There is no longer any sacrifice, that is, “for us.” The writer does not mean that there was once such a sacrifice, but that it exists no longer. This possible misunderstanding occurs because Good News Translation reverses the two halves of the sentence. One solution would be to translate “If deliberately [emphasized] we go on sinning after we have come to know the truth, there is no other sacrifice left which can deal with our sin.” Verse 27 would then begin as a new sentence, “As it is, however….”

“Sin-offerings” are the sacrifices to take away sins mentioned in 10.6.

In place of the English construction with an anticipatory particle such as there, one may use a somewhat shorter initial clause such as “No sacrifice can any longer take away our sins” or “… cause our sins to be forgiven.”

The keyword of this passage is purposely, which is the first word in the Greek sentence; Knox has “wilfully”; Barclay and Translator’s New Testament use “deliberately.” On the distinction between deliberate and accidental breaking of the Law, see Numbers 15.25-31. The “sinning” is not only deliberate but repeated or continued, as go on sinning shows; similarly New English Bible “if we persist in sin.” If we purposely go on sinning may be rendered as “if we decide we want to go on sinning,” “if we make our plans so that we can go on sinning,” or “… continue to sin.”

After the truth has been made known to us: Good News Translation is right to emphasize that “the receiving of the truth” is an event, probably associated with baptism; compare 6.4-5 and 10.22. The truth indicates Christian teaching, not “truth” in any general philosophical sense. Phillips‘ “after we have known and accepted the truth” seems on first reading rather more than the text says, but “accepted” may be implied by the fact that knowledge in the Bible includes experience. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “after we have gotten to know the truth.”

The passive expression has been made known in the clause after the truth has been made known to us may seem rather weak in some languages, since it might suggest merely “after the truth has been told to us.” A more satisfactory expression may be “after we have known what the truth really is” or even “after we have known what the truth of the Good News is.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .