Hebrews 13
The argument is over and short commands follow. Let brotherly love remain. Do not forget hospitality — by it some have lodged angels without knowing it. Remember the prisoners as bound together with them, and those ill-treated, since you also are in a body. Let marriage be honoured and the bed undefiled. Let your way be not money-loving, having enough with what is present — for he has said, “I will never give you up, nor will I ever forsake you.” So we say with good courage, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.” Remember those who lead you; looking closely at the way out of their conduct, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and to the ages — the verse has no verb, and the ‘today’ that rang in the quotations becomes the writer’s own word. Do not be carried away by various and strange teachings; it is good that the heart be confirmed by grace, not by foods. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no authority to eat — for the bodies of the animals whose blood is brought into the holy places for sin are burned up outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate. So let us go out to him outside the camp, bearing his reviling; for we do not have here a city that remains, but seek the city to come. Through him let us offer up a sacrifice of praise continually — the fruit of lips confessing his name. And do not forget well-doing and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased: the word that meant an animal through twelve chapters here means lips and well-doing. Be persuaded by those who lead you, and yield; they keep awake over your lives as those who will render an account. Pray for us — we want to conduct ourselves well in all things. Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, in the blood of an eternal covenant, make you complete in every good thing to do his will. This is the only place the book names the resurrection, and not with ‘raise’ but with ‘bring up’. Brothers, bear with the word of exhortation — I have written to you in few words. Know that Timothy has been released. Greet all who lead you and all the holy ones. Those from Italy greet you. Grace be with all of you. The writer’s name never appears.
Why this rendering
Heb.13.6 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ἡ φιλαδελφία μενέτω. τῆς φιλοξενίας μὴ ἐπιλανθάνεσθε … The argument is over and short commands follow one another — twelve imperatives and imperatival forms in twelve verses · φιλαδελφία ‘brotherly love’ and φιλοξενία ‘hospitality’ come one after the other and both open with φιλ- — English keeps ‘love’ only in the first · ἐπιλανθάνομαι ‘forget’ comes at v.2 and v.16, tying the two ends of the chapter · ἔλαθον … ξενίσαντες ‘without knowing it … have lodged’ — the verb λανθάνω (as fixed at Mark 7:24) taking a participle is the Greek way of saying ‘unawares’ · συνδέομαι ‘bound together with’ and κακουχέομαι ‘be ill-treated’ (returning from 11:37) — the first stands once in the New Testament · ἀφιλάργυρος ‘not money-loving’ stands with 1 Tim 3:3 · the quotation at v.5 is Deut 31:6, and the base text says only ‘he himself has said’, naming no place · βοηθός ‘helper’ is once in the New Testament, sharing a root with βοήθεια ‘help’ at 4:16 · v.6 quotes Ps 118:6.
Rendering options · 3
Basis Two nouns follow one another and both come from ‘love’ — the settled words are kept and the lost prefix recorded.
Basis Greek has a verb taking a participle to mean ‘unawares’ — neither language has that frame, so it is unfolded into an adverbial phrase.
Basis The base text says only ‘he himself has said’ — naming Deuteronomy would do what the writer did not.
Lost in translation
φιλαδελφία / φιλοξενία (vv.1-2) — both open with φιλ-. English keeps ‘love’ only in the first.
ἔλαθον … ξενίσαντες (v.2) — a verb taking a participle to mean ‘unawares’. It must be unfolded.
ἐπιλανθάνομαι (vv.2 · 16) — one verb tying the two ends of the chapter. ‘Forget’ joins them.
συνδεδεμένοι (v.3) — δέω ‘be bound’ and δέσμιος ‘prisoner’ share a root in one verse. Both keep it.
βοηθός (v.6) — one root with ‘help’ at 4:16. ‘Helper’ keeps the link.
The citations (vv.5 · 6) — the base text names none. Neither locale supplies one.
Why this rendering
Heb.13.9 Observation
Syntactic observation
Μνημονεύετε τῶν ἡγουμένων ὑμῶν … οἱ ἡγούμενοι ‘those who lead’ comes three times, at vv.7, 17 and 24 — the only name this book gives to leaders of a congregation; ἐπίσκοπος, πρεσβύτερος and διάκονος never appear · ἔκβασις ‘way out’ (a site-bound rendering beside ‘way out’ at 1 Cor 10:13) — whether the end of their life or the way they came out the text does not say · μιμέομαι ‘imitate’ (as fixed at 2 Thess 3:7) · v.8 has no verb — ‘Jesus Christ yesterday and today the same’ needs a copula supplied · ἐχθές ‘yesterday’ stands with Acts 7:28 and John 4:52, and σήμερον ‘today’ comes after 1:5, 3:7·13·15, 4:7 and 5:5 — the ‘today’ that rang in the quotations becomes the writer’s own word · παραφέρω ‘be carried away’ (a site-bound rendering beside ‘take away’ at Mark 14:36) · βρώμασιν ‘by foods’ takes up ‘food and drink’ from 9:10 · περιπατοῦντες ‘those who walked’ — what they walked in carries a ⸀ mark.
Rendering options · 3
Basis This book never uses ἐπίσκοπος, πρεσβύτερος or διάκονος — ‘leaders’ as a title or ‘elders’ would import an office it does not name.
Basis Whether the end of their life or the way they came out is not said — ‘the outcome of their life’ would close it on death.
Basis The base text has no verb — both languages need a copula for the sentence to stand, so it is supplied and recorded.
Lost in translation
οἱ ἡγούμενοι (vv.7 · 17 · 24) — the only name this book gives. Three places, one word.
v.8 has no verb — both must supply a copula.
σήμερον (v.8) — the word that rang in the quotations at 1:5, 3:7 and 4:7 becomes the writer’s own. One word joins them.
ἔκβασις (v.7) — the end of life or the way out is not said. Both leave it open.
βρώμασιν (v.9) — taking up ‘food’ from 9:10. Both use the word for food.
⸀περιπατοῦντες (v.9) — the base text marks this word. Both render its reading.
Why this rendering
Heb.13.14 Observation
Syntactic observation
ἔχομεν θυσιαστήριον ἐξ οὗ φαγεῖν οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἐξουσίαν οἱ τῇ σκηνῇ λατρεύοντες … ἔξω ‘outside’ comes three times in three verses (vv.11 · 12 · 13), framing the passage · v.11 is outside the camp, v.12 outside the gate, v.13 outside the camp again — the base text changes the word in the middle · θυσιαστήριον ‘altar’ (as fixed at 1 Cor 9:13) — what the altar is the text does not say · παρεμβολή ‘camp’ (a site-bound rendering beside ‘barracks’ at Acts 21:34) · πύλη ‘gate’ belongs to Jerusalem and σκηνή ‘tent’ to the wilderness, so two pictures lie on each other · ὀνειδισμὸν αὐτοῦ ‘his reviling’ takes up ‘the reviling of Christ’ at 11:26 · 13:14 takes up the city of 11:10 and 12:22 — the city that has the foundations, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city to come · ἐπιζητέω ‘seek after’ (as fixed at Rom 11:7) returns from 11:14 · τοίνυν ‘then’ (as fixed at Luke 20:25) · ἁγιάζω ‘sanctify’ comes here for the last time, after 2:11, 9:13, 10:10·14·29.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The base text changes ‘camp’ to ‘gate’ in the middle — levelling them would erase the overlap of wilderness and Jerusalem.
Basis The text does not say — filling it with the cross or the table would add what is not there.
Basis At 11:26 what Moses bore was ‘the reviling of Christ’ — another word would cut the link.
Lost in translation
ἔξω three times (vv.11-13) — one word framing three verses. ‘Outside’ joins the three.
παρεμβολή / πύλη (vv.11-13) — camp and gate are kept apart. Both keep them apart.
θυσιαστήριον (v.10) — what it is is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
ὀνειδισμὸν αὐτοῦ (v.13) — the word of 11:26 returning. Both stand alike.
μένουσαν πόλιν (v.14) — taking up the city of 11:10 and 12:22. Both use the same word.
ἔπαθεν (v.12) — the ‘suffer’ of 2:9·18, 5:8 and 9:26 comes for the last time. One verb joins them.
Why this rendering
Heb.13.19 Observation
Syntactic observation
δι’ αὐτοῦ ⸀οὖν ἀναφέρωμεν θυσίαν αἰνέσεως διὰ παντὸς τῷ θεῷ … The word for sacrifice turns over — θυσία, an animal through twelve chapters, is here the fruit of lips and well-doing · αἴνεσις ‘praise’, εὐποιΐα ‘well-doing’, ὑπείκω ‘submit’ and ἀλυσιτελής ‘of no advantage’ all stand once in the New Testament · καρπὸν χειλέων ‘the fruit of lips’ is the phrase of Hos 14:2 · ὁμολογέω ‘confess’ takes a dative here — it shares a root with ὁμολογία ‘confession’ at 3:1, 4:14 and 10:23 · εὐαρεστέω comes in the passive (at 11:5-6 it was people who were well pleasing to God) · ἀγρυπνέω ‘keep awake’ (as fixed at Mark 13:33) · λόγον ἀποδώσοντες ‘as those who will render an account’ · στενάζω ‘groan’ (as fixed at Rom 8:23) · at v.18 ‘wanting in all things to conduct ourselves well’, ἀναστρέφω shares a root with ἀναστροφή ‘conduct’ at 13:7 · ἀποκαθίστημι ‘be released back’ (a site-bound rendering beside ‘be restored’ at Matt 12:13).
Rendering options · 3
Basis The word that meant an animal through twelve chapters attaches here to lips and well-doing — ‘worship’ or ‘devotion’ would lose the turn.
Basis The base text sets πείθομαι and ὑπείκω one after the other — ‘obey’ for both would import the word of ὑπακούω and merge them.
Basis At 11:5-6 people were well pleasing to God; here God is the one well pleased — the turn of voice is the point.
Lost in translation
θυσία (vv.15 · 16) — the word for an animal attaches to lips and well-doing. ‘Sacrifice’ shows the turn.
ὁμολογούντων (v.15) — one root with ‘confession’ at 3:1, 4:14 and 10:23. Both keep it.
εὐαρεστεῖται (v.16) — the voice of 11:5-6 is turned over. Both render the voice as it stands.
πείθομαι / ὑπείκω (v.17) — two verbs one after the other. Both keep them apart.
ἀναστρέφεσθαι (v.18) — one root with ἀναστροφή ‘conduct’ at v.7. Both keep the root.
εὐποιΐα (v.16) — a different prefix from καλοποιέω at 2 Thess 3:13. ‘Well-doing’ keeps them apart.
Why this rendering
Heb.13.25 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης, ὁ ἀναγαγὼν ἐκ νεκρῶν τὸν ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων τὸν μέγαν … This is the only place in the book where the resurrection is named — and not with ‘raise’ but with ἀνάγω ‘bring up’ · ‘the great shepherd of the sheep’ — the word shepherd stands once in this book and echoes the phrase of Isa 63:11 · διαθήκη αἰώνιος ‘an eternal covenant’ — the book argues twelve chapters from covenant and sets this phrase at the end · καταρτίσαι, optative, ‘may he make complete’ (as fixed at Gal 6:1) · εὐάρεστος ‘well-pleasing’ (as fixed at Col 3:20) shares a root with the verb of v.16 · ⸀ἡμῖν ‘in us’, where the clause before has ‘you’ — the base text changes person · a doxology and an Amen (the step of Gal 1:5) · λόγος τῆς παρακλήσεως ‘the word of exhortation’ is the phrase used of the synagogue at Acts 13:15 — the writer calls his own work by that name · διὰ βραχέων ‘in few words’ — said of thirteen chapters · Timothy at 13:23 and Italy at 13:24 are the only personal news in the book, and the writer’s name never appears.
Rendering options · 3
Basis This is the one place the book names the resurrection, and the writer does not use ἐγείρω — ‘raised’ would erase his choice.
Basis ‘Make you complete … working in us’ changes person — levelling it would erase what the text chose.
Basis The writer calls his own work by the name used in the synagogue — ‘letter of exhortation’ would cut the link.
Lost in translation
ἀναγαγών (v.20) — the one place the book names the resurrection, and not with ἐγείρω. ‘Brought up’ keeps the choice.
ποιμήν (v.20) — once in this book. ‘Shepherd’ joins it to John 10:11.
ὑμᾶς … ⸀ἡμῖν (v.21) — the base text changes person. Both render it as it stands.
εὐάρεστον (v.21) — one root with εὐαρεστέω at v.16. Both keep it.
λόγος τῆς παρακλήσεως (v.22) — the phrase of Acts 13:15. Both use the same words.
The writer’s name is absent — the base text never gives it. Neither locale supplies one.