For this reason points back to verse 11; Barclay “That is why Jesus had to suffer outside the city….” Jerusalem Bible “and so Jesus too suffered outside the gate…” (so Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). City is literally “gate” (Revised Standard Version). The picture is that of a walled town, such as was usual at that time (compare Acts 9.25). For the Old Testament background, see Leviticus 24.14 and Numbers 15.35. “Suffered” (Revised Standard Version) here implies died, as, for example, in Luke 22.15. The meaning of Revised Standard Version‘s “sanctify the people” is expressed negatively by Good News Translation purify the people from sin, and positively by Barclay “make the people fit to enter the presence of God.” Both aspects are involved, but the second includes the first and may therefore be better. On purify, see 2.11 and 9.13. The people (see comments on 2.17) implies “God’s people,” as in 4.9. The Christian community is still thought of as being in continuity with Israel. His own blood is emphatic, in contrast with the blood of the animals in verse 11; see 9.25-26.

The purpose clause in order to purify the people from sin with his own blood may be rendered as “in order to take away from people their guilt by means of his blood which flowed out when he died.”

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 .