Amplified Bible
Hebrews 6:18
18so that by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge would have strong encouragement and indwelling strength to hold tightly to the hope set before us.
Hebrews 6:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
- New International Version (NIV)God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
- English Standard Version (ESV)so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
- New King James Version (NKJV)that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
Context of Hebrews 6:18
16Indeed men swear [an oath] by one greater than themselves, and with them [in all disputes] the oath serves as confirmation [of what has been said] and is an end of the dispute. 17In the same way God, in His desire to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable nature of His purpose, intervened and guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge would have strong encouragement and indwelling strength to hold tightly to the hope set before us. 19This hope [this confident assurance] we have as an anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it]—a safe and steadfast hope that enters within the veil [of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells], 20where Jesus has entered [in advance] as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Read all of Hebrews 6Hebrews 6:18 word by word
ἵνα διὰ δύο πραγμάτων ἀμεταθέτων, ἐν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι τὸν θεόν, ἰσχυρὰν παράκλησιν ἔχωμεν οἱ καταφυγόντες κρατῆσαι τῆς προκειμένης ἐλπίδος·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- twoδύοduo · twoG1417
- immutableἀμετάθετοςametathetos · unchangeableG276
- thingsπρᾶγμαpragma · thingG4229
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- impossibleἀδύνατοςadunatos · unableG102
- for Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- to lieψεύδομαιpseudomai · to lieG5574
- we might haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- aπαράκλησιςparaklēsis · encouragementG3874
- strongἰσχυρόςischuros · strongG2478
- who have fled for refugeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- who have fled for refugeκαταφεύγωkatapheugō · to fleeG2703
- to lay holdκρατέωkrateō · to grasp/seizeG2902
- upon the hopeἐλπίςelpis · hopeG1680
- set before usπρόκειμαιprokeimai · to set beforeG4295
Cross-references for Hebrews 6:18
- Hebrews 3:11So I swore [an oath] in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest [the promised land].’ ”
- Hebrews 7:21(for those Levites who formerly became priests [received their office] without [its being confirmed by the taking of] an oath, but this One [was designated] with an oath through the One who said to Him, “The Lord has sworn And will not change His mind or regret it, ‘You (Christ) are a Priest forever’ ”).
- Psalms 110:4The Lord has sworn [an oath] and will not change His mind: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
- Matthew 24:35Heaven and earth [as now known] will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
- Numbers 23:19God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?
- 1 Samuel 15:29Also the Splendor and Glory and Eminence of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.”
- Romans 3:4Certainly not! Let God be found true [as He will be], though every person be found a liar, just as it is written [in Scripture], “That You may be justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged [by sinful men].”
- 2 Timothy 2:13If we are faithless, He remains faithful [true to His word and His righteous character], for He cannot deny Himself.
- 1 John 1:10If we say that we have not sinned [refusing to admit acts of sin], we make Him [out to be] a liar [by contradicting Him] and His word is not in us.
- 1 John 5:10The one who believes in the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies confidently on Him as Savior] has the testimony within himself [because he can speak authoritatively about Christ from his own personal experience]. The one who does not believe God [in this way] has made Him [out to be] a liar, because he has not believed in the evidence that God has given regarding His Son.
- Isaiah 51:12“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of a son of man who is made [as destructible] as grass,
- Isaiah 66:10“Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; Rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her,
- Luke 2:25Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout [carefully observing the divine Law], and looking for the Consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
- Romans 15:5Now may the God who gives endurance and who supplies encouragement grant that you be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
- 2 Corinthians 1:5For just as Christ’s sufferings are ours in abundance [as they overflow to His followers], so also our comfort [our reassurance, our encouragement, our consolation] is abundant through Christ [it is truly more than enough to endure what we must].
- Philippians 2:1Therefore if there is any encouragement and comfort in Christ [as there certainly is in abundance], if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship [that we share] in the Spirit, if [there is] any [great depth of] affection and compassion,
Commentaries on Hebrews 6:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18That by two immutable things - The promise and oath of God: the promise pledged his faithfulness and justice; the oath, all the infinite perfections of his Godhead, for he sware by himself. There is a good saying in Beracoth on Exodus 32:13, fol. 32: Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self. "What is the meaning of by thine own self? Rab. Eleazar answered, Thus said Moses to the holy blessed God, Lord of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18That by two immutable things - What the “two immutable things” here referred to are, has been made a matter of question among commentators. Most expositors, as Doddridge, Whitby, Rosenmuller, Koppe, and Calvin, suppose that the reference is to the promise and the oath of God, each of which would be a firm ground of the assurance of salvation, and in each of which it would be impossible for God to lie. Prof. Stuart supposes that the reference is to “two…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-20Verses 11-20 The hope here meant, is a sure looking for good things promised, through those promises, with love, desire, and valuing of them. Hope has its degrees, as faith also. The promise of blessedness God has made to believers, is from God's eternal purpose, settled between the eternal Father, Son, and Spirit. These promises of God may safely be depended upon; for here we have two things which cannot change, the counsel and the oath of God, in which…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-18God also made a promise with an oath (a solemn promise), see Hebrews 7:20–22. This oath shows that God will never change his mind because it is impossible for God to lie (see Psalm 110:4). We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us, similiar to people in the Old Testament who accidentally killed someone and sought refuge (Numbers 35:9–34; Deuteronomy 4:41–43). Christ is like a city of refuge, where believers find safety from God's anger…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. immutable--Translate, as in He 6:17, "unchangeable." impossible ... to lie--"ever to lie"; this is the force of the Greek aorist [Alford]. His not being able to deny Himself is a proof, not of weakness, but of strength incomparable. consolation--under doubts and fears, and so "encouragement," literally, "exhortation." fled for refuge--as if from a shipwreck; or, as one fleeing to one of the six cities of refuge. Kadesh, that is, holy, implies the…Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 6:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hebrews 6
- 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
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