Hebrews 10:39

Hebrews 10:39 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
• New International Version (NIV)But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

Context of Hebrews 10:39

37For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. 38But My righteous one [the one justified by faith] shall live by faith [respecting man’s relationship to God and trusting Him]; And if he draws back [shrinking in fear], My soul has no delight in him. But our way is not that of those who shrink back to destruction, but [we are] of those who believe [relying on God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and by this confident faith preserve the soul.

Hebrews 10:39 word by word

ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐσμὲν ὑποστολῆς εἰς ἀπώλειαν ἀλλὰ πίστεως εἰς περιποίησιν ψυχῆς.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• of them who draw backὑποστολήhupostolē · shrinkingG5289
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• perditionἀπώλειαapōleia · destructionG684
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• of them that believeπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• the savingπεριποίησιςperipoiēsis · acquiringG4047
• of the soulψυχήpsuchē · soulG5590

Cross-references for Hebrews 10:39

• Hebrews 6:6and then have fallen away—it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace.
• 1 Samuel 15:11“I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” Samuel was angry [over Saul’s failure] and he cried out to the Lord all night.
• Psalms 44:18Our heart has not turned back, Nor have our steps wandered from Your path,
• Proverbs 1:32For the turning away of the naive will kill them, And the careless ease of [self-righteous] fools will destroy them.
• Proverbs 14:14The backslider in heart will have his fill with his own [rotten] ways, But a good man will be satisfied with his ways [the godly thought and action which his heart pursues and in which he delights].
• Luke 11:26Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in [the person] and live there; and the last state of that person becomes worse than the first.”
• 1 John 5:16If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not lead to death, he will pray and ask [on the believer’s behalf] and God will for him give life to those whose sin is not leading to death. There is a sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for this [kind of sin].
• Jude 1:12These men are hidden reefs [elements of great danger to others] in your love feasts when they feast together with you without fear, looking after [only] themselves; [they are like] clouds without water, swept along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted and lifeless;
• Hebrews 10:26For if we go on willfully and deliberately sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice [to atone] for our sins [that is, no further offering to anticipate],
• John 17:12While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and protected them, and not one of them was lost except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:3Let no one in any way deceive or entrap you, for that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first [that is, the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians], and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction [the Antichrist, the one who is destined to be destroyed],
• 1 Timothy 6:9But those who [are not financially ethical and] crave to get rich [with a compulsive, greedy longing for wealth] fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction [leading to personal misery].
• 2 Peter 3:7But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people.
• Revelation 17:8“The beast that you saw was [once], but [now] is not, and he is about to come up out of the abyss (the bottomless pit, the dwelling place of demons) and go to destruction (perdition). And the inhabitants of the earth, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they see the beast, because he was and is not and is yet to come [to earth].
• Hebrews 11:1Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].
• Mark 16:16He who has believed [in Me] and has been baptized will be saved [from the penalty of God’s wrath and judgment]; but he who has not believed will be condemned.

Commentaries on Hebrews 10:39

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39But we are not of them who draw back - ̔ - · "We are not the cowards, but the courageous." I have no doubt of this being the meaning of the apostle, and the form of speech requires such a translation; it occurs more than once in the New Testament. So, Galatians 3:7; : ̔ , they who are of the faith, rather the faithful, the believers; Romans 3:26; : ̔ , the believer; Romans 2:8; : ̔ , the contentious; in all which places the learned reader will find that…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39But we are not of them … - We who are true Christians do not belong to such a class. In this the apostle expresses the fullest conviction that none of those to whom he wrote would apostatize. The case which he had been describing was only a supposable case, not one which he believed would occur. He had only been stating what “must” happen if a sincere Christian should apostatize. But he did not mean to say that this “would” occur in regard to them. or in…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 32-39Verses 32-39 Many and various afflictions united against the early Christians, and they had a great conflict. The Christian spirit is not a selfish spirit; it puts us upon pitying others, visiting them, helping them, and pleading for them. All things here are but shadows. The happiness of the saints in heaven will last for ever; enemies can never take it away as earthly goods. This will make rich amends for all we may lose and suffer here. The greatest…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 39The author concludes this section by expressing confidence in the listeners (see study note on Hebrews 6:9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3939. A Pauline elegant turning-off from denunciatory warnings to charitable hopes of his readers (Ro 8:12). saving of the soul--literally, "acquisition (or obtaining) of the soul." The kindred Greek verb is applied to Christ's acquiring the Church as the purchase of His blood (Ac 20:28). If we acquire or obtain our soul's salvation, it is through Him who has obtained it for us by His bloodshedding. "The unbelieving man loses his soul: for not being God's…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 10:39

• Apostasy
• Backsliders
• Faith

In the dictionaries

• Approach
• Assembling
• Assurance
• Backslide
• Consider
• Draw
• Fearful
• High priest
• Judge
• Provoke

Commentaries on Hebrews 10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings