Hebrews 13 11

Hebrews 13:11 kjv

For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.

Hebrews 13:11 nkjv

For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.

Hebrews 13:11 niv

The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp.

Hebrews 13:11 esv

For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.

Hebrews 13:11 nlt

Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp.

Hebrews 13 verses

Hebrews 13 11 Meaning

Hebrews 13:11 explains a significant aspect of the Old Covenant's Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) sacrifices: the bodies of specific sin offerings, whose blood was taken into the Holy of Holies for expiation, were subsequently burned completely outside the camp. This Old Testament practice serves as a type, a prefigurement, of Jesus Christ's sacrifice. It signifies His dual nature as both a sin offering for humanity and as one who bore the defilement of sin, thereby suffering outside the gates of Jerusalem, consecrated away from the place of ritual purity, to sanctify His people through His own blood.

Hebrews 13 11 Context

Hebrews chapter 13 focuses on practical exhortations for Christian living, flowing from the preceding theological arguments about the supremacy of Christ's priesthood and sacrifice. Verses 9-16 specifically deal with distinguishing the New Covenant "altar" and sacrifice from the old Jewish system. The author warns against "diverse and strange teachings" (Heb 13:9) which likely pertained to Judaistic practices or Gnostic ideas that diminished Christ's singular sacrifice. Hebrews 13:10 refers to the Christian "altar" from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat, highlighting the exclusive sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice in contrast to temple rituals. Verse 11 then provides an Old Testament example from the Mosaic Law, particularly the Day of Atonement, to explain why believers must align with Christ and His sacrifice outside the old system. Historically, the camp referred to the community of Israel, first in the wilderness tabernacle, then symbolically encompassing Jerusalem or the nation. Burning objects outside the camp signified removal of defilement and complete separation from the consecrated holy place, yet paradoxically, for sin offerings, it was also a place where the sin was fully dealt with. This sets the stage for the crucial theological leap in verse 12, where Christ's suffering outside the city gate is revealed as the fulfillment of this Old Testament pattern.

Hebrews 13 11 Word analysis

• For (γάρ - gar): This conjunction introduces an explanation or a reason for the preceding statement, specifically for the distinction between the "altar" in Heb 13:10. It shows that the Christian altar (Christ) is distinct from the Jewish sacrificial system by drawing a parallel to a specific Old Testament sacrifice.

• the bodies (σώματα - sōmata): Refers to the physical carcasses of the animals. In Old Testament sin offerings (especially on the Day of Atonement), these bodies, though part of a holy ritual, became laden with the defilement of sin through transference and thus were deemed unclean for consumption or for remaining within the camp.

• of those animals (ζώων - zōōn): Specifically points to the animals chosen for sin offerings. Not all sacrificial animals were treated this way, only those designated as sin offerings for specific, severe sins or for the atonement of the High Priest and the community. This specifically applies to the bull and the goat for the sin offering on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:27).

• whose blood (ὧν τὸ αἷμα - hōn to haima): Blood in the Old Testament represented life (Lev 17:11). It was the medium through which atonement was made. The emphasis is on the sacred act of the blood being offered for sin.

• is brought (εἰσφέρεται - eispheretai): Indicating a precise action of bringing into a specific location.

• into the sanctuary (εἰς τὰ ἅγια - eis ta hagia): "The Holy Places," which in the context of the Day of Atonement rituals (Leviticus 16) specifically means the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctuary, where the High Priest entered only once a year with blood to make atonement. This highlights the holiness and seriousness of the sacrifice.

• by the high priest (ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως - hypo tou archiereōs): Emphasizes the crucial role of the High Priest as the mediator between God and the people in the Old Covenant. Only he could enter the Holy of Holies. This points to Jesus Christ as our ultimate High Priest (Heb 4:14, 7:26-28).

• for sin (περὶ ἁμαρτίας - peri hamartias): Clearly states the purpose of these offerings – to atone for sin. The "bodies...for sin" effectively means they bore or became sin in a ceremonial sense.

• are burned (κατακαίεται - katakaietai): The Greek verb means "to consume by fire, to burn up completely." This was not just disposal, but a thorough destruction, signifying judgment on sin. It also represented the complete removal or expiation of sin, purging its defilement.

• outside the camp (ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς - exō tēs parembolēs): This is a crucial phrase. The "camp" referred to the Israelite community, especially the sacred area around the tabernacle, where purity was strictly maintained. To be "outside the camp" meant a separation from the community and from ceremonial purity, a place associated with uncleanness, defilement, and expulsion. For these sin offerings, it simultaneously conveyed the bearing away of sin and the full judgment upon it, thus cleansing the camp itself.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin": This entire phrase succinctly describes the specific ritual from the Old Testament Law, focusing on the bull and goat offered on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16). It highlights the elements that made the animal's body ceremonially defiled (bearing sin) yet its blood holy (making atonement in the holiest place).
  • "are burned outside the camp": This emphasizes the fate of the "sin-laden" bodies. The burning symbolizes complete destruction and judgment against sin, while the location "outside the camp" symbolizes their removal of defilement from the community and also a separation, a place of being outcast, yet where purity for the inside was paradoxically achieved. This perfectly foreshadows Christ's suffering and crucifixion outside Jerusalem.

Hebrews 13 11 Bonus section

The specific choice of the Day of Atonement sacrifices for this illustration is critical. On Yom Kippur, the High Priest acted on behalf of the entire nation, offering specific sacrifices that touched the highest level of holiness (the Most Holy Place). This means the cleansing achieved by these sacrifices was the most profound within the Old Covenant system. Therefore, their burning "outside the camp" carried equally profound implications for bearing communal defilement and judgment, directly pointing to Christ as the perfect, comprehensive, and once-for-all solution to humanity's sin, taking all defilement away permanently. The contrast implied is between temporary, external, ritualistic purification (shadow) and internal, spiritual, lasting sanctification through Christ (substance). The believer is therefore called to participate in this "outside the camp" reality, leaving behind worldly values and traditions to embrace Christ alone.

Hebrews 13 11 Commentary

Hebrews 13:11 serves as a bridge, grounding the theological assertions about Christ's superior sacrifice in Old Testament types while preparing the reader for a call to practical discipleship. It recalls a specific aspect of the Day of Atonement ritual (Lev 16:27), where the bull and goat sin offerings, whose blood cleansed the most holy parts of the Tabernacle/Temple, had their bodies carried outside the sacred "camp" and burned.

This practice held profound symbolism. The animal, through bearing the sins of the high priest and the community, became ceremonially "defiled" or identified with the sin it atoned for. Therefore, it could not remain within the holy confines of the camp or be eaten by the priests (unlike other sin offerings whose blood was not brought into the Holy Place, cf. Lev 6:30). Its complete destruction by fire "outside the camp" signified the thorough removal and judgment of sin, purging its defilement from the community and its holy spaces.

The author of Hebrews uses this type to illustrate the true nature of Jesus' sacrifice. Just as those Old Testament sin offerings were removed from the camp and destroyed, so too was Jesus, our ultimate Sin Offering, led outside the "camp" of Jerusalem to suffer and die on Calvary (Heb 13:12). He was not merely disposed of, but His holy body, becoming sin for us (2 Cor 5:21), bore the full judgment and shame associated with sin, in a place outside the revered religious and social system. This act of suffering outside the gate was not an accident but a divine design, completing the shadow cast by the ancient law. Christ’s "outside" sacrifice thus accomplishes a final, complete, and effective sanctification (purity) for His people that animal blood could never truly provide (Heb 10:4).

This verse emphasizes the paradox: the sacrifice that brings ultimate holiness (through the blood entering the sanctuary) also becomes ultimately defiled (by bearing sin), necessitating its complete removal from the sacred community. This helps us understand the immense cost and shame Jesus bore, enduring rejection and separation to sanctify believers.