The Greek text is uncertain at two points: (a) some manuscripts omit to God after offer; (b) for Revised Standard Version‘s “God bearing witness,” some manuscripts have “he (Abel) having borne witness” or other variants. Revised Standard Version, common language translations, and most translations follow the UBS Greek text.

As elsewhere in chapter 11, the expression It was faith that … may be expressed as “Because he had faith.” In verse 4 the rendering would be “Because Abel had faith” or “Because Abel trusted God.”

Better translates a word which usually means “more” or “greater.” However, the context shows that the quality, not the size, of the offering is in the writer’s mind.

It may be better to translate a better sacrifice as “a more appropriate sacrifice,” “a more fitting sacrifice,” or “he sacrificed to God in a more fitting way.” The entire comparative expression may be rendered as “Abel sacrificed to God in a more fitting way than Cain sacrificed to God.”

Through his faith is literally “through which,” as in Revised Standard Version. This could mean “through his sacrifice,” which is how King James Version, Revised Standard Version, and probably Phillips understand it. Many translations are ambiguous; for example, Jerusalem Bible “for that” and New American Bible “Because of this.” Many translations agree with Good News Translation‘s Through his faith. This translation is strongly supported by the immediate context and also by the words “righteous … by faith” (Revised Standard Version) in 10.38. The expression of means in Through his faith may also be reproduced in some languages as cause; for example, “Because Abel trusted God, God approved of him.”

He won God’s approval is literally “he was witnessed”; here as in verse 2, “witnessed” refers to God speaking, probably through Scripture.

Since God’s approval implies a declaration, this may need to be expressed as direct discourse; for example, “God declared, ‘You are a righteous man’ ” or “… ‘You are a man who does what I want you to do.’ ”

Righteous translates a word which is rare in Hebrews, though common elsewhere in the New Testament; see 10.38 and 12.23, where TEV fourth edition has good people. Righteous (not the same as “self-righteous”) is disappearing from common English, as is the corresponding word in German; so Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “Because he relied on God, he was able to stand before him.” Bijbel in Gewone Taal keeps “righteous” but restructures the sentence to show that God’s approval is closely related to God’s declaring Abel “righteous”: “Because of his faith, God declared him righteous.” It is possible to translate “God declared that he was pleased with him” or “… approved of him.”

This approval, as the rest of the verse shows, was shown by God accepting his gifts. The repetition of approval … approved can be avoided if this is more natural; for example, “God showed that he was pleased with him by accepting his gifts.”

God’s approval of Abel’s gifts may be expressed by direct discourse; for example, “God said, ‘Your gifts are the right kind of gifts’ ” or “… ‘What you have given is right’ ” or “ ‘… appropriate.’ ”

The last part of the verse probably means that because the story of Abel’s faith is permanently recorded in the Old Testament, his example still speaks to us (see Barclay). The writer is probably referring to the fact that Genesis 4.10 uses a present tense, Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground, suggesting that the consequences of Cain’s crime continue. Nevertheless, the underlying meaning is probably that Abel still speaks because of the faith which enabled him to become the first true worshiper recorded in Scripture (see 12.24). Genesis 4.10 uses a present tense, rendered is crying out, to which the writer of Hebrews gives a deeper meaning.

Abel is made explicit in the last sentence, since both Cain and God have been mentioned more recently than Abel. King James Version‘s literal “he being dead yet speaketh” brings out a contrast expressed by Good News Translation‘s even though and by RSV’s “but,” though less strongly.

A strictly literal translation of By means of his faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead could lead to serious misunderstanding. What spoke to people in New Testament times was the action of Abel as recorded in the Scriptures. This may be communicated as “Because Abel trusted God, what he did still speaks to us even though Abel himself is dead” or “… what he did means something to us….” However, in many languages, actions don’t speak. Perhaps translators may say “… what he did continues to have a message for us…,” or retaining the expression of the Greek, “because Abel trusted in God, we can say that even though he is dead, he still speaks today, because what he did continues to have a message for us.”

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 .