And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
New - not the usual х kainee (G2537)]: the Christian covenant (Hebrews 9:15): new, as different from, and superseding the old; but х neas (G3501] recent, having the freshness of youth, as opposed to age. The mention of Jesus, the Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), Himself perfected through sufferings in His resurrection and ascension (Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 5:9), is suggested by the mention of "the just made perfect" at their resurrection (cf. Hebrews 7:22). "Jesus" stands here as the person realized as our loving Friend; not merely in His official character as the Christ.
And to the blood of sprinkling - enumerated distinct from "Jesus." Bengel argues: His blood was entirely 'poured out' by various ways. His bloody sweat, the crown of thorns, the scourging, the nails, and after death the spear, just as the blood was entirely poured out and extravasated from the animal sacrifices. It was incorruptible (1 Peter 1:18-19). No scripture states it was again put into the Lord's body. At His ascension, as our High Priest, He entered the heavenly holiest 'BY His own blood' (not after shedding his blood, nor with the blood in His body, but), carrying it separately (cf. the type, Hebrews 9:7; Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:25; Hebrews 13:11): not merely by the efficacy of His blood, but 'by His own proper blood' (Hebrews 9:12): not MATERIAL blood, but "the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot unto God" (Hebrews 9:14). So in Hebrews 10:29, the Son of God and the blood of the covenant wherewith (the professor) was sanctified are separate.
Also in Hebrews 13:12; Hebrews 13:20; also cf. Hebrews 10:19 with Hebrews 10:21. So in the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 11:24-26) the body and blood are separately represented. The blood itself continues still in heaven before God, the perpetual ransom-price of 'the eternal covenant' (Hebrews 13:20). Once for all Christ sprinkled the blood peculiarly for us at his ascension (Hebrews 9:12). But it is called "the blood of sprinkling" on account also of its continued use in heaven, and in the consciences of the saints on earth (Isaiah 52:15; Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 10:22). This sprinkling is analogous to the sprinkled blood of the Passover. Compare Revelation 5:6, "In the midst of the throne, a Lamb, as it had been slain." His glorified body does not require circulation of blood. His blood introduced into heaven took away the dragon's right to accuse. Thus Rome's theory of concomitancy of the blood with the body, the excuse for giving only the bread to the laity, falls to the ground. The mention of "the blood of sprinkling" naturally follows the mention of the "covenant," which could not be consecrated without blood (Hebrews 9:18; Hebrews 9:22).
Speaketh better things than that of Abel - namely, than the sprinkling ['Aleph (') A C Delta read the article masculine, ton (not to), which refers to "sprinkling," not to "blood," neuter] of blood by Abel in his sacrifice spake. This comparison between two things of the same kind (namely, Christ's sacrifice and Abel's), is more natural than between two things different in kind and in results (namely, Christ's sacrifice and Abel's own blood (Alford) which was not a sacrifice at all) (cf. Hebrews 11:4; (Genesis 4:4). This accords with the whole letter (Hebrews 12:18-22), which is to show the superiority of Christ's New Testament sacrifice to the Old Testament sacrifices (of which Abel's is the first; it, moreover, was testified to by God as acceptable above Cain's) (cf. Hebrews 9:1-28; Hebrews 10:1-39.) "Better" implies superiority to something good; but Abel's own blood was not at all good for the purpose efficaciously done by Christ's blood, nay, it cried for vengeance (cf. Magee, 'Atonement'). This is the objection to Bengel's view, that "the blood of Abel" is put for all the blood shed on earth crying for vengeance, and increasing the other cries raised by sin, counteracted by Christ's blood calmly speaking in heaven for us, and from heaven to us. To deny that Christ's atonement is a propitiation overthrows Christ's priesthood, makes the Mosaic sacrifices an unmeaning mummery, and Cain's sacrifice as good as that of Abel.