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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Heb_12:1-2
1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb_12:1 "Therefore" Heb_12:1 is an unusual triple compound (toigaroun) found only here and in 1Th_4:8. Based on the preceding examples of faithfulness, the readers are to live godly lives that help and encourage others.
▣ "cloud" "Cloud" is often used metaphorically in Greek literature of a group of people (cf. Herodotus VIII.109).
▣ "witnesses" This term can mean
1. a legal witness in court
2. someone who shares what they have seen, known, or experienced
3. someone who has been killed (martyred) for their faith in Christ
4. metaphorical expression of the examples of faith in Hebrews 11
Because of the context of Hebrews 11 it seems best to view this verse not as teaching that "they" watch us, but that we are to look to their lives of faithfulness as examples to follow (NASB Study Bible, p. 1798). This verse is often used, I think, incorrectly, to support the view that our believing-dead loved ones in heaven observe our lives on earth. Believers will surely know each other and be reunited in fellowship on Resurrection Day, but the Bible is silent about a reunion at death or their being able to view the life of loved ones on earth.
The Handbook on The Letters to the Hebrews by Ellingworth and Nida, from United Bible Society, makes the opposite interpretation, "The thought is that the Old Testament heroes are watching how the writer of Hebrews and his readers run their race in the Christian life, since their own salvation is linked with that of Christians (Heb_11:40)" (p. 287).
▣ "let us" This is translated as a subjunctive, but the first verbal is a present active participle. The subjunctive does not appear until "let us run."
Notice what believers should do in light of the faithful OT witnesses.
1. lay aside every encumbrance, Heb_12:1
2. lay aside every sin which so easily entangles us, Heb_12:1
3. run the race with endurance, Heb_12:1
4. fixing our eyes on Jesus, Heb_12:2
▣ "lay aside" This is an aorist middle participle meaning "lay aside as a garment" (cf. Act_7:58). This grammatical form implies a personal (i.e., middle voice), decisive (i.e., aorist tense) decision. However, Paul used the term figuratively in an ethical sense (cf. Rom_13:12; Eph_4:22; Eph_4:25; Col_3:8-9 and "put on" in Eph_4:24; Col_3:10; Col_3:12; Col_3:14). Christians must be actively involved in their free salvation (cf. Php_2:12-13). There is a race to be run, a witness to be made, a fight to be fought (i.e., Php_3:12-14)!
NASB "every encumbrance"
NKJV, NRSV "every weight"
TEV "everything that gets in the way"
NJB "everything that weighs us down"
This term is literally "fat" or "weight." Those who participated in the Greek athletic contests ran almost naked. It is used
1. literally of body fat
2. of athletic training weights
3. metaphorically in Greek literature as pride
4. philosophically as be careful of "the good" as the enemy of "the best"
▣ "the sin" This either refers to (1) the sin nature; (2) a besetting sin; (3) unbelief; or (4) this unique context may give the added meaning of "shrinking back" (cf. Heb_10:38). This letter/book/sermon is addressed to the Jewish believers and Jewish unbelievers.
NASB "so easily entangles us"
NKJV "so easily ensnares us"
NRSV, NJB "that clings to closely"
TEV "which holds on to us so tightly"
The ancient papyrus manuscript P46 has "easily distracts." This reference is to anything that trips up the believer in the race of life. It may be a recurrent sin, an out-of-balance desire or even the presence of many good things—anything that causes them to neglect the things for which they are gifted and called by God.
▣ "run" This is a Present active subjunctive, which speaks of a continual action but with a note of contingency. This surely fits the overall emphasis of the four warnings directed to Jewish believers who were "shrinking back" from Christ and the gospel.
▣ "endurance" This chapter may be a rabbinical play on the word "endure" (noun, cf. Heb_10:32; Heb_10:36), which means "voluntary, aggressive (active), patient (passive) endurance." The verb is in Heb_12:2-3; Heb_12:7 and the noun in Heb_12:1. This is the theme of the book and especially these last few chapters—hang in there!
▣ "race" This Greek word agôna is an athletic term from which we get the English term "agony." It is often used as a set course for a race.
▣ "that is set before us" This is a present passive (deponent) participle. The Christian life is often characterized as an athletic contest (cf. 1Co_9:25; Php_1:30; 2Ti_2:5; racing, 1Co_9:24; 1Co_9:26; Gal_2:2; Gal_5:7; Php_2:16; boxing, 1Co_9:26; 1Ti_1:18; 1Ti_6:12; 2Ti_4:7; wrestling, Eph_6:12).
Heb_12:2 "fix our eyes on Jesus" This is a present active participle meaning "looking intently." Notice that we watch Him—not the crowd, not the circumstances, not ourselves. This may be figurative of constantly focusing on the new covenant (the gospel).
NASB "the author and perfecter of faith"
NKJV "the author and finisher of our faith"
NRSV "the pioneer and perfecter of our faith"
TEV "on whom our faith depends from beginning to end"
NJB "who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection"
This first term (archçgos) is used in Heb_2:10 of Jesus as the author of salvation; in Act_3:15 of Jesus as the Prince (author) of life; in Act_5:31 of Jesus as the Prince (leader) and Savior. See Special Topic at Heb_2:10.
The second word (teleiôtçs) means "the one who completes and perfects." It refers to Jesus' total completion of God's assigned redemptive task. In a sense it is like the title Alpha and Omega (cf. Rev_1:8), the First and the Last (cf. Rev_1:17; Rev_2:8). This author uses the concept of "perfecting" many times in the book (cf. Heb_2:10; Heb_5:9; Heb_6:1; Heb_7:11; Heb_7:19; Heb_7:28; Heb_9:9; Heb_10:1; Heb_10:14; Heb_11:40; and here). See Special Topic at Heb_7:11.
▣ "faith" Pistis can refer to
1. a personal faith relationship with Christ
2. a life of faithful Christlikeness
3. Christian doctrine (cf. Jud_1:3; Jud_1:20)
Christianity is a person to be welcomed, truth about that person to be believed (the gospel), and a life like that person's to be lived (i.e., Christlikeness)
▣ "for the joy" The preposition anti normally means "on account of" or "because of," but can also mean "instead of." The first would refer to Christ leaving heaven (cf. Php_2:5-11), the second to His joy at the finished redemption and ascension (cf. Isa_53:10-12).
▣ "set before Him" This word occurs in Heb_12:1 referring to the struggle (race) of the Christian life. Now the term is used again of the struggle of Jesus' laying His life down for us. This is the author's way of urging the Jewish believers to persevere. Jesus did His part; they must do theirs. When He finished there was great joy, so too, if they finish the course.
▣ "the cross" The rabbis of Jesus' day saw this as a curse by God because of their interpretations of Deu_21:23. Paul says that Jesus bore this curse of the Law for us (cf. Gal_3:13).
▣ "despising the shame" The cross is the objective evidence of the love of the Father and the Son (cf. Joh_3:16 and Rom_5:8). This is a strong Greek word. Jesus looked to the glorious outcome of His humiliation (cf. Isa_53:10-12). The cross was not easy, the price of redemption not cheap!
▣ "has sat down at" This is a perfect active indicative which emphasizes a completed act with abiding results. This is a continuing allusion to Psa_110:1 (cf. Heb_1:3; Heb_1:13; Heb_8:1; Heb_10:12).
▣ "right hand" This is not literal, but a biblical metaphor for "the place of power," "authority," or "pre-eminence" (cf. Act_2:33-36).
▣ "throne of God" Fallen humans can only imagine the glory and majesty of the spiritual realm. It must be put into physical imagery (streets of gold, gates of pearl, sea of glass). God is a spiritual, eternal, omnipresent being, far too great for any throne (cf. 1Ki_8:27). See hyperlink at Heb_3:11.
NASB (UPDATED TEXT: Heb_12:3-11
3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
"My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
6For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
And He scourges every son whom He receives."
7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Heb_12:3 "For consider" This is an aorist middle (deponent) imperative. It literally means "add it up" and is used to emphasize the careful analysis of something. The ancients added numbers upwards and drew a line at the top for the total.
▣ "Him who has endured" This is a perfect active participle. As Jesus endured such shameful treatment for believers' salvation, they need to live for Him and other believers (cf. 1Jn_3:16).
▣ "against Himself" The singular pronoun is found in all modern translations. However, the majority of the ancient Greek manuscripts, versions, and Patristic quotes support a plural. Although it is a commonly accepted tenet of textual criticism (i.e., see Appendix Two) that the most unusual, most difficult text is probably original, this plural does not fit this context at all. The subject is obviously Jesus. This must be an ancient scribal error from the first one to two hundred years before the majority of the papyri texts were written.
▣ "so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" These are athletic terms for runners panting and collapsing after a hard run race. Our author is encouraging these Jewish believers to continue even though it may be difficult. This warning is continued in Heb_12:15; Heb_12:25-29.
Heb_12:4 "you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood" The original readers had suffered persecution, but not yet death (cf. Heb_10:32 ff). Jesus had suffered death for them, they must be willing to live or die for Him.
▣ "in your striving against sin" This is another athletic term as was used in Heb_12:1. It is transliterated in English as "agony." The "sin" in context of the whole book refers to
1. the sin of unbelief related to the group of unbelieving Jews
2. the sin of apostasy ("shrinking back" Heb_10:38) relating to the group of believing Jews
Heb_12:5 "you have forgotten" This is a perfect middle (deponent) indicative. This term is used only here in the NT. It denotes
1. a complete forgetting (i.e., emphasis on tense)
2. a deliberate forgetting (i.e., emphasis on voice)
▣ "do not regard lightly. . .nor faint when you are reproved by him" This is a quote from the Septuagint of Pro_3:11-12. These both are present imperatives with a negative particle, which usually means to stop an act already in process.
▣ "the discipline of the Lord" This term refers to "child training." There is a play on this term in Heb_12:5-11. This is another familial metaphor. As earthly parents discipline their children, so too, God disciplines His (cf. 1Co_11:32; Rev_3:19).
Heb_12:6 "For those whom the lord loves he disciplines" This is one reason why believers are involved in suffering for the faith (cf. Mat_5:10-12; Act_8:1 b, Act_8:4; Act_14:22; 2Th_1:4-10).
▣ "and he scourges every son whom he receives" This is the continuing quote from the Septuagint of Pro_3:11-12. This is so important! Jesus has been called "a son" several times, while the OT characters have been called "servants." Now NT believers are called "sons" (cf. Heb_12:7-8). Fathers discipline sons
1. for the father's purpose
2. for the son's benefit
3. for the benefit of the whole family
Heb_12:7 "that you endure" This is a present active indicative or present active imperative (same Greek morphology). Since Heb_12:5 has two present imperatives, this is probably also an imperative. The word means "voluntary, steadfast endurance" (cf. Heb_12:1-3; Heb_10:32; Heb_10:36). This testing will result in stronger faith!
▣ "God deals with you as sons" This theme of God as a disciplining parent may be an allusion to Deu_8:5 as is Hos_11:1-4.
The verb is a present passive indicative of a term that means "to bring something to Jesus or God, often by means of a sacrifice; but here the passive voice denotes God's willingness to be approached by sinful humans, by implication through Christ's sacrifice.
Heb_12:8 "if" This is a first class conditional sentence, which is assumed to be true for the author's purposes. All of God's children have experienced discipline (perfect active indicative).
Heb_12:9 "Father of spirits" This has nothing to do with theories of the origin of the "soul." It is used in the sense of the true source of all life. God is being contrasted with earthly fathers (cf. Heb_12:9-10).
▣ "and live" The Father's discipline brings true life, not death.
Heb_12:10 "but He disciplines us for our good so that we may share His holiness" Every believer is sanctified at salvation (positional) and is called to holiness (see Special Topic at Heb_2:11). This is God's purpose for every believer (cf. Mat_5:48; Rom_8:28-30; 2Co_3:18; 2Co_7:1; Gal_4:19; Eph_4:13; 1Th_3:13; 1Th_4:3; 1Th_4:7; 1Pe_1:15). Believers are predestined to holiness (cf. Eph_1:4). It often occurs only in a disciplinary setting (cf. Heb_5:8 and Rom_8:17).
Heb_12:11 "it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness" The Christian life is from faith to faith, from affirmation (profession of faith) to character (life of faith, cf. Rom_5:3-5; Jas_1:2-4).
For a word study on "Righteousness" see Special Topic at Heb_1:9.