Meaning, commentary and cross references
Hebrews 9:27
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”In other translations
KJV · King James Version
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
NIV · New International Version
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
WEB · World English Bible
Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,
What does Hebrews 9:27 mean?
John Gill · Exposition of the Entire Bible, on Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die,.... Not a moral, or what is commonly called a spiritual death, nor an eternal one, but a corporeal one; which does not arise from the constitution of nature, but from the sin of man, and God's decree on account of it; by which it is fixed that men shall die, and how long they shall live, and when they shall die; so that they cannot die sooner nor later; all things antecedent to death, which lead on to it, and issue in it, are appointed by God, and so is death itself, with all its circumstances; men's days can neither be lengthened nor shortened, either by Christ himself, or others: and this statute and appointment of God concerns men, not angels…
John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
John Calvin · Commentaries, on Hebrews 9:24–28
27. And as it is appointed, etc. The meaning is this: since we patiently wait after death for the day of judgment, it being the common lot of nature which it is not right to struggle against; why should there be less patience in waiting for the second coming of Christ? For if a long interval of time does not diminish, as to men, the hope of a happy resurrection, how unreasonable would it be to render less honor to Christ?
John Calvin, Commentaries (Calvin Translation Society English text). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
Context: Hebrews 9:24–28 (WEB)
24For Christ hasn’t entered into holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place year by year with blood not his own, 26or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, 28so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Cross references
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
- Ecclesiastes 12:7
and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
- Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.
- Acts 17:31
because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”
- 2 Samuel 14:14
For we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him.
- John 5:26–29
For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself.
- Ecclesiastes 9:5
For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.
- Jude 1:15
to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”