6:6a

and then have fallen away: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as have fallen away It is used only here in the New Testament. In general, it means “to fail to keep a commitment.” There are different ways to interpret the word in this context. The most likely view is that it refers here to a person refusing to keep the commitment to follow Jesus. It implies a deliberate action.

Some other ways to translate this part of the verse are:

if they deliberately retreat from their faith
-or-
and then they refuse to continue believing

In many languages it is natural to translate the meaning with a figure of speech. For example:

turn away from God (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
they have deserted ⌊Christ⌋ (God’s Word)

to be restored to repentance: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as restored means “renew.” It occurs only here in the NT. This is the main verb that follows “it is impossible” in 6:4a. The author indicated that it is impossible to renew/restore some people to repentance. In this context it indicates that it is impossible to cause some people to repent a second time. These are the people who trusted Jesus to save them from their sins but after that, they decided not to trust him.

Some ways to translate this passive verb are:

• As a passive verb. For example:

be led a second time to God (God’s Word)
-or-
to bring them back to a changed life again (New Century Version)

• As an active verb. For example:

to make them repent as they did at first (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
cause them to repent again

repentance: The word repentance occurred in 6:1d. You should translate it in a similar way here.

6:6b

because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again:
This is figurative language. When people reject the Son of God, it is like crucifying him again. They refuse to believe that he is God’s Son and that he can save them from their sins. Rejecting him is their greatest sin. That is why it is impossible for them to repent while they are rejecting him.

The meaning here is similar to the action “turns away from the living God” in 3:12. Some other ways to translate it are:

it’s as if they are again nailing God’s Son to the cross
-or-
what they have done is like they nailed the Son of God to the cross with their own hands

they themselves: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they themselves is more literally “to/for themselves.” Here is another way to translate this:

they again crucify to themselves the Son of God (New American Standard Bible)

There are three main ways to interpret the word “for themselves” here:

(1) It means that they themselves crucify God’s Son. For example:

they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again (New Living Translation (2004))

(2) It means “to their own loss.” For example:

for they are crucifying to their own hurt the Son of God (Revised English Bible)

(3) It adds emphasis and does not need to be translated specifically. For example:

because they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others (New Century Version)

(New Century Version, Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The author emphasizes that they themselves commit the same sin of rejecting Christ that the people who crucified him committed. They were not present at Christ’s crucifixion, but they figuratively crucify him again by rejecting him.

the Son of God: The title the Son of God indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. See how you translated the Son of God at 4:14. For more information, see the note on “his Son” in 1:2a.

6:6c

and subjecting Him to open shame: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as subjecting Him to open shame was most often used of shaming a person by punishing him in public. Here it indicates that if people claim to be Christians and then reject Christ, they disgrace him and cause other people also to dishonor him. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

insulting him in public (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
They cause that all the people make fun of him again.

This word occurs only here in the NT. However, in other literature it is used to refer to shaming a criminal by punishing him in public. A related word occurs in Matthew 1:19.

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