Verse by Verse

12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,

13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.

17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

Verses 12 and 13 take up the athletic image from verses 1 and 2. They exhort the Hebrews not to fall prey to weariness or discouragement.

Therefore (v.12) — based on what was just written about chastisement

strengthen (v.12) = straighten up — from the same word as “straight” in verse 13 — set upright

straight (v.13) — right, smooth

lame (v.13) — those inclined to give up and return to law — Make the path smooth so as not to cause the lame to stumble.

While Isaiah 35:3 is a sound cross reference for these verses, as most every commentary and study Bible notes, it may well be that the foundation for both the Isaiah and Hebrew references is Moses:

And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun (Exodus 17:11-12).

The Hebrew reader will need all the help he can get from other members of remnant Israel to endure to the end of the Great Tribulation, just as Moses needed help to persist and prevail. — McLean, page 178.

Wuest gets around the problem of these verses by claiming the individuals who fall away were never really saved. McLean (below) sees it differently. I lean toward McLean’s view.

The exhortation is to the born-again Jews who had left the temple, to live such consistent saintly lives, and to cling so tenaciously to their new-found faith, that the unsaved Jews who had also left the temple and had outwardly embraced the New Testament truth, would be encouraged to go on to faith in Messiah as High Priest, instead of returning to the abrogated sacrifices of the Levitical system. These truly born-again Jews are warned that a limping Christian life would cause these unsaved Jews to be turned out of the way. — Wuest, page 222.

looking (v.15) = exercising oversight — watching out for each other

fall short (v.15) = arrive late, fall back from

root of bitterness (v.15) — perhaps a reference to Deuteronomy 29:18

profane (v.16) — regard something as common which should be considered holy — in Esau’s case, his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34)

This is neither a Christian nor an unsaved pretender but rather a Tribulation Hebrew being exhorted to keep himself from falling away.

No Christian inherits a blessing in that we are told we have all spiritual blessings in heavenly places now (Ephesians 1:3). However Israel’s blessed yet future inheritance has been a recurrent theme of this book (Hebrews 1:4, 13, 2:5, 8; 3:6, 18; 4:6, 9; 6:11, 15; 8:10; 10:25; 11:8-10; 11:39 and here). — McLean, page 180.

9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Chastening by our human fathers is brief (comparatively) and sometimes done with wrong motives. God’s chastening has only their (the Jews) highest good in mind. The chastening referred to here is probably the Tribulation.

Father of spirits (v.9) — in contrast with “human fathers”

for a few days (v.10) — during youth. It ends with adulthood, whether the child still needs it or not.

as it seemed best to them (v.10) = opinion, supposition — subjective judgment

yields (v.11) = gives back, produces in return

peaceable (v.11) = bestows happiness and welfare

3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”

7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

consider (v.3) — reflect upon — Christ’s example

hostility (v.3) = to speak or act against

These persecuted Jews, mistreated by their brethren after the flesh who were still clinging to the temple sacrifices, are exhorted to thus contrast this opposition which they were meeting, with that endured by Messiah, and to do this in order that they would not be weary, fainting in their souls. — Wuest, page 217.

Himself (v.3) — some manuscripts read “themselves” (see Numbers 16:38)

discouraged in your souls (v.3) — weariness of soul

resisted to bloodshed (v.4) — They hadn’t yet been tried and persecuted for their faith to the death (as many had and as Jesus did).

forgotten (v.5) — Proverbs 3:11-12; 13:24 (Job 5:17; Psalm 94:12)

despise (v.5) — make little of, treat carelessly

chastening (v.5) — used for the training and education of children — instruction to increase virtue — not punishment, but correcting

When the time of chastising, the Great Tribulation, takes place, Hebrews must suffer even unto blood, even unto the death of a martyr. To despise what was taking place would be evidence of rebellion rather than submission, and that would be unacceptable. To faint during what was taking place would be evidence of not enduring to the end, and that would be unacceptable as well.

How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him (Hebrews 2:3).

The answer to the rhetorical question of Hebrews 2:3 has been confirmed in this passage: there is no escape and the chastening is to be endured, not despised. — McLean, page 174.

love (v.6) — agape

receives (v.6) — recognizes as a son

Verse 7 should read “It is for chastening you are enduring … “

endure (v.7) — The Hebrews should “remain under” the chastening hand of God.

Those who would reject the Messiah and return to the Old Testament religion would prove themselves not sons.

In the Old Testament, Israel was taught to regard any visitation of God’s disciplinary measures such as drought and famine or enemy attack, as a sign of His displeasure with His people because of their sins. Hence, these Hebrews in the first-century would naturally regard this persecution in the same light. The writer hastens to assure them that instead of this chastening being an indication that they were not right with God, it was a proof of their sonship, for all sons are partakers of chastening. Those among them who would not submit to this chastening were, therefore, unsaved. — Wuest, pages 218-219.

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

we (v.1) — Hebrews

we also (v.1) — refers to running a race, not the witnesses

cloud of witnesses (v.1) — those referred to in chapter 11

cloud (v.1) = one covering the entire sky

witnesses (v.1) — those testifying about faith — examples of faith, not spectators

weight (v.1) — not just sin, but anything that burdens the runner

snares (v.1) = cleverly placed around — trip up

race (v.1) — Psalm 19:5

set before (v.1) — lie in full view

looking (v.2) = looking earnestly — looking away from everything else — Jesus is the perfect example of faith.

our (v.2) — not in the original

author and finisher (v.2) — leader (author), one who completes (finisher) — chief leader — Jesus Christ is the pattern and motivation for our faith.

for the joy (v.2) = instead of — Jesus renounced the joy He had for the shame and suffering of the cross. — Philippians 2:6-8

sat down (v.2) — tense indicates action with permanent effects — a finished work

35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.

37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented —

38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

dead raised to life again (v.35) — 1 Kings 17:22-24; 2 Kings 4:36

tortured (v.35) — stretched on a wheel and beaten

deliverance (v.35) — offered if they gave up their faith

better resurrection (v.35) — better than those mentioned earlier in the verse who were raised but died again

imprisonment (v.36) — Jeremiah (for example) — Jeremiah 38:9

stoned (v.37) — Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:20-22)

sawn in two (v.37) — Isaiah (tradition)

tempted (v.37) — pressured to abandon their faith

caves (v.38) — 1 Kings 18:4

something better (v.40) — those things given to believers after and because of the cross — union with Christ, individual access to God

Verse 40 seems to be saying that God did not fulfill His promise to the Old Testament believers while they were alive because He wanted to include the Hebrew believers of the first century (the Pentecost church) and, probably, also the believers of the Tribulation together in the promise which is now a better fulfillment because of What Christ has done.

All those listed or referred to in the chapter kept their faith even though they did not realize God’s promise.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.

31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.

32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:

33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

did not believe (v.31) — disbelief manifested by disobedience

subdued kingdoms (v.33) — David (2 Samuel 8:1-14)

worked righteousness (v.33) — David (2 Samuel 8:15)

obtained promises (v.33) — 2 Kings 19:15; 20:2, etc.

stopped the mouths of lions (v.33) — Daniel (Daniel 6:16-23); Samson (Judges 14:5-6); David (1 Samuel 17:34-36)

quenched the violence of fire (v.34) — Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego (Daniel 3:19-30)

escaped the edge of the sword (v.34) — Jehoshaphat, David, Elijah, etc.

The writer skips the 40 years in the wilderness, a time not marked by faith

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.

24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,

25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.

by faith (v.23) — of Moses’ parents

beautiful (v.23) — physically attractive, but also in the sense that God had a purpose for him (Acts 7:20)

king’s command (v.23) = mandate — that all male children were to be killed

son of Pharaoh’s daughter (v.24) — and probably heir to the throne

choosing (v.25) — choosing as a single and definite act (Exodus 2:11)

people of God (v.25) — it was this, and not just that they were his people, that prompted Moses’ choice

esteeming (v.26) — a single and definite act

reproach of Christ (v.26) — the reproach that Christ endured

looked (v.26) = fixed his gaze upon

Christ (v.26) — Moses knew of the Messiah (Deuteronomy 18:15). Moses didn’t understand what the Messiah would do, or anything except that God would sent a Prophet. It is the writer of Hebrews who connects Moses’ experience with that of Christ.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”

19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

Isaac was the son through whom God’s promises would be kept, but Abraham had such faith in God that he was willing to sacrifice him (v.17-18)

tested (v.17) — to prove his character and faith

The word “tried” is the translation of peirazo which means “to put to the test.” Here it refers to the act of God putting Abraham to the test in order to prove his character and the steadfastness of his faith. The construction in the Greek makes it clear that while the testing of Abraham was still in progress, he had already offered up his son, that is, before the trial had come to an issue, by the act of his obedient will, through faith in God. Abraham met the test through faith before there was any visible evidence of God’s intervening hand. Abraham fully expected to offer his son as a sacrifice, and as fully expected God to raise his body from the dead out of the ashes of the burnt sacrifice. He reasoned that since God promised him a line of ancestry through Isaac, He would have to do that. And he had faith to believe that God would do so. Vincent explains the words “Also he received him in a figure,” as follows: “Since the sacrifice did not take place as a literal slaughter, there could not be a literal restoration from death. There was a real offering in Abraham’s will, but not a real death of Isaac. Isaac’s death took place symbolically, in the sacrifice of the ram: correspondingly, the restoration was only a symbolic restoration from the dead.” — Wuest, page 204.

concluding (v.19) — made up his mind after considering the facts, that God could raise Isaac from the dead

figurative sense (v.19) — Abraham’s offering of his son and receiving him back was a figure of God offering His Son and receiving Him back.

Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau (v.20) — Genesis 27:1-28:5. The blessing involved deceit, but Isaac operated in faith. Isaac later confirmed the blessing.

concerning (v.20) = lit. “and that concerning” — emphasizing things beyond the lifetimes of Jacob and Esau

sons of Joseph (v.21) — Genesis 48:17-20

staff (v.21) — The staff was necessary because of the lameness of Jacob given as God’s reminder of His promises on the night Jacob wrestled with the Lord at Peniel (Genesis 32:24-32).

Joseph died in Egypt (v.22) but had faith in God’s promise that his people would return to the land. (Genesis 50:25; Exodus 13:19; Joshua 24:32)

made mention (v.22) = remembered — Genesis 15:13-14

Issac’s, Jacob’s and Joseph’s examples of faith all occurred at the time of death.

11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.

12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude — innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.

15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.

16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Sarah’s first response to the news that she would conceive was to laugh (Genesis 18:10-15)

also (v.11) — along with Abraham

and she bore a child (v.11 ) — not in the oldest manuscripts

past the age (v.11) — She was 90 and had had no children.

him as good as dead (v.12) — Abraham

these (v.13) — Abraham and all those of his descendants mentioned in verse 9 who never saw the land as God had promised it. They all died in faith that the promise given to them would be kept.

in faith (v.13) = according to faith. They died under the regime of faith, not of sight

afar (v.13) — in time, not distance

were assured of them (v.13) — not in the best manuscripts

embraced (v.13) — greeted, as a seaman greets his home country when he’s still far off-shore

strangers and pilgrims (v.13) — Genesis 23:4; 47:9

The point of verse 14 is that those who say they are sojourners and pilgrims imply that they seek a home.

called to mind that country (v.15) — Ur — They could have returned to Ur and not been pilgrims. They didn’t, and so we can be sure Ur wasn’t the country spoken of in verse 14.

now (v.16) — logical, not temporal. desire (v.16) = reach for eagerly

called (v.16) — God wasn’t ashamed, because of their faith, to be called “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

The point of this section of the book of Hebrews is to tell Tribulation Israel that although their situation looks like a dead end, they need to die in faith, for theirs is the better country with the better promises, the kingdom into which they will resurrect, if they faint not.

No one in any Old Testament book thought about dying and going to heaven, just as most Jewish people you meet today do not even believe there is a heaven. The oldest of the Bible’s books declares that: For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth (Job 19:25).

There is a reason for that. Going to heaven after death is a Pauline truth reserved for the church which is Christ’s body. (2 Corinthians 5:6, 8; Ephesians 1:3; Colossians 3:2).

“Thy kingdom come” was Christ’s promise to Israel whereby the heavenly kingdom was to come to earth (Revelation 21:2), resulting in “They will de done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

While the Body of Christ is headed for heavenly places, and that according to the revelation of the mystery, it would be right to note that the focus of the prophetic program always has been the better country spoken of here: And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever (Daniel 2:44). — McLean, pages 159-160.

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;

10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

obeyed when he was called (v.8) = lit. “while he was being called … obeyed.”

called to go out (v.8) — from Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 11:31; 12:1). He left his family and friends to travel alone to a place he’d never been and didn’t know how to get to, where he knew nobody — because God told him to.

not knowing (v.8) = not fixing his thoughts on — not concerned with

dwelt (v.9) = migrated, sojourned — He was a transient, without rights of citizenship. The only property Abraham owned in Canaan was his burial plot at Machpelah (Genesis 23:1-20)

promise (v.9) = lit. “the promise”

Isaac and Jacob (v.9) — mentioned here because they too dwelt in Canaan as sojourners

waited (v.10) = eagerly expected

Both the words “city” and “foundations” are preceded by the definite article in the Greek text. Abraham looked for the city which had the foundations. He was looking for the heavenly Jerusalem. The idea of the heavenly Jerusalem was familiar to the Jews. See Hebrews 12:22, 13:14; Galatians 4:26. — Hebrews in the Greek New Testament, by Kenneth S. Wuest, page 202.

builder (v.10) = craftsman, architect

maker (v.10) = framer, builder

There is no mention here of Abraham’s failures — the stop in Haran, nor yet the fact that he did not immediately separate himself from his kindred, but that actually his father seems to have taken the initiative in this first step. But the faith that led to the entire movement was that of Abraham, to whom God had revealed Himself in Ur of the Chaldees. According to the statement of Joshua, there can be little doubt that Abraham’s family was idolatrous. He said, “Your fathers dwelt of old on the other side of the flood, Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor, and they served other gods” (Joshua 24:2). But it was to a young man brought up in these circumstances that the living God revealed Himself, and from that moment faith sprang up in Abraham’s soul. — Studies in the Epistle to the Hebrews, by H.A. Ironsides, page 137.