Hebrews 4:12

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of Hebrews 4:12

10For the one who enters God’s rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works. 11Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. 13And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. 14Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.

Hebrews 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, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith.
• Isaiah 49:2He made my mouth like a sharp sword, he hid me in the hollow of his hand; he made me like a sharpened arrow, he hid me in his quiver.
• Luke 8:11“Now the parable means this: The seed is the word of God.
• Acts 4:31When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God courageously.
• 2 Corinthians 2:17For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God.
• 2 Corinthians 4:2But we have rejected shameful hidden deeds, not behaving with deceptiveness or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God.
• Revelation 20:4Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
• Psalms 110:2The Lord extends your dominion from Zion. Rule in the midst of your enemies!
• Psalms 119:130Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines. They give insight to the untrained.
• Ecclesiastes 12:11The words of the sages are like prods, and the collected sayings are like firmly fixed nails; they are given by one shepherd.
• Isaiah 55:11In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend.”
• Jeremiah 23:29My message is like a fire that purges dross! It is like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces! I, the Lord, so affirm it!
• Romans 1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power 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 is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
• 2 Corinthians 10:4for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13And so we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human message, but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe.

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

• Heart
• Man
• Regeneration
• Secret
• Sword
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Word of God
• Discerner
• Example
• Fall
• Man
• Naked
• Oracle
• Powerful

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