Hebrews 6:9-20

6:9 But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to salvation. 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints. 6:11 But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, 6:12 so that you may not be sluggish, ¹  but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.

6:13 Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, 6:14 saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.” ²  6:15 And so by persevering, Abraham ³  inherited the promise. 6:16 For people ⁴  swear by something greater than themselves, ⁵  and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. ⁶  6:17 In the same way ⁷  God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, ⁸  and so he intervened with an oath, 6:18 so that we who have found refuge in him ⁹  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. 6:19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain, ¹⁰  6:20 where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. ¹¹ 

[6:12]  ¹ tn Or “dull.”

[6:14]  ² tn Grk “in blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply you,” the Greek form of a Hebrew idiom showing intensity.

[6:15]  ³ tn Grk “he”; in the translation the referent (Abraham) has been specified for clarity.

[6:16]  ⁴ tn The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποι (anqrwpoi) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, and is thus translated “people.”

[6:16]  ⁵ tn Grk “by something greater”; the rest of the comparison (“than themselves”) is implied.

[6:16]  ⁶ tn Grk “the oath for confirmation is an end of all dispute.”

[6:17]  ⁷ tn Grk “in which.”

[6:17]  ⁸ tn Or “immutable” (here and in v. 18); Grk “the unchangeableness of his purpose.”

[6:18]  ⁹ tn Grk “have taken refuge”; the basis of that refuge is implied in the preceding verse.

[6:19]  ¹⁰ sn The curtain refers to the veil or drape in the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies.

[6:20]  ¹¹ sn A quotation from Ps 110:4, picked up again from Heb 5:6, 10.