In this context it must be made clear in translation that there is only one High Priest at any time. The High Priest may be expressed as “the priest who is above all other priests” or “the priest who commands all the other priests.” In some languages this can be simply expressed as “the most important priest.”

Only once a year: only is understood. This phrase refers to the Day of Atonement, on which offerings were made in order to obtain God’s forgiveness for all but the most serious sins. The liturgy is described in Leviticus 16, especially verses 2, 14, 15, 29, 34; see also Exodus 30.10.

He takes with him blood simplifies a double negative which is literally “not without blood.” The original is a little stronger, equivalent to “he must take blood with him.” The blood is that of the sacrifice made just outside the sanctuary for the high priest’s own sins and those of the people. It may be necessary in some languages to specify the source of such blood; for example, “He takes with him the blood from a sacrificed animal” or “… blood from an animal which has been sacrificed.” Otherwise the implication might be that this blood was his own blood.

For on behalf of, see 7.25, 27 and comments.

Without knowing they were sinning: Bible en français courant has “through ignorance”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “without ill-will”; perhaps “without intending to sin.” The Greek text is a single word which can mean “oversight” in the sense of “something left undone by mistake”; see Genesis 43.12; Sirach 23.2; 51.19.

Without knowing they were sinning may be expressed as “when they did not know that what they were doing was sin” or “when they did not realize that they were sinning.”

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 .