EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Hebrews 12:23
23All God's people meet together there. They are like his most important sons. They belong in heaven because God has written down their names. You have come to God himself, who will judge all people. You have come to the place where the spirits of God's people are. Those people have become right with God. God has now finished his work in them.
Hebrews 12:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
- New International Version (NIV)to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
- English Standard Version (ESV)and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
- New King James Version (NKJV)to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Context of Hebrews 12:23
21Even Moses was very afraid when he saw God's great power. He said, ‘I am full of fear!’ 22But as believers in Christ, you have not come to God in that way. You have come to Mount Zion. You have come to the city of the true God who lives. You have come to the city of Jerusalem that is in heaven. There are many thousands of happy angels all together in that place. All God's people meet together there. They are like his most important sons. They belong in heaven because God has written down their names. You have come to God himself, who will judge all people. You have come to the place where the spirits of God's people are. Those people have become right with God. God has now finished his work in them. 24You have come to Jesus, who brought the new agreement from God to his people. In that agreement, the blood of Jesus' death makes us clean from our sins. It tells us that God has forgiven us. When Cain killed his brother Abel, Abel's blood brought God's punishment. So we see that Jesus' blood brought us something much better than that. 25So be careful! Always be ready to listen when God speaks. God used Moses as his servant on the earth to speak to Israel's people. When they refused to obey, God punished them. They could not get away. As for us, God speaks to us from heaven. So we will certainly not get away from God's punishment if we turn away from him.
Read all of Hebrews 12Hebrews 12:23 word by word
καὶ ἐκκλησίᾳ πρωτοτόκων ἀπογεγραμμένων ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ κριτῇ θεῷ πάντων καὶ πνεύμασιν δικαίων τετελειωμένωνRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- To the general assemblyπανήγυριςpanēguris · assemblyG3831
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
- of the firstbornπρωτότοκοςprōtotokos · firstbornG4416
- which are writtenἀπογράφωapographō · to registerG583
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- to Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- the Judgeκριτήςkritēs · judgeG2923
- of allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- to the spiritsπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- of just menδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
- made perfectτελειόωteleioō · to perfectG5048
Cross-references for Hebrews 12:23
- Psalms 89:7When the angels meet together in heaven, they respect you with fear. All who meet round your throne in heaven respect you, as you deserve.
- Psalms 111:1Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all that I am, when we, his people, meet together.
- Acts 20:28You who are leaders should be careful about how you live. Also take care of the group of people that the Holy Spirit has chosen you to lead. Keep them safe like shepherds who take care of their sheep. All the believers belong to God because his Son, Jesus, died for them. He bought them with his blood which poured out on the cross.
- Ephesians 1:22God has put all things under Christ's authority. He has made Christ the ruler over all things. He has done this to help his people, the church.
- Ephesians 5:24As the church serves Christ as its master, so wives should serve their husbands in everything.
- Colossians 1:24At this time, I am suffering on your behalf, but I am still happy. Christ himself suffered on behalf of his people, the church. Now, while I live in my human body, I also suffer. I continue to receive the pain that Christ received, so that it may be complete. In that way, I help the church, which is like Christ's own body.
- 1 Timothy 3:5A man must know how to take care of his own family. If he cannot do that, he will not be able to take care of God's people in the church.
- Exodus 4:22Then you must speak to Pharaoh. You must say, “The Lord says, Israel is my first son.
- Exodus 13:2He said, ‘Keep every firstborn male separate and special for me. Every male who is the first to be born of his mother is mine. He is mine, whether he is man or animal.’
- Deuteronomy 21:17He must recognize that his firstborn son is the son of the wife that he does not love. This son was the first son born to that man. So he must receive the double share of his father's things. That is what God's Law says must happen.
- Psalms 89:27Also, I will make him my firstborn son. He will be the greatest of the kings of the earth.
- Jeremiah 31:9They will be weeping as they come. They will pray for my help as I lead them. I will lead them beside streams of fresh water, and on flat paths where they will not fall down. I will help them because I am a father for Israel's people. Ephraim is like my firstborn son.’
- James 1:18He chose to make us his children. He used his true message to do that. Because of that, we are like the first special gift that belongs to him from among everything that he has made.
- Revelation 14:4These 144,000 people have kept themselves pure. They have not had sex with women in a wrong way. They follow the Lamb everywhere that he goes. God has saved them from among the people of the world and he has paid for their sins. They are the first people to become a gift to God and to the Lamb.
- Exodus 32:32But now I ask you to forgive them for their sin. But if you will not do that, then please remove my name from your book.’
- Psalms 69:28Remove their names from the book of living people. Do not write their names on the list of righteous people.
Commentaries on Hebrews 12:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23To the general assembly - . This word is joined to the preceding by some of the best MSS., and is quoted in connection by several of the fathers: Ye are come - to the general assembly of innumerable angels; and this is probably the true connection. The word is compounded of , all, and , an assembly; and means, particularly, an assembly collected on festive occasions. It is applied to the assembly of the Grecian states at their national games, Olympic…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23To the general assembly - see the notes on Hebrews 12:22. And church of the first-born - That is, you are united with the church of the first-born. They who were first-born among the Hebrews enjoyed special privileges, and especially pre-eminence of rank; see the notes on Colossians 1:15. The reference here is, evidently, to those saints who had been distinguished for their piety, and who may be supposed to be exalted to special honors in heaven - such as…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-29Verses 18-29 Mount Sinai, on which the Jewish church state was formed, was a mount such as might be touched, though forbidden to be so, a place that could be felt; so the Mosaic dispensation was much in outward and earthly things. The gospel state is kind and condescending, suited to our weak frame. Under the gospel all may come with boldness to God's presence. But the most holy must despair, if judged by the holy law given from Sinai, without a Saviour…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23The word translated as assembly is usually translated "church." It refers to God's gathered people. God's firstborn children are those who are part of the new covenant (see Hebrews 1:6; 2:10–13). The idea that God's people have their names written in heaven shows God's special care for them (see also Exodus 32:32; Psalm 69:28; Isaiah 4:3; Daniel 12:1; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5). For God's children, God as judge is the one who defends…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-29For We Are under, Not a Law of Terror, but the Gospel of Grace, to Despise Which Will Bring the Heavier Penalties, in Proportion to Our Greater Privileges. 1. we also--as well as those recounted in He 12:11. are compassed about--Greek, "have so great a cloud (a numberless multitude above us, like a cloud, 'holy and pellucid,' [Clement of Alexandria]) of witnesses surrounding us." The image is from a "race," an image common even in Palestine from the time…Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 12:23
In the dictionaries
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
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