As the scripture says is implied. Some such phrase is necessary, even when this passage is read aloud, to show that it includes a quotation from the Old Testament. The first line of the quotation in Good News Translation comes from Isaiah 26.20, and the rest from Habakkuk 2.3-4, part of which is also quoted in Romans 1.17 and Galatians 3.11. As usual, the writer quotes rather freely from the Septuagint. Often one cannot translate as the scripture says literally, since Scriptures do not “speak.” One can, however, employ an expression such as “as one may read in the Scriptures” or “according to the words of the holy writings.”

Just a little while longer may be expressed as “In a very short time,” “Not long from now,” or even “Soon.”

The keywords, for Hebrews as for Paul, are righteous (see 11.4, 7, 33; 12.11, 23, where this or related Greek words are used) and “faith” (Good News Translation believe). The meaning of the text as quoted here must be confused neither with the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek texts of Habakkuk, nor with the meaning which Paul gives to the text. Habakkuk’s message was that in the time of crisis which was coming, anyone who was “righteous,” that is, who did God’s will as expressed in the Law, would survive. For Paul the meaning is very different: those who have the kind of “righteousness,” or “being right with God,” which comes from relying on God through faith in Christ, not from obeying the letter of the Law, will experience what life really is.

The writer of Hebrews emphasizes the future aspect of the text by quoting Habakkuk 2.3, as well as verse 4.

He who is coming will come: the writer emphasizes this clause by adding a definite article. It is literally “the one who is coming.” It may seem odd and repetitious to say this. It may be better, therefore, to render this clause as “the one who is coming will arrive.”

He will not delay may be rendered as “he will not be long in coming.”

The translation of verse 38a is complicated by a textual problem. Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, and most translations follow the UBS Greek text. Other manuscripts have “the righteous by faith,” sometimes with “in me” added. These texts are influenced by the text of the Septuagint, and possibly by Paul, and are not likely to be correct.

My righteous people is literally “My righteous (one),” grammatically singular, as in most translations except Good News Translation and Bijbel in Gewone Taal. However, any of them later in the sentence shows that the meaning is “anyone who has a right relationship with me,” and Good News Bible brings this out. The writer of Hebrews emphasizes at various points his concern for each one of his readers, but always addresses them as a group; he does not mention individuals by name. Good News Bible means “my righteous nation.” However, the transition from My righteous people (singular) to any of them (plural) and then back to the singular him may be awkward in some languages. If so, it may be best to use plural expressions throughout, since the author is certainly referring to more than one righteous individual.

The emphasis of the expression My righteous people is that these are people who do God’s will. In a sense, therefore, My righteous people implies “My people who do what I want them to do.”

However is literally “but” (Revised Standard Version), and but in the next line is literally “and,” as in Revised Standard Version. The word translated however is less emphatic than “however” in English. The word translated “and” in Revised Standard Version may in some contexts indicate a contrast, like the English but. It is necessary to see where contrasts are indicated or suggested in this passage. The general direction of the argument suggests that there is no contrast between Christ’s coming, and God’s people believing and living; but that there is a contrast between believing and living on the one hand, and turning back on the other hand. So Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “The person who trusts me and remains true to me can stand before me and will live. But the person who loses his courage, I will have nothing to do with him” (similarly Bijbel in Gewone Taal, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

It is sometimes necessary to have some complement to a verb such as will believe. The tendency for some translators is to expand will believe to “will believe the Good News.” But the correct interpretation of will believe involves trusting in God, and therefore will believe may be rendered as “will trust me.”

Since and live indicates the result of trusting, it may be possible to render and live as “and so live.”

The Translator’s New Testament note indicates that “faith” is stressed. This is not obvious from the form of the Greek sentence, but it is clear from the wider context (verse 39 and chapter 11). Translator’s New Testament accordingly translates “It is by faith that my righteous one shall live.”

For the writer of Hebrews, though not in Habakkuk, the last part of verse 38 is spoken by God. As a comparison with Revised Standard Version shows, any of them is implied. In English any may be either singular or plural, and the last part of this verse may very well be rendered as “if any turn back, I will not be pleased with them.” Certainly the implication is for more than one person being likely to turn back. The Greek verb for turns is singular, but refers to any one of a group of people, so a plural verb is often clearer in translation.

The metaphor of turns back may be related to thinking of the Christian life as “the Way” (see Acts 9.2); or it may mean “draws back” in fear, “shrinks back” (New English Bible), with a meaning similar to the term for “looking back” in Luke 9.62. The meaning “draw back from involvement in the world” has been suggested but does not seem to fit in with the message of the letter as a whole.

In some languages the idea of “turning back” would not be a natural figure of speech to describe giving up one’s faith. “To turn back” may simply be equivalent to “turning around.” Therefore if any of them turns back may be rendered as “if any refuse to follow me further,” “if any give up trusting in me,” or “if any no longer trust me.”

Good News Translation is right to understand the literal “my soul” (Revised Standard Version) as equivalent to I, but the Greek for I will not be pleased with him is the climax of the quotation. The language is similar to that of Luke 2.14b (peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!). The thought of God being “pleased” with people is closely linked with the idea of his “choosing” them for particular tasks (see 10.6, 8).

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .