Hebrews 9:10

[καὶ]. Not in אAD. δικαιώματα אAB.

10. μόνον ἐπί. The “which” of the A.V. refers to the “present time.” The Greek is here elliptical. The meaning is that the “gifts and sacrifices” consist only in meats and drinks and divers washings—being ordinances of the flesh, imposed (only) till the season of reformation.

βρώμασιν. Exodus 12; Leviticus 11; Numbers 6.

πόμασιν. Leviticus 10:8-9; Leviticus 11:34; Numbers 6:2-3.

διαφόροις βαπτισμοῖς. Leviticus 8:6; Leviticus 8:12; Exodus 40:31-32; Numbers 19 and the Levitical law passim. All these things had already been disparaged by Christ as meaning nothing in themselves (Mark 7:1-15); and St Paul had written “Let no man judge you in meat, or in drink … which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17).

[καὶ] δικαιώματα σαρκός. The καὶ should be omitted, and for the δικαιώμασι of the Text. receptus we should read δικαιώματα. It stands in apposition to the sentence in general, and to the “gifts and sacrifices” of the last verse; they could not assure the conscience, because they had only to do with meats, &c.—being only ordinances of the flesh, i.e. outward, transitory, superficial.

μέχρι καιροῦ διορθώσεως. The season of reformation is that of which Jeremiah prophesied: it is in fact the New Covenant, see Hebrews 8:7-12. The “yoke of bondage,” which consists of a galling and wearisome externalism, was then changed for “an easy yoke and a light burden” (Matthew 11:30).

ἐπικείμενα. There is no need for the “on them” of the A.V. The verb means “imposed as a burden,” “lying as a yoke.” Comp. Acts 15:10; Acts 15:28; Galatians 5:1.