Hebrews 10:6

In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Burnt offerings.—Better, whole burnt offerings. These (which were the symbol of complete consecration) are not mentioned in this Epistle, except in this verse and Hebrews 10:8.

Thou hast had no pleasure.—Better (for conformity with the preceding clauses), Thou hadst no pleasure.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

10:1-10 The apostle having shown that the tabernacle, and ordinances of the covenant of Sinai, were only emblems and types of the gospel, concludes that the sacrifices the high priests offered continually, could not make the worshippers perfect, with respect to pardon, and the purifying of their consciences. But when God manifested in the flesh, became the sacrifice, and his death upon the accursed tree the ransom, then the Sufferer being of infinite worth, his free-will sufferings were of infinite value. The atoning sacrifice must be one capable of consenting, and must of his own will place himself in the sinner's stead: Christ did so. The fountain of all that Christ has done for his people, is the sovereign will and grace of God. The righteousness brought in, and the sacrifice once offered by Christ, are of eternal power, and his salvation shall never be done away. They are of power to make all the comers thereunto perfect; they derive from the atoning blood, strength and motives for obedience, and inward comfort.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure - This is not quoted literally from the Psalm, but the sense is retained. The reading there is, "burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required." The quotation by the apostle is taken from the Septuagint, with the change of a single word, which does not materially affect the sense - the word ὀυκ ἐυδόκησας ouk eudokēsas - "ouk eudokesas" - "thou hast no pleasure," instead of ὀυκ ἠθέλησας ouk ēthelēsas - "ouk ethelesas" - "thou dost not will." The idea is, that God had no pleasure in them as compared with obedience. He preferred the latter, and they could not be made to come in the place of it, or to answer the same purpose. When they were performed with a pure heart, he was doubtless pleased with the offering. As used here in reference to the Messiah, the meaning is, that they would not be what was required of "him." Such offerings would not answer the end for which he was sent into the world, for that end was to be accomplished only by his being "obedient unto death."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6. burnt offerings—Greek, "whole burnt offerings."

thou hast had no pleasure—as if these could in themselves atone for sin: God had pleasure in (Greek, "approved," or "was well pleased with") them, in so far as they were an act of obedience to His positive command under the Old Testament, but not as having an intrinsic efficacy such as Christ's sacrifice had. Contrast Mt 3:17.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Two other sorts of sacrifices are added to the former, as whole burnt-offerings, which were all devoured by fire on God’s altar, and no part of them came to the priests, Leviticus 1:3,9,10,13,14,17; and peace-offerings, which were not totally consumed, but part of them was the priests’ portion, Exodus 29:27,28. These four sorts of sacrifices comprehend all the Aaronical offerings for expiation. God did not require or desire any of these for themselves, or for the perfecting of sinners; he did not as to such an end approve them, or take any pleasure in them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin,.... Which were the principal kinds of offerings under the law:

thou hast had no pleasure; not only in comparison of moral duties, or spiritual sacrifices, such as those of praise and thanksgiving, Psalm 69:30 but so as to accept of the offerers for the sake of them, and smell a sweet savour in them; for these could not satisfy his justice, appease his anger, or expiate sin; and when they were in full force, and offered in the most agreeable manner, they were no otherwise well pleasing to God, than as they were types of, and had respect unto the sacrifice of his Son. In the Hebrew text it is, "thou didst not require, or ask for"; for them, when the time was up that Christ should come into the world.

Geneva Study Bible

In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Hebrews 10:6. In burnt-offerings and sin-offerings hadst Thou no pleasure.

LXX. Cod. Vatic.: ὁλοκαύτωμα … οὐκ ᾒτησας; Cod. Alex.: ὁλοκαυτώματα … οὐκ ἐζήτησας.

καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας] Oecumenius: τουτέστι προσφορὰν περὶ ἁμαρτίας. Elsewhere also occasionally (Leviticus 7:37; Numbers 8:8, al.) the LXX. denote the sin-offering by the mere περὶ ἁμαρτίας, in that the additional notion of sacrifice is naturally yielded by the context. Stein’s expedient for avoiding all supplementing of the idea, in translating καί by “also” (“Thou hast also no pleasure in offerings for sin”), is grammatically inadmissible.

εὐδοκεῖν] with the accusative also not rare elsewhere in Hellenistic Greek. Comp. LXX. Genesis 33:10; Leviticus 26:34; Leviticus 26:41; Psalm 51:18-19, al. Besides this in the Hellenistic εὐδοκεῖν ἐν (Hebrews 10:38), with Greek writers εὐδοκεῖν τινι.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. burnt offerings] Lit., “Holocausts.” The word occurs here alone in the N.T. These “whole burnt offerings” typified absolute self-dedication; but the holocaust without the self-sacrifice was valueless.

Hebrews 10:6

Vincent's Word Studies

Burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin (ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας)

The burnt-offering and the sin-offering.