“For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:”
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of ashes of a red heifer sanctify those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified — the Levitical sacrifices (especially the red heifer ritual from Numbers 19) produced outward cleanness; they were effective within their limited scope. Sanctify (hagiazo) here means to make ritually fit; the purification was bodily (sarkos) but not spiritual.
Church Fathers on Hebrews 9:13
Next [comes] that which is calculated to persuade. For (he says) if “the blood of bulls” is able to purify the flesh, much rather shall the Blood of Christ wipe away the defilement of the soul. For that you may not suppose when you hear [the word] “sanctifies,” that it is some great thing, he marks out and shows the difference between each of these purifyings, and how the one of them is high and the other low. And says it is [so] with good reason, since that is “the blood of…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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