Hebrews 10:4 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

For gives a reason of the precedent proof, that the legal sacrifices did keep sins in remembrance; for they were of such matter as could not have any causal power to take them away. It is not possible: this is equivalent to a universal negative, the impossibility being absolute as to the things themselves in their very nature; they being corporeal, can have no influence upon a spiritual evil in the soul, Micah 6:6,7; and by God's constitution they were to lead them to better things, God being not pleased with flesh and blood, Psalms 50:13 Isaiah 1:11. That the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins; the blood of these were only carried into the holy of holiest on the atonement day, yearly, Leviticus 16:1-34, to which this is chiefly applied; nor could the blood of all the other sacrifices by expiation pardon their offerers, nor by sanctification cleanse them, nor by removing the sense of them comfort the soul; they could neither pacify God, nor the sinner's conscience, having no virtue or power to satisfy God's justice, or merit his grace, only it had by his constitution a power to typify that blood which could do both.