This verse describes the second part of the purpose of Jesus in taking human nature. Logically it depends on the first: the Devil, as prince of death, has been utterly defeated, and in this way people are set free from fear of death. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, however, understands this verse not as an expression of purpose but of result. This is possible and produces a clear translation: “In this way he has freed men who had been slaves….”

Most translators and commentators agree generally with Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version, but it is also possible to translate “… and deliver from bondage all those who were subject to lifelong fear of death.” This construction is the basis for Moffatt, and the Greek of Galatians 5.1 is similar. However, the construction represented by Revised Standard Version is generally more probable and gives a meaning similar to that of Romans 8.21.

A literal rendering of Good News Translation may lead to considerable misunderstanding, since the subject of the preceding clause is the Devil. Those who hear the Scriptures read might assume that the Devil is likewise the subject of the expression set free. It may therefore be better to begin a new sentence at the beginning of verse 15, or at least to introduce Jesus as the subject; for example, “and in this way Jesus set free those who were slaves.”

In this way is an expression of means and may be rendered as “by means of what he did.”

Set free may be expressed as “cause to be free” or “cause to no longer be enslaved.”

Some translations make it clear that the slavery is figurative, not literal. Barclay has “a kind of slavery”; Bible en français courant and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy replace the metaphor by a simile, “were like slaves.” In order to indicate clearly that the slaves in question are moral rather than physical slaves, the use of some term which will indicate the figurative nature of the expression is important; for example, “were like slaves” or “who were, as it were, slaves.”

All their lives may be expressed as “during all the time they lived.” It is important, however, that the order of elements be carefully noted in the latter part of verse 15; for example, “those who during all the time they lived were just like slaves because they were afraid of dying.”

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 .

Verses 12-13 are a single complex sentence in Greek and bring the section 3.7–4.13 to a moving climax. Translators will probably divide the sentence but should find other ways of expressing emotion.

What is the word of God in this context? The only other place where the writer uses this phrase, 13.7, shows that it can be either a written message or a spoken message. It is God speaking (Phillips “the Word that God speaks,” Translator’s New Testament “God’s message”), both through the Old Testament and in Christ (1.1-2).

The Old Testament often speaks of a message (especially a message from God, Isa 55.11) taking on a life of its own. When a prophet spoke in God’s name, something happened as a result. Indeed, God’s speech was itself an event. This is what is meant by saying that God’s word is alive. The writer confirms this by adding active (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “lives and has power”). Older French translations have “effective,” and this is to be preferred to Traduction œcuménique de la Bible‘s “energetic” (Knox “full of energy”), which describes the word rather than indicating the results it achieves. A literal rendering of The word of God may be misunderstood to refer only to the Scriptures. Therefore, it may be better to speak of “What God has said” or “What God has declared.”

The bold figure of speech, namely, The word of God is alive, is sometimes difficult to render literally, since an adjective such as alive may refer only to animate beings, that is, people or animals. It may be possible, however, to use this figurative expression if one employs a simile; for example, “What God has said is, as it were, alive” or “… is as though it were alive.” The expression active may be expressed as “has power,” “can do things,” or “accomplishes whatever it is intended to accomplish.”

Jerusalem Bible translates the Greek adjective for sharper by a verbal expression: “it cuts better.”

In New Testament times, the Greek word for sword could also mean “dagger,” and this may be its meaning here. The tongue was compared to a dagger because they look similar (see also Prov 5.4). It may be more natural to translate sharper than any double-edged sword as a simile; for example, “it is even sharper, as it were, than any double-edged sword.” However, in some languages the phrase double-edged sword may be a figure of speech referring to a liar or a hypocrite. If so, a different metaphor or simile may be used to express the meaning more clearly, provided the adjustment will fit in well with the rest of verse 12. In some cases it may even be necessary to use a marginal note to explain the basis for the biblical expression.

The pronoun It may need to be identified as “the word of God” or “what God says,” in either one or both places where it occurs.

It is difficult to be sure exactly what the next figure of speech means. Cuts all the way through may imply piercing with the point of a sword or dagger, but more probably it means cutting with a blade. The verb can refer to going right through fortifications or armor so as to come out on the other side; but the rest of the verse suggests cutting into the middle of a body.

Joints and marrow is a figurative expression meaning the same thing as soul and spirit; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch first edition made this clear with “where marrow and bone, that is, soul and spirit, meet.” Come together is literally “dividing” (see Revised Standard Version). Biblical thought, in both the Old and the New Testament, thinks of the human being as a unity; it does not usually distinguish precisely between spirit, soul, or even body. However, come together would be an unusual meaning of the Greek. The meaning is more probably that God’s word cuts through and separates soul from spirit and joints from marrow.

The statement which characterizes the word of God as being like a double-edged sword and thus being able to cut through to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together is extremely difficult. In fact, the joints and marrow do not come together. Joints refers to the place where the bones meet, while marrow is the portion which is in the center of the bone itself. Similarly, there is no particular place in the body where the soul and the spirit join together. What is intended by this figure of speech is to emphasize that the word of God penetrates deeply, so that there is nothing in the total personality which can possibly be hidden from the revealing nature of what God says. If necessary, one may translate the second sentence of verse 12 in a strictly literal fashion, and then explain briefly in a marginal note that this is a reference to the extent to which the word of God penetrates to the very interior of a person. But it may also be possible to render the last part of this sentence as “to where the soul and spirit are and to where the joints and marrow are.”

The terms for soul and spirit are even more difficult to translate. In some languages soul is equivalent to “that which causes life,” and in many instances one may render soul as “life itself.” In some languages the closest equivalent of soul is “breath,” since breath is associated with life. If possible, the term for spirit should be the same as that which is used in speaking of God’s Spirit. It is important to avoid a term for spirit which will suggest some disembodied spirit or ghost. An appropriate term for the spirit of a person should be that particular aspect of man which can respond to God’s Spirit. In some instances soul is simply “that which causes life” and spirit is “that which reaches out to God.”

To say that the word of God … judges is to say that God judges, and it may be necessary to make this explicit. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “calls to account,” but there is no suggestion that this judgment is limited to the last days (see also discussion on give an account in verse 13).

Judges may need to be expressed in this context as “determines what is good or bad about.” This is not the use of judges in a sense of “to condemn,” nor is there any suggestion of courtroom procedure. The idea is that the word of God reveals the true nature of people’s desires and thoughts.

The words for desires and thoughts suggest their hidden nature; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “the most secret desire and thoughts of men.” On heart, see 3.12 and discussion on 3.8.

The desires and thoughts of man’s heart may be expressed as “what people think and what they want.”

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 .

Verses 16-17 illustrate a method of argument often used in Jewish writings as well as in other cultures: If “B” is greater than “A,” then anything said about “A” must be even more true of “B” (compare 10.25; 12.25; Matt 6.30; Rom 5.7-9). In particular, anything good said about human beings must be even more true of God.

A person is emphatic and general; it is literally “people,” whether men or women. As in verse 13, the Greek for someone may also mean “something” (Knox, Jerusalem Bible, Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Some commentators think this means “God,” but Matthew 23.16-22, for example, speaks of swearing by inanimate objects. The contrast is between God swearing by himself (verse 13b) and human beings swearing (verse 16). It may be helpful to make this clear by inserting some such phrase as “human beings, on the other hand, use the name of someone greater….”

As in the case of the term vow in verse 13, it may not be possible to render vow in verse 16 with a somewhat technical formula such as “making a strong promise by calling God to witness.” In the context of verse 16 it may therefore be best to translate “when a person makes a firm promise,” “… a strong promise,” or even “when a person promises with strong words.”

The expression he uses the name of someone greater than himself may be rendered as “he calls to witness someone greater than himself” or “he makes a promise on behalf of someone greater than himself.” In this context greater may be a matter either of importance or of authority.

The last clause of this verse means that, whenever people are contradicting one another, an oath acts as a guarantee and puts an end to the dispute. In this context the oath is a solemn statement such as “I swear by God that what I say is true,” rather than a solemn promise to do something in the future. The statement the vow settles all arguments must be amplified in some languages in order to make it clear; for example, “one person calls God to witness that something is true, and in this way people no longer argue” or “… and because of this people no longer argue.”

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 writer of Hebrews seems to draw his information about the earthly sanctuary from the Old Testament, not from personal knowledge of worship in Jerusalem in his own lifetime. He is interested in the simple mobile tent or sanctuary which the Israelites used at the time of their escape from Egypt. It is therefore good in translation to use words which suggest a temporary construction rather than a permanent building such as a temple. From this point of view, “put up” (verse 5, Good News Bible first through third editions), is better than Good News Translation fourth edition, build.

As high priest is repeated from verse 1. The Greek word for serves strongly suggests the work of a priest. He serves as high priest may be rendered as “He serves God as high priest,” or it may be better to say “He is a high priest.”

The words translated the Most Holy Place probably refer to the Old Testament sanctuary as a whole, not only to its inner room. Other common language translations therefore translate simply “sanctuary,” and this is better.

There may be some complications in rendering the Most Holy Place, especially if Holy is generally translated as “dedicated to God.” How can a place be more dedicated to God than some other place or thing? It may be possible to use “that place which is especially dedicated to God” or “that very special place which is dedicated to God.”

Revised Standard Version‘s “sanctuary” and “true tent” are the same place, as Good News Translation‘s that is shows; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates them both as “holy place.”

Real introduces a new contrast, common in Greek thought, between (a) the heavenly pattern (verse 5) of the real temple, and (b) the earthly temple, which is only a copy or shadow (verse 5) of the heavenly one. The writer may be influenced by the view of the philosopher Plato and his followers, that the visible world was a reflection of a real but invisible world. The context shows that here real is the opposite of “material.” Compare John 15.1. The real tent may be rendered as “that which is truly the tent.” “That which is the perfect tent” may be a satisfactory equivalent.

The real tent which was put up by the Lord refers to Numbers 24.5, which has the plural “tents.” The author of Hebrews adds real; the reason for this will become clear in verse 5. In some languages it may be more natural to put the negative statement first: “not by human beings but by the Lord.” In Hebrews it is not certain whether the Lord is God, as for example in 7.21, or Jesus, as in 2.3 and 7.13-14. In Numbers 24.5 it is clearly God, and neither here nor in Hebrews 9.11 does the author think of Jesus himself as the maker of the heavenly tent. In translation it may be essential to show that the Lord refers to God. It may therefore be clearer to translate the real tent which was put up by the Lord as “the real tent which the Lord God put up.”

The Greek word translated man is a quite general term for “human beings.”

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 .

In the same way: that is, in the way described in verse 19b; other common language translations have simply “also.”

In this verse, the Covenant Tent is the sanctuary as a whole. Leviticus 8.15 speaks of pouring blood on the altar of sacrifice, which stood just outside the sanctuary.

All the things used in worship (see 1 Chr 9.28) includes objects such as those mentioned in verses 4-5.

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 .

For this reason (or “That is why”) points back to verse 4. This makes a contrast with what, for the writer, is the main point of Psalm 40.6-8. The underlying argument, made clear in verses 9b-10, is as follows: animal sacrifices cannot deal with sin, because the animals have no choice about whether or not they will be sacrificed. Christ, on the other hand, offered himself, by his own choice, in response to his Father’s will.

The first part of this verse assumes three things: first, that Christ existed before he became man (see 1.2-3); second, that parts of the Old Testament can be understood as having been spoken by Christ (see 2.12-13); and third, that Psalm 40.6-8 refers to the time of Christ’s beginning his life as a human being (see 1.6 and comments).

Christ is implied (see RSV footnote). Most modern translations supply the name Christ; Christ was used in 9.24, 28. One or two even use “Jesus,” but this is less satisfactory, since Hebrews keeps this name for use with special emphasis (2.9; 3.1; 6.20; 10.19; 12.2).

Most commentators take the term rendered the world to mean “the earth.” A different Greek word is used in 1.6. The psalm quotation would then refer to the incarnation, probably in contrast to 1.6, rather than to Christ’s entry into the heavenly world when he was enthroned at the right hand of God.

The clause when Christ was about to come into the world may be expressed as “when there was not much time before Christ was to come into the world,” “when Christ was soon to come into the world,” or “when Christ was almost coming into the world.”

To God is added, to explain You in the next line. He said is literally “he says,” and when Christ was about to come is literally “coming.” The writer uses the present tense, because this passage of the Old Testament is still available to him as he writes, and is still valid. Some translations put both the original “he says” and “coming” into the past tense, since it was in the past that Christ came into the world: Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “Therefore Christ said, when he came into the world, to God…”; Barclay “This is why Christ, as he was coming into the world, said to God….”

The tenses in the quotation, verses 5b-7, need careful examination. Revised Standard Version‘s verbs refer to completely past events. “I have come” (verse 7, Revised Standard Version) suggests a past event, the consequences of which continue into the present. Good News Translation‘s Here I am (verse 7) emphasizes this present aspect to the exclusion of the past. The time at which Christ “said” the words in verse 7 is fixed by verse 5, that is, “when Christ came into the world.” Hebrews emphasizes the difference between the past system of sacrifices and the later event of Christ’s coming (Then, verse 7, repeated in verse 9). In English “you did not want” (verse 5) and “you took no pleasure” (verse 6) are appropriate tenses to show that this was God’s attitude in the past toward the sacrificial system.

Sacrifices and offerings are singular in the Greek of this verse, which means “You do not want any sacrifice or offering.” For the writer of Hebrews, the meaning is the same, as he shows by using the plural in verse 8. You do not want sacrifices and offerings often requires expansion in translation, since sacrifices and offerings imply certain events in which people participate. Therefore it may be rendered “You do not want people to offer sacrifices and to give you gifts” or “You do not desire people to sacrifice animals and to make offerings to you.”

A body: the Septuagint of Psalm 40 differs from the Hebrew, which has “ears”; the RSV footnote translates “ears thou hast dug for me” in Psalm 40.6. There is no doubt that Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version give the meaning of the way the Psalm is quoted in Hebrews. A strictly literal translation of you have prepared a body for me might suggest that the body was a kind of supernatural strait jacket into which Christ’s personality would temporarily fit. It may be clearer to employ some such translation as “you have given me a body” or “you have caused me to have a body.”

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 .

Verses 39-40 introduce the main theme of chapters 12 and 13. These chapters apply all that has been said to the situation of the readers and make a final appeal to them to stand firm and not abandon their faith. Verse 40 raises a number of related questions.
(a) What is the “something better” (Revised Standard Version)? Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and other translations add plan, which overlaps in meaning with “foreseen” (Revised Standard Version), so Good News Bible rightly uses the verb decided on. Better is a keyword in this letter, which is often concerned with comparisons between the situations before and after the coming of Jesus to earth. It sometimes has the general meaning “greater, more important,” as in 1.4 and 7.7. More often it refers to the “better covenant” (7.22 and 8.6; compare 12.24), or to the “better hope” (7.19), “sacrifices” (9.23), “possessions” (10.34), “country” (11.16), and “resurrection” (11.35), which are associated with this “better covenant” of 7.22 and 8.6. Here the writer is thinking generally of these better gifts. It would therefore be too specific to translate “something better” as “better covenant”; the “something better” is “being made perfect.”
(b) How are these gifts “better”? Better than what? Some people have thought that the religious experience of Christians is “better” than that of people who lived before Christ. This, though perhaps true in itself, does not seem to make the best sense of this verse. What God has “prepared” for us, and in the end for Old Testament believers also (verse 40b), is better than the gifts or blessings which people received in Old Testament times. The new covenant is better than the old because the actual fulfillment of God’s purpose is something greater or better than the promise that it would be fulfilled. In other words, what Christians and Old Testament believers receive through Christ is what Israel was promised in Old Testament times but never received.
(c) By starting a new sentence with His purpose was, Good News Translation makes the text not only clearer but also more precise. God’s deciding on an even better plan for us is only part of the means of achieving His purpose … that only in company with us would they be made perfect. In other words, what happens to us is one condition, but not the only one, for the fulfillment of God’s purpose.

Verse 40b is logically related to verse 39b rather than to verse 40a. The sequence of thought may be set out as follows:
(a) God promised something to Old Testament believers. (39b)
(b) They did not receive it then. (39b)
(c) God had decided on something better (than promises not yet fulfilled). (40a)
(d) This “something better” is for both Old Testament believers and “us.” (40a, b)
(e) This “something better” is the fulfillment of God’s promises by making them and us perfect together. (40b)
(f) All this is God’s purpose. (40a)

The verse can thus be restructured as follows: “Yet they did not receive what God had promised (or, God did not give to them what he had promised) because God has a better plan not only for them, but also for us.”

Even better recalls verse 16. Plan is implicit. The two statements in verses 39 and 40 are the converse of one another: the “better thing” which the Old Testament heroes longed for is intended for “us” to enjoy “together with them.” Michel writes on this passage: “ ‘something better’ is neither something better than the men of old obtained, nor something better than the Christian community has yet received. ‘Something better’ is much more, absolutely, the expression of what goes beyond earthly well-being.” In other words, the expression is comparative in grammatical form but not in meaning. If so, translators may choose some such absolute expression as “a perfect plan” or “God’s own plan.”

God had decided on an even better plan for us may be rendered as “God decided that he would plan something which would be even better for us.”

In some languages it may be difficult to speak of His purpose, and then immediately after, of the content of what he purposed. This final statement may be rendered as “What God desired was that they should be made perfect, but only in company with us,” “… but only along with us,” or “… only when we also are made perfect.”

On made perfect, see comments on 2.10. This is the writer’s favorite word for describing the final aim or end of salvation. It is generally related to “the Kingdom of God” in Mark and Luke, “the Kingdom of heaven” in Matthew, and “eternal life” in John. Perfect may be expressed as “to be as one should be” or “to be completely what God wants us 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 .