Hebrews 13

Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.

1Let brotherly love continue.

Note"Brotherly love" is one Greek word, philadelphia, which in ordinary Greek meant the affection between blood brothers and sisters. Early Christian writers borrowed it for the bond between members of the community, which is why the rendering says "brothers and sisters."

2Do not forget to welcome strangers into your home. Some who did this welcomed angels without knowing it.

2Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

NoteIn 1611 "entertain" meant to receive and look after a guest, not to amuse anyone. Inns along ancient roads were few, expensive and often dangerous, so travelers depended on private households taking them in; hospitality was treated as a social duty rather than a kindness. "Entertained angels unawares" points back to Genesis, where Abraham and Lot each welcome ordinary looking travelers who turn out to be messengers of God.

3Remember those who are in prison, as if you were in chains with them. Remember those who are mistreated, since you also have a body and can suffer.

3Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Note"In bonds" means in chains, that is, in prison. Roman jails did not reliably feed or clothe prisoners; food, bedding and money had to be brought in by family and friends, which meant publicly identifying yourself with someone the authorities had arrested. The last clause is compressed in the Greek and can be read two ways: that you have a body of your own and so know what mistreatment feels like, or that you belong to the same body as the sufferers.

4Everyone should honor marriage, and husband and wife should keep the marriage bed pure. God will judge those who are sexually immoral and those who are unfaithful to their husband or wife.

4Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

NoteThe Greek sentence has no verb, so it can be read as a statement ("marriage is honorable") or as a command ("let marriage be held in honor"), and "in all" can mean "among all people" or "in every respect." "The bed undefiled" is a standard ancient euphemism for sexual faithfulness within a marriage. "Whoremongers" was the 1611 word for the Greek pornoi, which covers sexual immorality broadly and is not limited to men who use prostitutes.

5Live your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have. For God has said, "I will never leave you. I will never abandon you."

5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Note"Conversation" in 1611 English meant a person's whole way of living and behaving, not talking. The quotation echoes God's promise to Israel in Deuteronomy 31:6 and to Joshua in Joshua 1:5. The Greek piles up negatives for emphasis, closer to "I will absolutely never let you go."

6So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"

6So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

NoteA quotation of Psalm 118:6. The Greek can be divided either as the King James does it, "I will not fear what man shall do unto me," or as two separate lines, "I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Ancient manuscripts carried no punctuation, so both readings are open.

7Remember your leaders, the ones who spoke God's message to you. Look closely at how their way of life turned out, and copy their faith.

7Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

Note"Them which have the rule over you" translates a word for guides or leaders; here the past tense suggests founders of the community who are no longer living. "The end of their conversation" means the outcome of their way of life, how it finished, which for some of these leaders may mean how they died.

8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

8Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

9Do not let all sorts of strange teachings carry you away. It is good for the heart to be made strong by God's grace, not by rules about food. Those rules never helped the people who kept them.

9Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

Note"Divers" means various or assorted, and "strange" means foreign or alien, not odd. "Meats" in 1611 meant food of any kind, not just flesh; the reference is to rules about what may be eaten or to ritual meals, not to meat specifically. "Occupied therein" means those who spent their lives following such rules.

10We have an altar, and the priests who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat from it.

10We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

NotePriests serving at the sanctuary were supported by the offerings: portions of most sacrifices were theirs to eat, and that food was their living. The tabernacle was the portable tent sanctuary Israel carried through the wilderness, used here as shorthand for the whole system of priestly worship.

11The high priest carries the blood of animals into the holy place as an offering for sin. But the bodies of those animals are burned outside the camp.

11For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.

NoteThis describes the Day of Atonement ritual in Leviticus 16. On that one day the high priest carried sacrificial blood into the innermost room of the sanctuary, and the carcasses of those particular animals were then burned outside the camp rather than eaten. "Sanctuary" here renders a Greek phrase meaning the holy places, the curtained inner chambers of the tent.

12So Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, so that he could make the people holy through his own blood.

12Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

NoteExecutions in the ancient world were carried out beyond the city walls, both for public display along the roads and because a corpse was considered defiling inside the city. The point being drawn is the parallel with the animal carcasses of the previous verse, which were disposed of outside the camp.

13So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and carry the same disgrace he carried.

13Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Note"Reproach" means public disgrace, the shame of being openly rejected. "Without the camp" is the place Israel's law assigned to what was unclean or excluded, so going out there means accepting the same loss of standing.

14For here we have no city that lasts. We are looking for the city that is still to come.

14For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

NoteIn the ancient world a city was not mainly a set of buildings but the place where a person held citizenship, legal protection and a settled identity. To have no "continuing" city is to have no permanent standing anywhere.

15So through Jesus let us keep offering God a sacrifice of praise. That sacrifice is the words of our lips, giving thanks to his name.

15By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Note"Sacrifice of praise" was a technical term for the thank offering described in Leviticus 7, an animal sacrifice brought to acknowledge a favor received. "The fruit of our lips" is an idiom from Hosea 14:2 for what the mouth produces, that is, spoken words, offered here in place of an animal.

16And do not forget to do good and to share what you have with others. God is pleased with sacrifices like these.

16But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Note"To communicate" in 1611 meant to share what you have with someone, especially money and goods. It had nothing to do with speaking or passing on information.

17Obey your leaders and accept their direction. They keep watch over your souls, knowing they will have to give an account for their work. Let them do it with joy and not with sorrow, because that would do you no good.

17Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

NoteThe Greek word behind "obey" means to be persuaded by or to put confidence in someone, rather than to take orders. "Watch for your souls" uses the image of a sentry staying awake through the night; "give account" is the language of a steward who must one day hand over the books for the property entrusted to him. "Unprofitable" means of no advantage.

18Pray for us. We are confident that our conscience is clear, and we want to live honorably in every way.

18Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

Note"Honestly" in 1611 meant honorably or decently, living in a way that looks right to others, a wider idea than simply not lying.

19I ask you even more strongly to pray this way, so that I may be given back to you sooner.

19But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Note"The rather" means all the more. "Restored to you" implies the writer is being kept away from them by something he does not name; imprisonment, illness and travel difficulties are all possible.

20Now may the God of peace, who brought our Lord Jesus back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the covenant that lasts forever,

20Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Note"The God of peace" is a set phrase used to close letters of this period. "That great shepherd of the sheep" echoes Isaiah 63:11, which speaks of God bringing up the shepherd of his flock out of the sea. "The blood of the everlasting covenant" recalls Exodus 24:8 and Zechariah 9:11: agreements of this kind were formally sealed by the blood of a sacrifice. The Greek word order leaves it open whether "through the blood" goes with bringing Jesus back from the dead or with his being the shepherd.

21make you complete in every good work, to do what he wants. May he work in you what pleases him, through Jesus Christ. Glory belongs to him forever and ever. Amen.

21Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Note"Make you perfect" translates katartizo, a word used for mending fishing nets, setting a broken bone and putting equipment in working order. It means to fit out or put in proper condition, not to make morally flawless. Manuscripts differ here between "working in you" and "working in us."

22Brothers and sisters, I ask you to put up with this message of encouragement, since I have written to you only briefly.

22And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.

Note"Suffer" means bear with or put up with. "The word of exhortation" was a standard phrase for a synagogue sermon; the same expression appears in Acts 13:15. Calling this long text "few words" suggests the writer thinks of it as a spoken address that has been trimmed for sending.

23I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been set free. If he comes soon, I will bring him with me when I see you.

23Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.

NoteTimothy was a younger companion of Paul known from several letters. The Greek participle behind "set at liberty" can mean released from custody or simply sent off on a journey, so it is genuinely unclear whether he had been imprisoned.

24Give my greetings to all your leaders and to all of God's holy people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.

24Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.

Note"Salute" simply means greet. "Saints" translates a word meaning holy ones, set apart people, and refers to all members of the community rather than to exceptional individuals. "They of Italy salute you" is ambiguous in Greek: it can mean Italians living away from home who are with the writer, or people writing from inside Italy.

25May God's grace be with you all. Amen.

25Grace be with you all. Amen.