We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss is the stark contrast the verse creates: those clinging to the old system of the tabernacle have absolutely no claim to the benefits found in Christ's sacrifice. This isn't just about a different religious practice; it's about mutual exclusivity – you can't have both the old ways and the new life offered by Jesus.
We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The author is addressing believers who are being tempted to return to the Old Testament sacrificial system, perhaps due to persecution or the influence of false teachers. He contrasts the temporary provisions of the Mosaic Law, symbolized by the tabernacle and its sacrifices, with the permanent and all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ. This verse emphasizes that embracing Christ's sacrifice means leaving behind the old system, as those still clinging to the "tent" cannot partake in the spiritual benefits offered through the cross.
The writer of Hebrews uses a familiar image from the Old Testament to point to something profoundly new. What is this 'altar' that Christians possess?
The 'altar' here isn't a physical object in a church building, nor is it solely the cross itself. Instead, it represents the entire salvific work of Jesus Christ – His sacrifice, His atonement, His provision for sin, and ultimately, our acceptance with God.
Think of the Old Testament altar as the central point where all crucial aspects of worship converged: approach to God, sacrifice, forgiveness, and salvation. The writer uses this rich concept to declare that Christians have this complete package in Christ. This 'altar' is where God and humanity meet for reconciliation.
This understanding moves beyond a literal interpretation and grasps the broader significance of what Christ's sacrifice accomplishes for us.
The verse starkly declares that those 'who serve the tabernacle' have no right to eat from our altar. Why is this 'feast' exclusive?
The core of this concept lies in the mutual exclusivity of the Old Covenant system and the New Covenant in Christ. The Jews 'serving the tabernacle' were deeply involved in the Levitical system of sacrifices and rituals.
Eating from a sacrificial meal was a sign of fellowship and participation in the benefits of that sacrifice. The writer is saying that while Old Testament worshippers could eat from their sacrifices, they couldn't partake in the benefits of Christ's sacrifice if they clung to the old ways.
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It’s a powerful statement: you can't be committed to both systems. To embrace the fading rituals of Judaism meant forfeiting the life-giving sustenance found only in Christ’s finished work. Our Christian 'eating' signifies a unique, internal nourishment and fellowship with God through Christ that the old system couldn't provide.
Understand the original words
thysiastērion · Greek Noun
A symbolic place of sacrifice and reconciliation between God and man. In a Christian context, it often refers to the efficacy of Christ's once-for-all sacrifice on the cross, which supersedes the temporary sacrificial systems of the Old Covenant.
skēnē · Greek Noun
The portable sanctuary used in the wilderness, representing the presence of God dwelling among His people and the necessity of mediation and sacrifice for atonement under the Mosaic Law.
This verse draws a sharp contrast between the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant, centered around the earthly Tabernacle (or Temple), and the unique, ultimate sacrifice of Christ. Those who clung to the old ways, symbolized by 'serving the tabernacle,' could not partake in the spiritual nourishment and eternal benefits offered through Christ's sacrifice, which became the new 'altar' for believers.
~1446 BC
Exodus and Covenant at Sinai
The Israelites are freed from Egypt and enter into a covenant with God at Mount Sinai, receiving the Law which includes detailed instructions for the Tabernacle and its sacrificial system.
~960 BC
Dedication of Solomon's Temple
The Tabernacle is replaced by the permanent Temple in Jerusalem, becoming the central place for Israel's worship and sacrifices for centuries.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy Solomon's Temple, and exile much of the population, ending the sacrificial system as it was.
c. 516 BC
Rebuilding of the Second Temple
The Jewish exiles return from Babylon and rebuild the Temple, restoring a center for sacrificial worship, though different from the glory of Solomon's.
c. AD 30— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Jesus is crucified outside Jerusalem. His sacrifice is seen by Christians as the ultimate, once-for-all atonement, fulfilling the Old Testament sacrificial system.
c. AD 70
Destruction of the Second Temple
The Roman army destroys Jerusalem and the Second Temple, eradicating the physical center of Jewish sacrificial worship and solidifying the shift to Christian practice.
Just as participating in Jewish sacrificial meals was tied to Israel, Paul explains that sharing in the Lord's Supper connects believers to Christ's sacrifice and to one another as one body.
Leviticus 7:28-34This passage describes the portion of peace offerings that was designated for the priests, illustrating the concept of 'eating from the altar' which the author of Hebrews contrasts with the Christian experience.
John 6:53-56Jesus speaks of 'eating His flesh and drinking His blood,' a concept that echoes the idea of drawing life and sustenance from His sacrifice, a spiritual reality distinct from the Levitical system.
Exodus 29:38-42This details the daily sacrifices offered at the altar in the tabernacle, representing the continuous access and communion God provided for Israel, which the New Testament presents as fulfilled and surpassed in Christ's singular sacrifice.
Hebrews 10:11-14This passage directly contrasts the unending, effective sacrifice of Christ with the repetitive, inadequate sacrifices of the Old Covenant, reinforcing why those clinging to the old system cannot partake in the benefits of the new.
wesleyHebrews 13:10: "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle."
13:10 On the former part of this verse , the fifteenth and sixteenth depend; on the latter, the intermediate verse s. We have an altar - The cross of Christ. Whereof they have no right to eat - To partake of the benefits which we receive therefrom. Who serve the tabernacle - Who adhere to the Mosaic law.
vincentHebrews 13:10: "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle."
Those who persist in adhering to the Jewish economy can have no part in the blessing of the new covenant. The two are mutually exclusive. The statement is cast in the mould of the Jewish sacrificial ritual, and in the figure of eating a sacrificial meal.We have an altar (ἔχομεν θυσιαστήριον)It is a mistake to try to find in the Christian economy some specific object answering to altar - either th…
What's easy to miss is the stark contrast the verse creates: those clinging to the old system of the tabernacle have absolutely no claim to the benefits found in Christ's sacrifice. This isn't just about a different religious practice; it's about mutual exclusivity – you can't have both the old ways and the new life offered by Jesus.
The author is addressing believers who are being tempted to return to the Old Testament sacrificial system, perhaps due to persecution or the influence of false teachers. He contrasts the temporary provisions of the Mosaic Law, symbolized by the tabernacle and its sacrifices, with the permanent and all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ. This verse emphasizes that embracing Christ's sacrifice means leaving behind the old system, as those still clinging to the "tent" cannot partake in the spiritual benefits offered through the cross.
The author is addressing believers who are being tempted to return to the Old Testament sacrificial system, perhaps due to persecution or the influence of false teachers. He contrasts the temporary provisions of the Mosaic Law, symbolized by the tabernacle and its sacrifices, with the permanent and all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ. This verse emphasizes that embracing Christ's sacrifice means leaving behind the old system, as those still clinging to the "tent" cannot partake in the spiritual benefits offered through the cross.
"We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat." — What's easy to miss is the stark contrast the verse creates: those clinging to the old system of the tabernacle have absolutely no claim to the benefits found in Christ's sacrifice. This isn't just a…
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Last reviewed October 2026