English Standard Version
Hebrews 4:12
12For 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Context of Hebrews 4:12
10for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. 11Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 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. 13And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 14Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
Read all of Hebrews 4Hebrews 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, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
- Isaiah 49:2He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away.
- Luke 8:11Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
- Acts 4:31And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
- 2 Corinthians 2:17For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.
- Revelation 20:4Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
- Psalms 110:2The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!
- Psalms 119:130The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
- Ecclesiastes 12:11The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd.
- Isaiah 55:11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
- Jeremiah 23:29Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
- Romans 1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
- 1 Corinthians 1:24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
- 2 Corinthians 10:4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:13And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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