Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus may be expressed as “Let us keep looking at Jesus,” or in a figurative sense “Let us keep looking at Jesus, so to speak.” However, it may not be possible to use this type of figure, since Jesus was not in actual view, and therefore one must often translate “Let us keep constantly thinking about Jesus.”
On whom our faith depends from beginning to end is literally “the pioneer and perfecter of the faith.” Translations vary in their understanding of the Greek for “pioneer and perfecter.” For the thought, compare Colossians 1.18 and Revelation 1.17; 2.8; 22.13. On “pioneer,” see comments on For Jesus is the one … in 2.10. The word “perfecter” is related to words used in 11.40 (perfect) and many other places, but the writer seems to have invented this particular Greek term. The meaning is best seen in contrast to 4.8; Jesus, unlike Joshua, has the power to bring his people to the end of their journey. It may be necessary in translation to add our before faith, but our is not expressed here in the Greek text, which may have a wider meaning for faith, as in 11.1. If “pioneer” and “perfecter” are primarily expressions of time (“beginner” and “ender”), Jesus is thought of here as the supreme example of faith in God. On the other hand, “pioneer” and “perfecter” may refer to Jesus as the source of other people’s faith in God, and as the one who brings that faith to full maturity. “Our” may be implied if Jesus is the source but not if he is the example. In the rest of the verse it is Jesus’ example which is emphasized, but verse 3b makes a link between what Jesus suffered and the readers’ need to hold on to their faith. Most translations, except Revised Standard Version and Moffatt (“the pioneer and perfection of faith”), choose the second meaning, Jesus as the source of faith. Bible en français courant follows Good News Translation, and New English Bible is similar. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “he has opened to us the way of trust and also brings us to the goal.” An additional argument in favor of the second meaning is that it includes the first.
For many translators it is easier to follow the somewhat figurative expressions of “the pioneer and perfecter of the faith,” since this may be expressed as “the one who goes ahead of us and causes our faith in God to be what it should be,” “… and makes perfect our confidence in God,” or “the one who makes it possible for us to trust in God, and also to keep on trusting in him.” The rendering in Good News Translation, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end, is somewhat more abstract in meaning and therefore more difficult to reproduce in other languages. One can, however, translate on whom our faith depends from beginning to end as “our confidence in God has always been and will always be because of Jesus” or “Jesus is the one who causes us to have confidence in God. This is always true, even from the very beginning of the time when we began to trust God.” There is always some difficulty in the use of end, since this might imply that faith would come to an end sometime during a person’s life.
The rest of this verse recalls both 2.9 and 12.1. Revised Standard Version‘s “set before him” renders the same verb as “set before us” in verse 1, and “endured” is related to “perseverance” in verse 1. These expressions should be translated similarly. Jerusalem Bible misleadingly has “the race we have started” in verse 1, and “the joy which was still in the future” in verse 2. The implied message is that there are difficult times ahead for the readers, as there were for Jesus, but that if they hold on to their faith they will share the joy of his victory.
Because of the cross is implied. The meaning is that Jesus held on to his purpose despite the suffering of the cross. The sentence He did not give up because of the cross may be rendered as “He did not give up just because he had to die on a cross.”
The phrase On the contrary may be expressed emphatically as “No, indeed.”
Because of the joy that was waiting for him may be expressed as “because of the joy which he would later have,” “… which would later be his,” or “because of the fact that later he would have joy.” Some restructuring of the Good News Translation rendering is often almost obligatory, since in many languages it is impossible to speak of joy “waiting” for anyone.
Thought nothing of or “disregarded” (so Jerusalem Bible) is better here than “despised,” since the Greek word is used here in a positive sense rather than in the usual negative sense. He thought nothing of may be best expressed as “he refused to think about.” In some languages he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross may need to be radically restructured; for example, “people thought that dying on a cross was a terrible disgrace but Jesus didn’t think so.”
Disgrace includes not only the abuse which was directed against Jesus on the cross, but the disgrace of the punishment itself compared, for example, with the honorable death of being beheaded. Crucifixion was a Roman punishment. But Galatians 3.13 identifies it with hanging from a tree (Deut 21.23), which was the Old Testament form of execution and was believed to bring God’s curse on the land. Dying on the cross brings out the implication of the text, which is literally “a cross.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy does so more strongly: “the shame of this kind of death.”
On seated at the right side of God’s throne see comments on 1.3; 8.1; 10.12. Here the tense of the verb, changed from Psalm 110.1, includes both past and present. Good News Translation‘s now seated brings out the present element, leaving implicit the past event of sitting down on God’s right side, which was expressed in 1.3 and elsewhere.
In some parts of the world it is necessary to have a footnote, here or on 1.3, to indicate that from the biblical viewpoint the right side was the side of honor. In some societies the left side is the preferred side.
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 .