Discovery BoxHebrews 12:5-12 
Context12:5 And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons?
“My son, do not scorn 1 the Lord’s discipline
or give up when he corrects 2 you.
12:6 “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.” 3
12:7 Endure your suffering 4 as discipline; 5 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, 6 something all sons 7 have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. 12:9 Besides, we have experienced discipline from 8 our earthly fathers 9 and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life? 10 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. 11 But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness 12 for those trained by it. 12:12 Therefore, strengthen 13 your listless hands and your weak knees, 14
1 tn Or “disregard,” “think little of.”
2 tn Or “reproves,” “rebukes.” The Greek verb ἐλέγχω (elencw) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.
3 sn A quotation from Prov 3:11-12.
4 tn Grk “endure,” with the object (“your suffering”) understood from the context.
5 tn Or “in order to become disciplined.”
6 tn Grk “you are without discipline.”
7 tn Grk “all”; “sons” is implied by the context.
8 tn Grk “we had our earthly fathers as discipliners.”
9 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.
10 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).
11 tn Grk “all discipline at the time does not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow.”
12 tn Grk “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
13 tn Or “straighten.”
14 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).
