice has rendered the temple sacrificial system obsolete. The author uses this theological truth to encourage them to embrace their identity in Christ fully and reject anything that might detract from it. This specific verse prepares the ground for the following exhortation to "go out to Him outside the camp" (Heb 13:13), signifying a complete separation from the outdated religious system.
Hebrews 13 10 Word analysis
- We: Refers to the Christian community, followers of Jesus, those under the New Covenant. This "we" contrasts with "those who serve the tabernacle."
- have: Denotes possession, something we possess and partake in as believers. It's a present reality.
- an altar (θυσιαστήριον - thysiastērion): In the Old Testament, a physical structure for sacrifice. Here, it is metaphorical, universally understood in New Covenant theology to represent Jesus Christ Himself as the sacrifice and the source of salvation, or His atoning sacrifice on the cross. It is not a literal communion table. The significance lies in the source of atonement and spiritual nourishment.
- from which: Emphasizes the origin and source of benefits. The Christian altar (Christ) is the sole fount.
- those who serve: Refers to individuals dedicated to religious service, specifically within the Mosaic system, which includes the Levitical priests and those who upheld the tabernacle's regulations. It highlights their persistent allegiance to the old rites.
- the tabernacle (σκηγή - skēnē): Represents the Old Covenant system of worship, with its physical rituals, priesthood, and animal sacrifices performed in the desert tabernacle (later the Temple). It stands for the ceremonial law, which Christ fulfilled and superseded.
- have no right (ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν - echomen exousian translated as "have no authority/right"): Signifies that they lack the privilege, permission, or spiritual entitlement. It's not a legalistic prohibition but a theological impossibility due to their spiritual adherence to an antiquated system. Those clinging to the shadow cannot partake in the reality.
- to eat (φαγεῖν - phagein): In a sacrificial context, "eating from the altar" symbolized participation in the offering's benefits, communion with God, and appropriation of atonement (e.g., peace offerings, portions for priests). Spiritually, here it means to share in, receive nourishment from, or benefit from Christ's sacrifice.
Words-group analysis:
- "We have an altar": This is a direct declaration of Christian possession of a unique spiritual reality, contrasting it with the old physical structures. It asserts Christ as the spiritual altar of their worship and salvation.
- "those who serve the tabernacle": This phrase clearly identifies the opposing group: those who cling to the Old Covenant's Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system. They remain attached to the shadow despite the reality of Christ's advent.
- "have no right to eat": This climactic phrase communicates the incompatibility of the two systems. One cannot participate in the benefits of Christ's sacrifice while simultaneously affirming the continued validity and efficacy of the Old Covenant's physical sacrifices. It highlights the mutual exclusivity of truly benefitting from Christ's completed work while clinging to rituals that proclaim His work incomplete.
Hebrews 13 10 Bonus section
The metaphor of "altar" in Hebrews 13:10 has sometimes been mistakenly applied to a literal communion table or eucharistic altar in Christian worship. However, given the overwhelming emphasis of Hebrews on the once-for-all nature of Christ's sacrifice, and the direct contrast with the Old Testament sacrificial system, the "altar" here refers not to a physical table or a repeated sacrifice, but to Christ Himself as the true and ultimate sacrifice, from which believers draw all their spiritual benefits and communion with God. To interpret it as a literal communion table would reintroduce an earthly focal point contrary to the letter's central argument that Christ's single offering transcends and makes obsolete all earthly, repeatable sacrifices. This passage reinforces the idea that genuine participation in God's saving work is spiritual, found in Christ, not in any specific physical rite as practiced under the Old Covenant.
Hebrews 13 10 Commentary
Hebrews 13:10 is a pivotal statement within the book, succinctly summarizing its major theological argument. It asserts the complete, effective, and exclusive nature of Christ's once-for-all sacrifice on the cross. The "altar" for Christians is not a physical structure or ritual but metaphorically Jesus Christ Himself and His atoning work. This "altar" provides spiritual nourishment and participation in salvation that no Old Covenant ritual could offer. Those who persist in "serving the tabernacle," meaning continuing to observe the Mosaic ceremonial law and rely on its physical sacrifices for atonement, spiritually exclude themselves from the benefits derived from Christ's New Covenant work. They cannot have it both ways: the blood of bulls and goats cannot coexist as atonement alongside the infinitely superior blood of Christ. This verse thus functions as a powerful declaration of Christ's supremacy, challenging believers to fully embrace their new identity and worship in the reality of Christ, forsaking reliance on the superseded shadows. Practically, it underscores that seeking salvation or spiritual benefit through human efforts, rituals, or any system outside of faith in Christ alone is futile.