12 that ye may not become slothful, but followers of those who through faith and patient endurance are inheriting the promises.
Be mindful of those leading you, who did speak to you the word of God, whose faith -- considering the issue of the behaviour -- be imitating,
for of patience ye have need, that the will of God having done, ye may receive the promise,
Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart. And lo, it hath gone up -- all of it -- thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down. And I see -- I -- I do set my heart, I have seen -- I have received instruction, A little sleep -- a little slumber -- A little folding of the hands to lie down. And thy poverty hath come `as' a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!
Thus said Jehovah: Stand ye by the ways and see, and ask for paths of old, Where `is' this -- the good way? and go ye in it, And find rest for yourselves. And they say, `We do not go.'
He also that is remiss in his work, A brother he `is' to a destroyer.
concerning whom we have much discourse and of hard explanation to say, since ye have become dull of hearing,
and this is the promise that He did promise us -- the life the age-during.
By faith Abraham, being called, did obey, to go forth to the place that he was about to receive for an inheritance, and he went forth, not knowing whither he doth go; by faith he did sojourn in the land of the promise as a strange country, in tabernacles having dwelt with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the same promise, for he was looking for the city having the foundations, whose artificer and constructor `is' God. By faith also Sarah herself did receive power to conceive seed, and she bare after the time of life, seeing she did judge Him faithful who did promise; wherefore, also from one were begotten -- and that of one who had become dead -- as the stars of the heaven in multitude, and as sand that `is' by the sea-shore -- the innumerable. In faith died all these, not having received the promises, but from afar having seen them, and having been persuaded, and having saluted `them', and having confessed that strangers and sojourners they are upon the earth, for those saying such things make manifest that they seek a country; and if, indeed, they had been mindful of that from which they came forth, they might have had an opportunity to return, but now they long for a better, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He did prepare for them a city. By faith Abraham hath offered up Isaac, being tried, and the only begotten he did offer up who did receive the promises,
Here is endurance of the saints: here `are' those keeping the commands of God, and the faith of Jesus.' And I heard a voice out of the heaven saying to me, `Write: Happy are the dead who in the Lord are dying from this time!' `Yes, (saith the Spirit,) That they may rest from their labours -- and their works do follow them!'
for thus once also the holy women who did hope on God, were adorning themselves, being subject to their own husbands, as Sarah was obedient to Abraham, calling him `sir,' of whom ye did become daughters, doing good, and not fearing any terror.
An example take ye of the suffering of evil, my brethren, and of the patience, the prophets who did speak in the name of the Lord; lo, we call happy those who are enduring; the endurance of Job ye heard of, and the end of the Lord ye have seen, that very compassionate is the Lord, and pitying.
Therefore, we also having so great a cloud of witnesses set around us, every weight having put off, and the closely besetting sin, through endurance may we run the contest that is set before us,
who through faith did subdue kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions,
and so, having patiently endured, he did obtain the promise;
so that we ourselves do glory in you in the assemblies of God, for your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye bear;
in the diligence not slothful; in the spirit fervent; the Lord serving;
and if what we do not behold we hope for, through continuance we expect `it'. And, in like manner also, the Spirit doth help our weaknesses; for, what we may pray for, as it behoveth `us', we have not known, but the Spirit himself doth make intercession for us with groanings unutterable,
to those, indeed, who in continuance of a good work, do seek glory, and honour, and incorruptibility -- life age-during;
`And that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the Bush, since he doth call the Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and He is not a God of dead men, but of living, for all live to Him.'
`And that in the good ground: These are they, who in an upright and good heart, having heard the word, do retain `it', and bear fruit in continuance.
`And his lord answering said to him, Evil servant, and slothful, thou hadst known that I reap where I did not sow, and I gather whence I did not scatter!
If thou knowest not, O fair among women, Get thee forth by the traces of the flock, And feed thy kids by the shepherds' dwellings!
The way of the slothful `is' as a hedge of briers, And the path of the upright is raised up.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Hebrews 6
Commentary on Hebrews 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 6
In this chapter the apostle proceeds to persuade the Hebrews to make a better proficiency in religion than they had done, as the best way to prevent apostasy, the dreadful nature and consequences of which sin he sets forth in a serious manner (v. 1-8), and then expresses his good hopes concerning them, that they would persevere in faith and holiness, to which he exhorts them, and sets before them the great encouragement they had from God, both with respect to their duty and happiness (v. 9-20).
Hbr 6:1-8
We have here the apostle's advice to the Hebrews-that they would grow up from a state of childhood to the fullness of the stature of the new man in Christ. He declares his readiness to assist them all he could in their spiritual progress; and, for their greater encouragement, he puts himself with them: Let us go on. Here observe, In order to their growth, Christians must leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ. How must they leave them? They must not lose them, they must not despise them, they must not forget them. They must lay them up in their hearts, and lay them as the foundation of all their profession and expectation; but they must not rest and stay in them, they must not be always laying the foundation, they must go on, and build upon it. There must be a superstructure; for the foundation is laid on purpose to support the building. Here it may be enquired, Why did the apostle resolve to set strong meat before the Hebrews, when he knew they were but babes? Answer.
Hbr 6:9-20
The apostle, having applied himself to the fears of the Hebrews, in order to excite their diligence and prevent their apostasy, now proceeds to apply himself to their hopes, and candidly declares the good hope he had concerning them, that they would persevere; and proposes to them the great encouragements they had in the way of their duty.