Hebrews 13:4

Hebrews 13:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
• New International Version (NIV)Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Context of Hebrews 13:4

2Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are badly treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. 5Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,” 6so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:4 word by word

Τίμιος ὁ γάμος ἐν πᾶσιν καὶ ἡ κοίτη ἀμίαντος· πόρνους γὰρ καὶ μοιχοὺς κρινεῖ ὁ θεός.¶Read the interlinear

• Marriageγάμοςgamos · weddingG1062
• in honorτίμιοςtimios · preciousG5093
• amongἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• bedκοίτηkoitē · bedG2845
• undefiledἀμίαντοςamiantos · pureG283
• for Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• will judgeκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
• the sexuallyπόρνοςpornos · sexual sinnerG4205
• and adulterersμοιχόςmoichos · adultererG3432

Cross-references for Hebrews 13:4

• Genesis 1:27So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
• Genesis 2:21So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.
• Leviticus 21:13He shall take a wife in her virginity.
• 2 Kings 22:14So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (and she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her.
• Proverbs 5:15Drink water from your own cistern, And fresh water from your own well.
• Isaiah 8:3So I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz;
• 1 Corinthians 7:2But because of sexual immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.
• 1 Corinthians 9:5Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
• 1 Timothy 3:2An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching,
• 1 Timothy 5:14Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, have children, manage their households, and give the enemy no opportunity for reproach;
• Hebrews 12:16that there be no sexually immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.
• 1 Corinthians 6:9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,
• Galatians 5:19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior,
• Ephesians 5:5For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, which amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
• Colossians 3:5Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
• Revelation 22:15Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral persons, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

Commentaries on Hebrews 13:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Marriage is honorable in all - Let this state be highly esteemed as one of God's own instituting, and as highly calculated to produce the best interests of mankind. This may have been said against the opinions of the Essenes, called Therapeutae, who held marriage in little repute, and totally abstained from it themselves as a state of comparative imperfection. At the same time it shows the absurdity of the popish tenet, that marriage in the clergy is both…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Marriage is honorable in all - The object here is to state that “honor” is to be shown to the marriage relation. It is not to be undervalued by the pretence of the superior purity of a state of celibacy, as if marriage were improper for any class of people or any condition of life; and it should not be dishonored by any violation of the marriage contract. The course of things has shown that there was abundant reason for the apostle to assert with…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4To honor marriage means to protect it and see it as very important. Sexually immoral refers to any inappropriate sexual behavior. Adultery breaks the marriage promise by having sexual relations outside the marriage.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. is, &c.--Translate, "Let marriage be treated as honorable": as He 13:5 also is an exhortation. in all--"in the case of all men": "among all." "To avoid fornication let EVERY MAN have his own wife" (1Co 7:2). Judaism and Gnosticism combined were soon about to throw discredit on marriage. The venerable Paphnutius, in the Council of Nice, quoted this verse for the justification of the married state. If one does not himself marry, he should not prevent…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 13:4

• Adultery
• Marriage

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Altar
• Bed
• Continuing
• Entertain
• Forgetful
• Marriage
• Meat
• Restore

Commentaries on Hebrews 13

• 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