God’s Word Translation
Hebrews 10:38
38The person who has God’s approval will live by faith. But if he turns back, I will not be pleased with him.”
Hebrews 10:38 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
- New International Version (NIV)And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
Context of Hebrews 10:38
36You need endurance so that after you have done what God wants you to do, you can receive what he has promised. 37“Yet, the one who is coming will come soon. He will not delay. The person who has God’s approval will live by faith. But if he turns back, I will not be pleased with him.” 39We don’t belong with those who turn back and are destroyed. Instead, we belong with those who have faith and are saved.
Read all of Hebrews 10Hebrews 10:38 word by word
ὁ δὲ δίκαιός μου ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται· καὶ ἐὰν ὑποστείληται, οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Nowδέde · thenG1161
- the justδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
- shall liveζάωzaō · to liveG2198
- byἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
- butκαίkai · andG2532
- ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- draw backὑποστέλλωhupostellō · to withdrawG5288
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- soulὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- soulψυχήpsuchē · soul: myselfG5590
- shall haveεὐδοκέωeudokeō · to delightG2106
- noοὐou · noG3756
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
Cross-references for Hebrews 10:38
- Habakkuk 2:4“Look at the proud person. He is not right in himself. But the righteous person will live because of his faithfulness.
- Romans 1:17God’s approval is revealed in this Good News. This approval begins and ends with faith as Scripture says, “The person who has God’s approval will live by faith.”
- Galatians 3:11No one receives God’s approval by obeying the laws in Moses’ Teachings since, “The person who has God’s approval will live by faith.”
- Hebrews 10:26If we go on sinning after we have learned the truth, no sacrifice can take away our sins.
- Hebrews 6:4Some people once had God’s light. They experienced the heavenly gift and shared in the Holy Spirit.
- Psalms 85:8I want to hear what God the Lord says, because he promises peace to his people, to his godly ones. But they must not go back to their stupidity.
- Ezekiel 3:20If righteous people turn from living the right way and do wrong, I will make them stumble, and they will die. If you don’t warn them, they will die because of their sin, and the right things they did will not be remembered. I will hold you responsible for their deaths.
- Ezekiel 18:24“But suppose a righteous person turns away from doing right and he does evil things. He does all the disgusting things that the wicked person did. Will he live? All the right things that he has done will not be remembered because of his unfaithfulness and because of his sin. He will die because of them.
- Zephaniah 1:6I will remove those who have turned away from following the Lord and those who no longer seek the Lord or ask him for help.”
- Matthew 12:43“When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find any.
- Matthew 13:21Since he doesn’t have any root, he lasts only a little while. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls ⌞from faith⌟.
- 2 Peter 2:19They promise these people freedom, but they themselves are slaves to corruption. A person is a slave to whatever he gives in to.
- 1 John 2:19They left us. However, they were never really part of us. If they had been, they would have stayed with us. But by leaving they made it clear that none of them were part of us.
- Psalms 5:4You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness. Evil will never be your guest.
- Psalms 147:11The Lord is pleased with those who fear him, with those who wait with hope for his mercy.
- Psalms 149:4because the Lord takes pleasure in his people. He crowns those who are oppressed with victory.
Commentaries on Hebrews 10:38
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38Now the just shall live by faith - ̔ · But the just by faith, i.e. he who is justified by faith, shall live - shall be preserved when this overflowing scourge shall come. See this meaning of the phrase vindicated, Romans 1:17. And it is evident, both from this text, and Galatians 3:11, that it is in this sense that the apostle uses it. But if any man draw back - ̔· But if he draw back; he, the man who is justified by faith; for it is of him, and none…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38Now the just shall live by faith - This is a part of the quotation from Habakkuk Habakkuk 2:3-4, which was probably commenced in the previous verse; see the passage fully explained in the notes on Romans 1:17. The meaning in the connection in which it stands here, in accordance with the sense in which it was used by Habakkuk, is, that the righteous should live by “continued confidence” in God. They should pass their lives not in doubt, and fear, and…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 32-39Verses 32-39 Many and various afflictions united against the early Christians, and they had a great conflict. The Christian spirit is not a selfish spirit; it puts us upon pitying others, visiting them, helping them, and pleading for them. All things here are but shadows. The happiness of the saints in heaven will last for ever; enemies can never take it away as earthly goods. This will make rich amends for all we may lose and suffer here. The greatest…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37-38These verses quote Habakkuk 2:3–4 to show the difference between the righteous and the wicked when they face God's judgment (see also Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-39Instead of the daily ministry of the Levitical priests, Christ's service is perfected by the one sacrifice, whence He now sits on the right hand of God as a Priest-King, until all His foes shall be subdued unto Him. Thus the new covenant (He 8:8-12) is inaugurated, whereby the law is written on the heart, so that an offering for sin is needed no more. Wherefore we ought to draw near the Holiest in firm faith and love; fearful of the awful results of…Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 10:38
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hebrews 10
- 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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