Nielsen’s Nook

Nielsen’s Nook
Nielsen’s Nook
Contemplative, reflective, and irenic we pray.
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Translation and Commentary on Hebrews 3:12-14

Will Nielsen
August 10th, 2008
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Translation

12 Take care, [a] brothers and sisters, so that there will not be in any of you an evil faithless heart by which to fall away [b] from the living God, 13 but encourage one another every day [c] as long as the day is still called Today, [d] so that none [e] from among you become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we become participants with the Christ [f] if we retain faithfully the beginning of realization [g] until the end.

Commentary

[a] Βλέπετε literally “to look” ; however, in this context we get the connotation of looking out for something, to beware of something (BAGD, 143).

[b] ἀποστῆναι is from where we have the English cognate apostasy or apostatize. It resonates with the passage quoted from Psalm 97. Those who fall away will never enter God’s rest.

[c] καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν literally, “according to every day.” In colloquial English we would conceptually just say “daily” or “every day.”

[d] ἄχρις is Hellenistic Greek in form (BAGD, 128).

[e] μὴ σκληρυνθῇ τις ἐξ ὑμῶν literally “not be hardened some from among you”.

[f] τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεγόναμεν in the NA27 reads γεγόναμεν τοῦ χριστοῦ in the Byzantine text.

[g] ὑποστάσεως (ὑπόστασις) is translated realization here (c.f., BAGD, 847 and the use in Hebrews 11:1).  Jesus is the realization of both utter condemnation and the reconciliation of all who have participated in the great rebellion. We must hold fast to Christ as he is manifest to us now, the beginning of realization of the Cosmic Salvation of the World, that we may persevere to the final restoration of all things when Jesus returns in glory and splendor.

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