Since verse 11 may begin a new paragraph, it may be useful to introduce the subject as “Jesus”; for example, “Jesus purifies people from their sins.”
There is nothing in the Greek corresponding to He purifies people from their sins, and no CLT other than Good News Translation sees the need to add this clause. Good News Bible does so in order to make a rather sudden transition more smooth. The transition is from God to Jesus as the subject and the central person in the sentence, and from the language of salvation or rescue to the language of sanctification. However, the change is not completely unprepared. Both make … perfect in verse 10 and purifies here refer to the work of a priest.
Purifies people from their sins must in a number of languages be expressed as a causative; for example, “causes people to no longer have sin” or “… guilt.” In some instances it may be necessary to express in figurative language the means by which sins are removed; for example, “causes people’s sins to be blotted out” or “… wiped away.” In other instances it may be the attribution of guilt which is involved; for example, “causes people no longer to be guilty.”
The rendering of those who are made pure will depend on the manner in which the first clause has been translated, namely, He purifies people from their sins.
Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch follows a different interpretation which may fit the context better. It notes (a) that sins are not mentioned in this section until verse 17 (compare 1.3), and (b) that the basic meaning of “to make holy” or “sanctify” is “to claim as God’s possession.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch therefore continues the thought of verse 11 by translating “The one who leads men to God and those who are led by him to God are all descended from the same Father.” This has the additional advantage of making a general statement such as is perhaps more natural at the beginning of a new paragraph. Barclay has “For the consecrating priest and the consecrated people have one Father” (similarly New English Bible).
Have the same Father is literally “(are) all from one,” and “one” may be either masculine or neuter. (a) If it is neuter, the meaning will be “one origin,” as in Revised Standard Version, Bible de Jérusalem, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible. (b) If it is masculine, the most likely meaning is that given by Good News Translation, other common language translations and Translator’s New Testament. (c) Some translations give the masculine a more general meaning, such as “one stock” (New English Bible) or “common humanity” (Phillips). (d) Older translations (King James Version, Segond [Segond], [Luther 1984], Zürcher Bibel) translate ambiguously, unclearly, and unnaturally “from one.” Meaning (b) fits much better than (a) in the wider context, which speaks of personal relationships between Father (1.5), Son (1.5, 8), brothers (2.11-12), and children (2.13). However, (c) is possible and would fit in well with verse 14.
The mere use of capitalization with the term Father may not be satisfactory in some languages for showing that God is meant, especially since many more people hear the Scriptures read than read them for themselves. Therefore it may be appropriate to translate have the same Father as “have God as their Father” or “have the same one, namely, God, as their Father.”
Ashamed is often used to describe the “loss of face” felt by someone who is treated without respect for his position or status. The meaning is that although Jesus is supreme, he nevertheless has so much in common with men that he can call them his brothers without any risk of losing his status. In some languages it may be necessary to replace is not ashamed by a positive expression. If so, “is happy” or “is content” may be used; “is proud” would be too strong.
Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers may be expressed as “Jesus does not feel bad when he calls them his brothers.” But it is often better to render this statement as “Jesus does not hesitate to call them his brothers” or even “Jesus is ready to call them his brothers.” Sometimes shame is expressed as a reaction to ridicule; for example, “Jesus is not worried if he is laughed at, when he calls them his brothers.”
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 .