Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Hebrews 10:11

"And every priest indeed standeth day by day ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, the which can never take away sins:" — Hebrews 10:11 (ASV)

The author now brings out the finality of Jesus’ sacrifice from another angle as he considers once more the continuing activity of particularly the Levitical priests. He does not actually confine the continual activity to those priests, for he uses the quite general expression “every priest.” A priest normally stands and ministers day by day, and keeps offering sacrifices that can never take sins away. Standing is the posture appropriate to priestly service, and in the tabernacle or temple the priests of Aaron’s line never sat during the course of their ministry in the sanctuary.

The word translated “performs his religious duties” (GK 3310) is related to the word “serves” in 8:2 (see comments). The Bible uses it only for service of a religious character. Here it clearly applies to all the services a priest performs. Yet despite all their religious activity, priests cannot deal with the basic problem —that of removing sin.