New English Bible starts a new paragraph here, to mark the change of subject, though Remember links verses 2 and 3, at least in form. Remember may imply that the writer wants his readers to give practical help to those who are in prison. The tense of the verb suggests duration; Phillips has “Think constantly of.” As though rightly excludes the suggestion that the writer is writing directly to people in prison.

Remember those who are in prison may be more satisfactorily rendered as “Be concerned for those who are in prison” or “Be concerned for and give help to those who are in prison.”

Some languages do not have a convenient way of expressing a condition contrary to fact, such as as though you were in prison with them. An equivalent may be “think what it would be to be in prison with them” or “imagine yourself to be in prison with them.”

“In (the) body” (see Revised Standard Version) has been understood in various ways:
(1) “Members of the Christian fellowship,” understanding “body” in the figurative sense used by Paul (Jerusalem Bible “since you too are in the one body”), is most unlikely. There is no similar text in Hebrews; there is no definite article for “the” in the Greek, and this explanation does not fit in with verse 3a, which in other ways is parallel to 3b.
(2) Many translators think “in (the) body” means “in this mortal life” (compare 2 Cor 5.6 and Rom 7.24); Knox “since you are still in the world”; similarly Phillips.
(3) Other common language translations, and some other translations, suggest either:
(a) that the readers should identify themselves in sympathy with those who are ill-treated: Good News Translation as though you were suffering as they are (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch); Translator’s New Testament “as if you too shared their lot”; or
(b) that the readers may suffer in the same way in the future: Bijbel in Gewone Taal “for the same can happen to you”; New American Bible “for you may yet suffer as they do.” This is not necessarily implied by the text, though it is perhaps included in (a), which also makes a good parallel with verse 3a, as though.

Barclay combines (2) and (3-a): “you have not yet left this life, and the same fate can happen to you.” This is not very likely. Where distinct meanings are involved, with no suggestion of deliberate ambiguity or play on words, the translator should choose the meaning which, after having considered all the possibilities, he thinks most likely. An alternative translation may, if necessary, be put in a footnote.

In accordance with the structure which is necessary in the rendering of verse 3a, one may translate verse 3b as “Be concerned for those who are suffering; consider what it is to suffer” or “… for you yourself to suffer.”

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 .

How … shall we escape…? refers to a real future event, that is, the last judgment, and so Barclay‘s “how can we escape…?” (compare Translator’s New Testament) is too weak.

How, then, shall we escape must be amplified in some instances to indicate from what one is to escape. Furthermore, the meaning of escape in this context is not that of “escaping from prison” or “getting out of confinement” but rather “avoidance.” Accordingly, How, then, shall we escape…? may be rendered as “How, then, can we possibly avoid being punished…?”

Such a great salvation: great is explicit in the text; Knox‘s “such a message of salvation” is weaker. Pay no attention to … salvation and also a … salvation are stylistically awkward, at least in English. “Pay no attention to the news of such great salvation” is smoother and is what the text means. Several translations make explicit the implied contrast between two “messages,” the law and the gospel: Knox “a message of salvation,” Barclay “a way to salvation,” and Translator’s New Testament “an offer of salvation.”

It may be necessary to make specific the relationship of persons to such a great salvation, that is to say, attention should not be paid to the fact of someone else being saved but to the possibility of the people themselves being saved. Therefore if we pay no attention to such a great salvation may be rendered “if we pay no attention to how God wants to save us in such a wonderful way.”

The Lord in this context must mean Jesus, since God is mentioned separately in verse 4. The Lord was a common title of God in the Old Testament, and the writer of Hebrews has previously shown no hesitation in applying to Jesus Old Testament texts which he believed called Jesus “Lord” and “God” (1.8, 10). However, the writer often uses the name “Jesus” without any title (2.9; 3.1; 6.20; 7.22; 10.19; 12.2, 24; 13.12), so the translator should not replace The Lord by “Jesus” in this passage. If there is any real danger of misunderstanding, “The Lord Jesus” may be used. The emphatic expression The Lord himself may be expressed as “It was the Lord who” or “It was indeed the Lord who.”

The Greek word for announced is usually used of speech rather than writing; King James Version has “spoken.”

The adverb first, though related to the verb announced, must in some languages be related to the subject, since the Lord was the first one to make such an announcement. Therefore The Lord himself first announced must be rendered as “The Lord was the first one to announce.” Otherwise a literal translation of The Lord himself first announced might mean that the first among many statements which the Lord made was a statement about salvation.

Again, the expression this salvation must be expressed in some instances as “this way in which God saves.”

Him after heard is implied, but Barclay‘s “those who actually heard it from his own lips” seems too strong. The context distinguishes between (a) those who heard Jesus directly, and (b) those who handed on the message to the writer and his readers. The two groups are distinguished but not sharply contrasted; both those who heard Jesus with their own ears, and those who heard the message indirectly, are said to “hear” (see Heb. 2.1).

Proved (Moffatt, Knox, Jerusalem Bible, Barclay “guaranteed”; Phillips, New English Bible, Translator’s New Testament “confirmed”): this verb corresponds to the adjective translated true in verse 2. It is important in selecting a rendering of proved to avoid any implication of “argument” or “reasoned discussion.” Here the meaning is “to demonstrate clearly,” and obviously this was by experience. Accordingly, proved to us that it is true may be rendered as “showed clearly to us that it is true” or “… to be trusted.”

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 .

Verse 19 is a simple summary of the previous argument. The conjunction then does not refer to time but to the sequence of argument and may be rendered by forms equivalent to “accordingly” or “therefore.”

In place of the expression We see, it may be necessary to use some such expression as “We realize” or “We have come to know,” since in reality there was no direct visual perception but simply understanding.

The final, emphatic word “unbelief” recalls verse 12 (see the discussion). “Unbelief” includes an element of rebellion, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “So we see why they did not reach the goal: (it was) because they did not remain true.”

In order to emphasize the opposition implied in “not believing,” it may be best to translate the causal clause as “because they refused to believe.”

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 .

It is impossible (verse 6 in Good News Translation) begins the sentence in Greek (compare Revised Standard Version). It is a strong expression which is used also in 6.18; 10.4; 11.6. The writer does not say for whom It is impossible. The implication is that it is impossible not only for man but even for God. In some languages it may be better to translate “No one can bring them back.” In Greek the sentence is a statement, not a rhetorical question as in Good News Translation. Good News Bible introduces a question in verse 4, perhaps to avoid word-for-word repetition with verse 6.

Languages vary greatly in the extent to which they use rhetorical questions in ordinary speech or writing (see the comment on 1.5). Among European common language translations, only Bible en français courant follows Good News Bible in introducing a question here. In the case of languages which do not normally use rhetorical questions to express strong doubt, it may be necessary to modify the question For how can those who abandon their faith be brought back to repent again? and make it a negative statement; for example, “Those who abandon their faith cannot be brought back to the point of repenting again.” This is a kind of summary statement which anticipates much which occurs later in verses 4-6.

Abandon their faith may be expressed as “cease believing” or “cease to trust in Christ.” And be brought back to repent may be expressed as “cause to repent again.”

They were once in God’s light: God’s is implied. As once emphasizes, these words refer, not to a state, but to a single event, probably baptism; Bible en français courant has “they once received God’s light,” and Barclay “once people have been enlightened” (compare Translator’s New Testament). The meaning is similar to after the truth has been made known to us in 10.26; see also 10.32. Once and once and for all are favorite words in Hebrews; see 9.7, 26, 27, 28; 10.2, 12; 12.26, 27.

Though the concept of light is often related to moral truth, this is not so in all languages. In some languages a literal rendering of They were once in God’s light might simply mean that they were standing in the sunlight. An equivalent might be “They once recognized God’s truth,” “… the truth that comes from God,” or “They once acknowledged the message from God as being true.”

They tasted heaven’s gift: the metaphor changes from light to food. Both are basic human experiences, and most translations keep the metaphors. They may be replaced if necessary by equivalent metaphors or by literal expressions. Barclay says “experience the heavenly gift” (similarly New English Bible). Heaven is a stylistic variant for “God.” Translator’s New Testament has a more general expression, “They have experienced God’s generosity”; Bijbel in Gewone Taal and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch have “gifts.” The writer seems to refer to a particular gift received from God at the beginning of the Christian life. Indeed, this whole passage refers to specific events, so heaven’s gift or “God’s gift” is better. This phrase is closely linked with They were once in God’s light, and once may apply to both phrases: “They once received God’s light and tasted his gift.” The gift, like the light, is probably associated with baptism, but it is the commentator’s task, not the translator’s, to say what the gift is.

The Holy Spirit (compare 2.4) has a glossary note in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, since it is an expression largely limited to church use. It may be necessary to translate “God’s Holy Spirit” in languages where “Holy Spirit” alone would be misunderstood or not understood at all. In several parts of the New Testament, it is said that individual Christians receive different gifts from the Holy Spirit, but this is not emphasized here. The writer simply states that believers receive the Holy Spirit together, in common with one another. In much the same way as received their share of, the writer said in 5.12 that young Christians “live on” milk. Moffatt‘s “participated in” or New American Bible‘s “become sharers in” therefore seems slightly better here than received their share of (Bijbel in Gewone Taal) or “a share of” (Jerusalem Bible, Barclay, Translator’s New Testament). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and Phillips have simply “received the Holy Spirit.” A literal translation of received their share of the Holy Spirit might wrongly suggest that the Holy Spirit is a substance which can be divided up and be distributed to believers. This implication may be avoided by translating “they together with others received the Holy Spirit.”

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 .

The key text is quoted again, this time as a whole and in the right order (unlike 6.20). Revised Standard Version‘s literal “it is witnessed” means “Scripture witnesses” as in verse 8, rather than “God witnesses” as in King James Version and Knox, though the two ideas are closely linked. Compare 10.15 , where the verb is used in the same sense (though in the active voice) of the Holy Spirit’s witness in Scripture.

For the scripture says may be rendered as “For in the holy writings one may read.”

You will be a priest forever, in the priestly order of Melchizedek may be expressed as “You will always be a priest of the kind that Melchizedek was” or “… like Melchizedek was.”

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 .

What is a symbol? Translations which take the “first tent” in verse 8 to be the outer tent of the earthly sanctuary will take This to be the outer tent too; for example, Phillips has “For this outer tent we see a picture of the present time.” Translations which take “the first tent” to mean “the former tent” or “sanctuary” will understand This in verse 9 in a more general sense. Grammatically This is the tent, but all these arrangements connected with worship are included too.

In view of the fact that so much is potentially included in the symbolism of the sanctuary, it may be legitimate to translate the first sentence of verse 9 as “All of this is a symbol which points to the present time,” “All this shows us something about the present time,” or “All of this is a picture about what is important now.”

In place of It means it may be legitimate to repeat the subject of the first sentence; for example, “All this means” or “All this shows.”

Offerings and animal sacrifices: animal is implied since the reference is only to Old Testament worship, not as in 8.3. Animal sacrifices are contrasted with the sacrifice of Christ, to be mentioned in verses 11-14. The animal sacrifices were also offerings; one might translate “animal sacrifices and other offerings.”

Cannot make may be expressed as “cannot cause to be” or “cannot cause to become.”

Worshiper is “one who shares in the public worship” mentioned in verse 1.

Heart in Greek is literally “conscience,” as in verse 14; 10.2, 22; 13.18; compare Wisdom 17.10. Heart and make … perfect are keywords for describing the purpose of sacrifice, and thus of what Christ has done. See comments on 2.10 and 5.9.

The word usually translated “conscience” in the New Testament sometimes has the general meaning “consciousness,” especially consciousness of having done right or wrong. The function of the conscience is to cause inward pain when one has done wrong. However, sin often makes the conscience function badly, so that someone may not be conscious of the wrong he has done (a possibility suggested in 1 Cor 4.4), or he may suffer the pain of conscience over matters which should not trouble a Christian at all, because Christ has set him free (see 1 Cor 10.25-29). In Hebrews, except in 13.18, the situation is as follows: those who do not have faith in Christ suffer the pain of conscience because of the wrong they have done. The Old Testament sacrifices can do nothing to put this right. Christ’s sacrifice of himself on the cross makes believers clean from their sins, and thus their consciences cease to give them pain. The thought of this verse is developed in 9.14, and more fully in 8.10-11. In all these passages, the “conscience,” like the heart, is an aspect of a human being’s whole nature, and of his relationship to God.

In some languages the focal element of the feelings, will, and personality may not be the heart or even the conscience, but the liver, or the abdomen, or even the throat.

In speaking about the perfection of the heart or the conscience, one may talk about the way in which something “ought to be.” Therefore, cannot make the worshiper’s heart perfect may be rendered as “cannot cause the worshiper’s heart to be as it ought to be” or “… as good as it ought to be.”

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 .

This verse, like verses 9b-10, is concentrated and leaves certain details implicit. Forgiven translates the same word used in 9.22. These are clearly their sins and evil deeds just mentioned. When is a logical expression, literally “where”; there is no special reference to the place or time of forgiveness. The meaning is “in a situation in which sins have been forgiven, no sacrifice is needed any longer to take them away.” No longer, however, refers to time; therefore common language translations, Jerusalem Bible (but not Bible de Jérusalem), and Barclay translate when.

The verse contains no verb in Greek, which is literally “but where forgiveness of these, no longer offering for sins.” Different translations supply different verbs in the second phrase: (a) “there is” in Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, New American Bible; compare Moffatt, “an offering for sin exists no longer”; (b) “no more offering for sin takes place” in Luther 1984; similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible; (c) an offering to take away sins is no longer needed in common language translations, Barclay, Translator’s New Testament; (d) “there is no longer any room for a sin-offering” in Knox; similarly Jerusalem Bible “there can be no more sin offerings”; (e) Phillips expands the whole sentence: “Where God grants remission of sin there can be no question of making further atonement.” In choosing between these possibilities, it should be remembered that this statement comes in a very emphatic position, at the end of the longest section of teaching in the whole letter. This is perhaps an argument for preferring a stronger statement of type (d) or (e), rather than the less emphatic translation (c). On offering to take away sins, see comments on Heb. 10.6.

In some languages the conclusion in verse 18 may be effectively rendered as “Therefore, when God has forgiven people’s sins, it is no longer necessary for priests to make offerings which are supposed to take away sins” or “… cause the forgiveness of sins.”

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 .

This verse quotes Genesis 22.17, a passage referred to in various parts of the Old Testament and also in Romans 4.19.

Though is an idiomatic equivalent for Revised Standard Version‘s “and him.” Most of the rest of the verse, except as many, comes directly from Genesis 22.17. For languages which do not possess a concessive clause introduced by a conjunction meaning “though” or “even though,” one may express the meaning as “Abraham was practically dead but nevertheless he….” It may, however, be important to indicate that the expression was practically dead is figurative; for example, “was, as it were, almost dead.”

The word came is not strictly a translation of the UBS Greek text, which means “there were born”; this text is followed by other common language translations and Revised Standard Version. The expression from this one man came as many descendants as may be expressed as “this man had as many descendants as,” “this one man produced as great a lineage as,” or “the people who descended from this one man were as many as.”

The comparison of the descendants of Abraham with the number of stars in the sky or grains of sand on the seashore is a kind of literary hyperbole or exaggeration, and these comparisons are to be understood as such. The statement as many as the numberless grains of sand on the seashore may be expressed as “as many as the grains of sands on the seashore which cannot be counted” or “… which no one can count.”

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 .