King James Version‘s “For” translates a word which indicates that verse 3 partly repeats something already said, like the English “Yes, think of what he went through….” This word is often omitted in translation.

Think of includes the idea of comparing, that is, comparing Christ’s sufferings with the readers’ own less severe persecutions. Barclay brings this out precisely, if rather heavily: “The way to avoid the failure of your nerve and heart is to compare your situation with the situation of him who met the opposition of sinners with such constancy and courage.”

What he went through and put up with translate a single verb, related to determination in verse 1 and not give up in verse 2. The repetition helps to make this passage the strongest call for action in Hebrews. Bible en français courant is simpler here: “Think of him, of the way in which he put up with such opposition on the part of (or, from) sinners.”

It is rare that one can translate literally Think of what he went through, since this might very well be interpreted as suggesting that Jesus passed through some kind of structure or dwelling. A more satisfactory rendering is often “Consider how much he suffered.”

Hatred includes opposition both of word and deed, especially the latter in this context. It may be difficult to speak of “putting up with hatred,” for what is endured is not so much the hatred as what people do who hate. Therefore, how he put up with so much hatred from sinners may be expressed as “consider how much he endured from sinners who hated him so much” or “think about how much those sinners who hated him caused him to suffer.” The UBS Greek text (“D” rating) corresponds to Revised Standard Version‘s “against himself,” which is not especially emphasized, and which Good News Translation and other common language translations omit. The weight of the manuscript evidence is on the side of the difficult reading “against themselves,” similar in meaning to “on their own account” in 6.6. This may be explained as an allusion to Numbers 16.38 (17.3 in the Septuagint), where Korah, Dathan, and Abiram are said to have sinned “in their own souls.”

Yourselves is an idiomatic translation of the Greek for “your souls” (see 4.12). King James Version has “in your minds,” but the whole personality is involved.

Give up renders the same verb, with the same meaning, which is translated be discouraged in verse 5. King James Version has “faint” in both places.

So do not let yourselves become discouraged may be expressed as “Therefore, don’t ever lose your courage” or “… don’t let yourselves feel like giving up.” In some languages give up may be effectively rendered as “stop trusting God.”

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 .