God’s Word Translation
Hebrews 6:18
18God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given.
Hebrews 6:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
- New International Version (NIV)God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
- English Standard Version (ESV)so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
- New King James Version (NKJV)that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
Context of Hebrews 6:18
16When people take oaths, they base their oaths on someone greater than themselves. Their oaths guarantee what they say and end all arguments. 17God wouldn’t change his plan. He wanted to make this perfectly clear to those who would receive his promise, so he took an oath. God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given. 19We have this confidence as a sure and strong anchor for our lives. This confidence goes into the ⌞holy⌟ place behind the curtain 20where Jesus went before us on our behalf. He has become the chief priest forever in the way Melchizedek was a priest.
Read all of Hebrews 6Hebrews 6:18 word by word
ἵνα διὰ δύο πραγμάτων ἀμεταθέτων, ἐν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι τὸν θεόν, ἰσχυρὰν παράκλησιν ἔχωμεν οἱ καταφυγόντες κρατῆσαι τῆς προκειμένης ἐλπίδος·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- twoδύοduo · twoG1417
- immutableἀμετάθετοςametathetos · unchangeableG276
- thingsπρᾶγμαpragma · thingG4229
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- impossibleἀδύνατοςadunatos · unableG102
- for Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- to lieψεύδομαιpseudomai · to lieG5574
- we might haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- aπαράκλησιςparaklēsis · encouragementG3874
- strongἰσχυρόςischuros · strongG2478
- who have fled for refugeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- who have fled for refugeκαταφεύγωkatapheugō · to fleeG2703
- to lay holdκρατέωkrateō · to grasp/seizeG2902
- upon the hopeἐλπίςelpis · hopeG1680
- set before usπρόκειμαιprokeimai · to set beforeG4295
Cross-references for Hebrews 6:18
- Hebrews 3:11So I angrily took a solemn oath that they would never enter my place of rest.”
- Hebrews 7:21but Jesus became a priest when God took an oath. God said about him, “The Lord has taken an oath and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever.”
- Psalms 110:4The Lord has taken an oath and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the way Melchizedek was a priest.”
- Matthew 24:35The earth and the heavens will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
- Numbers 23:19God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn’t change his mind. When he says something, he does it. When he makes a promise, he keeps it.
- 1 Samuel 15:29In addition, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind, because he is not a mortal who changes his mind.”
- Romans 3:4That would be unthinkable! God is honest, and everyone else is a liar, as Scripture says, “So you hand down justice when you speak, and you win your case in court.”
- 2 Timothy 2:13If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful because he cannot be untrue to himself.
- 1 John 1:10If we say, “We have never sinned,” we turn God into a liar and his Word is not in us.
- 1 John 5:10Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony of God in them. Those who don’t believe God have made God a liar. They haven’t believed the testimony that God has given about his Son.
- Isaiah 51:12I alone am the one who comforts you. Why, then, are you afraid of mortals, who must die, of humans, who are like grass?
- Isaiah 66:10All who love Jerusalem, be happy and rejoice with her. All who mourn for her, be glad with her.
- Luke 2:25A man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. He lived an honorable and devout life. He was waiting for the one who would comfort Israel. The Holy Spirit was with Simeon
- Romans 15:5May God, who gives you this endurance and encouragement, allow you to live in harmony with each other by following the example of Christ Jesus.
- 2 Corinthians 1:5Because Christ suffered so much for us, we can receive so much comfort from him.
- Philippians 2:1So then, as Christians, do you have any encouragement? Do you have any comfort from love? Do you have any spiritual relationships? Do you have any sympathy and compassion?
Commentaries on Hebrews 6:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18That by two immutable things - The promise and oath of God: the promise pledged his faithfulness and justice; the oath, all the infinite perfections of his Godhead, for he sware by himself. There is a good saying in Beracoth on Exodus 32:13, fol. 32: Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self. "What is the meaning of by thine own self? Rab. Eleazar answered, Thus said Moses to the holy blessed God, Lord of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18That by two immutable things - What the “two immutable things” here referred to are, has been made a matter of question among commentators. Most expositors, as Doddridge, Whitby, Rosenmuller, Koppe, and Calvin, suppose that the reference is to the promise and the oath of God, each of which would be a firm ground of the assurance of salvation, and in each of which it would be impossible for God to lie. Prof. Stuart supposes that the reference is to “two…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. 17-18God also made a promise with an oath (a solemn promise), see Hebrews 7:20–22. This oath shows that God will never change his mind because it is impossible for God to lie (see Psalm 110:4). We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us, similiar to people in the Old Testament who accidentally killed someone and sought refuge (Numbers 35:9–34; Deuteronomy 4:41–43). Christ is like a city of refuge, where believers find safety from God's anger…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. immutable--Translate, as in He 6:17, "unchangeable." impossible ... to lie--"ever to lie"; this is the force of the Greek aorist [Alford]. His not being able to deny Himself is a proof, not of weakness, but of strength incomparable. consolation--under doubts and fears, and so "encouragement," literally, "exhortation." fled for refuge--as if from a shipwreck; or, as one fleeing to one of the six cities of refuge. Kadesh, that is, holy, implies the…Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 6:18
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries