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by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
Hebrews 10:20 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
  • KJV By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
  • BSB by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body,
  • NASB by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh,
  • NLT By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Christ opened a new and living way to God through the veil, that is, through his flesh. His sacrificed body is the means of our access.

Overview

The 'new and living way' into God's presence was dedicated by Christ through the veil, identified here with 'his flesh', his crucified body. As the temple veil was torn at his death (Matthew 27:51), so Christ's flesh, given on the cross, opens the way to God. This way is 'living' because it leads to life through the risen, living Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 20

  • John 14:6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
  • John 10:9I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.
  • Heb 9:3After the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,
  • Matt 27:51Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
  • John 10:7Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door.
  • Heb 6:19This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil;
  • Heb 9:8The Holy Spirit is indicating this, that the way into the Holy Place wasn’t yet revealed while the first tabernacle was still standing;
  • Mark 15:38The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.
  • Lev 16:2and Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother, not to come at all times into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; lest he die: for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.
  • 1 Tim 3:16Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
  • Luke 23:45The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
  • 1 Pet 3:18Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
  • 1 Jn 4:2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
  • Exod 36:35–38He made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubim. He made it the work of a skillful workman.
  • 2 Jn 1:7For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don’t confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist.
  • Exod 26:31–37“You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. The work of the skillful workman shall it be made.
  • Lev 16:15“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat.
  • Eph 2:15having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;
  • John 6:51–56I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
  • Lev 21:23He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a defect; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.’”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Hebrews videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Hebrews 10:20YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on HebrewsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.

How Hebrews 10:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.