There are problems involved in the punctuation of verses 9-11, since these are stated as the direct words of God rather than what the Holy Spirit says (as in the introduction to verse 7). For this reason it may be necessary to make a shift in pronouns, and it may also be important to introduce a new set of quotation marks beginning with verse 9 and ending with verse 11. It may also be useful to shift the order of says God and place it at the beginning of verse 9. A shift in the tense may also be required; for example, “God said….”

The writer rearranges the text of Psalm 95 slightly in order to make his point with greater emphasis. The changes, following Revised Standard Version, are as follows: (a) “Therefore” is added at the beginning of verse 10. (b) “For forty years,” verse 9, is joined to “saw my works” and not joined with “I was provoked,” verse 10, as in both the Hebrew and the Greek of Psalm 95. (Verse 17, however, follows the Septuagint text.) (c) “That generation” becomes “this generation” (despite Revised Standard Version, New English Bible). The writer of Hebrews may already be thinking of the relevance of the psalm to his readers’ own situation.

The first part of verse 9 makes it clear that the Greek word here means test, not “tempt”; it is literally “where your fathers tested in testing” (using two different Greek words for “test”). Good News Translation‘s put me to the test and tried me translates both verbs. This is not essential, since they mean the same, and repetition in some languages does not increase emphasis but makes the sentence more complex. Moffatt has “put me to the proof”; compare Revised Standard Version.

The rendering of they put me to the test and tried me will depend upon the manner in which a similar expression has been translated at the end of verse 8. In some languages this may be expressed effectively as “they opposed me strongly to see what I would do.”

Revised Standard Version‘s literal translation of verse 9b, “and (they) saw my works for forty years,” may be understood either as (a) “although they had seen the good I had done for them for forty years past” or as (b) “and they saw the harm I did to them for the next forty years.”

Good News Translation, and most other translations which make a clear choice, take it to mean (a): “The Israelites had experienced God’s goodness for forty years, and were still so ungrateful as to put him to the test” (compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). It is also possible, and perhaps simpler, to take the text to mean (b): “The Israelites put God to the test, and as a result God punished them for forty years.” Not only verse 17 (With whom was God angry for forty years?), but also Numbers 14, which tells the story to which Psalm 95 refers, supports (b); see especially Numbers 14.33-35, part of which Hebrews quotes in 3.17. If (b) is followed, verse 9b may be translated “and saw what I did to them for forty years.”

The traditional system of verse numbering places for forty years in verse 10. But many editions of the Greek New Testament, as well as Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Zürcher Bibel, make it clear by the arrangement of the poetic lines that the phrase is linked with the preceding clause in verse 9 and should be followed by a full stop. Good News Translation simply includes the phrase in verse 9, ignoring the tradition in order to retain clarity. Most translators may wish to follow TEV.

It is unusual for a rendering of although they had seen what I did for forty years to be completely neutral, that is to say, ambiguous as to whether God’s actions were helpful or harmful to the people in question. Therefore it may be necessary to select one or the other meaning involved and to translate either as “although they had seen how I helped them for forty years” or “although they had seen how I had punished them for forty years.” Whichever interpretation is followed, the alternative should be placed in a marginal note.

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 .

Said is a different word from the one used in the last verse, but the writer often varies his choice of words for reasons of style. There is no difference in meaning.

A literal rendering of He also said in another place could imply that God also said something in a different geographical location. It may be useful to translate this clause as “God’s words are also recorded in another part of the holy writings” or “In another place in the holy writings God also said.”

You will be a priest forever is often expressed negatively as “You will never cease to be a priest.” Psalm 110.4 does not refer to a “high priest” but only to a priest, but there is no difference in meaning.

Melchizedek’s mysterious role will be discussed in detail in chapter 7. In Genesis 14.17-24 it is stated that Melchizedek was a priest, but there is no suggestion that he founded an order or succession of priests. In Good News Translation, priestly is added to explain order. In the priestly order of Melchizedek probably means no more than “like Melchizedek” (see 7.15). It may be rendered as “in the way in which Melchizedek was a priest” or “similar to the manner in which Melchizedek functioned as a priest.”

The writer sometimes quotes the same text several times, making a different point each time. (See comments on 4.7 and 6.20.) This is again true of the quotation from Psalm 110.4. Here and in verse 10 the emphasis is on God, the speaker.

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 .

Common language translations and New English Bible make it clear that the Greek expression “this man” (Revised Standard Version) refers to Melchizedek. From Levi is literally “from them,” that is, “from the descendants of Levi.” No loss of meaning is involved in Good News Translation. Melchizedek was not descended from Levi may be rendered as “Melchizedek did not count Levi as his ancestor” or “Levi was not the ancestor of Melchizedek.”

As in verse 5, the verb collected may be rendered as “received as an offering,” or in the total context of he collected one tenth from Abraham as “he received the tenth which Abraham gave him.”

Blessed him: see comments on Heb. 7.1.

Verse 6b makes a smooth transition to the second way in which Melchizedek is seen to be more important than Old Testament priests. 6.13-15 has already identified Abraham as the one who received God’s promises (God’s is implied).

Received is literally “having,” which Moffatt and Barclay translate “the possessor”; Phillips, Jerusalem Bible “the holder”; and New American Bible translates precisely, if a little heavily, “him who had received God’s promises” (similarly Translator’s New Testament). Here the writer probably means the act of promising rather than the content of the promises. God made a promise to Abraham (Gen 13.14-18) before Abraham met Melchizedek (Gen 14.17-20), but the promise had not yet been fulfilled.

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 .

King James Version‘s “and iniquities” is the correct text in Hebrews 10.17, but not in this verse nor in Jeremiah 31.34 (Septuagint Jer 38.34). The two halves of this verse are similar in meaning. They form the climax of the whole passage, both in Jeremiah and in Hebrews. The writer of Hebrews shows this in 10.16-18. As in similar contexts I will forgive their sins must be expressed as “I will forgive their guilt.”

Remember (see 2.6) is the literal translation, and it is kept by most modern versions with only slight variations (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “I will never think of their guilt again,” Jerusalem Bible “never call their sins to mind”). However, to “remember” in the Old Testament involved taking action; see Genesis 9.15, 16, about God “remembering” his covenant, and 1 Kings 17.18, about Elijah “remembering” the sins of the widow. The meaning is virtually “I will take no action against them because of their sins.”

A strictly literal translation of will no longer remember might suggest merely a failure of memory on the part of God. But God’s negative action is purposeful, and so will no longer remember may be rendered as “I purposely will not think about any longer.”

Wrongs means wrong things done by God’s people, not to them.

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 may be impossible to translate literally the blood of bulls and goats. Two kinds of blood are involved, so it may be necessary to talk about “the bloods of bulls and of goats” or “the blood of bulls and the blood of goats.”

Never translates the emphatic “it is impossible”; it is not an expression of time. For the writer’s typical phrase “it is impossible” (Revised Standard Version), see 6.4, 18; 11.6.

Take away in Greek is a compound verb used with sins or “sin” in both the Old and the New Testaments; see Romans 11.27, which refers back to Isaiah 27.9. John 1.29 in Greek uses the simple form of the same verb (without the equivalent of away). An expression for take away, in the Greek as in English, is here a dead metaphor. It does not make the reader ask “where are the sins taken?” but means essentially the same as “forgive” (9.22) or deal with (9.28).

Can never take away sins may be rendered as “cannot at all cause guilt to disappear” or “can never cause sin to be forgiven.” Expressions for forgiveness often involve idiomatic expressions; for example, to forgive guilt may be “to take guilt back” or “to throw guilt away.”

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 .

All of these renders a phrase used in verse 13, all these persons. Here it probably refers to the entire list of “heroes of faith,” less probably to those mentioned in verses 32-38 only.

What a record … have won translates the verb used in Heb. 11.2 (see the comments) where Good News Translation translated won God’s approval. The verb probably has the same meaning in verse 39. Bible en français courant says “All these men were approved by God because of their faith” (similarly Barclay, Translator’s New Testament). (Good News Translation fourth edition’s persons, verse 2, recognizes that women are included.) Other translations either (1) leave “God” implicit (New American Bible “all of these were approved because of their faith”); (2) refer to the witness or record of Scripture (New English Bible “These also … are commemorated for their faith”); or (3) use a general phrase which could refer to the witness either of God or of Scripture (Phillips “won a glowing testimony to their faith”; similarly Revised Standard Version and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Verses 2 and 39 are closely linked, occurring at the beginning and end of the list of believers. The same meaning should therefore be given to the word for “witness” in both verses, either “approval of God,” or more specifically, “the witness of God in Scripture.”

The reference in Good News Translation to a record is intended to refer to the witness of Scripture. Good News Bible‘s exclamation is effective in English, but it may be better in some languages to use a strong declarative statement: “Because they trusted God they certainly won his approval.”

Did not receive what God had promised recalls verse 13 (see the comments). Here the writer uses a singular form, “the promise,” and in verse 13 the plural, but the meaning is the same.

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 .

Is to be honored is literally “marriage is honourable” (see New English Bible and Phillips). However, there is no verb such as “should be” or “is” in the Greek text, and it fits in better with the context to make this verse a recommendation (is to be) rather than a statement (“is”), as in common language translations and many other translations. The two halves of the verse are joined by “for” (Revised Standard Version), showing that verse 4b gives the reason for the statements in verse 4a. Good News Translation leaves this connection to be implied.

In place of the passive expression be honored, it may be better to use an active statement: “All persons should honor marriage” or “All persons should consider marriage to be something good.”

The two statements, marriage is to be honored by all and husbands and wives must be faithful to each other, mean essentially the same, so the first and may be omitted in languages where it leads the reader to expect new information. In some languages it may be replaced by a word meaning “indeed.”

Modern translations often replace the reference to “the marriage bed” (Revised Standard Version) by a nonfigurative expression; for example, Bijbel in Gewone Taal “faithfulness in marriage must remain inviolate.” Revised Standard Version‘s “undefiled” here renders a word used in the same sense of Jesus in 7.26. In place of the positive statement husbands and wives must be faithful to each other, it may be more natural to express this negatively as “a husband and a wife must not go about looking for someone else to sleep with.”

The statement God will judge implies a negative judgment, and therefore must be rendered in some languages as “God will condemn.”

Those who are immoral means those who, whether married or not, are sexually immoral. Those who commit adultery refers only to those who are married. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente reverses the two phrases and translates “adultery or other immorality.”

In some languages no distinction is made between fornication and adultery. But both are included in such phrases as “sexual relations apart from being married” or “sexual relations with someone who is not one’s own spouse.” In some languages fornication is described as “sex with a prostitute,” while adultery involves “sex with another person’s spouse.”

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 .