Hebrews 9:3

9:3 And after the second curtain there was a tent called the holy of holies.

Hebrews 9:7-8

9:7 But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, ¹  and not without blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. ²  9:8 The Holy Spirit is making clear that the way into the holy place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernacle ³  was standing.

---

¹ tn Grk “the second tent.”

² tn Or perhaps “the unintentional sins of the people”; Grk “the ignorances of the people.” Cf. BDAG 13 s.v. ἀγνόημα, “sin committed in ignorance/unintentionally.” This term seems to be simply a synonym for “sins” (cf. Heb 5:2) and does not pick up the distinction made in Num 15:22-31 between unwitting sin and “high-handed” sin. The Day of Atonement ritual in Lev 16 covered all the sins of the people, not just the unwitting ones.

³ tn Grk “the first tent.” The literal phrase “the first tent” refers to either (1) the outer chamber of the tabernacle in the wilderness (as in vv. 2, 6) or (2) the entire tabernacle as a symbol of the OT system of approaching God. The second is more likely given the contrast that follows in vv. 11-12.