Hebrews 4:12

Hebrews 4:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
• New International Version (NIV)For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Context of Hebrews 4:12

10For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. 11Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience. For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. 14Therefore, 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.

Hebrews 4:12 word by word

ζῶν γὰρ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐνεργὴς καὶ τομώτερος ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν μάχαιραν δίστομον καὶ διϊκνούμενος ἄχρι μερισμοῦ ψυχῆς καὶ πνεύματος, ἁρμῶν τε καὶ μυελῶν, καὶ κριτικὸς ἐνθυμήσεων καὶ ἐννοιῶν καρδίας·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• the wordὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the wordλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• quickζάωzaō · to liveG2198
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• powerfulἐνεργής, ἐναργήςenergēs · effectiveG1756
• sharperτομώτεροςtomōteros · sharperG5114
• thanὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
• anyπᾶςpas · allG3956
• twoedgedδίστομοςdistomos · double-edgedG1366
• swordμάχαιραmachaira · swordG3162
• piercingδιϊκνέομαιdiikneomai · to penetrateG1338
• toἄχριachri achris · untilG891
• the dividing asunderμερισμόςmerismos · divisionG3311
• ·τεte · and/bothG5037
• of soulψυχήpsuchē · soulG5590
• spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• of the jointsἁρμόςharmos · jointG719
• marrowμυελόςmuelos · marrowG3452
• a discernerκριτικόςkritikos · discerningG2924
• of the thoughtsἐνθύμησιςenthumēsis · reflectionG1761
• intentsἔννοιαennoia · thought/purposeG1771
• of the heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588

Cross-references for Hebrews 4:12

• Hebrews 13:7Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.
• Isaiah 49:2He made my words like a sharp sword; he hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me like a sharpened arrow; he hid me in his quiver.
• Luke 8:11“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.
• Acts 4:31When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.
• 2 Corinthians 2:17For we do not market the word of God for profit like so many. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.
• 2 Corinthians 4:2Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful things, not acting deceitfully or distorting the word of God, but commending ourselves before God to everyone’s conscience by an open display of the truth.
• Revelation 20:4Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
• Psalms 110:2The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion. Rule over your surrounding enemies.
• Psalms 119:130The revelation of your words brings light and gives understanding to the inexperienced.
• Ecclesiastes 12:11The sayings of the wise are like cattle prods, and those from masters of collections are like firmly embedded nails. The sayings are given by one Shepherd.
• Isaiah 55:11so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”
• Jeremiah 23:29“Is not my word like fire” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “and like a hammer that pulverizes rock?
• Romans 1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.
• 1 Corinthians 1:24Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God,
• 2 Corinthians 10:4since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the word of God, which also works effectively in you who believe.

Commentaries on Hebrews 4:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12For the word of God is quick, and powerful - Commentators are greatly divided concerning the meaning of the phrase ̔ , the word of God; some supposing the whole of Divine revelation to be intended; others, the doctrine of the Gospel faithfully preached; others, the mind of God or the Divine intellect; and others, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is thus denominated in John 1:1, etc., and Revelation 19:13; the only places in which he is thus incontestably…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12For the word of God - The design of this and the following verse is obvious. It is to show that we cannot escape the notice of God; that all insincerity, unbelief, hypocrisy, will be detected by him; and that since our hearts are perfectly open before him, we should be sincere and should not attempt to deceive him. The sense is, that the truth of God is all-penetrating and searching, and that the real thoughts and intents of the heart will be brought to…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-16Verses 11-16 Observe the end proposed: rest spiritual and eternal; the rest of grace here, and glory hereafter; in Christ on earth, with Christ in heaven. After due and diligent labour, sweet and satisfying rest shall follow; and labour now, will make that rest more pleasant when it comes. Let us labour, and quicken each other to be diligent in duty. The Holy Scriptures are the word of God. When God sets it home by his Spirit, it convinces powerfully…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-13The author urges us to listen to God's voice, as mentioned in Hebrews 3:7, 15, and 4:7, quoting Psalm 95:7. They describe God's word as alive and powerful, meaning it is an active and effective force. The word that created and controls the universe (Hebrews 1:2–3) can also strongly influence people. It is like the sharpest two-edged sword, able to reach the deepest parts of people's lives and reveal their thoughts and desires (see Ephesians 6:17…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. For--Such diligent striving (He 4:11) is incumbent on us FOR we have to do with a God whose "word" whereby we shall be judged, is heart-searching, and whose eyes are all-seeing (He 4:13). The qualities here attributed to the word of God, and the whole context, show that it is regarded in its JUDICIAL power, whereby it doomed the disobedient Israelites to exclusion from Canaan, and shall exclude unbelieving so-called Christians from the heavenly rest…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 4:12

• Heart
• Man
• Regeneration
• Secret
• Sword
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Word of God
• Discerner
• Example
• Fall
• Man
• Naked
• Oracle
• Powerful

Commentaries on Hebrews 4

• 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