Hebrews 12:15

Hebrews 12:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
• New International Version (NIV)See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
• English Standard Version (ESV)See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
• New King James Version (NKJV)looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

Context of Hebrews 12:15

13Walk straight in front of you, step by step! Your example will help other Christians to serve God well. People who cannot walk well will not become worse and fall down. Instead, their legs will become strong again. 14Do everything that you can to live in peace with other people. Make yourself separate from bad things. Nobody will see the Lord unless their life is good and clean. Remember that God is very kind. Nobody should refuse to let God help them. Make sure that nobody among you causes trouble so that people turn against God. A person who is angry against God is like poison. He spoils many other people's lives so that God does not accept them. 16Make sure that nobody among you has sex in a wrong way. Be careful that nobody is careless about God's rules, like Esau was long ago. He gave away everything that he would have received as his father's first son. He gave it all away so that he could get only one meal. 17As you know, after that, he still wanted to receive those good things from his father. He wanted his father to ask God to bless him. But his father refused to do that. Esau cried very much when he asked his father to give him those good things. But there was no way that Esau could change what he had done.

Hebrews 12:15 word by word

ἐπισκοποῦντες μή τις ὑστερῶν ἀπὸ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ, μή τις ῥίζα πικρίας ἄνω φύουσα ἐνοχλῇ, καὶ δι᾽ αὐτῆς μιανθῶσιν πολλοί·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Looking diligentlyἐπισκοπέωepiskopeō · to oversee/care forG1983
• lestμήmē · notG3361
• any manτιςtis · oneG5100
• failὑστερέωhustereō · to lackG5302
• ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
• the graceὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• rootῥίζαrhiza · rootG4491
• of bitternessπικρίαpikria · bitternessG4088
• springingφύωphuō · to growG5453
• upἄνωanō · aboveG507
• troubleἐνοχλέωenochleō · to troubleG1776
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• therebyδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• therebyοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• be defiledμιαίνωmiainō · to stainG3392

Cross-references for Hebrews 12:15

• Hebrews 2:1So we must be very careful. We must continue to remember the message that we have heard about God's Son. Then we will not go in the wrong direction, and turn away from God.
• Hebrews 3:12So be careful, my Christian friends. Do not refuse to trust God. That would be a very bad thing to do. Do not turn away from the God who lives for ever.
• Hebrews 4:1God promised his people that they could go to his special place of rest. That promise is still true for us today. So we must be very careful. Do not fail to arrive in that place. We certainly do not want that to happen.
• Hebrews 6:11But we very much want each of you to continue to trust God to the end. Show that you really want to serve him. Be sure that, in the end, you will receive all the good things that you hope for.
• Hebrews 10:23We know that we can trust God to do the things that he has promised. So we must continue to expect those things. We must tell other people that we trust God. We should not stop doing that.
• Deuteronomy 4:9But be very careful! Never forget the things that you yourselves have seen. Remember these things for as long as you live. Tell your children and your grandchildren about all the things that God has done.
• Proverbs 4:23Be very careful to keep your mind safe. The thoughts that you think make you the person that you are.
• 1 Corinthians 9:24Think about how people run in a race. All the runners run, but only one of them receives the prize. You must run like that, to win the race.
• 1 Corinthians 10:12If you think that you are standing strongly, be careful! Do not fall down!
• 2 Corinthians 6:1So, as we work together with God, we tell you to be careful. Remember that God has been very kind and he has forgiven you. Do not waste that!
• 2 Corinthians 13:5Think carefully about how you are living. Are you really believing the message about Christ? I hope you know that Jesus Christ is in you. You ought to know that, unless you have completely failed.
• 2 Peter 1:10So, my friends, try very much to live in a way that pleases God. God has chosen you to be his own people. Show that you really do belong to him! If you do these things, you will never turn away from God.
• 2 Peter 3:11Certainly, God will destroy everything in this way one day. So think about how you should live now. You should be the kind of people that God is happy about. You should show that you belong to God.
• 2 John 1:8So be careful! Do not believe their lies. Do not lose the good things that we have worked for. Make sure that you receive all the good things that God has promised to give you.
• Jude 1:20But you, my friends, have believed the message that comes from God himself. So you must help one another to trust God more and more. Pray to God with the help of the Holy Spirit.
• Luke 22:32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that you will continue to believe in me. And this is what you must do: When you have turned back to me, you must help your brothers to be strong again.’

Commentaries on Hebrews 12:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Looking diligently - · Looking about, over, and upon; being constantly on your guard. Lest any man fail of the grace of God - ̔ · Lest any person should come behind, or fall off from, this grace or Gift of God; this state of salvation, viz. the Gospel system or Christianity; for this is most evidently the meaning of the apostle. It is not the falling from a work of grace in their own souls, but from the Gospel, to apostatize from which they had now many…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Looking diligently - This phrase implies close attention. It is implied that there are reasons why we should take special care. Those reasons are found in the propensities of our hearts to evil; in the temptations of the world; in the allurements to apostasy presented by the great adversary of our souls. Lest any man fail - As every man is in danger, it is his personal duty to see to it that his salvation be secure. Fail of the grace of God - Margin…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 A burden of affliction is apt to make the Christian's hands hang down, and his knees grow feeble, to dispirit him and discourage him; but against this he must strive, that he may better run his spiritual race and course. Faith and patience enable believers to follow peace and holiness, as a man follows his calling constantly, diligently, and with pleasure. Peace with men, of all sects and parties, will be favourable to our pursuit of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15root of bitterness: This refers to those people who abandon God's agreement to worship other gods (Deuteronomy 29:18). Bitterness can harm the church.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. lest any ... fall--Greek, "lest any (namely, through sloth in running) failing," or "falling short of the grace of God ... trouble you." The image is taken from a company of travellers, one of whom lags behind, and so never reaches the end of the long and laborious journey [Chrysostom]. root of bitterness--not merely a "bitter root," which might possibly bring forth sweet fruits; this, a root whose essence is "bitterness," never could. Paul here…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 12:15

• Backsliders
• Diligence
• Holiness
• Influence
• Perseverance
• Reprobacy
• Sin
• Watchfulness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Acceptably
• Aside
• Birthright
• Bitter
• Bitterness
• Carefully
• Chastening
• Cloud

Commentaries on Hebrews 12

• 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