12 1 He doth not only by the examples of the Fathers before recited, exhort them to patience and constancy, 3 but also by the example of Christ. 11 That the chastenings of God cannot be rightly judged by the outward sense of our flesh.
1 Wherefore, (A)[a]let us also, seeing that we are compassed with so great a cloud of witnesses, cast away everything that presseth down, and the sin that [b]hangeth so fast on: let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 [c][d]Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the [e]joy that was set before him, endured the cross, and despised the shame, and is set at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 [f]Consider therefore him that endureth such speaking against of sinners, lest ye should be wearied and faint in your minds.
4 [g]Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
5 [h]And ye have forgotten the consolation, which speaketh unto you as unto children, (B)My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him.
6 For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth: and he scourgeth every son that he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God offered himself unto you as unto sons: for what son is it whom the father chasteneth not?
8 If therefore ye be without correction, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 [i]Moreover we have had the fathers of our bodies which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: should we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of spirits, that we might live?
10 [j]For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he chastened us for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastising for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: but afterward, it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness, unto them which are thereby exercised.
12 [k]Wherefore lift up your hands which [l]hang down, and your weak knees,
13 And make [m]straight steps unto your feet, lest that which is halting, be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed.
14 (C)[n]Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without the which no man shall see the Lord.
15 [o]Take heed, that no man fall away from the grace of God: let no [p]root of bitterness spring up and trouble you, lest thereby many be defiled.
16 [q]Let there be no fornicator, or profane person as (D)Esau, which for one portion of meat sold his birthright.
17 (E)For ye know how that afterward also when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no [r]place to repentance, though he sought that blessing with tears.
18 [s]For ye are not come unto the (F)mount that might be [t]touched, nor unto burning fire, nor to blackness and darkness, and tempest,
19 Neither unto the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, which they that heard it, excused themselves, (G)that the word should not be spoken to them any more.
20 (For they were not able to abide that which was commanded, (H)yea, though a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
21 And so terrible was the [u]sight which appeared, that Moses said, I fear and quake.)
22 But ye are come unto the mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the celestial Jerusalem, and to the company of innumerable Angels.
23 And to the assembly and congregation of the first born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just and [v]perfect men,
24 And to Jesus the Mediator of the new Testament, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
25 [w]See that ye despise not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not which refused him, that spake on earth: much more shall we not escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.
26 [x]Whose voice then shook the earth, and now hath declared, saying, (I)Yet [y]once more will I shake, not the earth only, but also heaven.
27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things which are shaken, as of things which are made with hands, that the things which are not shaken, may remain.
28 [z]Wherefore seeing we receive a kingdom, which cannot be shaken, let us have grace whereby we may so serve God, that we may please him with [aa]reverence and [ab]fear.
29 For (J)even our God is a consuming fire.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 12:1 An applying of the former examples, whereby we ought to be stirred up to run the whole race, casting away all stops and impediments.
- Hebrews 12:1 For sin besiegeth us on all sides, so that we cannot escape out.
- Hebrews 12:2 He setteth before us, as the mark of this race, Jesus himself our captain, who willingly overcame all the roughness of the same way.
- Hebrews 12:2 As it were upon the mark of our faith.
- Hebrews 12:2 Whereas he had all kind of blessedness in his hand and power, yet suffered willingly the ignominy of the cross.
- Hebrews 12:3 An amplification taken of the circumstance of the person, and the things themselves, which he compareth betwixt themselves: for how great is Jesus in comparison of us, and how far more grievous things did he suffer than we?
- Hebrews 12:4 He taketh an argument of the profit which cometh to us by God’s chastisements, unless we be in fault. First of all because sin, or that rebellious wickedness of our flesh, is by this means turned.
- Hebrews 12:5 Secondly, because they are testimony of his fatherly good will toward us, insomuch that they show themselves to be bastards, which cannot abide to be chastened of God.
- Hebrews 12:9 Thirdly, if all men yield this right to fathers, to whom next after God we owe this life, that they may rightfully correct their children, shall we not be much more subject to that our Father, who is the Author of the spiritual and everlasting life?
- Hebrews 12:10 An amplification of the same argument: Those fathers have corrected us after their fancy, for some frail and transitory profit: but God chasteneth and instructeth us for our singular profit, to make us partakers of his holiness: which thing although these our senses do not presently perceive, yet the end of the matter proveth it.
- Hebrews 12:12 The conclusion, we must go forward courageously and keep always a right course, and (as far forth as we may) without any staggering or stumbling.
- Hebrews 12:12 The description of a man that is out of heart and clean discouraged.
- Hebrews 12:13 Keep a right course, and so, that you show example of good life for others to follow.
- Hebrews 12:14 We must live in peace, and holiness with all men.
- Hebrews 12:15 We must study to edify one another, both in doctrine and example of life.
- Hebrews 12:15 That no heresy, or backsliding be an offense.
- Hebrews 12:16 We must eschew fornication, and a profane mind, that is, such a mind, as giveth not to God his due honor, which wickedness how severely God will at length punish, the horrible example of Esau teacheth us.
- Hebrews 12:17 There was no place left for his repentance: and it appeareth by the effects, what his repentance was, for when he was gone out of his father’s sight, he threatened his brother to kill him.
- Hebrews 12:18 Now he applieth the same exhortation, to the Prophetical and kingly office of Christ compared with Moses, after this sort, If the majesty of the Law was so great, how great think you that the glory of Christ and the Gospel is? And this comparison he declareth also particularly.
- Hebrews 12:18 Which might be touched with hands, which was of a gross and earthly matter.
- Hebrews 12:21 The shape and form which he saw, which was no counterfeit and forged shape, but a true one.
- Hebrews 12:23 So he calleth them that are taken up into heaven, although one part of them sleep in the earth.
- Hebrews 12:25 The applying of the former comparison, If it were not lawful to contemn his word which spake on the earth, how much less his voice which is from heaven?
- Hebrews 12:26 He compareth the steadfast majesty of the Gospel, wherewith the whole world was shaken, and even the very frame of heaven was as it were astonished, with the small and vanishing sound of the governance by the Law.
- Hebrews 12:26 It appeareth evidently in this that the Prophet speaketh of the calling of the Gentiles, that these words must be referred to the kingdom of Christ.
- Hebrews 12:28 A general exhortation to live reverently and religiously under the most happy subjection of so mighty a king, who as he blesseth his most mightily, so doth he most severely revenge the rebellious. And this is the sum of a Christian life, respecting the first table.
- Hebrews 12:28 By reverence is meant that honest shamefastness which keepeth them in their duties.
- Hebrews 12:28 Religious and godly fear.