For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing abuse for him. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come. Hebrews 13:11-14 RSVCE
This short passage from the Letter to the Hebrews uses the phrase “outside the camp” twice and a parallel phrase “outside the gate” once. Let’s investigate the Old Testament use of this phrase “outside the camp” to see if it can provide us a deeper insight into this “word of exhortation” (Hebrews 13:22).
About the Camp
Any discussion of “outside the camp” would not be complete without an adequate description of the encampment of the Israelites referred to by the Sacred Scriptures:
The Israelites, it appears, encamped in four grand divisions, with the tabernacle in the centre; though at some distance from it. The form of the camp was quadrangular, containing, according to Scheuchzer, a little more than twelve square miles. Under each of the four divisions, three tribes were placed, under one general standard. Between these four great camps and the tabernacle, were pitched four smaller camps of the priests and Levites, who were in immediate attendance upon it; the camp of Moses, and of Aaron and his sons, being on the east side of the tabernacle, where the entrance was. (Canne et al. 92)
St. John Chrysostom
St. John Chrysostom, a 4th century archbishop of Constantinople and Doctor of the Church, provides some exegesis on these verses In his Homily 33 on the Letter to the Hebrews:
[4.] Ver. 11, 12. “For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the High Priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered” (he says) “without the gate.” Seest thou the type shining forth? “For sin,” he says, and “suffered without the gate.” ( Ver. 13 ) “Let us go forth therefore to Him without the camp, bearing His reproach,” that is, suffering the same things; having communion with Him in His sufferings. He was crucified without as a condemned person: neither let us then be ashamed to “go forth out” [of the world]. Ver. 14, 15. ” For we have here no continuing city ” (he says) ” but we seek one to come. By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name.”(Schaff, D.D., LI.D. 515)
The first insight that the saint provides is that the sin offerings of the Israelites were brought “outside the camp”, just as Our Lord was brought “outside the gate” to Calvary. He also amplifies the exhortation in these verses to walk with Our Lord by bearing the same sufferings that he bore.
The phrase
The phrase “outside the camp”, or “ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς “ in the original Koine Greek of this New Testament passage, was used by the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament favored by the inspired authors of the New Testament, to translate the Hebrew “מִח֨וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֜ה”. We find this phrase used in the Old Testament Books of Exodus, Numbers and Leviticus.
Book of Exodus
- 29:14 a bull used as a sin offering during the ordination ceremony for Aaron and his sons was taken outside the camp to be burned (See Leviticus 8:17;9;11)
Book of Leviticus
- 4:12; 4:21; 16:27-28 the young, unblemished bull offered as a sin offering was to be taken outside the camp to be burned after it was sacrificed
- 6:11 a ram offered as a guilt offering was also taken outside the camp to be burned
- 8:17; 9:11 a bull used as a sin offering during the ordination ceremony for Aaron and his sons was taken outside the camp to be burned
- 10:4,5 the bodies of Nadab and Abi’hu, the sons of Aaron, who were killed by God for offering an “unholy fire” were taken outside the camp
- 13:45-46; 14:3 – the place of lepers
- 16:7-10 Scapegoat, a sin offering, let go alive outside the camp
- 24:14,23 a blasphemer was taken outside the camp to be stoned to death
Book of Numbers
- 5:3 – lepers, everyone having a discharge and everyone that had contact with the dead are to be put outside the camp
- 15:35-36 man gathering sticks on the Sabbath put to death by stoning outside the camp
- 19:3 a red heifer taken outside the camp to be sacrificed as part of a ritual to produce holy water for the cleansing of people who have had contact with the dead
- 19:20 the phrase is not used, but those persons who have not cleansed themselves after touching the dead “shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly”
- 31:13; 31:19 Moses commands the Israelite army to stay outside the camp for seven days after their victory over Midian to cleanse themselves
The phrase “outside the camp” was used in four ways:
- As a place of exclusion for lepers and other types of unclean persons
- As a place for burning sin and guilt offerings
- As a place of execution for blasphemers, those who violated the Sabbath or committed liturgical abuse
- As the place that the “scapegoat” who bore the sins of Israel was released
Outside the Gate
The passage from the Letter to the Hebrews also uses the phrase “outside the gate” in a parallel fashion with “outside the camp”. Our Lord was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem, as the gospels of St. Mark and of St. John attest:
- John 19:20 “the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,”
- Mk 12:8 “And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.”
Conclusion
Written at a time of real persecution, chapter 13 of the the Letter to the Hebrews, from which our verses are taken, summarizes the consistent message of the letter as a whole, which is to rouse the reader “from spiritual sluggishness and of rescuing them from the danger of falling away from the Christian faith” (Harrington, S.J. 3420).
We live in a society that is now generally tolerant of Christianity, even if opposition to the Faith is growing, so when we are reminded of Jesus’ words to, “take up [your] cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24), we rightly think of bearing our sufferings in His name. But these words from the Letter to the Hebrews remind us that to take up our cross and walk with Our Lord means following Him “outside the camp”, to the place of exclusion, ignominy and bloody execution. So if we find ourselves currently comfortable, we should probably ask ourselves why we are not in any sense “outside the camp”.
Works Cited
Canne, John, et al. The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. London, Samuel Bagster and Sons, 1889.
Harrington, S.J., Daniel J. “The Letter to the Hebrews.” New Collegeville Bible Commentary: One Volume Hardcover Edition, by Daniel Durken, edited by Daniel Durken, Liturgical Press, 2017, pp. 3419-3470.
Schaff, D.D., LI.D., Philip, editor. A Select library of the Nicene and post-Nicene fathers of the Christian church. vol. XIV Saint Chrysostom: Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews., The Christian Literature Company, 1889. 14 vols.
