but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The word for "errors" doesn't just mean mistakes, but specifically "ignorances" or "unintentional sins." This highlights that even the unintentional stumbles of the people, not just their deliberate rebellions, required the ultimate sacrifice and the solemn entrance into God's presence. It underscores the pervasive need for atonement that extended beyond what was consciously wrong.
but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse describes the pivotal, exclusive role of the high priest in the ancient Israelite sanctuary. He alone could enter the innermost chamber, the Holy of Holies, on one specific day each year – the Day of Atonement. This solemn entry was never without blood, which he presented as a sacrifice for his own unintentional sins and those of the entire people, highlighting the pervasive need for atonement.
Imagine the most sacred space in the ancient world, accessible to only one person, and only once a year. What does this intense privacy and rare access tell us about God and His holiness?
The verse highlights the unique and solemn role of the high priest entering the Most Holy Place. This wasn't a casual visit; it was a once-a-year event, emphasizing God's absolute holiness and the immense separation between God and His people.
Why was blood essential for this yearly ritual? And who was the sacrifice actually for?
The high priest's entrance was impossible without blood, and this blood served a critical dual purpose: atonement for the priest himself and for the people's unintentional sins.
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This ritual demonstrated that sin created a barrier that only blood could bridge, and that even those serving God were not exempt from this need.
Understand the original words
kohen gadol · Hebrew Noun
The ultimate mediatorial office under the Mosaic Law. This individual held exclusive access to the Holy of Holies to offer the blood of atonement on the Day of Atonement.
dam · Hebrew Noun
In the context of the Day of Atonement, blood serves as the means of propitiation and atonement for sin. It signifies the life of a substitute offered to satisfy the requirements of justice and secure forgiveness.
shegagah · Hebrew Noun
Acts of transgression committed without deliberate intent or premeditated malice. These required specific sacrificial rituals under the Mosaic Law to address the cultic impurity and guilt incurred.
The description of the high priest entering the Most Holy Place once a year with blood for unintentional sins highlights the limitations of the Old Covenant. It points to a deeper reality: Jesus, our High Priest, entered heaven itself, not with animal blood, but with His own, offering a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice for all sins.
c. 1445 BC
The Tabernacle is Built
Following God's instructions given at Mount Sinai, the Israelites construct the Tabernacle, a portable sanctuary with a "Most Holy Place" that will house the Ark of the Covenant.
c. 1445 BC
Leviticus Establishes Atonement Rituals
God gives detailed instructions for the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) in Leviticus 16, specifying the high priest's unique role and the sacrifices required for atonement.
c. 1000 BC
Solomon's Temple is Dedicated
King Solomon builds a permanent Temple in Jerusalem to house the Ark of the Covenant, replacing the Tabernacle. The rituals for the Day of Atonement continue in this more permanent structure.
586 BC
Babylon Destroys Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple, and deport many Israelites into exile. The sacrificial system is disrupted.
516 BC
The Second Temple is Completed
Exiles return from Babylon and rebuild the Temple. The sacrificial system and the Day of Atonement rituals are re-established, albeit in a less ornate form than Solomon's Temple.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Death and Resurrection
Jesus, the ultimate High Priest, is crucified. His sacrifice is presented as a perfect atonement for sins, superseding the Old Testament sacrifices.
c. AD 60-65— this verse
The Book of Hebrews is Written
The author of Hebrews writes to a community of Jewish Christians, explaining how Jesus' sacrifice and high priestly ministry are superior to the Old Testament sacrificial system and the Levitical priesthood.
This passage from Leviticus directly describes the instructions for the Day of Atonement, outlining that the high priest is not to come into the Holy of Holies whenever he pleases, emphasizing the singular, annual nature of this entry.
Hebrews 7:27This verse highlights Jesus' unique priestly role, stating He doesn't need to offer sacrifices daily 'for himself, as those high priests did, first for his own sins and then for the people's, underscoring the perfection of Christ's sacrifice compared to the Old Testament ritual.
Hebrews 10:19This verse connects the High Priest's entry into the Most Holy Place with Christ's entry into heaven, showing how Jesus' sacrifice opens the way for believers to approach God's presence, a direct fulfillment of the Old Testament ritual's symbolic meaning.
Exodus 30:10This foundational text establishes the annual atonement for the people of Israel by the high priest in the Most Holy Place, setting the precedent for the ritual described in Hebrews 9.
vincentHebrews 9:7: "But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:"
Errors (ἀγνοημάτων)Lit. ignorances. See on Hebrews 5:2.
meyerHebrews 9:7: "But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:"
Hebrews 9:7 . Ἡ δευτέρα ] sc . σκηνή , the Most Holy Place. ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ] once in the year, i.e. only on a single day of the year, namely, on the tenth of the seventh month (Tisri), on the great solemnity of atonement. The supposition that the high priest on this day more than once entered the Most Holy Place is not excluded by t…
The word for "errors" doesn't just mean mistakes, but specifically "ignorances" or "unintentional sins." This highlights that even the unintentional stumbles of the people, not just their deliberate rebellions, required the ultimate sacrifice and the solemn entrance into God's presence. It underscores the pervasive need for atonement that extended beyond what was consciously wrong.
This verse describes the pivotal, exclusive role of the high priest in the ancient Israelite sanctuary. He alone could enter the innermost chamber, the Holy of Holies, on one specific day each year – the Day of Atonement. This solemn entry was never without blood, which he presented as a sacrifice for his own unintentional sins and those of the entire people, highlighting the pervasive need for atonement.
This verse describes the pivotal, exclusive role of the high priest in the ancient Israelite sanctuary. He alone could enter the innermost chamber, the Holy of Holies, on one specific day each year – the Day of Atonement. This solemn entry was never without blood, which he presented as a sacrifice for his own unintentional sins and those of the entire people, highlighting the pervasive need for atonement.
"but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people." — The word for "errors" doesn't just mean mistakes, but specifically "ignorances" or "unintentional sins." This highlights that even the unintentional stumbles of the people, not just their deliberate…
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Last reviewed October 2026