5:4a

No one takes this honor upon himself: In Greek this clause is more literally “and not to/for himself does anyone take the honor.” It indicates that no one must claim the honor of being high priest for himself. The Berean Standard Bible uses the phrase No one takes…upon himself to emphasize that no person has the right to make himself a high priest. It is God who must choose the high priest.

Some other ways to translate the clause are:

No one chooses for himself the honor of being a high priest. (Good News Translation)
-or-
To be a high priest is an honor, but no one chooses himself for this work. (New Century Version)
-or-
And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. (New Living Translation (2004))

this honor: The phrase this honor refers to the important role and work of being a high priest. It indicates that being the high priest is a privilege. God has honored the person whom he chooses as high priest. Some other ways to translate the phrase are:

the important position of highest priest
-or-
this great respect that the high priest receives

5:4b

he must be called by God: This clause tells how a person can become the high priest. He can have that role only if he is called by God. Notice that the verb called is passive here, though the text indicates that the subject is God. In some languages it is more natural to use an active verb. For example:

but rather it is necessary that God call him
-or-
he can take that work/role only if God chooses him to do it
-or-
he receives it when called by God (New International Version)

called by God: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as called means “to choose (a person) to receive a special benefit or experience.” God chooses the person whom he wants to be the high priest and to do that special work.

Some other ways to translate the phrase called by God are:

when God chooses him ⌊and tells him to do that work⌋
-or-
God must appoint him.
-or-
It is God who chooses him.

just as Aaron was: The clause just as Aaron was is a short way to say “in the same way that Aaron was called (chosen)” or “like God chose Aaron.” Aaron was the older brother of Moses (see Exodus 7:7), and he was the first high priest. God chose him and his sons to be consecrated as priests after the people of Israel left Egypt.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

like God/he chose Aaron long ago
-or-
as Aaron was chosen by God in the past

See Exodus 28–29 and Leviticus 8–9 for more information about God choosing Aaron as the high priest.

© 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

3:18

And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed?: This verse is one rhetorical question, which has another rhetorical question within it. It means that God swore to the people who disobeyed him that they would not enter his rest.

Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

• Use one or two rhetorical questions. For example:

To whom did God swear that they would not enter his rest? Wasn’t it to those who disobeyed him?

• Use one rhetorical question and a statement for an answer. For example:

18 And to whom was God speaking when he vowed that they would never enter his place of rest? He was speaking to those who disobeyed him. (New Century Version)
-or-
When God made his solemn promise, “They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest”—of whom was he speaking? Of those who rebelled. (Good News Translation)

• Use two statements. For example:

And you know that these are the people God became angry with because they committed sin during forty years. Therefore all of these people died there in the desert.

Translate the rhetorical question in a natural way in your language.

3:18a–b

And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest?: This question indicates that God swore to certain people that they would never enter his rest. This event was mentioned in 3:11: “So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.” (Berean Standard Bible)

In some languages it may be more natural to translate what God swore in direct speech. For example:

To whom did he swear, saying, “Now you will never enter ⌊the land⌋ that I wanted you to have as a place to rest with me?”

swear: The word swear means to take an oath or make a binding promise. In Hebrew culture, such a promise must not be broken. Here God’s promise implied that he would certainly do what he said. What he said would certainly happen.

You may be able to use the same phrase that you used in 3:11.

that they would never enter His rest: The phrase His rest refers here to the life of dependence on God that God wanted his people to live. He wanted them to depend on him and trust him for everything.

See the note on 3:11a–b. It is important to use the word rest here because the author is going to write more about rest in chapter 4.

© 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Paragraph 6:1–3

6:1a–b

Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity: Here the Berean Standard Bible follows the order of phrases in the Greek text. Some translations use a different order of phrases. For example:

Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ (New Revised Standard Version)

Choose the order that is most natural in your language.

let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity: Here the author told his listeners to stop repeating only the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to become mature. The phrase let us leave indicates that we must advance from basic teachings to learn what mature believers need to know. The phrase is not a request for permission.

Some other ways to translate this exhortation in 6:1a are:

in our study of Christ it is necessary that we become mature by learning more complex matters. Let’s not continue studying only the basic teaching.
-or-
we should stop repeating only the easiest teachings concerning Christ. Now we should learn the deeper teachings so that our faith will become mature.

6:1a

Therefore: The conjunction Therefore introduces an exhortation based on what the author told his hearers in 5:11–14. He said that they need to stop listening only to simple teaching and listen to teaching that is for mature believers. He assumes that they will now listen to the more advanced teaching about Jesus being our high priest.

Some other ways to translate Therefore here are:

So (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Because of this/that
-or-
Now therefore
-or-
With this in mind (God’s Word)

The word Therefore occurs often in Hebrews. It occurred already in 3:7 and 3:10. However, many versions translate it differently in these verses. You will need to think carefully about the connections in each context to make them clear and natural in your language.

let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ: The author implies here that his listeners need to add to the basic truths that they learned about Christ. He did not imply that they should leave the basic truths and stop thinking about them. He meant that they should not be content with only those basic truths. He wanted them to also learn more complex truths about Christ to help them to mature in their faith.

Other ways to translate this meaning are.

we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ (NET Bible)
-or-
We must…start thinking about more than just the basic things we were taught about Christ. (Contemporary English Version)

the elementary teachings about Christ: The phrase elementary teachings about Christ refers to the first truths about Christ that the church teaches to a new believer in him. The phrase is similar to the phrase “basic principles” in 5:12. For more information and translation examples, see the note on 5:12a–b.

6:1b

and go on to maturity: The phrase go on to maturity is more literally “we-must-be-moved-on to maturity.” It indicates that we must develop (grow, progress) toward becoming mature as believers in Christ. It also implies that we must learn and understand the truths that mature believers need to know.

Some ways to translate the phrase go on to maturity are:

let us also learn the deeper teachings so that our faith will become mature.
-or-
let’s develop/grow and become complete ⌊in our understanding⌋

maturity: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as maturity means “completeness, perfection.” The word occurs only here and in Colossians 3:14. However, the corresponding verb “to make perfect” or “complete” occurs over twelve times in Hebrews. See the preceding note for translation examples.

6:1c–2

In 6:1d–2 the author listed six basic teachings that are part of the foundation of Christian faith. He mentions them in three pairs:

(a) repentance from dead works and faith in God,

(b) instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands,

(c) resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

In (a) the author summarizes the crucial first things that a person does in coming to God: he repents of his sins and puts his faith in God. In (b) the author summarizes ceremonies of the church like baptism, in which a person is publicly initiated. In (c) he summarizes beliefs about future resurrection and judgment. The author implied that the readers already knew these truths and no one should have to teach them again.

6:1c

not laying again the foundation: Here the author used a metaphor. He compared the elementary teachings about Christ to the foundation of a building. A foundation is its base and support. After the foundation is finished, the building needs walls and a roof. After a Christian has the foundation of basic beliefs, he needs to “build on” his faith by learning what mature believers need to know.

Some other ways to translate the metaphor are:

• Use a simile. For example:

Let’s not continue to repeat the same basic teachings like someone who builds only the foundation of a house

• Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:

without going over the fundamental doctrines again (New Jerusalem Bible)

Translate the meaning in a clear way in your language.

6:1d

repentance from dead works: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as repentance refers to a person changing his mind, heart, or will. When a person repents from dead works, he realizes that they are wrong. He is sorry and stops doing them.

Some other ways to translate repentance from dead works are:

rejecting sins, which bring death
-or-
to quit/stop doing evil, which leads to death

For more information, see repent in Key Biblical Terms.

dead works: In this context, the phrase dead works refer to deeds that are both sinful and useless. They have no value, because they do not please God. They cannot help anyone to know God and go to heaven. They actually cause a person to be separated from God, which is spiritual death.

Some ways to translate the phrase dead works are:

• Refer to them as useless actions. For example:

useless works (Good News Translation)
-or-
deeds/activities that have no value

• Refer to them as deeds that bring eternal death or punishment. For example:

not to do the evil that brings punishment

The text does not imply that the sins cause immediate physical death. Also, it does not imply that only some sins lead to death. Some other ways to translate dead works are:

⌊ sinful⌋acts, which lead to death
-or-
evil deeds (New Living Translation (2004))

6:1e

and of faith in God: The phrase faith in God refers to trusting God. It is listed here as the second teaching that is part of the foundation of Christian faith. In this context it refers especially to people trusting God to save them from sin and eternal death. In some languages it is more natural to express the noun faith as a verb. For example:

believing in God (Good News Translation)
-or-
trust in God
-or-
depending/relying on God

For more information, see believe, sense C, in Key Biblical Terms.

© 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

2:15

and free those who…were held in slavery by their fear of death: This clause tells the second purpose that Jesus had in becoming a human being (2:14b) and dying (2:14c). Jesus became human and died in order to set people free from the fear of death.

The verb free and the phrase held in slavery by are metaphors. The author used them to compare what Jesus did to the way someone rescues people from slavery. People were living like slaves because they were always afraid to die. After Jesus died for them (and came alive again), the people became free from fearing death. They did not have to be afraid to die anymore.

Some ways to translate this meaning are:

• Keep the metaphors. For example:

Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. (New Living Translation (2004))

• Use a simile and make the comparison more explicit. For example:

and free those who were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death (New Century Version)
-or-
to release/help those who were living like slaves because they were afraid to die

• Use a different figure of speech that has the same meaning in your language. For example:

he helped those who were afraid to die and took away their fear. For as long as they lived, they were gripped/held tightly by their fear of dying.

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

But he also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying (Contemporary English Version)

Translate the figure of speech in a natural way in your language.

those who: The phrase those who is a general way to refer to everyone who feared death, that is, to human beings in general. In some languages it may be more natural to use a different way to refer to them. For example:

all of us who… (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
everyone who
-or-
we…our

who all their lives: The phrase who all their lives refers to the time that the people were alive on earth. Some other ways to translate it are:

who live each day (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
beginning from the time of their birth
-or-
since our becoming people here in this world

Refer to the people’s lifetimes in a natural way in your language.

all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death: Notice that the phrase by their fear of death is the cause or reason for the fact that all their lives people were held in slavery. In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of these phrases so that the reason comes before the result. For example:

all their lives they were afraid to die and/so they lived like slaves

General Comment on 2:14–15

In Greek 2:14–15 is one long sentence. In many languages it is more natural to translate it with two or three sentences. For example:

So because ⌊God’s⌋ children have human bodies, he also received a human body like they had. ⌊He did this⌋ so that when he died, he would make powerless the one who controls death, that is, the devil. Then he would release those people who were like slaves as long as they lived, because they were afraid to die.

© 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

4:10a–b

For: The word For introduces an explanation of 4:9. The verse explains why the author used the word “Sabbath rest” to describe the rest that God’s people will enter. In some languages it is not necessary to introduce 4:10 with a connector. Connect the explanation to 4:9 in a natural way in your language.

whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His: The phrase God’s rest refers to the rest that God offers to his people. The author compares that rest to God’s rest on the Sabbath after he created the world. There are two main ways to interpret the phrase rests from his own work here:

(1) It means that God’s people should not try to earn God’s approval by doing certain actions that they themselves decide to do.

(2) It means that God’s people will not work after they “enter God’s rest” by dying and going to heaven.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). English versions are ambiguous, but the theme of Hebrews supports interpretation (1). The author did not want his hearers to try to earn God’s approval by their own sacrifices or other work. He indicated that they must trust in Jesus, their great high priest. He made the perfect sacrifice to reconcile them with God.

Some other ways to translate this are:

whoever enjoys resting with God has ceased doing things ⌊to gain God’s favor⌋ just as God ceased doing his work ⌊of creating everything⌋.
-or-
anyone who rests with God stops doing special actions/work ⌊to earn his approval⌋. ⌊He rests from doing that,⌋ as God rested from his work ⌊of creation⌋.

whoever enters God’s rest: The phrase enters God’s rest is also used in 4:1a, 4:3a, 4:5b, and 4:6a. You should translate it in the same way here. See the note on 4:1a for more information.

just as God did from His: The clause just as God did from His means “as God stopped his ⌊work⌋ ” (after he created the world). See the note on 4:4b for an explanation of the similar phrase “rested from all his works.” You should translate the phrase here in a similar way.

© 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

6:12a

Then you will not be sluggish: This clause tells the result of the listeners being diligent to care for other believers. When they do that, they will not become lazy so that they stop listening to God and serving him. Instead, they will be eager to learn more about him and to serve his people.

Some other ways to translate this result are:

Then you will not become spiritually dull (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Because if you do that, you will not become lazy

you: The pronoun you is plural and refers to all the people who listened to what the author said in Hebrews.

sluggish: The Greek word that the author used here was also used in the first verse of this section (5:11). There the Berean Standard Bible translated it as “dull.” In Hebrews this word refers to being lazy, dull, and sluggish, especially about faith in Christ. In this context it implies that the people may become lazy. Then they may not try hard to understand what God said and obey him.

Translate this word in the same way (or a similar way) as you did in 5:11.

6:12b

but will imitate those: The word but introduces a contrast with 6:12a. In 6:12a the author told the Hebrews not to be sluggish. Here in 6:12b he tells them what they should do instead. They should imitate faithful believers by following their example.

Some other ways to introduce this contrast are:

Instead, you will follow the example of those… (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
but to be like those… (Good News Translation)

In some languages the contrast connection is implied by the context and a conjunction is not needed. For example:

Be like those who… (New Century Version)
-or-
What you should copy is the people who…

who…inherit what has been promised: This phrase describes the people whom the Hebrews should imitate. They should imitate the people who inherit what has been promised. The word inherit is used in a figurative way here to mean “receive.”

Some other ways to translate the phrase who…inherit what has been promised are:

those who receive what was promised
-or-
people who obtain what God promised

inherit what has been promised: The word inherit refers here to people receiving what God promised them. It implies that God made the promises for all the people who will faithfully believe what he said. The promises were not only for the first people to whom God spoke them. The phrase does not imply that someone died and other people inherited the promises from him.

Some other ways to translate inherit what has been promised are:

receive what God has promised (Good News Translation)
-or-
are given what God promised
-or-
obtain what he has promised to them

This phrase is similar to the phrase “inherit salvation” in 1:14. You can probably translate the word inherit in a similar way here.

what has been promised: The phrase what has been promised refers to the good things that God promised to do for his people and to what he promised to give them. God made the promises because of his grace and goodness, not because his people did something to deserve them.

The word “promise” was also used in 4:1, and you should translate a plural form of the word here. Remember that a promise tells a person’s intention to do something. The person is obligated to do what he has said or he will be disgraced. A promise is different from an oath, so you should use different ways to translate these two words.

through faith and patience: The phrase through faith and patience tells how the people obtained what God promised. They patiently believed what God said, and as a result, God did fulfill his promises to them. Notice that the words faith and patience are used here to describe one action. The people patiently had faith in God. Because of their patient faith, they received what he promised.

Some other ways to translate the phrase “those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” are:

people who believe God and who patiently wait until they obtain what he has promised to them
-or-
those who receive what God has promised because of their persevering faith and patience
-or-
the ones who are patient and continue to trust in God and so they receive what he promised them

faith and patience: The words faith and patience are closely related here. Together the two words describe the people’s attitude toward God. They patiently had faith in him. They continued to faithfully believe in him until he did what he promised.

In some languages it is more natural to translate the two words as one action and the manner in which the action is done. For example:

people who patiently believe in God, for because of this, they will receive…

faith: The word faith refers to trusting God and believing that what he says is true. It implies here that the people have confidence in God and in what God says. In some languages it is more natural to translate the word faith as a verb here. For example:

because they trust/believe God

See the other examples in the preceding notes on 6:12b. For more information, see believe, sense C, in Key Biblical Terms.

patience: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as patience refers to being calm and steadfast while waiting for something to happen. In this context where patience is used along with “faith” and “promises” the word patience refers to steadfastly continuing to wait and expect God to fulfill his promises.

Some other ways to translate patience here are:

patiently wait
-or-
who really persevere

© 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Paragraph 1:7–9

In this paragraph the author again quoted from the OT to show that the Son is greater than the angels. The quotation in 1:7 about the angels contrasts with the one in 1:8–9 about the Son. The author shows this contrast in the way he introduces the quotations. For example:

About the angels, he says…but about the Son he says…

Translate this contrast in a natural way in your language.

1:7a

Now: This word introduces another contrast between the angels and the Son. It is not a time word. Other ways to translate this word are:

And
-or-
Also,

Some languages can allow the context to indicate the introduction and do not need to translate this word.

about the angels He says: Here the author introduces the fourth quotation that he has given from the OT. It is taken from Psalm 104:4, where God speaks about his angels. Some other ways to introduce this quotation are:

God said about the angels (God’s Word)
-or-
And when God speaks about the angels, he says (Contemporary English Version)

angels: The word angels means spirit beings who serve God. The word angels first occurs in Hebrews in 1:4. For more information, see the note there.

1:7b

This part of the verse is a quotation from Psalm 104:4. It has two parallel statements about God and the angels:

He makes his angels winds

⌊ and he makes⌋his servants flames of fire

Notice that in the second line the words “and he makes” are implied. For examples of how these two statements can be combined into one statement, see the General Comment on 1:7b at the end of 1:7b.

He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire: This statement is part of a contrast that the author makes between the angels and the Son. It shows that the angels are part of God’s creation, as wind and fire are. Angels obey God completely, and he can change them in any way he wants to. He can make them like winds or fire. This statement may refer to the time when God gave his law to people on Mt. Sinai.

Some other ways to translate this statement are:

• As a metaphor. For example:

I change my angels into wind and my servants into flaming fire. (Contemporary English Version)

• As a simile. For example:

In the angels’ serving of me I can make them like wind or like flames of fire.

Translate the meaning in a natural way to fit with the contrast between the angels and the Son in 1:8.

winds: The quotation does not specify how God’s messengers are like winds. In some languages it may be more natural to use a singular form. For example:

wind (Contemporary English Version)

servants: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servants usually refers to people who serve the public as respected officials. Their duties include religious responsibilities. Here the word refers to the angels as heavenly servants of God. God has given them great power to do his will. Use an appropriate word in your language to refer to such powerful servants. For example:

ministers (NET Bible)
-or-
messengers

General Comment on 1:7b

The two statements in 1:7b are parallel, and “angels” and “servants” refer to the same beings. In some languages it may be more natural to translate the meaning without using parallel statements. For example:

God created his angels to be his servants, and he can make them like wind or fire.

© 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.