Go to Related Reading
About this book

Hebrews

About this book
Chapter 13

1 Brotherly love must continue. 2 Do not neglect hospitality because through it some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison as though you were in prison with them, and those ill-treated as though you, too, felt their torment. 4 Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers. 5 Your conduct must be free from the love of money, and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” 6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can people do to me?” 7 Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! 9 Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings. For it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not ritual meals, which have never benefited those who participated in them. 10 We have an altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp.⁠ 12 Therefore, to sanctify the people by his own blood, Jesus also suffered outside the camp. 13 We must go out to him, then, outside the camp, bearing the abuse he experienced. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips,⁠ acknowledging his name. 16 And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices. 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you. 18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to conduct ourselves rightly in every respect. 19 I especially ask you to pray that I may be restored to you very soon. 20 Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, 21 equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen. 22 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, bear with my message of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you briefly. 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon, he will be with me when I see you. 24 Greetings to all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with you all.

Texts in conversation

Compare Leviticus 4:21 and Hebrews 13:11

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

Share:

Summary

Leviticus describes the remains of the sin offering taken and burned outside the camp after the ritual is done. Hebrews refers to this in its reflection on Jesus’ death, connecting the animals burned outside the camp and his execution outside the city.

Passages

Leviticus 4:21

Hebrew Bible
19 “‘Then the priest must take all its fat and offer the fat up in smoke on the altar. 20 He must do with the rest of the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering; this is what he must do with it. So the priest will make atonement on their behalf, and they will be forgiven. 21 He must bring the rest of the bull outside the camp and burn it just as he burned the first bull—it is the sin offering of the assembly. 22 “‘Whenever a leader, by straying unintentionally, sins and violates one of the commandments of the Lord his God which must not be violated, and he pleads guilty, 23 or his sin that he committed is made known to him, he must bring a flawless male goat as his offering.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Leviticus

Hebrews 13:11

New Testament
9 Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings. For it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not ritual meals, which have never benefited those who participated in them. 10 We have an altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore, to sanctify the people by his own blood, Jesus also suffered outside the camp. 13 We must go out to him, then, outside the camp, bearing the abuse he experienced.
80–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Hebrews

References

"... Another type of sacrifice is the communion sacrifice. The largest part of its sacrificial meat is for the person offering it, who will usually consume it at a celebration. However, more than half of the sacrificial law in Leviticus 3 is dedicated to the precise description of the burning rite, and which pieces of the sacrificial animal are to be burnt. Finally, there is no doubt that the characteristic and most prominent feature of the sin offering is the central blood rite (Leviticus 4:5–7, 16–18, 25, 30, 34). However, the formula about atonement and forgiveness (Leviticus 4:20b, 26b, 31b, 35b) always occurs right after the description of the burning on the altar (Leviticus 4:19–20a, 26a, 31a, 35a), thus demonstrating the importance of this ritual element also for the sin offering. In his study on the history of the sacrifice in Ancient Israel, Rolf Rendtorff holds that the incorporation of this burning rite into the ritual of the sin offering is the reason why this ritual has become a sacrifice ..."
Christian A. Eberhart, “Characteristics of Sacrificial Metaphors in Hebrews,” in Hebrews: Contemporary Methods, New Insights, ed. Gabriella Gelardini, BibInt 75 (Leiden: Brill, 2005), 37–64.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Your feedback

Leviticus 4:21 and Hebrews 13:11

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library