Discovery BoxHebrews 10:1--12:29 
Context10:1 For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship. 1 10:2 For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have 2 no further consciousness of sin? 10:3 But in those sacrifices 3 there is a reminder of sins year after year. 10:4 For the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. 4 10:5 So when he came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.
10:6 “Whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you took no delight in.
10:7 “Then I said, ‘Here I am: 5 I have come – it is written of me in the scroll of the book – to do your will, O God.’” 6
10:8 When he says above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you did not desire nor did you take delight in them” 7 (which are offered according to the law), 10:9 then he says, “Here I am: I have come to do your will.” 8 He does away with 9 the first to establish the second. 10:10 By his will 10 we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 10:11 And every priest stands day after day 11 serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again – sacrifices that can never take away sins. 10:12 But when this priest 12 had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand 13 of God, 10:13 where he is now waiting 14 until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 15 10:14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. 10:15 And the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us, for after saying, 16 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put 17 my laws on their hearts and I will inscribe them on their minds,” 18 10:17 then he says, 19 “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no longer.” 20 10:18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, 21 since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 10:20 by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us 22 through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 23 10:21 and since we have a great priest 24 over the house of God, 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, 25 because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience 26 and our bodies washed in pure water. 10:23 And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. 10:24 And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, 27 10:25 not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day 28 drawing near. 29
10:26 For if we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins is left for us, 30 10:27 but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury 31 of fire that will consume God’s enemies. 32 10:28 Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death 33 without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 34 10:29 How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt for 35 the Son of God, and profanes 36 the blood of the covenant that made him holy, 37 and insults the Spirit of grace? 10:30 For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” 38 and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 39 10:31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
10:32 But remember the former days when you endured a harsh conflict of suffering after you were enlightened. 10:33 At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions, and at other times you came to share with others who were treated in that way. 10:34 For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, 40 and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly 41 had a better and lasting possession. 10:35 So do not throw away your confidence, because it 42 has great reward. 10:36 For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised. 43 10:37 For just a little longer 44 and he who is coming will arrive and not delay. 45 10:38 But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I 46 take no pleasure in him. 47 10:39 But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls. 48
11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. 11:2 For by it the people of old 49 received God’s commendation. 50 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds 51 were set in order at God’s command, 52 so that the visible has its origin in the invisible. 53 11:4 By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith 54 he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faith 55 he still speaks, though he is dead. 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God. 11:6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 11:7 By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard 56 constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going. 11:9 By faith he lived as a foreigner 57 in the promised land as though it were a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs 58 of the same promise. 11:10 For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, 59 whose architect and builder is God. 11:11 By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, 60 he received the ability to procreate, 61 because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy. 11:12 So in fact children 62 were fathered by one man – and this one as good as dead – like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand 63 on the seashore. 64 11:13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, 65 but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners 66 on the earth. 11:14 For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 11:15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 11:16 But as it is, 67 they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, 68 yet he was ready to offer up 69 his only son. 11:18 God had told him, “Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,” 70 11:19 and he reasoned 71 that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense 72 he received him back from there. 11:20 By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future. 11:21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped as he leaned on his staff. 73 11:22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, 74 mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel 75 and gave instructions about his burial. 76
11:23 By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him 77 for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 11:24 By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 11:25 choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure. 11:26 He regarded abuse suffered for Christ 78 to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on 79 the reward. 11:27 By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible. 11:28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, 80 so that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. 11:29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry ground, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up. 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho 81 fell after the people marched around them 82 for seven days. 11:31 By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of 83 the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace.
11:32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets. 11:33 Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, 84 gained what was promised, 85 shut the mouths of lions, 11:34 quenched raging fire, 86 escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, 87 became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight, 11:35 and women received back their dead raised to life. 88 But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life. 89 11:36 And others experienced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 11:37 They were stoned, sawed apart, 90 murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 11:38 (the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth. 11:39 And these all were commended 91 for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. 92 11:40 For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us. 93
12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 94 we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 12:2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 95 12:3 Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up. 12:4 You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed 96 in your struggle against sin. 12:5 And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons?
“My son, do not scorn 97 the Lord’s discipline
or give up when he corrects 98 you.
12:6 “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.” 99
12:7 Endure your suffering 100 as discipline; 101 God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? 12:8 But if you do not experience discipline, 102 something all sons 103 have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. 12:9 Besides, we have experienced discipline from 104 our earthly fathers 105 and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life? 106 12:10 For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness. 12:11 Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. 107 But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness 108 for those trained by it. 12:12 Therefore, strengthen 109 your listless hands and your weak knees, 110 12:13 and make straight paths for your feet, 111 so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.
12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, 112 for without it no one will see the Lord. 12:15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up 113 and causing trouble, and through him many become defiled. 12:16 And see to it that no one becomes 114 an immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 115 12:17 For you know that 116 later when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance, although he sought the blessing 117 with tears. 12:18 For you have not come to something that can be touched, 118 to a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a whirlwind 12:19 and the blast of a trumpet and a voice uttering words 119 such that those who heard begged to hear no more. 120 12:20 For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” 121 12:21 In fact, the scene 122 was so terrifying that Moses said, “I shudder with fear.” 123 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion, the city 124 of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly 12:23 and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect, 12:24 and to Jesus, the mediator 125 of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel’s does. 126
12:25 Take care not to refuse the one who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less shall we, if we reject the one who warns from heaven? 12:26 Then his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven too.” 127 12:27 Now this phrase “once more” indicates the removal of what is shaken, that is, of created things, so that what is unshaken may remain. 12:28 So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. 12:29 For our God is indeed a devouring fire. 128
1 tn Grk “those who approach.”
2 tn Grk “the worshipers, having been purified once for all, would have.”
3 tn Grk “in them”; the referent (those sacrifices) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Grk “for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”
5 tn Grk “behold,” but this construction often means “here is/there is” (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).
6 sn A quotation from Ps 40:6-8 (LXX). The phrase a body you prepared for me (in v. 5) is apparently an interpretive expansion of the HT reading “ears you have dug out for me.”
7 sn Various phrases from the quotation of Ps 40:6 in Heb 10:5-6 are repeated in Heb 10:8.
8 tc The majority of
9 tn Or “abolishes.”
10 tn Grk “by which will.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
11 tn Or “daily,” “every day.”
12 tn Grk “this one.” This pronoun refers to Jesus, but “this priest” was used in the translation to make the contrast between the Jewish priests in v. 11 and Jesus as a priest clearer in English.
13 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.
14 tn Grk “from then on waiting.”
15 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.
16 tn Grk “after having said,” emphasizing the present impact of this utterance.
17 tn Grk “putting…I will inscribe.”
18 sn A quotation from Jer 31:33.
19 tn Grk “and.”
20 sn A quotation from Jer 31:34.
21 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.
22 tn Grk “that he inaugurated for us as a fresh and living way,” referring to the entrance mentioned in v. 19.
23 sn Through his flesh. In a bold shift the writer changes from a spatial phrase (Christ opened the way through the curtain into the inner sanctuary) to an instrumental phrase (he did this through [by means of] his flesh in his sacrifice of himself), associating the two in an allusion to the splitting of the curtain in the temple from top to bottom (Matt 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). Just as the curtain was split, so Christ’s body was broken for us, to give us access into God’s presence.
24 tn Grk “and a great priest,” continuing the construction begun in v. 19.
25 tn Grk “in assurance of faith.”
26 sn The phrase our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience combines the OT imagery of the sprinkling with blood to give ritual purity with the emphasis on the interior cleansing provided by the new covenant: It is the heart that is cleansed and the conscience made perfect (cf. Heb 8:10; 9:9, 14; 10:2, 16).
27 tn Grk “let us consider one another for provoking of love and good deeds.”
28 sn The day refers to that well-known time of Christ’s coming and judgment in the future; see a similar use of “day” in 1 Cor 3:13.
29 tn This paragraph (vv. 19-25) is actually a single, skillfully composed sentence in Greek, but it must be broken into shorter segments for English idiom. It begins with several subordinate phrases (since we have confidence and a great priest), has three parallel exhortations as its main verbs (let us draw near, hold, and take thought), and concludes with several subordinate phrases related to the final exhortation (not abandoning but encouraging).
30 tn Grk “is left,” with “for us” implied by the first half of the verse.
31 tn Grk “zeal,” recalling God’s jealous protection of his holiness and honor (cf. Exod 20:5).
sn An allusion to Zeph 1:18.
32 tn Grk “the enemies.”
sn An allusion to Isa 26:11.
33 tn Grk “dies.”
34 sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.
35 tn Grk “tramples under foot.”
36 tn Grk “regarded as common.”
37 tn Grk “by which he was made holy.”
38 sn A quotation from Deut 32:35.
39 sn A quotation from Deut 32:36.
40 tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א D2 1881 Ï), read δεσμοῖς μου (desmoi" mou, “my imprisonment”) here, a reading that is probably due to the widespread belief in the early Christian centuries that Paul was the author of Hebrews (cf. Phil 1:7; Col 4:18). It may have been generated by the reading δεσμοῖς without the μου (so Ì46 Ψ 104 pc), the force of which is so ambiguous (lit., “you shared the sufferings with the bonds”) as to be virtually nonsensical. Most likely, δεσμοῖς resulted when a scribe made an error in copying δεσμίοις (desmioi"), a reading which makes excellent sense (“[of] those in prison”) and is strongly supported by early and significant witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western texttypes (A D* H 6 33 81 1739 lat sy co). Thus, δεσμίοις best explains the rise of the other readings on both internal and external grounds and is strongly preferred.
41 tn Grk “you yourselves.”
42 tn Grk “which,” but showing the reason.
43 tn Grk “the promise,” referring to the thing God promised, not to the pledge itself.
44 sn A quotation from Isa 26:20.
45 sn A quotation from Hab 2:3.
46 tn Grk “my soul.”
47 sn A quotation from Hab 2:4.
48 tn Grk “not…of shrinking back to perdition but of faith to the preservation of the soul.”
49 tn Or “the elders,” “the ancients.”
50 tn Grk “were attested,” “received commendation”; and Heb 11:4-6 shows this to be from God.
51 tn Grk “ages.” The temporal (ages) came to be used of the spatial (what exists in those time periods). See Heb 1:2 for same usage.
52 tn Grk “by God’s word.”
53 sn The Greek phrasing emphasizes this point by negating the opposite: “so that what is seen did not come into being from things that are visible.”
54 tn Or “through his sacrifice”; Grk “through which.”
55 tn Or “through his sacrifice”; Grk “through it.”
56 tn Cf. BDAG 407 s.v. εὐλαβέομαι 2, “out of reverent regard (for God’s command).”
57 tn Or “settled as a resident alien.”
58 tn Or “heirs with him.”
59 tn Grk “that has foundations.”
60 tn Grk “past the time of maturity.”
61 tn Grk “power to deposit seed.” Though it is not as likely, some construe this phrase to mean “power to conceive seed,” making the whole verse about Sarah: “by faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and too old, she received ability to conceive, because she regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy.”
62 tn Grk “these”; in the translation the referent (children) has been specified for clarity.
63 tn Grk a collective “the sand.”
64 sn An allusion to Gen 22:17 (which itself goes back to Gen 15:5).
65 tn Grk “the promises,” referring to the things God promised, not to the pledges themselves.
66 tn Or “sojourners.”
67 tn Grk “now.”
68 tn Here “received the promises” refers to the pledges themselves, not to the things God promised.
69 tn Grk “he was offering up.” The tense of this verb indicates the attempt or readiness to sacrifice Isaac without the actual completion of the deed.
70 tn Grk “in Isaac seed will be named for you.”
sn A quotation from Gen 21:12.
71 tn Grk “having reasoned,” continuing the ideas of v. 17.
72 tn Grk “in/by a symbol.”
73 tn Grk “worshiped on the top of his staff,” a quotation from Gen 47:31 (LXX).
74 tn Grk “coming to an end,” “dying.”
75 sn Joseph’s prophecy about the exodus of the sons of Israel is found in Gen 50:24.
76 tn Grk “about his bones,” which refers by metonymy to the disposition of his bones, i.e., his burial.
sn The instructions about his burial are recorded in Gen 50:25.
77 tn Grk “Moses, when he was born, was hidden by his parents.”
78 tn Grk “the abuse [or ‘reproach’] of Christ.”
79 tn Grk “he was looking away to.”
80 tn Grk “the pouring out of the blood.”
sn The sprinkling of the blood refers here to the application of the blood to the doorways of the Israelite houses (cf. Exod 12:7, 13).
81 map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
82 tn Grk “after they had been encircled.”
83 tn Grk “did not perish together with.”
84 tn This probably refers to the righteous rule of David and others. But it could be more general and mean “did what was righteous.”
85 tn Grk “obtained promises,” referring to the things God promised, not to the pledges themselves.
sn Gained what was promised. They saw some of God’s promises fulfilled, even though the central promise remained unfulfilled until Christ came (cf. vv. 39-40).
86 tn Grk “quenched the power of fire.”
87 tn Or “recovered from sickness.”
88 tn Grk “received back their dead from resurrection.”
89 tn Grk “to obtain a better resurrection.”
90 tc The reading ἐπρίσθησαν (ejprisqhsan, “they were sawed apart”) is found in some important witnesses (Ì46 [D* twice reads ἐπίρσθησαν, “they were burned”?] pc syp sa Orpt Eus). Other
91 sn The expression these all were commended forms an inclusio with Heb 11:2: The chapter begins and ends with references to commendation for faith.
92 tn Grk “the promise,” referring to the thing God promised, not to the pledge itself.
93 tn The Greek phrasing emphasizes this point by negating the opposite: “so that they would not be made perfect without us.”
94 tn Grk “having such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us.”
95 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.
96 tn Grk “until blood.”
97 tn Or “disregard,” “think little of.”
98 tn Or “reproves,” “rebukes.” The Greek verb ἐλέγχω (elencw) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.
99 sn A quotation from Prov 3:11-12.
100 tn Grk “endure,” with the object (“your suffering”) understood from the context.
101 tn Or “in order to become disciplined.”
102 tn Grk “you are without discipline.”
103 tn Grk “all”; “sons” is implied by the context.
104 tn Grk “we had our earthly fathers as discipliners.”
105 tn Grk “the fathers of our flesh.” In Hebrews, “flesh” is a characteristic way of speaking about outward, physical, earthly life (cf. Heb 5:7; 9:10, 13), as opposed to the inward or spiritual dimensions of life.
106 tn Grk “and live.”
sn Submit ourselves…to the Father of spirits and receive life. This idea is drawn from Proverbs, where the Lord’s discipline brings life, while resistance to it leads to death (cf. Prov 4:13; 6:23; 10:17; 16:17).
107 tn Grk “all discipline at the time does not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow.”
108 tn Grk “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
109 tn Or “straighten.”
110 sn A quotation from Isa 35:3. Strengthen your listless hands and your weak knees refers to the readers’ need for renewed resolve and fresh strength in their struggles (cf. Heb 10:36-39; 12:1-3).
111 sn A quotation from Prov 4:26. The phrase make straight paths for your feet is figurative for “stay on God’s paths.”
112 sn The references to peace and holiness show the close connection between this paragraph and the previous one. The pathway toward “holiness” and the need for it is cited in Heb 12:10 and 14. More importantly Prov 4:26-27 sets up the transition from one paragraph to the next: It urges people to stay on godly paths (Prov 4:26, quoted here in v. 13) and promises that God will lead them in peace if they do so (Prov 4:27 [LXX], quoted in v. 14).
113 tn Grk “that there not be any root of bitterness,” but referring figuratively to a person who causes trouble (as in Deut 29:17 [LXX] from which this is quoted).
sn An allusion to Deut 29:18.
114 tn Grk “that there not be any,” continuing from v. 15.
115 sn An allusion to Gen 27:34-41.
116 tn Or a command: “for understand that.”
117 tn Grk “it,” referring either to the repentance or the blessing. But the account in Gen 27:34-41 (which the author appeals to here) makes it clear that the blessing is what Esau sought. Thus in the translation the referent (the blessing) is specified for clarity.
118 tn This describes the nation of Israel approaching God on Mt. Sinai (Exod 19). There is a clear contrast with the reference to Mount Zion in v. 22, so this could be translated “a mountain that can be touched.” But the word “mountain” does not occur here and the more vague description seems to be deliberate.
119 tn Grk “a voice of words.”
120 tn Grk “a voice…from which those who heard begged that a word not be added to them.”
121 sn A quotation from Exod 19:12-13.
122 tn Grk “that which appeared.”
123 tn Grk “I am terrified and trembling.”
sn A quotation from Deut 9:19.
124 tn Grk “and the city”; the conjunction is omitted in translation since it seems to be functioning epexegetically – that is, explaining further what is meant by “Mount Zion.”
125 tn The Greek word μεσίτης (mesith", “mediator”) in this context does not imply that Jesus was a mediator in the contemporary sense of the word, i.e., he worked for compromise between opposing parties. Here the term describes his function as the one who was used by God to enact a new covenant which established a new relationship between God and his people, but entirely on God’s terms.
126 sn Abel’s shed blood cried out to the Lord for justice and judgment, but Jesus’ blood speaks of redemption and forgiveness, something better than Abel’s does (Gen 4:10; Heb 9:11-14; 11:4).
127 sn A quotation from Hag 2:6.
128 sn A quotation from Deut 4:24; 9:3.
