HEB 2:1 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–4: Warning: Do not ignore what God has spoken

In the last verse of chapter 1, the author mentioned “salvation.” In 2:1–4, he told the people to pay careful attention to this salvation that God’s Son brought them. He warned them that if they did not pay attention to it, God would certainly punish them. Their punishment would be greater than the punishment of people who ignored the law, since the law was brought only by angels. This warning is the first of five important warnings in the book of Hebrews.

In some languages it may be helpful to change the order of some of the parts of 2:2–3 to help readers understand the contrast between the law and the salvation that the Son brought. See the General Comment on 2:2–3 at the end of 2:3b for an example.

It is good to translate the section before you decide on a heading for it. Some other possible headings are:

Warning Against Neglecting Salvation (ESV)

We must give earnest attention to what we have heard

Some translators decide to combine this section with 2:5–10. If you decide to do that, one possible section heading is:

Everything Is Under Jesus’ Control (GW)

2:1a

We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard,

¶ So we^(incl) must think more seriously about the message that we heard,
¶ Because of all this, we^(incl) must be committed/faithful to what we were taught about God’s Son.

We: The pronoun We is inclusive and refers to the author and anyone who hears or reads this letter.

must pay closer attention: It is not clear whether the author was making a true comparison here (“greater” attention than what?) or whether he used a comparative form in order to emphasize that his hearers must pay very careful attention to the salvation that God had provided for them. If the author was making a true comparison he did not specify exactly the type of attention that he was telling them to exceed. Some possibilities are: (1) They should pay more attention to his salvation than the Israelites paid attention to the Law.(2) They should pay more attention to his salvation than they would give if the message of salvation had been given by angels (instead of by God himself).(3) They should pay more attention to his salvation than they were paying to it when the author wrote/spoke (Hebrews) to them.No English version makes any of these interpretations explicit. If you need to make one of them explicit, it is recommended that you choose interpretation (1). It fits the context especially well. For more information, see the excellent discussion in Translator’s Handbook (page 26). The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as must pay closer attention is literally “it is necessary much-more to hold-to.” It indicates that it is necessary to think seriously about (what God has said), to believe it and obey it carefully.The Greek verb prosexō that is translated as pay…attention is used in non-biblical writings to mean “have in close proximity to.” (BDAG, page 879) Here in Hebrews it may be used figuratively to indicate that people should “hold firmly” to the message they have heard from God’s Son. This meaning would go with the figure of speech “drift away” in 2:1b. (A boat must remain firmly tied or anchored to one place or it will drift away, and we must remain attached to what God has said or we will stop obeying it.)

In some languages there may be a figurative way to talk about this type of careful attention. For example:

hold on all the more firmly to (GNT)

take what we have heard and grip it more tightly

be more careful to follow (NCV)

In some languages it may not be natural to use a comparison without being specific about what is being compared. If that is true in your language, you may want to emphasize the careful attention without the comparison. For example:

listen very carefully (NLT)

give our full attention (CEV)

therefore: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as therefore is literally “because of this.” The BSB puts therefore in the middle of the clause because this is good English style, but the Greek phrase occurs at the beginning of the verse. Put the transition word or phrase wherever it is natural in your language.

The word therefore introduces what people should do as a result of what the author said in chapter 1: Now God has spoken to us through a Son (not just through angels), therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard through God’s Son.

Some other ways to translate this connection are:

For this reason (GW)

That is why (GNT)

In some languages it is necessary to refer back to the theme of chapter 1 more specifically. For example:

Since the greatness of God’s Child is like thisKankanaey back translation on TW.

Because all this is true (UBS)

Connect this verse to chapter 1 in a natural way in your language.

to what we have heard: The clause to what we have heard refers to what God spoke to his people through his Son Jesus. The author and readers of Hebrews heard it from Jesus or his apostles or other people who proclaimed it. In 2:3 the author indicates that what they heard was about salvation.

In some languages it is necessary to make the phrase what we have heard more specific. For example:

the message that we have heard

the truth which was taught usTagbanwa back translation on TW.

the good news which was told to usOtomi back translation on TW.

2:1b

so that we do not drift away.

so that we^(incl) will not be turned/carried away from it.
Otherwise, we^(incl) may gradually forget/ignore what we heard about him.

so that we do not drift away: The phrase so that…not introduces the purpose for the action in 2:1a. This purpose is to avoid drifting away from what God spoke through his Son. This purpose is also an implied warning. It implies that if we do not pay attention to the message (2:1a), we will drift away from it.

Some other ways to translate this purpose and warning are:

or we may drift away from it (NLT)

Then we will not drift away from it.

we: The pronoun we is inclusive and refers to the author and anyone who hears or reads this letter.

do not drift away: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as drift away often describes how a boat can be carried away by water to a different place. In this verse the verb is used as a figure of speech. It refers to the way that we might stop believing and obeying the truth if we do not pay attention to it.

In some languages this figure of speech may be difficult to understand. It may be more natural to translate the meaning in a different way. For example:

Use a figure of speech with a similar meaning in your language. For example:
will not stray away from the truth (NCV)
Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:
will not gradually stop believing/obeying it

Some translations supply the phrase “from it” to indicate that drift away refers back to “what we have heard” in 2:2a. Make this clear in a natural way in your language.

General Comment on 2:1b

In this part of the verse the author used the action of drifting away (on a boat) as a figure of speech. In 6:19 he used a similar figure of speech. He compared our hope to an anchor (the heavy object that keeps a boat from drifting away).

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

διὰ τοῦτο

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Διά τοῦτο δεῖ περισσοτέρως προσέχειν ἡμάς τοῖς ἀκουσθεῖσιν μήποτε παραρυῶμεν)

The author introduces a result or implication from what he said about the Son and the angels in [1:1–14](../01/01.md). Because God now speaks through his Son, who is greater than the angels, the audience needs to give attention. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that draws an inference from the previous chapter. Alternate translation: [Because God is speaking through his Son] or [Because of all that]

δεῖ περισσοτέρως προσέχειν ἡμᾶς

˱it˲_˓is˒_fitting more_abundantly ˓to_be˒_giving_heed (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Διά τοῦτο δεῖ περισσοτέρως προσέχειν ἡμάς τοῖς ἀκουσθεῖσιν μήποτε παραρυῶμεν)

Alternate translation: [it is most important for us to give attention] or [we must above all give attention]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

δεῖ περισσοτέρως προσέχειν ἡμᾶς

The phrase far more could modify (1) necessary. See the ULT. (2) give attention. Alternate translation: [it is necessary for us to give far more attention]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

δεῖ περισσοτέρως προσέχειν ἡμᾶς

The author does not specify what this is far more necessary than. He could be: (1) using the comparative far more to emphasize how important it is to give attention. In this case, he is not making a comparison at all. Alternate translation: [it is most necessary for us to give attention] (2) comparing how they should give attention with how those who receive messages from angels give attention. Alternate translation: [it is far more necessary for us than for those who hear angels to give attention] (3) comparing how they should give attention with how they are currently giving attention. Alternate translation: [it is necessary for us to give far more attention that we have been giving]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

προσέχειν

˓to_be˒_giving_heed

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of attention, you could express the idea by using a verb such as “attend” or “focus.” Alternate translation: [to attend]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

τοῖς ἀκουσθεῖσιν

˱to˲_the_‹things› ˓having_been˒_heard

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 what is heard rather than on the person doing the hearing. If you must state who did the action, the author implies that he and the audience did it. Alternate translation: [to the things that we heard]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

μήποτε παραρυῶμεν

lest ˱we˲_˓may_be˒_drifted_away

The author speaks as if the audience were boats that could drift away from where they were moored. In this metaphor, the place where the boats are moored is the good news about Jesus, and “drifting away” from this place refers to slowly failing to believe this good news. The author uses this metaphor to encourage the audience to remain “moored” to the good news by continuing to focus on it and firmly believe it. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable figure of speech or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [so that we might not slide from them] or [so that we might not slowly fail to believe]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

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.

OET interlinear HEB 2:1

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 2:1–4: Warning: Do not ignore what God has spoken

2:1a

2:1b

General Comment on 2:1b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)