Leviticus 19:8

19:8 and the one who eats it will bear his punishment for iniquity ¹  because he has profaned ²  what is holy to the Lord. ³  That person will be cut off from his people. ⁴ 

Psalms 133:1

Psalm 133 ⁵ 

A song of ascents, ⁶  by David.

133:1 Look! How good and how pleasant it is

when brothers live together! ⁷ 

John 13:34-35

13:34 “I give you a new commandment – to love ⁸  one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ⁹  13:35 Everyone ¹⁰  will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12-17

15:12 My commandment is this – to love one another just as I have loved you. ¹¹  15:13 No one has greater love than this – that one lays down his life ¹²  for his friends. 15:14 You are my friends ¹³  if you do what I command you. 15:15 I no longer call you slaves, ¹⁴  because the slave does not understand ¹⁵  what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything ¹⁶  I heard ¹⁷  from my Father. 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you ¹⁸  and appointed you to go and bear ¹⁹  fruit, fruit that remains, ²⁰  so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 15:17 This ²¹  I command you – to love one another.

Acts 4:32

Conditions Among the Early Believers

4:32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, ²²  and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common. ²³ 

Romans 12:10

12:10 Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.

Ephesians 5:1-2

Live in Love

5:1 Therefore, be ²⁴  imitators of God as dearly loved children 5:2 and live ²⁵  in love, just as Christ also loved us ²⁶  and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering ²⁷  to God.

Hebrews 13:1

Final Exhortations

13:1 Brotherly love must continue.

Hebrews 13:1

Final Exhortations

13:1 Brotherly love must continue.

Hebrews 3:8

3:8 “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness.

Hebrews 3:2

3:2 who is faithful to the one who appointed him, as Moses was also in God’s ²⁸  house. ²⁹ 

Hebrews 1:7

1:7 And he says ³⁰  of the angels, “He makes ³¹  his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire,” ³² 

Hebrews 1:1

Introduction: God Has Spoken Fully and Finally in His Son

1:1 After God spoke long ago ³³  in various portions ³⁴  and in various ways ³⁵  to our ancestors ³⁶  through the prophets,

Hebrews 2:10

2:10 For it was fitting for him, for whom and through whom all things exist, ³⁷  in bringing many sons to glory, to make the pioneer ³⁸  of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Hebrews 3:11

3:11 “As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest!’” ³⁹ 

Hebrews 3:14-19

3:14 For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence ⁴⁰  firm until the end. 3:15 As it says, ⁴¹  “Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks! ⁴²  Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” ⁴³  3:16 For which ones heard and rebelled? Was it not all who came out of Egypt under Moses’ leadership? ⁴⁴  3:17 And against whom was God ⁴⁵  provoked for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness? ⁴⁶  3:18 And to whom did he swear they would never enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient? 3:19 So ⁴⁷  we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.

Hebrews 3:1

Jesus and Moses

3:1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, ⁴⁸  partners in a heavenly calling, take note of Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess, ⁴⁹ 

Hebrews 3:1

Jesus and Moses

3:1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, ⁵⁰  partners in a heavenly calling, take note of Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess, ⁵¹ 

Hebrews 4:7-16

4:7 So God ⁵²  again ordains a certain day, “Today,” speaking through David ⁵³  after so long a time, as in the words quoted before, ⁵⁴  “O, that today you would listen as he speaks! ⁵⁵  Do not harden your hearts.” 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God ⁵⁶  would not have spoken afterward about another day. 4:9 Consequently a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God. 4:10 For the one who enters God’s ⁵⁷  rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works. 4:11 Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience. 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. 4:13 And no creature is hidden from God, ⁵⁸  but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.

Jesus Our Compassionate High Priest

4:14 Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 4:15 For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. 4:16 Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help. ⁵⁹ 

[19:8]  ¹ tn See the note on Lev 17:16 above.

[19:8]  ² sn Regarding “profaned,” see the note on Lev 10:10 above.

[19:8]  ³ tn Heb “the holiness of the Lord.”

[19:8]  ⁴ sn On the “cut off” penalty see the note on Lev 7:20.

[133:1]  ⁵ sn Psalm 133. The psalmist affirms the benefits of family unity.

[133:1]  ⁶ sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[133:1]  ⁷ sn This statement refers to the extended family structure of ancient Israel, where brothers would often live in proximity to one another (Deut 25:5), giving the family greater social prominence and security. However, in its later application in the Israelite cult it probably envisions unity within the covenant community. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 212-15.

[13:34]  ⁸ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause gives the content of the commandment. This is indicated by a dash in the translation.

[13:34]  ⁹ sn The idea that love is a commandment is interesting. In the OT the ten commandments have a setting in the covenant between God and Israel at Sinai; they were the stipulations that Israel had to observe if the nation were to be God’s chosen people. In speaking of love as the new commandment for those whom Jesus had chosen as his own (John 13:1, 15:16) and as a mark by which they could be distinguished from others (13:35), John shows that he is thinking of this scene in covenant terminology. But note that the disciples are to love “Just as I have loved you” (13:34). The love Jesus has for his followers cannot be duplicated by them in one sense, because it effects their salvation, since he lays down his life for them: It is an act of love that gives life to people. But in another sense, they can follow his example (recall to the end, 13:1; also 1 John 3:16, 4:16 and the interpretation of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet). In this way Jesus’ disciples are to love one another: They are to follow his example of sacrificial service to one another, to death if necessary.

[13:35]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “All people,” although many modern translations have rendered πάντες (pantes) as “all men” (ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV). While the gender of the pronoun is masculine, it is collective and includes people of both genders.

[15:12]  ¹¹ sn Now the reference to the commandments (plural) in 15:10 have been reduced to a singular commandment: The disciples are to love one another, just as Jesus has loved them. This is the ‘new commandment’ of John 13:34, and it is repeated in 15:17. The disciples’ love for one another is compared to Jesus’ love for them. How has Jesus shown his love for the disciples? This was illustrated in 13:1-20 in the washing of the disciples’ feet, introduced by the statement in 13:1 that Jesus loved them “to the end.” In context this constitutes a reference to Jesus’ self-sacrificial death on the cross on their behalf; the love they are to have for one another is so great that it must include a self-sacrificial willingness to die for one another if necessary. This is exactly what Jesus is discussing here, because he introduces the theme of his sacrificial death in the following verse. In John 10:18 and 14:31 Jesus spoke of his death on the cross as a commandment he had received from his Father, which also links the idea of commandment and love as they are linked here. One final note: It is not just the degree or intensity of the disciples’ love for one another that Jesus is referring to when he introduces by comparison his own death on the cross (that they must love one another enough to die for one another) but the very means of expressing that love: It is to express itself in self-sacrifice for one another, sacrifice up to the point of death, which is what Jesus himself did on the cross (cf. 1 John 3:16).

[15:13]  ¹² tn Or “one dies willingly.”

[15:14]  ¹³ sn This verse really explains John 15:10 in another way. Those who keep Jesus’ commandments are called his friends, those friends for whom he lays down his life (v. 13). It is possible to understand this verse as referring to a smaller group within Christianity as a whole, perhaps only the apostles who were present when Jesus spoke these words. Some have supported this by comparing it to the small group of associates and advisers to the Roman Emperor who were called “Friends of the Emperor.” Others would see these words as addressed only to those Christians who as disciples were obedient to Jesus. In either case the result would be to create a sort of “inner circle” of Christians who are more privileged than mere “believers” or average Christians. In context, it seems clear that Jesus’ words must be addressed to all true Christians, not just some narrower category of believers, because Jesus’ sacrificial death, which is his act of love toward his friends (v. 13) applies to all Christians equally (cf. John 13:1).

[15:15]  ¹⁴ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[15:15]  ¹⁵ tn Or “does not know.”

[15:15]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “all things.”

[15:15]  ¹⁷ tn Or “learned.”

[15:16]  ¹⁸ sn You did not choose me, but I chose you. If the disciples are now elevated in status from slaves to friends, they are friends who have been chosen by Jesus, rather than the opposite way round. Again this is true of all Christians, not just the twelve, and the theme that Christians are “chosen” by God appears frequently in other NT texts (e.g., Rom 8:33; Eph 1:4ff.; Col 3:12; and 1 Pet 2:4). Putting this together with the comments on 15:14 one may ask whether the author sees any special significance at all for the twelve. Jesus said in John 6:70 and 13:18 that he chose them, and 15:27 makes clear that Jesus in the immediate context is addressing those who have been with him from the beginning. In the Fourth Gospel the twelve, as the most intimate and most committed followers of Jesus, are presented as the models for all Christians, both in terms of their election and in terms of their mission.

[15:16]  ¹⁹ tn Or “and yield.”

[15:16]  ²⁰ sn The purpose for which the disciples were appointed (“commissioned”) is to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains. The introduction of the idea of “going” at this point suggests that the fruit is something more than just character qualities in the disciples’ own lives, but rather involves fruit in the lives of others, i.e., Christian converts. There is a mission involved (cf. John 4:36). The idea that their fruit is permanent, however, relates back to vv. 7-8, as does the reference to asking the Father in Jesus’ name. It appears that as the imagery of the vine and the branches develops, the “fruit” which the branches produce shifts in emphasis from qualities in the disciples’ own lives in John 15:2, 4, 5 to the idea of a mission which affects the lives of others in John 15:16. The point of transition would be the reference to fruit in 15:8.

[15:17]  ²¹ tn Grk “These things.”

[4:32]  ²² tn Grk “soul.”

[4:32]  ²³ tn Grk “but all things were to them in common.”

[5:1]  ²⁴ tn Or “become.”

[5:2]  ²⁵ tn Grk “walk.” The NT writers often used the verb “walk” (περιπατέω, peripatew) to refer to ethical conduct (cf. Rom 8:4; Gal 5:16; Col 4:5).

[5:2]  ²⁶ tc A number of important witnesses have ὑμᾶς (Jumas, “you”; e.g., א* A B P 0159 81 1175 al it co as well as several fathers). Other, equally important witnesses read ἡμᾶς (Jhmas, “us”; Ì⁴⁶ א² D F G Ψ 0278 33 1739 1881 al lat sy). It is possible that ἡμᾶς was accidentally introduced via homoioarcton with the previous word (ἠγάπησεν, hgaphsen). On the other hand, ὑμᾶς may have been motivated by the preceding ὑμῖν (Jumin) in 4:32 and second person verbs in 5:1, 2. Further, the flow of argument seems to require the first person pronoun. A decision is difficult to make, but the first person pronoun has a slightly greater probability of being original.

[5:2]  ²⁷ tn Grk “an offering and sacrifice to God as a smell of fragrance.” The first expression, προσφορὰν καὶ θυσίαν (prosforan kai qusian), is probably a hendiadys and has been translated such that “sacrificial” modifies “offering.” The second expression, εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας (ei" osmhn euwdia", “as a smell of fragrance”) has been translated as “a fragrant offering”; see BDAG 728-29 s.v. ὀσμή 2. Putting these two together in a clear fashion in English yields the translation: “a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.”

[3:2]  ²⁸ tn Grk “his”; in the translation the referent (God) has been specified for clarity.

[3:2]  ²⁹ tc ‡ The reading adopted by the translation follows a few early mss and some versions (Ì^13,46vid B vg^ms co Ambr). The majority of mss (א A C D Ψ 0243 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï lat sy) insert “all” (“in all his house”), apparently in anticipation of Heb 3:5 which quotes directly from Num 12:7. On balance, the omission better explains the rise of ὅλῳ ({olw, “all”) than vice versa. NA²⁷ puts ὅλῳ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[1:7]  ³⁰ sn The Greek correlative conjunctions μέν and δέ (men and de) emphasize the contrastive parallelism of vs. 7 (what God says about the angels) over against vv. 8-9 and vv. 10-12 (what God says about the son).

[1:7]  ³¹ tn Grk “He who makes.”

[1:7]  ³² sn A quotation from Ps 104:4.

[1:1]  ³³ tn Or “spoke formerly.”

[1:1]  ³⁴ tn Or “parts.” The idea is that God’s previous revelation came in many parts and was therefore fragmentary or partial (L&N 63.19), in comparison with the final and complete revelation contained in God’s Son. However, some interpret πολυμερῶς (polumerw") in Heb 1:1 to mean “on many different occasions” and would thus translate “many times” (L&N 67.11). This is the option followed by the NIV: “at many times and in various ways.” Finally, this word is also understood to refer to the different manners in which something may be done, and would then be translated “in many different ways” (L&N 89.81). In this last case, the two words πολυμερῶς and πολυτρόπως (polutropw") mutually reinforce one another (“in many and various ways,” NRSV).

[1:1]  ³⁵ tn These two phrases are emphasized in Greek by being placed at the beginning of the sentence and by alliteration.

[1:1]  ³⁶ tn Grk “to the fathers.”

[2:10]  ³⁷ tn Grk “for whom are all things and through whom are all things.”

[2:10]  ³⁸ sn The Greek word translated pioneer is used of a “prince” or leader, the representative head of a family. It also carries nuances of “trailblazer,” one who breaks through to new ground for those who follow him. It is used some thirty-five times in the Greek OT and four times in the NT, always of Christ (Acts 3:15; 5:31; Heb 2:10; 12:2).

[3:11]  ³⁹ tn Grk “if they shall enter my rest,” a Hebrew idiom expressing an oath that something will certainly not happen.

[3:14]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “the beginning of the confidence.”

[3:15]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “while it is said.”

[3:15]  ⁴² tn Grk “today if you hear his voice.”

[3:15]  ⁴³ sn A quotation from Ps 95:7b-8.

[3:16]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “through Moses.”

[3:17]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “he”; in the translation the referent (God) has been specified for clarity.

[3:17]  ⁴⁶ sn An allusion to God’s judgment pronounced in Num 14:29, 32.

[3:19]  ⁴⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate a summary or conclusion to the argument of the preceding paragraph.

[3:1]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.

[3:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “of our confession.”

[3:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.

[3:1]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “of our confession.”

[4:7]  ⁵² tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:7]  ⁵³ sn Ps 95 does not mention David either in the text or the superscription. It is possible that the writer of Hebrews is attributing the entire collection of psalms to David (although some psalms are specifically attributed to other individuals or groups).

[4:7]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “as it has been said before” (see Heb 3:7).

[4:7]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “today if you hear his voice.”

[4:8]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:10]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:13]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:16]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “for timely help.”