Chronological
The Epistle to the Hebrews
The drift and end of this Epistle, is to show that Jesus Christ the Son of God both God and man, is that true eternal and only Prophet, King, and high Priest, that was shadowed by the figures of the old Law, and is now indeed exhibited: of whom the whole Church ought to be taught, governed and sanctified.
1 2 To show that the doctrine which Christ brought, is most excellent, in that it is the knitting up of all prophecies, 4 he advanceth him above the Angels: 10 And proveth by divers testimonies of the Scripture, that he far passeth all others.
1 At [a]sundry times and in divers manners God spake in the old time to our fathers by the Prophets: in these [b]last days he hath spoken unto us by his [c]Son,
2 [d]Whom he hath made [e]heir of all things, by whom also he made the [f]worlds,
3 (A)Who being the [g]brightness of the glory, and the engraved form of his [h]person, and [i]bearing up all things by his mighty word: [j]hath by himself purged our sins: and [k]sitteth at the right hand of the Majesty in the highest places,
4 [l]And is made so much more excellent than the Angels, inasmuch as he hath obtained a more excellent [m]Name than they.
5 [n]For unto which of the Angels said he at any time, (B)Thou art my Son, [o]this day begat I thee? and again, I (C)will be his Father, and he shall be my Son:
6 And [p]again, when he bringeth in his first begotten Son into the world, he saith, (D)And let all the Angels of God worship him.
7 And of the Angels he saith, (E)He maketh the spirits his [q]messengers, and his ministers a flame [r]of fire.
8 But unto the Son he saith, (F)O God, thy [s]throne is forever [t]and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a [u]scepter of righteousness.
9 Thou hast loved righteousness and [v]hated iniquity. Wherefore God, even thy God, hath [w]anointed thee with the oil of gladness, above thy [x]fellows.
10 And, (G)Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast [y]established the earth, and the heavens are the works of thine hands.
11 They shall perish, but thou dost remain, and they all shall wax old as doth a garment,
12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
13 Unto which also of the Angels said he at any time, (H)Sit at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
14 Are they not all [z]ministering spirits, sent forth to minister, for their sakes which shall be heirs of salvation?
2 1 Thereof he inferreth, that good heed must be given to Christ’s doctrine: 9 And he setteth him out unto us even as our brother in our flesh, that we may with a good will yield up ourselves wholly unto him.
1 Wherefore [aa]we ought diligently to give heed to the things which [ab]we have heard, lest at any time we [ac]run out.
2 For if the [ad]word spoken by Angels was steadfast, and every transgression, and disobedience received a just recompense of reward,
3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, [ae]which at the first began to be preached by the Lord, and afterward was confirmed unto us by [af]them that heard him.
4 (I)God bearing witness thereto, both with [ag]signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the holy Ghost, according to his own will?
5 [ah]For he hath not put in subjection unto the Angels the [ai]world to come, whereof we speak.
6 [aj]But (J)one in a certain place witnessed, saying, [ak]What is man, that thou shouldest be mindful of him? or the [al]son of man, that thou wouldest consider him?
7 Thou [am]madest him a little inferior to the Angels: thou crownedst him with [an]glory and honor, and hast set him above the works of thine hands.
8 (K)Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. And in that he hath put all things in subjection under him, he left nothing that should not be subject unto him. [ao]But we yet see not all things subdued unto him,
9 [ap]But we [aq]see Jesus crowned with glory and honor, (L)which was made little [ar]inferior to the Angels, [as]through the [at]suffering of death, that by God’s grace he might [au]taste death for [av]all men.
10 [aw]For it became [ax]him, for whom are all these things, and by whom are all these things, [ay]seeing that he brought many children unto glory, [az]that he should consecrate the [ba]Prince of their salvation through afflictions.
11 [bb]For he that [bc]sanctifieth, and they which are sanctified, are all of [bd]one: wherefore he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 [be]Saying, (M)I will declare thy Name unto my brethren: in the midst of the Church will I sing praises to thee.
13 [bf]And again, (N)I will put my [bg]trust in him. And again, (O)[bh]Behold, here am I, and the children which God hath given me.
14 Forasmuch then as the children are [bi]partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part with them, that he might destroy (P)through death, him that had the [bj]power of death, that is, the [bk]devil,
15 And that he might deliver all them, which for fear of [bl]death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16 [bm]For he in no sort took on him the [bn]Angels’ nature, but he took on him the [bo]seed of Abraham.
17 [bp]Wherefore in [bq]all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be [br]merciful, and a [bs]faithful high Priest in things concerning God, that he might make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that he suffered, and was [bt]tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
3 1 Now he showeth how far inferior Moses is to Christ, 5, 6 even so much as the servant to the Master: and so he bringeth in certain exhortations and threatenings taken out of David, 8 against such as either stubbornly resist, 12 or else are very slow to obey.
1 Therefore, [bu]holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly vocation, consider the [bv]Apostle and high Priest of our [bw]profession Christ Jesus:
2 [bx]Who was faithful to him that hath [by]appointed him, [bz]even as (Q)Moses was in all his house.
3 [ca]For this man is counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he which hath builded the house, hath more honor than the house.
4 For every house is builded of some man, and he that hath built all things, is God.
5 [cb]Now Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a witness of the things which should be spoken after.
6 But Christ is as the Son, over his own house, [cc]whose [cd]house we are, if we hold fast that [ce]confidence and that rejoicing of that hope unto the end.
7 Wherefore, as the holy Ghost saith, (R)Today if ye [cf]shall hear his voice,
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the [cg]provocation, according to the day of the temptation in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years long.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They [ch]err ever in their heart, neither have they known my ways.
11 Therefore I swear in my wrath, If they shall enter into my rest.
12 [ci]Take heed brethren, lest at any time there be in any of you an evil heart, and unfaithful, to depart away from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, [cj]while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 [ck]For we are made partakers of Christ, if we keep sure unto the end that [cl]beginning, wherewith we are upholden,
15 [cm]So long as it is said, Today if ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16 For some when they heard, provoked him to anger: howbeit, not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
17 But with whom was he displeased forty years? Was he not displeased with them that sinned, (S)whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom swear he that they should not enter into his rest, but unto them that obeyed not?
19 So we see that they could not enter in, because of unbelief.
4 1 He joineth exhortation with threatening, lest they, even as their fathers were be deprived of the rest offered unto them, 11 but that they endeavor to enter into it. 14 And so he beginneth to entreat of Christ’s Priesthood.
1 Let us fear therefore, lest at any time by forsaking the promise of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to be deprived.
2 [cn]For unto us was the Gospel preached as also unto them: but the word that they heard, profited not them, because it was not [co]mixed with faith in those that heard it.
3 [cp]For we which have believed, do enter into rest, as he said to the other, (T)As I have sworn in my wrath, If they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, (U)And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter thereinto, and they to whom it was first preached, entered not therein for unbelief’s sake:
7 Again he appointed in David a certain day, by Today, after so long a time, saying, as it is said, (V)This day, if ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if [cq]Jesus had given them rest, then would he not after this have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 [cr]For he that is entered into his rest, hath also ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 [cs]Let us study therefore to enter into that rest, lest [ct]any man fall after the same example of disobedience.
12 [cu]For the [cv]word of God is [cw]lively, and mighty in operation, and sharper than any two edged sword, and entereth through, even unto the dividing asunder of the [cx]soul and the [cy]spirit, and of the joints, and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts, and the intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature, which is not manifest in [cz]his sight: but all things are naked and open unto his eyes, with whom we have to do.
14 [da]Seeing then that we have a great high Priest, which is entered into heaven, even Jesus the Son of God, let us [db]hold fast our profession.
15 [dc]For we have not an high Priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all things tempted in like sort, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore go boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
5 1 First he showeth the duty of the high Priest: 5 Secondly, that Christ is appointed of God to be our high Priest, 7 and that he hath fulfilled all things belonging thereunto.
1 For [dd]every high Priest is taken from among men, and is ordained for men, in things pertaining to God, [de]that he may offer both [df]gifts and [dg]sacrifices for sins.
2 Which is [dh]able sufficiently to have compassion [di]on them that are ignorant, and that are out of the way, because that he also is [dj]compassed with infirmity,
3 And for the same sake he is bound to offer for sins, as well for his own part, as for the peoples.
4 (W)[dk]And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
5 So likewise Christ took not to himself this honor to be made the high Priest, but he that said unto him, (X)Thou art my son, this day begat I thee, gave it him.
6 As he also in another place speaketh, (Y)Thou art a Priest forever, after the [dl]order of Melchizedek,
7 [dm]Who in the [dn]days of his flesh did offer up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears unto him, that was able to [do]save him from death, and was also heard in that which he feared.
8 And though he were the Son, yet [dp]learned he obedience, by the things which he suffered.
9 [dq]And being [dr]consecrated, was made the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him:
10 And is called of God an high Priest after the order of Melchizedek.
11 [ds]Of whom we have many things to say, which are hard to be uttered, because ye are dull of hearing.
12 [dt]For when as concerning the time ye ought to be teachers, yet have ye need again that we teach you what are the first principles of the word of God: and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For everyone that useth milk, is inexpert in the [du]word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of age, which through long custom have their [dv]wits exercised, to discern both good and evil.
6 1 He briefly toucheth the childish slothfulness of the Hebrews, 4 and terrifieth them with severe threatenings: 7 He stirreth them up to endeavor in time to go forward: 9 He hopeth well of them: 13 He allegeth Abraham’s example: 17 and compareth faith that taketh hold on the word, 19 unto an anchor.
1 Therefore, leaving the doctrine of the [dw]beginning of Christ, let us be led forward unto perfection, [dx]not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and laying on of hands, and of the resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do if God permit.
4 (Z)[dy] For it is [dz]impossible that they which were once lightened, and have [ea]tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come,
6 If they fall away, should be renewed again by repentance: seeing they [eb]crucify again to themselves the Son of God, and make a mock of him.
7 [ec]For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing of God.
8 But that which beareth thorns and briars, is reproved, and is near unto cursing, whose end is to be burned.
9 [ed]But beloved, we have persuaded ourselves better things of you, and such as accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10 [ee]For God is not unrighteous, that he should forget your work, and labor of love, which ye showed toward his Name, in that ye have ministered unto the Saints, and yet minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end,
12 [ef]That ye be not slothful, but followers of them, which through faith and patience, inherit the promises.
13 [eg]For when God made the promise to Abraham, because he had no greater to swear by, he swore by himself,
14 Saying, (AA)Surely I will [eh]abundantly bless thee, and multiply thee marvelously.
15 And so after that he had tarried patiently, he enjoyed the promise.
16 For men verily swear by him that is greater than themselves, and an oath for confirmation is among them an end of all strife.
17 So God, willing more [ei]abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the stableness of his counsel, bound himself by an oath,
18 That by two immutable things, wherein it is impossible that God should lie, we might have strong consolation, which have our refuge to lay hold upon that hope that is set before us,
19 [ej]Which hope we have, as an anchor of the soul, but sure and steadfast, and it entereth into that which is within the veil.
20 [ek]Whither the forerunner is for us entered in, even Jesus that is made an high Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.