For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Instead of the daily ministry of priests, Christ's service is perfected, by the one sacrifice, whence He now sits on Gods right hand as Priest-King, until all His foes shall be subdued unto Him. Thus the new covenant (Hebrews 8:8-12) is inaugurated, whereby the law is written on the heart, so that an offering for sin is needed no more. Wherefore we ought to draw near the Holiest in firm faith and love: fearful of the awful results of apostasy; looking for the recompense at Christ's coming.
Previously the oneness of Christ's offering was shown: now is shown its perfection, contrasted with the law-sacrifices.
Having - inasmuch, as it has but 'the shadow, not the very image;' i:e., exact likeness, reality, such as the Gospel has. The "image" х eikona (G1504)] is the archetype (cf. Hebrews 9:24) of those heavenly verities of which the law furnished but a shadowy outline. The law is the primer, teaching the elements of Christianity by object-lessons (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:13-14; 2 Corinthians 3:18). As Christ is 'the express image (character) of the Father's person' (Hebrews 1:3), so the Gospel is the very realization to us of the heavenly archetype, of which the law was drawn as a sketch, or outline copy (Hebrews 8:5). The law was a continual acted prophecy, showing the divine design that its counterparts should come, and proving their truth when they came. Thus the imperfect and continued sacrifices before Christ foreshowed, and now prove the reality of Christ's one perfect antitypical expiation.
Good things to come (Hebrews 9:11) - belonging to 'the world (age) to come.' Good things in part made present by faith, and to be fully realized hereafter in perfect enjoyment. 'As Christ's Church on earth is a prediction of the future life, so the Old Testament economy is a prediction of the Christian Church' (Lessing). In relation to the law's temporal goods, the Gospel's spiritual and eternal goods are "good things to come." Colossians 2:17, calls legal ordinances 'the shadow,' and Christ "the body."
Never, х oudepote (G3763)] - at any time (Hebrews 10:11).
With those sacrifices, х tais (G3588) autais (G846)] - 'with the same sacrifices.'
Year by year - referring to the whole sentence, not merely to "which they (the priests) offered" х prosferousin (G4374), 'offer']. The law year by year, by the repetition of the same sacrifices, testifies its inability to perfect the worshippers-namely, on the YEARLY day of atonement. The "daily" sacrifices are, referred to, Hebrews 10:11.
Continually, х eis (G1519) to (G3588) dieenekes (G1336)] - 'continuously.' Implying, they offer a toilsome and, ineffectual 'continuous' round of the 'same' atonement sacrifices "year by year."
Comers thereunto - the worshippers (the whole people) coming to God in the person of their representative, the high priest.
Perfect - fully meet man's needs as to justification and sanctification (note, Hebrews 9:9).