Hebrews 10:22

προσερχώμεθα. We have seen throughout that the notion of free access and approach to God is prominent in the writer’s mind.

ἐν πληροφορίᾳ. See Hebrews 6:11.

ῥεραντισμένοι κ.τ.λ. In verbs beginning with ρ the MSS. vary in their method of writing both the augmented and the reduplicated tenses. Thus we find both ἐῤῥιμένοι and ῥερ. The ἀπὸ means that we are so sprinkled as to be removed from the evil conscience (Winer, p. 736). The words mean “having our souls—our inmost consciousness—sprinkled as it were with the blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 12:24; 1 Peter 1:2) and so cleansed from the consciousness of guilt.” So the Jewish priests were purified from ceremonial defilement by being sprinkled with blood (Exodus 29:21; Leviticus 8:30).

λελουμένοι. The perfect participles in these clauses—“having been sprinkled,” “having been washed”—imply that it is to be done once and for ever. All Christians are priests to God (Revelation 1:5-6); and therefore Christian Priests, before being permitted to approach to God, must, like the Jewish Priests (Exodus 30:20), be sprinkled with the blood of Christ, and bathed in the water of baptism (Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 3:21).

ὕδατι καθαρῷ. “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean” (Ezekiel 36:25).