translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: HEB

label: NET translator note

text: Grk “having such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us.”


text: Grk “until blood.”


text: Or “disregard,” “think little of.”


text: Or “reproves,” “rebukes.” The Greek verb ἐλέγχω ( elencw ) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.


text: Grk “endure,” with the object (“your suffering”) understood from the context.


text: Or “in order to become disciplined.”


text: Grk “you are without discipline.”


text: Grk “all”; “sons” is implied by the context.


text: Grk “we had our earthly fathers as discipliners.”


text: Grk “the fathers of our flesh.” In Hebrews, “flesh” is a characteristic way of speaking about outward, physical, earthly life (cf. Heb 5:7; 9:10, 13 ), as opposed to the inward or spiritual dimensions of life.


text: Grk “and live.” sn Submit ourselves…to the Father of spirits and receive life. This idea is drawn from Proverbs, where the Lord’s discipline brings life, while resistance to it leads to death (cf. Prov 4:13; 6:23; 10:17; 16:17 ).


text: Grk “all discipline at the time does not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow.”


text: Grk “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”


text: Or “straighten.”


text: Grk “that there not be any root of bitterness,” but referring figuratively to a person who causes trouble (as in Deut 29:17 [LXX] from which this is quoted). sn An allusion to Deut 29:18 .


text: Grk “that there not be any,” continuing from v. 15 .


text: Or a command: “for understand that.”


text: Grk “it,” referring either to the repentance or the blessing. But the account in Gen 27:34-41 (which the author appeals to here) makes it clear that the blessing is what Esau sought. Thus in the translation the referent (the blessing) is specified for clarity.


text: This describes the nation of Israel approaching God on Mt. Sinai (). There is a clear contrast with the reference to Mount Zion in v. 22 , so this could be translated “a mountain that can be touched.” But the word “mountain” does not occur here and the more vague description seems to be deliberate.


text: Grk “a voice of words.”


text: Grk “a voice…from which those who heard begged that a word not be added to them.”


text: Grk “that which appeared.”


text: Grk “I am terrified and trembling.” sn A quotation from Deut 9:19 .


text: Grk “and the city”; the conjunction is omitted in translation since it seems to be functioning epexegetically – that is, explaining further what is meant by “Mount Zion.”


text: The Greek word μεσίτης ( mesith" , “mediator”) in this context does not imply that Jesus was a mediator in the contemporary sense of the word, i.e., he worked for compromise between opposing parties. Here the term describes his function as the one who was used by God to enact a new covenant which established a new relationship between God and his people, but entirely on God’s terms.