Hebrews 6:20

Hebrews 6:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
• New International Version (NIV)where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
• English Standard Version (ESV)where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
• New King James Version (NKJV)where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Context of Hebrews 6:20

18Those two things can never change. God cannot tell a lie. As a result, we can be brave and strong. We have trusted God to keep us safe with him. We should also expect to receive the good things that he has promised to give us. 19We can be completely sure about those good things that we hope to receive. That keeps our thoughts strong, because we know that our life is safe with God. It is like an anchor that keeps a ship safe. When we hope like that, we know that we will one day arrive in God's special place in heaven. That is like the special place behind the curtain in the tabernacle. Jesus has already gone in there. He has gone there before us, on our behalf. He has become our special priest for ever, in the same way that Melchizedek was God's priest.

Hebrews 6:20 word by word

ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ ἀρχιερεὺς γενόμενος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whitherὅπουhopou · where(-ever)G3699
• the forerunnerπρόδρομοςprodromos · forerunnerG4274
• isεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
• forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
• usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• madeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• an high priestἀρχιερεύςarchiereus · high-priestG749
• forεἰςeis · towardG1519
• everὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• everαἰώνaiōn · an age: eternityG165
• afterκατάkata · according toG2596
• the orderτάξιςtaxis · orderG5010
• of MelchisedecΜελχισεδέκMelchisedek · MelchizedekG3198

Cross-references for Hebrews 6:20

• Hebrews 2:10It was right that God should bring Jesus back to heaven as king. All things belong to God, and he causes all things to continue. God wanted many people to become his children. He wanted them to live with him in heaven. Jesus made this possible because he died with much pain as a sacrifice.
• John 14:2There are many rooms in my Father's house. I will go now so that I can prepare a place for you there. If it was not true, I would not have told you this.
• Hebrews 1:3The Son shows us completely what God is like. He shines with God's great glory. His nature is the same as God's nature. The Son's powerful word causes everything to continue. He himself made it possible for us to be clean from our sins. After he had done that, he returned to heaven. He went and he sat at the right side of God, who rules with all authority.
• Hebrews 4:14Jesus, the Son of God, helps us as God's most important priest. He is our great priest who has gone up into heaven. We say that we believe in him. So we must continue to show people that we trust him.
• Hebrews 8:1The most important thing that we are saying is this: In Jesus, we do have this kind of special priest. He has now sat down to rule with God in heaven. He sits at the right side of God, who rules with all authority.
• Hebrews 9:12Christ went into the Most Holy Place on our behalf. He did this once, for all time. He did not take with him the blood of goats or young cows when he went in there. Instead, he took the blood of his own death to offer to God. In that way, he made us free from sin for ever.
• Hebrews 12:2As we run, we must always look towards Jesus. He is the one who trusted God completely. Our faith starts with him, and he will help us to trust God all the way to the end. Jesus accepted punishment on the cross. He chose to receive much pain. He did not think about being ashamed to die like that. He knew that God had prepared something very good for him that would make him happy. Now he has sat down at the right side of God to rule with him in heaven.
• Romans 8:34So nobody can say that God should still punish us. Nobody can say that, because Christ Jesus himself died on our behalf. And God raised him so that he became alive again after his death. Now Christ is sitting at God's right side in heaven. He himself is praying to God on our behalf.
• Ephesians 1:3We praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has blessed us in very many ways. Because we belong to Christ, we enjoy all the good things that come from heaven. God blesses our spirits with those good things.
• 1 Peter 3:22After that, Jesus went into heaven. Now he is sitting at God's right side. He rules over angels and over everything that has authority and power.
• 1 John 2:12My little children, I am writing to you because God has forgiven your sins. He has done this because of Christ.
• Hebrews 3:1So, Christian friends, think carefully about who Jesus is. Like us, God has chosen you to belong to him. We tell people that we believe in Jesus as the messenger that God has sent. He helps us as God's most important priest.
• Hebrews 5:6And in another place in the Bible God says this: ‘You will be a priest for ever, in the same way that Melchizedek was a priest long ago.’
• Hebrews 7:1Melchizedek was the king of a city called Salem. He was also a priest of God who rules over all. Melchizedek met Abraham when Abraham was returning from a war. Abraham's men had just won a battle against four kings with their armies. At that time, Melchizedek asked God to bless Abraham.

Commentaries on Hebrews 6:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Whither the forerunner - The word , prodromos, does not merely signify one that goes or runs before another, but also one who shows the way, he who first does a particular thing; also the first fruits. So in the Septuagint, Isaiah 28:4, signifies the first fruits of the fig tree, or the first ripe figs. To this meaning of the word Pliny refers, Hist. Nat., lib. xvi., c. 26: Ficus et praecoces habet, quas Athenis Prodromos ( ), vocant. "The fig tree…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Whither - To which most holy place - heaven. The forerunner - The word used here occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. A “forerunner” - ́ prodromos- is one who goes before others to prepare the way. The word is applied to light troops sent forward as scouts; Diod. Sic. 17,17; compare “Wisdom of Solomon” (apoc) 12:8. “Thou didst send wasps, forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.” The meaning here is, that Jesus went first into…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. 19-20Christian hope is a reliable anchor for our souls. In the first century, an anchor symbolized stability and safety. behind the curtain: A curtain separated the outer room of the sanctuary, where only priests could enter, from the inner room, the Most Holy Place (Exodus 25:10–40). Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Exodus 29; Leviticus 16:1–25). Because of Jesus and his unique role as high…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. The absence of the Greek article requires Alford's translation, "Where. As forerunner for us (that is, in our behalf), entered Jesus" [and is now: this last clause is implied in the 'where' of the Greek, which implies being IN a place: 'whither' is understood to 'entered,' taken out of 'where'; whither Jesus entered, and where He is now]. The "for us" implies that it was not for Himself, as God, He needed to enter there, but as our High Priest…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 6:20

• Forerunner
• Jesus Continued
• Melchizedek
• Priest
• Righteous
• Salvation

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• High priest
• Aaron
• Afresh
• Anchor
• Counsel
• Covenant
• Crucify
• Enlighten

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