The whole point: New American Bible and New English Bible say “the main point,” Revised Standard Version and Barclay “the point,” and Bible en français courant “the most important point.” Some translations introduce a metaphor: Bijbel in Gewone Taal “the kernel” and Knox, following Coverdale, “the very pith.” This main point covers verses 1-2. Strictly speaking it is not a summary, as Phillips‘ “to sum up” suggests. Verse 2, especially the word real, introduces new ideas.
It is not certain whether The whole point is what the writer has just been saying (Barclay, Moffatt, Phillips, Jerusalem Bible) or what he is about to say (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “I come now to the decisive point”; similarly Knox). In fact it is both, and some commentators bring this out by using a general phrase such as “to crown the argument.” The writer intends to distinguish such “details” as the furniture of the sanctuary (9.2-5) from the central message of 7.1–10.18. Good News Translation and other common language translations are therefore right to keep the present tense of the original with what we are saying.
The whole point of what we are saying may be rendered as “The real meaning of what I am saying,” “What I am saying really means that,” or “The real purpose of what I am saying is that.”
The language of this verse recalls 1.3. Such a High Priest implies “as Jesus,” referring back to 7.26-28, which describes Jesus as High Priest; Phillips says “an ideal High Priest such as has been described above” (compare Jerusalem Bible). It is possible to omit such: Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “we have a high priest” and Bijbel in Gewone Taal “we have someone as high priest who….”
The “place” of the new High Priest is described in impressive picture language, to emphasize the contrast with the old covenant.
The right side is the place of honor. Where readers may have difficulty in understanding the significance of right, it may be good to translate the final clause of this verse as “who sits at a place of honor beside God in heaven.”
The Divine Majesty is a reverent way of speaking of God. Divine is implied. However, it may be impossible in translation to talk about the Divine Majesty. This is a title of God, so it may be better to say “God” or “God, who is wonderful.” Who sits at the right of the throne of the Divine Majesty in heaven may be rendered as “who sits at the right of God’s throne in heaven.”
Heaven is literally “the heavens” (King James Version), as in 4.14 and 7.26. There is probably no special significance in the use of the phrase here, and the singular heaven is clearer for most modern readers.
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 .