SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 2020 – Page 4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 4:7

4:7a

Remember that some translators begin this verse with a connector like “Therefore” or “So,” as in the God’s Word. In the Berean Standard Bible, as in the Greek text, 4:6 and 4:7 are one long sentence. The Notes separates them into more than one sentence in the examples in the Display. Use an option that is natural in your language.

God again designated a certain day as “Today”: This statement indicates that God appointed another time when people can enter his rest. The word again implies that he already set one time, which was for the Israel people whom he led out of Egypt. Now he sets another time. He called this time “today.”

Some ways to translate this statement are:

So God set another day. That day is today. (God’s Word)
-or-
again he appoints/offers a certain time and calls it “today.”

In some languages it is necessary to mention the purpose for which God set the day. God’s purpose was to give people the opportunity to enter (have) his rest. Some ways to say that are:

there is another time that God has given to people so they will have opportunity to enter, and now/today is that time.
-or-
So God set another time for entering his rest and that time is today. (New Living Translation (2004))

God again designated a certain day: The phrase God…designated a certain day indicates that God chose a particular time. The phrase a certain day refers to a particular time or to an opportunity. Some ways to translate this phrase are:

there is still a time set by God
-or-
he proclaims a further opportunity (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

In some languages it may be more natural to use a present form of the verb. For example:

again he appoints a certain day (English Standard Version)
-or-
God again designates a certain day

a certain day as “Today”: Here the Berean Standard Bible puts the word “Today” in quotation marks to emphasize it. It also uses quotation marks because it occurs in the psalm that the author will quote later in this verse. These quotation marks are not part of the original Greek text, and some other English versions use different punctuation. You should use natural punctuation in your language here.

Some other ways to translate the phrase a certain day as “Today” are:

a certain day that he calls Today
-or-
another day which God prearranged for people to enter. That day is called “This Day.”

“Today”: The word “Today” is used in part of Psalm 95, which he quoted in 3:7 and 3:15 and will quote again in 4:7e–f. The author emphasized this word “Today” several times to indicate that it is important for those who hear God’s voice to respond now. The time that he calls “Today” will not continue forever. Emphasize this meaning in a natural way in your language. Refer to the other notes and the Display of 4:7a for examples.

4:7b

when a long time later He spoke through David: The phrase spoke through David indicates that God inspired David to write the words that the author quotes in 4:7d–e. These words are from Psalm 95. They were written hundreds of years after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

God announced this through David a long time later (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
For a long time after the time of those first people who did not believe, God inspired His word in King David and David said

a long time later: David lived many years after the Israelites traveled through the desert. However, he also lived a long time before the book of Hebrews was written. Make sure you choose the right time phrase to make this clear.

4:7c

as was just stated: The phrase as was just stated refers to what the author said in 3:15. There he quoted the same words that he will quote again in 4:7d–e. Some ways to translate this clause are:

in the same Scripture used before (New Century Version)
-or-
in the words already quoted from the Psalms (Revised English Bible)
-or-
what ⌊I⌋ said/quoted a little earlier from God’s Word, which said…

These examples indicate that the words that the author quoted are from the Scriptures. You may also refer to the Scriptures in an accepted way in your language.

4:7d

Today, if you hear His voice: Translate this clause in the same way as you did in 3:7. For more information on how to translate it, see the notes on 3:7b.

4:7e

do not harden your hearts: Translate this clause in the same way as you translated it in 3:8. For more information on how to translate it, see the notes on 3:8a.

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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.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 6:9

Paragraph 6:9–12

This paragraph is an obvious contrast to 6:7–8. In 6:7–8 the author sternly warned his readers that they must not give up their faith in Christ. Here in 6:9–12 he assured them that he believed better things about them. He encouraged them not to become lazy but to keep trusting Christ so that they will obtain all that Christ promised.

6:9a–c

Even though we speak like this, beloved, we are convinced of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation: The Greek text uses a different order of clauses than most English versions. It is more literally:

But we are convinced about you, beloved, of better things and things belonging to salvation, though thus we speak.

Use the order of clauses that is most natural in your language here. See the General Comment on 6:9a–c at the end of 6:9b–c for more information.

6:9a

Even though we speak like this, beloved: Here the author introduces a contrast to what he said in 5:11–6:8. In 5:11–14 he told the listeners that they were still immature. Then in 6:1–8 he told them that it is a terrible sin to stop believing in Christ. Here in 6:9 he will begin to encourage them.

Some other ways to introduce this contrast and encouragement are:

But even if we speak like this, dear friends (Good News Translation)
-or-
My friends, we are talking this way. But (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Yet although we speak as we do, we are convinced that you, dear friends (Revised English Bible)

Notice that English versions translate the word beloved in different places in the sentence. In many languages it is most natural to put such a direct address at the beginning of the sentence. Do what is natural in your language.

we speak like this: The clause we speak like this implies that the author spoke sternly to his listeners (in 5:11–6:8). He warned them severely. He seemed to imply that maybe they had stopped believing in Christ. In some languages it may be necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

Although we have spoken so sternly
-or-
We have warned you like this, but

we: The author used the word we here to refer only to himself. In some languages it is more natural to make that clear. For example:

even though my words to you are like this
-or-
even though I am speaking like this

beloved: After the severe words of the previous verses, the author addressed his listeners in a loving way. He called them beloved because he still loved them and considered them to be his fellow Christians. In some languages it is more natural to use a different phrase. Some languages use kinship terms or other terms for fellow believers. For example:

you relatives whom we love
-or-
my dear friends/brothers

In other languages it may be more natural to translate the meaning beloved as a phrase. For example:

Although we are talking to you like this, we/I love you

6:9b–c

we are convinced of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation: Here the author assured his listeners that he believed better things about them than the things he described in 6:1–8. There he described people who were going away from Christ. Here he indicates that he did not believe that his listeners were going away from Christ like that. He believed that they were receiving the blessings of salvation and doing the good things that saved people do.

Other ways to translate this clause are:

we are convinced of better things concerning you—things that accompany salvation (New International Version)
-or-
We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation (New Living Translation (2004))

better things…that accompany salvation: The phrase better things…that accompany salvation refers to at least two types of better things :

(a) It refers to good things that saved people do. For example:

But we are sure that you are doing those really good things that people do when they are…saved (Contemporary English Version)

(b) It refers to good things that God does for people who are saved. For example:

We know that you have the better blessings that belong to your salvation. (Good News Translation)

In some languages it may be necessary to focus on one of these types of better things rather than to try to mention them both. For example:

We know that you have better fruit…that is fitting for those who have obtained salvation from God.

Translate in a way that is natural in your language.

6:9b

better: The word better is one of the key words in Hebrews. It may be helpful to translate this word the same way whenever it occurs.

in your case: The phrase translated as in your case is literally “about you.” The pronoun your is plural and refers to the author’s listeners. Some other ways to translate the phrase here are:

about you (Good News Translation)
-or-
as for you

6:9c

things that accompany salvation: This phrase refers to results or evidence of salvation. It implies that people who are saved will live as Christ wants them to live and do the good things that he wants them to do. Some other ways to translate the phrase things that accompany salvation are:

your doings are good and that is a sign that you are saved already
-or-
your souls are saved, and therefore you do what is good.

General Comment on 6:9a–c

There are different ways to order the clauses in 6:9. For example, the New American Standard Bible follows the order of clauses in the Greek text:

9b But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, 9c and things that accompany salvation, 9a though we are speaking in this way. (New American Standard Bible)

In other languages it is more natural to reorder the clauses. For example:

9a But even if we speak like this, dear friends, 9b we feel sure about you. We know that 9c you have the better blessings that belong to your salvation. (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 1:4

1:4

In Greek 1:4 is part of the long sentence that began at 1:1. It concludes paragraph 1:1–4 with a statement about the Son’s greatness. This statement is also the theme of 1:5–14, so the Good News Translation and God’s Word begin a new section at 1:4. However, in most English versions 1:4 is the final statement of paragraph 1:1–4. The author of Hebrews often uses statements like this that conclude one section but also introduce the next one.

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of clauses in this verse. See the General Comment on 1:4a–b at the end of 1:4b for suggestions.

So: In Greek 1:4 continues the sentence that began in 1:1. Some English versions supply a conjunction like So to indicate that 1:4 is a result of 1:2b–3. Some other ways to show this connection are:

Thus (NET Bible)
-or-
This shows that (New Living Translation (2004))

He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs: This statement is a comparison. It indicates that God’s Son is much greater than the angels. The name that God gave to his Son after his Son made purification for sins (1:3d) is also much greater than the angels’ name. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is far greater than their names. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
He received a seat/position that is higher than the seat/position of all the angels, for the name he received from God was more honored than the name given to angels.
-or-
It is true that the angels are great and their names are honorable. But God’s Son surpasses them in greatness, and the name that God has given him also surpasses their name.

Translate the comparison in a natural way in your language.

1:4a

He became…superior to the angels: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He became…superior means “became greater than.” The Son had greater honor and authority than the angels before he came to earth. Then he became “a little lower than the angels” to die for our sins (2:9). When he finished providing that purification (1:3d), he sat down at God’s right hand (1:3e). At that time, he again became superior to the angels and received even more honor and authority than he had before.

Another way to translate He became…superior to the angels is:

has been given praiseworthiness/glory which is better than the glory of the angels

angels: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as angels means “messengers.” It refers here to spirit beings who serve God. Sometimes God sends an angel to tell a message to human beings. He also sends angels to serve him in other ways. Some ways to translate this term are:

• Use a descriptive word or phrase. For example:

messengers ⌊from God/heaven⌋
-or-

⌊ good/holy⌋spirit-beings

• Use a local term that fits the biblical meaning.

• In some areas the churches may already be using a borrowed term or a transliterated word for “angel.” Be sure that this term fits the biblical meaning. If some people do not understand the right meaning from this term, you may need to indicate the meaning in some way. For example:

angelos messengers ⌊from God⌋
-or-
sacred angelos spirits

Be sure that your term for “angel” is different from your terms for “prophet” and “apostle.” See angel Meaning 1 in Key Biblical Terms for more information. If you translated this word in other books, check to see how you translated it there.

1:4b

as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs: This clause is the second part of the comparison in 1:4a. Just as the Son himself is greater than the angels, he also inherited a name (title) that is greater than their name (title). In this context the verb inherited implies that he received the name from God. In some languages it is necessary to make that explicit. For example:

and God gave him a name that is much greater than theirs (New Century Version)

the name He has inherited: The word inherited is a verb form of the noun that the Berean Standard Bible translated as “heir” in 1:2b. The verb is used in a similar way here to mean “gained” or “received.” God’s Son gained this name because God gave it to him. The verb does not imply here that the Son received the name when someone died. Some ways to translate He has inherited in this context are:

he has been given a name (God’s Word)
-or-
the name God gave him (Good News Translation)
-or-
the name that he received from God

Translate the meaning in a similar way as you translated “heir” in 1:2. In some languages it may be necessary to specify the name that the Son received. If that is true in your language, you may supply “Son” as the quotations in 1:5 indicate. For example:

he has been given the name Son of God

the name: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as name refers to the authority and role that the Son has. It does not refer here to a name that people called him, such as “Jesus” or “Emmanuel.” It may refer either to his role as God’s Son or to his role in general. Some other ways to translate name in this context are:

authority
-or-
position/status
-or-
title

excellent beyond: In this context the phrase excellent beyond has almost the same meaning as “superior to” earlier in this verse. It continues the comparison between God’s Son and the angels. As he is much greater than they are, his name is also much greater. You should use an appropriate way in your language to describe an excellent role or rank.

In some languages it may be helpful to use the same word for the comparison in both places. For example:

The Son was made greater than the angels, just as the name that God gave him is greater than theirs. (Good News Translation)

theirs: The pronoun theirs is a short way to refer to “their name,” which the author compares to the Son’s “name.” The word “name” is implied. It refers to the angels’ rank and authority. In some languages it is necessary to translate “name” explicitly here. For example:

their name
-or-
their authority/title

General Comment on 1:4a–b

In the Greek text, 1:4 is a long sentence that compares the Son and his name to the angels and their name. In some languages it is more natural to make a comparison by making two separate statements that contrast with each other. For example:

The angels are not great; the Son is great. Likewise, the name that God gave the angels is not great; the name he gave his Son is great.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 3:5

3:5–6a

Now…But: In Greek, the introductory phrases for 3:5 and 3:6 are more literally:

5a and Moses, as for (him)…6a but as for Christ…

These phrases indicate a contrast between the ways that Jesus and Moses were faithful. Moses was faithful as God’s servant (3:5), but Christ was faithful as God’s Son (3:6). The word Now (literally “and”) is not used as a time word here. It implies that in 3:5–6 the author will continue to speak about what he said in 3:2–4.

Some ways to translate these connections are:

So Moses was certainly faithful…as a servant, but Christ was faithful as a son
-or-

It is true that Moses was faithful in serving…. But Christ…was rather his Child who was faithful as being in charge

Translate the connection between 3:5 and 3:6 carefully so that the contrast between Moses and Jesus is clear in your language. For another translation example, see the General Comment on 3:5–6a at the end of 3:6a.

3:5a

Moses was faithful as a servant: The words Moses was faithful as a servant implies that Moses obeyed God and did what God told him to do, just as a faithful servant should. Some ways to translate this clause are:

Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house, but only as a servant. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
It is true that Moses served faithfully in the household of God. But he was only like a servant in that household.

faithful: The word faithful describes someone who is worthy to be trusted. He is reliable and God can depend on him to do what God wants him to do. This is the same Greek word used in 3:2a. You should translate it in the same way here.

servant: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servant appears only here in the NT. It refers to a worker who serves another person willingly, not as a slave. The service is honorable. Usually the word also implies a good relationship between the servant and the person whom he serves. Moses was a faithful servant of God.

Use an appropriate way in your language to refer to this type of relationship. Some other ways to translate it are:

worker
-or-
steward

in all God’s house: The phrase in all God’s house was also used in 3:2b. Translate it in the same way in both verses.

3:5b

testifying to what would be spoken later: This phrase tells how Moses was faithful (3:5a). He was faithful to tell the people of Israel that in the future God was planning to speak new things to them. The Greek expression which the Berean Standard Bible translates as testifying to means “for/as a testimony.” Moses testified to things that would happen after he died.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

and his work was only a foreshadowing of the truth that would be known later (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
And what he did was like a prophecy/picture of what God planned to make clear in the future.

See also Deuteronomy 18:15–19, where God promised to send a prophet greater than Moses. Bible scholars believe that this promise refers to the Messiah.

what would be spoken later: The clause what would be spoken later refers to what God would reveal at a future time (when he sent Jesus to the people). This is a passive clause. In some languages it is more natural to use an active verb and indicate that God is the subject. For example:

things God would say in the future (Good News Translation)

later: Here the word later refers to a time hundreds of years after Moses died. Use an appropriate word in your language to refer to such a time in the future.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 5:2

5:2

He is able to deal gently…since he himself is beset by weakness: This verse tells the reason that human high priests are able to be gentle with weak people. The high priests are able to be gentle (5:2a) because they know that they themselves are weak and sinful (5:2b).

In some languages it is more natural to change the order of 5:2a and 5:2b, so that the reason in 5:2b comes first. For example:

2b Since he himself is weak in many ways, 2a he is able to be gentle with those who are ignorant and make mistakes. (Good News Translation)
-or-

2b Chief Priests are just human too, and they certainly also have many weaknesses. 2a That’s why they know how to be gentle to take care of people who are not yet mature and who do not yet know the right way.

If you put the reason first like this, it may also affect the first part of 5:3. You may need to repeat information in 5:3a. For an example, see the General Comment on 5:2–3 at the end of 5:3a–b.

5:2a

He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided: This clause indicates that the high priest was able to be calm and moderate with those who were weak and ignorant. He controlled himself so that he would not become angry.

Other ways to translate this clause are:

he knows how to be gentle/merciful towards ignorant people and people who go astray
-or-
he can be patient with people who do not know ⌊how to do God’s will⌋ and do wrong

deal gently with: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as deal gently with occurs only here in the New Testament. It refers to treating other people with calmness and respect. It indicates that the high priest should control his own feelings so that he will be patient even with the sinfulness of the people. He should be gentle with them and not treat them harshly.

Some other ways to translate this verb are:

be patient with
-or-
treat with compassion
-or-
feel pity for

those who are ignorant and misguided: Here the words ignorant and misguided both refer to the same type of people. These people sin because they do not know the way that God wants them to live or they do not seem to be able to live that way.

The word ignorant indicates that the people do not know how to behave. The word misguided indicates that they live without knowing what they should do. They act without being aware of the purpose of those actions. The author uses these similar words to emphasize the meaning.

Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

his fellow men who do not know what to do, who are overcome by sin because they are not strong.
-or-
his companions who go astray who don’t know that what they are doing is not right

5:2b

since he himself is beset by weakness: This clause tells the reason why the high priest was able to help weak and ignorant people (5:2a). He could help them because he himself was a weak human being, so he understood the weakness of others.

beset by weakness: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as beset by weakness is more literally “surrounded by weakness” or “clothed with weakness.” It indicates that a high priest is affected in many ways by human weakness. The word weakness refers here to a type of weakness that makes it difficult for a person to do what is right. It refers to moral or spiritual weakness, not to bodily weakness.

Some other ways to translate the phrase beset by weakness are:

he also has faults.
-or-
he also is not strong/able ⌊to overcome all sins⌋

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 6:20

6:20a

where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf: Here the word forerunner is a figure of speech. Literally, the word refers to someone who runs ahead and prepares the way for others who will come after him. Jesus is our forerunner. He has gone ahead of us into God’s presence, and he has prepared the way for us also to come to God.

Other ways to translate 6:20a are:

Jesus has entered there first on our(incl.) behalf
-or-
Jesus has gone into that holy place before us(incl.) to speak to God for us

The word where refers back to “the inner shrine.” That was the place that Jesus entered to prepare the way for us also to enter it. In some languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. For example:

That is the place where Jesus preceded us to speak to God for us.

our: The pronoun “us” is inclusive and refers to both the author and his hearers.

6:20b–c

Between 5:10 and 6:20, there is a long section of exhortation and warning. Now, in the last sentence of this chapter, the author repeated what he said in 5:10 about Jesus being a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. There are some changes here in 6:20. The differences in these two verses are underlined below:

5:10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

6:20b–c having become a high priest forever according to the order to Melchizedek.

Try to preserve the similarities and differences in these two verses in your translation.

6:20b

He has become a high priest forever: This phrase indicates that when Jesus came into the presence of God on our behalf, he had already become a high priest forever. At that time he had offered himself and his own blood as a sacrifice to atone for our sins. In some languages it is helpful to begin a new sentence here. For example:

He had become a high priest forever.

In 5:10, the author described Jesus as “designated” by God to be a high priest. Here the verb is simply “became.” Try to maintain the similarities and differences in 5:10 and 6:20 in your translation.

high priest: The author calls Jesus high priest often in Hebrews. Translate the term as you did in 2:17b or 5:1a.

forever: The word forever indicates that Jesus will always be the high priest. He will never die, so no one will ever come after him to be high priest for us. Jesus’ priesthood is eternal.

6:20c

in the order of Melchizedek: Translate this phrase as you did in 5:6b.

General Comment on 6:20a–c

In some languages it may be more natural to start a new sentence at 6:20. For example:

On our behalf Jesus has gone in there before us and has become a high priest forever, in the priestly order of Melchizedek. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Jesus has gone there ahead of us, and he is our high priest forever, just like Melchizedek. (Contemporary English Version)

In some languages it is natural to translate 6:20 as two sentences:

Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the line of Melchizedek. (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 2:1

Section 2:1–4

Warning: Do not ignore what God has spoken

In the last verse of chapter 1, the author mentioned “salvation.” In 2:1–4, he told the people to pay careful attention to this salvation that God’s Son brought them. He warned them that if they did not pay attention to it, God would certainly punish them. Their punishment would be greater than the punishment of people who ignored the law, since the law was brought only by angels. This warning is the first of five important warnings in the book of Hebrews.

In some languages it may be helpful to change the order of some of the parts of 2:2–3 to help readers understand the contrast between the law and the salvation that the Son brought. See the General Comment on 2:2–3 at the end of 2:3b for an example.

It is good to translate the section before you decide on a heading for it. Some other possible headings are:

Warning Against Neglecting Salvation (English Standard Version)
-or-
We must give earnest attention to what we have heard

Some translators decide to combine this section with 2:5–10. If you decide to do that, one possible section heading is:

Everything Is Under Jesus’ Control (God’s Word)

Paragraph 2:1–4

2:1a

We: The pronoun We is inclusive and refers to the author and anyone who hears or reads this letter.

must pay closer attention:
The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as must pay closer attention is literally “it is necessary much-more to hold-to.” It indicates that it is necessary to think seriously about (what God has said), to believe it and obey it carefully.

In some languages there may be a figurative way to talk about this type of careful attention. For example:

hold on all the more firmly to (Good News Translation)
-or-
take what we have heard and grip it more tightly
-or-
be more careful to follow (New Century Version)

In some languages it may not be natural to use a comparison without being specific about what is being compared. If that is true in your language, you may want to emphasize the careful attention without the comparison. For example:

listen very carefully (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
give our full attention (Contemporary English Version)

therefore: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as therefore is literally “because of this.” The Berean Standard Bible puts therefore in the middle of the clause because this is good English style, but the Greek phrase occurs at the beginning of the verse. Put the transition word or phrase wherever it is natural in your language.

The word therefore introduces what people should do as a result of what the author said in chapter 1: Now God has spoken to us through a Son (not just through angels), therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard through God’s Son.

Some other ways to translate this connection are:

For this reason (God’s Word)
-or-
That is why (Good News Translation)

In some languages it is necessary to refer back to the theme of chapter 1 more specifically. For example:

Since the greatness of God’s Child is like this
-or-
Because all this is true (UBS Handbook)

Connect this verse to chapter 1 in a natural way in your language.

to what we have heard: The clause to what we have heard refers to what God spoke to his people through his Son Jesus. The author and readers of Hebrews heard it from Jesus or his apostles or other people who proclaimed it. In 2:3 the author indicates that what they heard was about salvation.

In some languages it is necessary to make the phrase what we have heard more specific. For example:

the message that we have heard
-or-
the truth which was taught us
-or-
the good news which was told to us

2:1b

so that we do not drift away: The phrase so that…not introduces the purpose for the action in 2:1a. This purpose is to avoid drifting away from what God spoke through his Son. This purpose is also an implied warning. It implies that if we do not pay attention to the message (2:1a), we will drift away from it.

Some other ways to translate this purpose and warning are:

or we may drift away from it (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Then we will not drift away from it.

we: The pronoun we is inclusive and refers to the author and anyone who hears or reads this letter.

do not drift away: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as drift away often describes how a boat can be carried away by water to a different place. In this verse the verb is used as a figure of speech. It refers to the way that we might stop believing and obeying the truth if we do not pay attention to it.

In some languages this figure of speech may be difficult to understand. It may be more natural to translate the meaning in a different way. For example:

• Use a figure of speech with a similar meaning in your language. For example:

will not stray away from the truth (New Century Version)

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

will not gradually stop believing/obeying it

Some translations supply the phrase “from it” to indicate that drift away refers back to “what we have heard” in 2:2a. Make this clear in a natural way in your language.

General Comment on 2:1b

In this part of the verse the author used the action of drifting away (on a boat) as a figure of speech. In 6:19 he used a similar figure of speech. He compared our hope to an anchor (the heavy object that keeps a boat from drifting away).

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 3:16

Paragraph 3:16–19

In 3:16–18, the author asked his readers three rhetorical questions about the quotation from Psalm 95:8–11 (in 3:8–11). In these questions the people of Israel who rebelled against the Lord are an example for the readers of Hebrews. In 3:19 he stated his conclusion: the Lord did not allow the Israelites to enter the land where he planned to give them rest because they did not trust him.

In these verses the author answered his own rhetorical questions with other rhetorical questions. In some languages it is more natural to translate the answers as statements.

3:16

who were the ones who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?: Here the author asked two rhetorical questions about the people who were “in the rebellion” (3:15). The second question answers the first question. The questions indicate that the people who heard God’s voice but then rebelled against him were the people whom Moses led out of Egypt.

Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

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

16 Who heard God’s voice and was against him? It was all those people Moses led out of Egypt. (New Century Version)
-or-
Who were the people who heard God’s voice and rebelled against him? All those who were led out of Egypt by Moses.

• Use two statements. For example:

You know who the people are who rejected the word that God spoke. They are the people whom Moses took out of Egypt.

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

3:16a

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as For here probably indicates that this verse supports earlier statements that the author has made. It may support the statement in 3:12 about not having an evil, unbelieving heart. Many English versions do not translate the conjunction.

Connect the verse to the context in a natural way in your language. In some languages a connector may not be necessary.

the ones who heard and rebelled: This phrase refers to the people who heard what God said, but they rebelled against him. In some languages it is necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

who heard God’s voice and rebelled against him (Good News Translation)
-or-
who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice (New Living Translation (2004))

3:16b

those Moses led out of Egypt: This phrase refers to all the people of Israel whom Moses led out of captivity in Egypt. The book of Exodus tells this story.

Moses: For more information about Moses, see the note on 3:2b.

Egypt: In some languages where people do not know the country of Egypt, you may need to say “⌊the country of⌋ Egypt.”

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 2020