New Living Translation
Hebrews 12:2
2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Hebrews 12:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- New International Version (NIV)fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Context of Hebrews 12:2
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
Read all of Hebrews 12Hebrews 12:2 word by word
ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν Ἰησοῦν, ὃς ἀντὶ τῆς προκειμένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς ὑπέμεινεν σταυρὸν αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας, ἐν δεξιᾷ τε τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ θεοῦ κεκάθικεν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Lookingἀφοράωaphoraō · to considerG872
- untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- the authorὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the authorἀρχηγόςarchēgos · founderG747
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- finisherτελειωτήςteleiōtēs · finisherG5051
- ofπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
- faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
- whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- forἀντίanti · forG473
- the joyχαράchara · joyG5479
- that was set beforeπρόκειμαιprokeimai · to set beforeG4295
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- enduredὑπομένωhupomenō · to remain/endureG5278
- the crossσταυρόςstauros · crossG4716
- despisingκαταφρονέωkataphroneō · to despiseG2706
- the shameαἰσχύνηaischunē · shameG152
- andτεte · and/bothG5037
- is set downκαθίζωkathizō · to seatG2523
- atἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the right handδεξιόςdexios · rightG1188
- of the throneθρόνοςthronos · throneG2362
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
Cross-references for Hebrews 12:2
- Hebrews 12:3Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
- Hebrews 9:28so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.
- Isaiah 8:17I will wait for the Lord, who has turned away from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my hope in him.
- Isaiah 31:1What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 45:22Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other.
- Micah 7:7As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.
- Zechariah 12:10“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.
- John 1:29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
- John 6:40For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”
- John 8:56Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.”
- Philippians 3:20But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
- 2 Timothy 4:8And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
- 1 John 1:1We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.
- Jude 1:21and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
- Hebrews 2:10God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.
- Mark 9:24The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
Commentaries on Hebrews 12:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Looking unto Jesus - · Looking off and on, or from and to; looking off or from the world and all secular concerns to Jesus and all the spiritual and heavenly things connected with him. This is still an allusion to the Grecian games: those who ran were to keep their eyes fixed on the mark of the prize; they must keep the goal in view. The exhortation implies, That they should place all their hope and confidence in Christ, as their sole helper in this race…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Looking unto Jesus - As a further inducement to do this, the apostle exhorts us to look to the Saviour. We are to look to his holy life; to his patience and perseverance in trials; to what he endured in order to obtain the crown, and to his final success and triumph. The author and finisher of our faith - The word “our” is not in the original here, and obscures the sense. The meaning is, he is the first and the last as an example of faith or of confidence…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Jesus is the ultimate example of staying faithful (Hebrews 3:1). To endure in the Christian life, we must focus on Jesus and his work for us. Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith: Jesus has done everything needed for faith to be real under the new covenant. scorning its shame: Crucifixion (dying on a cross) was the most shameful way to execute someone. It was used to humiliate and torture the person crucified. It was used only for slaves and…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Looking unto--literally, "Looking from afar" (see on He 11:26); fixing the eyes upon Jesus seated on the throne of God. author--"Prince-leader." The same Greek is translated, "Captain (of salvation)," He 2:10; "Prince (of life)," Ac 3:15. Going before us as the Originator of our faith, and the Leader whose matchless example we are to follow always. In this He is distinguished from all those examples of faith in He 11:2-40. (Compare 1Co 11:1). On His…Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 12:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hebrews 12
- 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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries