Hebrews 2:3

Hebrews 2:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
• New International Version (NIV)how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,
• New King James Version (NKJV)how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,

Context of Hebrews 2:3

1For this reason [that is, because of God’s final revelation in His Son Jesus and because of Jesus’ superiority to the angels] we must pay much closer attention than ever to the things that we have heard, so that we do not [in any way] drift away from truth. 2For if the message given through angels [the Law given to Moses] was authentic and unalterable, and every violation and disobedient act received an appropriate penalty, how will we escape [the penalty] if we ignore such a great salvation [the gospel, the new covenant]? For it was spoken at first by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us and proved authentic by those who personally heard [Him speak], 4[and besides this evidence] God also testifying with them [confirming the message of salvation], both by signs and wonders and by various miracles [carried out by Jesus and the apostles] and by [granting to believers the] gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. 5It was not to angels that God subjected the [inhabited] world of the future [when Christ reigns], about which we are speaking.

Hebrews 2:3 word by word

πῶς ἡμεῖς ἐκφευξόμεθα τηλικαύτης ἀμελήσαντες σωτηρίας; ἥτις ἀρχὴν λαβοῦσα λαλεῖσθαι διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκουσάντων εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐβεβαιώθηRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• shallἐκφεύγωekpheugō · to escapeG1628
• weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• if we neglectἀμελέωameleo · to neglectG272
• so greatτηλικοῦτοςtēlikoutos tēlikautē · so greatG5082
• salvationσωτηρίαsōtēria · salvationG4991
• whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• atλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• the firstἀρχήarchē · beginningG746
• to be spokenλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• the Lordὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• was confirmedβεβαιόωbebaioō · to confirmG950
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• byὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• them that heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191

Cross-references for Hebrews 2:3

• Hebrews 4:1Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still remains and is freely offered today, let us fear, in case any one of you may seem to come short of reaching it or think he has come too late.
• Hebrews 10:28Anyone who has ignored and set aside the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
• Hebrews 12:25See to it that you do not refuse [to listen to] Him who is speaking [to you now]. For if those [sons of Israel] did not escape when they refused [to listen to] him who warned them on earth [revealing God’s will], how much less will we escape if we turn our backs on Him who warns from heaven?
• Isaiah 20:6So the inhabitants of this coastland [the Israelites and their neighbors] will say in that day, ‘Look what has happened to those in whom we hoped and trusted and to whom we fled for help to be spared from the king of Assyria! But we, how will we escape [captivity and exile]?’ ”
• Ezekiel 17:15But Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar by sending his ambassadors to Egypt so that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant [with Babylon] and [still] escape?
• Matthew 23:33You serpents, you spawn of vipers, how can you escape the penalty of hell?
• Romans 2:3But do you think this, O man, when you judge and condemn those who practice such things, and yet do the same yourself, that you will escape God’s judgment and elude His verdict?
• 1 Thessalonians 5:3While they are saying, “Peace and safety [all is well and secure!]” then [in a moment unforeseen] destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains on a woman with child, and they will absolutely not escape [for there will be no way to escape the judgment of the Lord].
• 1 Peter 4:17For it is the time [destined] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not respect or believe or obey the gospel of God?
• Revelation 6:16and they called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the [righteous] wrath and indignation of the Lamb;
• Hebrews 5:9And having been made perfect [uniquely equipped and prepared as Savior and retaining His integrity amid opposition], He became the source of eternal salvation [an eternal inheritance] to all those who obey Him,
• Hebrews 7:25Therefore He is able also to save forever (completely, perfectly, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf [with God].
• Isaiah 12:2Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, For the Lord God is my strength and song; Yes, He has become my salvation.”
• Isaiah 51:5My righteousness (justice) is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The islands and coastlands will wait for Me, And they will wait with hope and confident expectation for My arm.
• Isaiah 62:11Listen carefully, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to the Daughter of Zion, “Look now, your salvation is coming [in the Lord]; Indeed, His reward is with Him, and His restitution accompanies Him.”
• Luke 1:69And He has raised up a horn of salvation [a mighty and valiant Savior] for us In the house of David His servant—

Commentaries on Hebrews 2:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3How shall we escape - If they who had fewer privileges than we have, to whom God spoke in divers manners by angels and prophets, fell under the displeasure of their Maker, and were often punished with a sore destruction; how shall we escape wrath to the uttermost if we neglect the salvation provided for us, and proclaimed to us by the Son of God? Their offense was high; ours, indescribably higher. The salvation mentioned here is the whole system of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3How shall we escape - How shall we escape the just recompense due to transgressors? What way is there of being saved from punishment, if we suffer the great salvation to be neglected, and do not embrace its offers? The sense is, that there is no other way of salvation, and the neglect of this will be followed by certain destruction. why it will, the apostle proceeds to show, by stating that this plan of salvation was proclaimed first by the Lord himself…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Why do we think we can avoid consequences? The author emphasizes the serious danger of rejecting Christ and his salvation. There is no escape from punishment for those who turn away, and the punishment will be very severe (see Hebrews 6:4–12; 10:26–31; 12:29; Romans 2:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:16). Salvation means God's actions to help his people. For example, God saved his people when he brought them out of Egypt in the exodus (Deuteronomy 26:5–9). In the New…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. we--who have received the message of salvation so clearly delivered to us (compare He 12:25). so great salvation--embodied in Jesus, whose very name means "salvation," including not only deliverance from foes and from death, and the grant of temporal blessings (which the law promised to the obedient), but also grace of the Spirit, forgiveness of sins, and the promise of heaven, glory, and eternal life (He 2:10). which--"inasmuch as it is a salvation…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 2:3

• Escape
• Jesus Continued
• Judgment
• Judgments
• Punishment
• Salvation
• Sin
• Testimony
• Wicked (People)
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Bondage
• Heed
• Neglect
• Recompense
• Reconciliation
• Salvation
• Taste
• Congregation
• Ebionism; Ebionites
• Eschatology of the New Testament

Commentaries on Hebrews 2

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings