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OET (OET-LV) and as_if a_covering you_will_be_rolling_up them, like a_garment also they_will_be_being_changed, but you the same are, and the years of_you not will_be_failing.
OET (OET-RV) You will roll them up like a discarded dressing gown;
⇔ they’ll be changed like we change our clothes.
⇔ But you remain the same,
⇔ and you won’t get old and fragile.’
In Section 1:5–14 there are seven quotations from the Old Testament, mostly from the Psalms. All the quotations are poetry and contain figurative language.
You will need to decide:
how to translate the figurative language in a clear and meaningful way.
whether to make paragraph breaks between these quotations. English versions differ in this.For example, the RSV begins a new paragraph only at 1:5. The GNT begins new paragraphs at 1:4, 1:7, and 1:14. The Notes begin a new paragraph wherever the author has a quote introduction.
how to format the quotations and whether to include an OT cross reference. English versions differ about this also. If you have made a decision about this for other NT books, you may follow that decision in Hebrews also. The quotations in this section are poetry, so many English versions format them in poetic lines.
how to introduce the quotations. Some English versions use past tense (“God said”) to introduce the quotations, since God spoke the words in the past. Other versions use present tense (“God says”), since the statements are written in the Scripture and the time when he said them is not in focus. Use an appropriate verb form in your language.
It is good to translate the section before you decide on a heading for it. Some other examples of headings for this section are:
The angels are servants of God but Jesus is his Son
God’s Son is Superior to the Angels (GW)
The Greatness of God’s Son (GNT)
Hebrews 1:10–12 contains the sixth quotation from the Old Testament.This quote is from the Greek translation of the Old Testament (LXX). The Greek word that the BSB translates as “Lord” was often used in the LXX as a translation of the Hebrew word that is the personal name of God. Here in Hebrews 1:10 the author quoted it to indicate that God addressed Christ his Son as “Lord” (God). It is from Psalm 102:25–27. In that Psalm, the psalmist said these words to God. But when the author of Hebrews quoted them in these verses, God spoke them to his Son. He called him “Lord.” God’s Son is the Lord who created heaven and earth. Heaven and earth will come to an end, but he is eternal and unchanging.
You will roll them up like a robe;
You(sing) will fold them up like a person folds a shirt/cloth
They will be taken off like a coat (GW)
You will roll them up like a robe: The author continued to use a simile here. It indicates that God the Son will bring the heavens and earth to an end as easily as a person rolls or folds an old cloak before he puts it somewhere or throws it away. The context implies that the cloak is too old to be useful anymore. Some other ways to translate the simile are:
like someone folds an old robe, you will fold them
Just like a shirt is rolled up, you will roll up the heaven and earth and replace them.
Use a natural way in your language to describe this action.
them: The word them refers again to the heaven and the earth, which were mentioned in 1:10.
a robe: The Greek word that the BSB translates as robe refers to a type of outer clothing that is “put around” someone. In the Jewish culture it often referred to a robe or cloak. Some cultures may use a shirt or cloth or some other type of outer garment. Use a natural word in your language.
like a garment they will be changed;
and replace them as old clothing is replaced.
and you(sing) will change them like someone changes his clothes.
like a garment they will be changed: In this clause the author continued the figurative language of 1:11b–12a. Here he said that the universe was going to be changed just as people change their clothing. Some other ways to translate the clause are:
They will be replaced like clothes that can no longer be used.
It will be like people exchanging old clothes for new ones.
a garment: The Greek word that the BSB translates as garment also occurred in 1:11b.
but You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”
But you(sing) will continue to be the same, and you will live for ever.”
But you remain the same, and your life never ends.” (GNT)
but You remain the same, and Your years will never end: Here the author contrasted God’s Son with the universe. Hebrews 1:11b–12b described how the universe will not last forever. Hebrews 1:12c indicates that unlike the universe, God’s Son will remain the same forever. He will not change, and he will never die. He will live forever.
Some other ways to translate this meaning are:
But as for you, you remain the same, and there will never be any end to your life.
But you, you cannot be changed. You will live forever.
These verses are a quotation from Psalm 102, which is Hebrew poetry. It is natural in this type of Hebrew poetry to repeat the same meanings in different words. In some languages it will be more natural to combine 1:11–12 and have less repetition. For example:
11–12Someday heaven and earth will become useless like old clothes, and they will be replaced. But you will continue to live forever, and you will never change.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular
ἑλίξεις & σὺ & εἶ & σου
˱you˲_˓will_be˒_rolling_up & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί ὡσεί περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτούς ὡς ἱμάτιον καί ἀλλαγήσονται σύ δέ ὁ αὐτός εἶ καί τά ἔτη σοῦ οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν)
Since the words you, yourself, and your refer to one person, the Son, all forms of you in this verse are singular.
Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns
αὐτούς & ἀλλαγήσονται
them & ˱they˲_˓will_be_being˒_changed
Just as in the previous verse, the words them and they here refer to the “earth” and the “heavens,” which identify everything that God has created. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make what them and they refer to explicit. Alternate translation: [the earth and heavens … they will be changed] or [all created things … they will be changed]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism
καὶ ὡσεὶ περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτούς, ὡς ἱμάτιον καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί ὡσεί περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτούς ὡς ἱμάτιον καί ἀλλαγήσονται σύ δέ ὁ αὐτός εἶ καί τά ἔτη σοῦ οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν)
The quotation includes two statements that mean almost the same thing. One statement uses cloak and “rolling” language, and the other uses garment and “changing” language. This was considered good poetry in the author’s culture. If this would not be good poetry in your culture, and if the repetition would be confusing, you could combine the two statements. Alternate translation: [And as a cloak you will change them] or [And as a garment they will be rolled up and changed]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile
ὡσεὶ περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτούς, ὡς ἱμάτιον καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί ὡσεί περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτούς ὡς ἱμάτιον καί ἀλλαγήσονται σύ δέ ὁ αὐτός εἶ καί τά ἔτη σοῦ οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν)
The author continues to compare the heavens and earth to clothing, in this case a cloak or a garment. Both of these words refer to outer clothing. Both similes describe what a person would do with a dirty or old piece of clothing. They would change out of it, and they would roll it up to wash it or throw it away. The author of the quotation uses this simile to show that God will remove and replace what he has created as easily as a person changes out of an outer garment. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable simile or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [as a worn shirt you will throw them in a corner, and as an old shirt they will be taken off] or [you will remove them, and they will be exchanged]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
ὡς ἱμάτιον καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται
like ˓a˒_garment (Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί ὡσεί περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτούς ὡς ἱμάτιον καί ἀλλαγήσονται σύ δέ ὁ αὐτός εἶ καί τά ἔτη σοῦ οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν)
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. The author uses the passive form here to focus on they who are changed rather than on the person doing the changing. If you must state who does the action, the author implies that the Lord does it. Alternate translation: [and as a garment you will change them]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism
σὺ & ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ, καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί ὡσεί περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτούς ὡς ἱμάτιον καί ἀλλαγήσονται σύ δέ ὁ αὐτός εἶ καί τά ἔτη σοῦ οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν)
The quotation includes two statements that mean almost the same thing. One statement refers to how the Lord stays the same, and the other refers to how his years will not fail. This was considered good poetry in the author’s culture. If this would not be good poetry in your culture, and if the repetition would be confusing, you could combine the two statements. Alternate translation: [you stay alive forever] or [you yourself are always the same]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / rpronouns
σὺ & εἶ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί ὡσεί περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτούς ὡς ἱμάτιον καί ἀλλαγήσονται σύ δέ ὁ αὐτός εἶ καί τά ἔτη σοῦ οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν)
The word translated as yourself emphasizes the contrast between “they” and “you.” Consider using a natural way to emphasize this contrast in your language. Alternate translation: [it is you who are]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν
years (Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί ὡσεί περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτούς ὡς ἱμάτιον καί ἀλλαγήσονται σύ δέ ὁ αὐτός εἶ καί τά ἔτη σοῦ οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν)
The phrase your years will not fail means that a person is alive during every “year.” They will never run out of years, which means that they are always alive. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that indicates that a person never dies or always lives. Alternate translation: [your life will never end] or [you will never run out of years]
1:5-14 In these ten verses, the author uses a variety of Old Testament texts to show that Jesus is superior to the angels. Among ancient Jewish and Christian interpreters, Old Testament passages were strung together one after the other in “chain quotations” (called “pearl stringing”) to convince the hearers or readers of a certain theological point by presenting a lot of scriptural evidence together.
OET (OET-LV) and as_if a_covering you_will_be_rolling_up them, like a_garment also they_will_be_being_changed, but you the same are, and the years of_you not will_be_failing.
OET (OET-RV) You will roll them up like a discarded dressing gown;
⇔ they’ll be changed like we change our clothes.
⇔ But you remain the same,
⇔ and you won’t get old and fragile.’
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.