Hebrews 12:5-11
New English Translation
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons?
“My son, do not scorn[a] the Lord’s discipline
or give up when he corrects[b] you.
6 “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.”[c]
7 Endure your suffering[d] as discipline;[e] God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? 8 But if you do not experience discipline,[f] something all sons[g] have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. 9 Besides, we have experienced discipline from[h] our earthly fathers[i] and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life?[j] 10 For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness. 11 Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful.[k] But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness[l] for those trained by it.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Hebrews 12:5 tn Or “disregard,” “think little of.”
- Hebrews 12:5 tn Or “reproves,” “rebukes.” The Greek verb ἐλέγχω (elenchō) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.
- Hebrews 12:6 sn A quotation from Prov 3:11-12.
- Hebrews 12:7 tn Grk “endure,” with the object (“your suffering”) understood from the context.
- Hebrews 12:7 tn Or “in order to become disciplined.”
- Hebrews 12:8 tn Grk “you are without discipline.”
- Hebrews 12:8 tn Grk “all”; “sons” is implied by the context.
- Hebrews 12:9 tn Grk “we had our earthly fathers as discipliners.”
- Hebrews 12:9 tn 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.
- Hebrews 12:9 tn 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).
- Hebrews 12:11 tn Grk “all discipline at the time does not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow.”
- Hebrews 12:11 tn Grk “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
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