The Meaning of Hebrews 13:11 Explained

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.

YLT: for of those beasts whose blood is brought for sin into the holy places through the chief priest -- of these the bodies are burned without the camp.

Darby: for of those beasts whose blood is carried as sacrifices for sin into the holy of holies by the high priest, of these the bodies are burned outside the camp.

ASV: For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned without the camp.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Hebrews 13:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Far from defiling those who associated with Jesus Christ, our sin (purification) offering, associating with Him leads to holiness. Here the writer compared Jesus to the sin offering that the Jewish high priest offered on the Day of Atonement (cf. Leviticus 16:27).
". . . in Hebrews the expression "high priest" customarily signals that the field of reference is the annual atonement ritual (cf. Hebrews 5:3; Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 8:1-3; Hebrews 9:7; Hebrews 9:11-12; Hebrews 9:24-26)." [1]

Context Summary

Hebrews 13:1-13 - Sanctify Daily Life
We may not like all the brethren, but there is something in each of them that Christ loves. Let us try to discover it, or love them for His sake. We can love people with our mind and think for them, or with our strength and serve them, even though the heart is somewhat reluctant.
Strangers and captives must never be forgotten, either in our prayers or our ministry. The love within the marriage tie must be unsullied, and we must watch against the insidious lust of gold. Why should we always be thinking of money, when God has promised, with two negatives, never to fail us, Hebrews 13:5? Thrice we are asked to remember those who bear office and rule in the church, Hebrews 13:7; Hebrews 13:17; Hebrews 13:24.
We are called to a holy crusade. It is not for us to linger in circumstances of ease and self-indulgence when our Master suffered without the gate! Let us go forth unto Him, bearing His reproach! Has not the Church tarried in the city long enough, enervated by its fashions and flatteries? [source]

Chapter Summary: Hebrews 13

1  Various admonitions as to love;
4  to honest life;
5  to avoid covetousness;
7  to regard God's preachers;
9  to take heed of strange doctrines;
10  to confess Christ;
16  to give alms;
17  to obey governors;
18  to pray for the apostles
20  The conclusion

Greek Commentary for Hebrews 13:11

Of those beasts whose blood [ων ζωων το αιμα τουτων]
The antecedent (ζωων — zōōn) of ων — hōn is here incorporated and attracted into the case of the relative, “the blood of which beasts” and then τουτων — toutōn (genitive demonstrative) is added, “of these.” Cf. Leviticus 4:12., Leviticus 4:21; Leviticus 16:27 for the Old Testament ritual in such cases. This is the only example in the lxx or N.T. where ζωων — zōōn (animal) is used of a sacrificial victim. See also Exodus 29:14; Exodus 32:26. for burning without the camp. [source]
[]
d The statement that the adherents of the old economy are excluded from the privileges of the new is justified by an illustrative argument drawn from the ceremonies of the Great Day of Atonement. See Hebrews href="/desk/?q=heb+9:7&sr=1">Hebrews 9:7. Of the victims offered on that occasion neither people nor priest were allowed to eat. The blood of the bullock and of one of the goats was carried into the sanctuary and sprinkled upon the mercy-seat, and afterward on the horns of the great altar outside; and the bodies of the slain animals were burned in a clean place outside of the camp or city. [source]
Beasts [ζώων]
Lit. living creatures. The victims for the Day of Atonement were a bullock and two young goats for sin-offerings, and two rams for burnt-offerings. Only one goat, chosen by lot, was slain; the other served as the scape-goat. Ζῶον animalis not used elsewhere of a sacrificial victim, either in N.T. or lxx. The word in N.T. mostly in Revelation. See on Revelation 1:16; see on Revelation 4:6. [source]
Without the camp [ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς]
Burning without the camp was also required in the case of victims offered at the consecration of the priests, Exodus 29:14; at the sin-offering for the priest, Leviticus 4:11, Leviticus 4:12; and at the sin-offering for the congregation, Leviticus 4:21. For παρεμβολή campsee on Acts 21:34. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Hebrews 13:11

Acts 21:34 Castle [παρευβολήν]
Better, barracks. The main tower had a smaller tower at each corner, the one at the southeastern corner being the largest and overlooking the temple. In this tower were the quarters of the soldiers. The word is derived from the verb παρεμβάλλω , to put in beside, used in military language of distributing auxiliaries among regular troops and, generally, of drawing up in battle-order. Hence the noun means, a body drawn up in battle-array, and passes thence into the meaning of an encampment, soldiers' quarters, barracks. In Hebrews 11:34, it occurs in the earlier sense of an army; and in Hebrews 13:11, Hebrews 13:13; Revelation 20:9, in the sense of an encampment. In grammatical phraseology it signifies a parenthesis, according to its original sense of insertion or interpolation. [source]
Acts 21:34 When he could not know [μη δυναμενου αυτου γνωναι]
Genitive absolute of present middle participle of δυναμαι — dunamai with negative μη — mē and second aorist active infinitive of γινωσκω — ginōskō The certainty (το ασπαλες — to asphales). Neuter articular adjective from α — a privative and σπαλλω — sphallō to make totter or fall. Old word, in the N.T. only in Acts 21:34; Acts 22:30; Acts 25:26; Philemon 3:1; Hebrews 6:19. Into the castle Koiné{[28928]}š word from παρεμβαλλω — paremballō to cast in by the side of, to assign soldiers a place, to encamp (see note on Luke 19:43). So παρεμβολη — parembolē comes to mean an interpolation, then an army drawn up (Hebrews 11:34), but mainly an encampment (Hebrews 13:11, Hebrews 13:13), frequent in Polybius and lxx. So here barracks of the Roman soldiers in the tower of Antonia as in Acts 21:37; Acts 21:22: Acts 21:24; Acts 23:10, Acts 23:16, Acts 23:32. [source]
Acts 21:34 Into the castle [εις την παρεμβολην]
Koiné{[28928]}š word from παρεμβαλλω — paremballō to cast in by the side of, to assign soldiers a place, to encamp (see note on Luke 19:43). So παρεμβολη — parembolē comes to mean an interpolation, then an army drawn up (Hebrews 11:34), but mainly an encampment (Hebrews 13:11, Hebrews 13:13), frequent in Polybius and lxx. So here barracks of the Roman soldiers in the tower of Antonia as in Acts 21:37; Acts 21:22: Acts 21:24; Acts 23:10, Acts 23:16, Acts 23:32. [source]
Hebrews 8:2 Of the sanctuary [τῶν ἁγίων]
The heavenly sanctuary. Τὰ ἅγια themost holy place, Hebrews 9:8, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:25; Hebrews 10:19; Hebrews 13:11. Comp. ἅγια ἀγίων holyof holies, Hebrews 9:3. Ἅγια holyplaces generally, but with special reference to the innermost sanctuary, Hebrews 9:24. [source]
Hebrews 13:12 Without the gate [ἔξω τῆς πύλης]
Gate is substituted for camp (Hebrews 13:11), as more appropriate to a city. [source]
Hebrews 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also [διο και Ιησους]
The parallel is drawn between the O.T. ritual and the better sacrifice of Jesus already discussed (9:13-10:18). The purpose of Jesus is shown (ινα αγιασηι — hina hagiasēi ινα — hina and the first aorist active subjunctive of αγιαζω — hagiazō to sanctify), the means employed (δια του ιδιου αιματος — dia tou idiou haimatos by his own blood), the place of his suffering (επατεν — epathen as in Hebrews 5:8) is also given (εχω της πυλης — exō tēs pulēs outside the gate, implied in John 19:17) which phrase corresponds to “outside the camp” of Hebrews 13:11. [source]

What do the individual words in Hebrews 13:11 mean?

Whose for is brought of animals the blood [as sacrifices] for sin into the holy places by the high priest of those the bodies are burned outside the camp
Ὧν γὰρ εἰσφέρεται ζῴων τὸ αἷμα περὶ ἁμαρτίας εἰς τὰ ἅγια διὰ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως τούτων τὰ σώματα κατακαίεται ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς

Ὧν  Whose 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
εἰσφέρεται  is  brought 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰσφέρω  
Sense: to bring into, in or to.
ζῴων  of  animals 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: ζῷον  
Sense: a living being.
αἷμα  blood  [as  sacrifices] 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: αἷμα  
Sense: blood.
ἁμαρτίας  sin 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ἁμαρτία  
Sense: equivalent to 264.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
ἅγια  holy  places 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἅγιος  
Sense: most holy thing, a saint.
ἀρχιερέως  high  priest 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἀρχιερεύς  
Sense: chief priest, high priest.
τούτων  of  those 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
σώματα  bodies 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: σῶμα  
Sense: the body both of men or animals.
κατακαίεται  are  burned 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κατακαίω  
Sense: to burn up, consume by fire.
ἔξω  outside 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἔξω  
Sense: without, out of doors.
παρεμβολῆς  camp 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: παρεμβολή  
Sense: an encampment.