Hebrews 6:13-20
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Certainty of God’s Promise
13 When God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,(A) 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham,[a] having patiently endured, obtained the promise. 16 Humans, of course, swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all dispute among them.(B) 17 In the same way, when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it by an oath,(C) 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would prove false, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us.(D) 19 We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain,(E) 20 where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.(F)
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- 6.15 Gk he
Hebrews 6:13-20
New English Translation
13 Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.”[a] 15 And so by persevering, Abraham[b] inherited the promise. 16 For people[c] swear by something greater than themselves,[d] and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute.[e] 17 In the same way[f] God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable,[g] and so he intervened with an oath, 18 so that we who have found refuge in him[h] may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain,[i] 20 where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.[j]
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- Hebrews 6:14 tn Grk “in blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply you,” the Greek form of a Hebrew idiom showing intensity.sn A quotation from Gen 22:17.
- Hebrews 6:15 tn Grk “he”; in the translation the referent (Abraham) has been specified for clarity.
- Hebrews 6:16 tn The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποι (anthrōpoi) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, and is thus translated “people.”
- Hebrews 6:16 tn Grk “by something greater”; the rest of the comparison (“than themselves”) is implied.
- Hebrews 6:16 tn Grk “the oath for confirmation is an end of all dispute.”
- Hebrews 6:17 tn Grk “in which.”
- Hebrews 6:17 tn Or “immutable” (here and in v. 18); Grk “the unchangeableness of his purpose.”
- Hebrews 6:18 tn Grk “have taken refuge”; the basis of that refuge is implied in the preceding verse.
- Hebrews 6:19 sn The curtain refers to the veil or drape in the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies.
- Hebrews 6:20 sn A quotation from Ps 110:4, picked up again from Heb 5:6, 10.
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