complete verse (Hebrews 2:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 2:15:

  • Uma: “[It was] that death of his that he used-as-a-way to release us from death. For previously, we lived like slaves continually, for we were afraid of death.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Because of this doing of his he helped those who were afraid to die and he freed them from their fear. For as long as they lived they were really afraid to die therefore they were like grabbed/held-tightly by their fear.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “and so that by means of this He might help us (incl.) and free us from death. Because a long time ago before we were set free, the fear of death could not be removed from us (incl.) and it’s as if we were slaves to fear.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “and also set-free (nonpast) all those who were like slaves beginning from (the time of) their birth (lit. coming-out) because of their fear of dying.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore, in this that he did, he released us from our fear of death. Because since our becoming people here in the world (i.e. all our lives), it’s like we are slaves to fear of this death.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning these people who live in misery because they fear to die all their days, he caused that they no longer fear to die.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Hebrews 2:15

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 2:15

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.

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