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 Living Translation (NLT)Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

Context of Hebrews 13:4

2Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. 3Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. 5Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Marriageὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Marriageγάμοςgamos · weddingG1062
• honourableτίμιοςtimios · preciousG5093
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the bedκοίτηkoitē · bedG2845
• undefiledἀμίαντοςamiantos · pureG283
• butδέde · thenG1161
• whoremongersπόρνοςpornos · sexual sinnerG4205
• adulterersμοιχόςmoichos · adultererG3432
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• will judgeκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919

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 2:21And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.
• Leviticus 21:13And he 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. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke with her.
• Proverbs 5:15Drink water from your own cistern, And running water from your own well.
• Isaiah 8:3Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz;
• 1 Corinthians 7:2Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
• 1 Corinthians 9:5Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
• 1 Timothy 3:2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
• 1 Timothy 5:14Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
• Hebrews 12:16lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
• 1 Corinthians 6:9Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
• Galatians 5:19Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
• Ephesians 5:5For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
• Colossians 3:5Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
• Revelation 22:15But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

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