HEB 2:2 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)

2:2–3

Hebrews 2:2a–3b is one long sentence. In many languages it may be necessary to divide the sentence into two or more sentences. See the General Comment on 2:2–3 at the end of 2:3b for examples.

In 2:2–3 the author used a certain type of logical reasoning. First, he used an example about Moses’ Law that everyone already accepted. Then he gave a similar example about Jesus’ message that was based on more powerful reasons. He did this to convince his readers that it was even more important to pay attention to the message of Jesus than to the law of Moses.

2:2a

For if the message spoken by angels was binding,

We^(incl) know that it was necessary to obey the message which angels gave,
The message of the law given to our^(incl) ancestors by the angels was shown to be true,

For: The conjunction For introduces a reason for what the author said in 2:1.Another way to describe this connection is in terms of basis-exhortation. The “for” introduces the basis for the exhortation in 2:1. Semantically, this terminology has basically the same meaning as saying that 2:2 gives the reason or explanation for the exhortation. The author explained why we must pay more attention to the message from God’s Son than to the message from angels. Connect this reason to 2:1 in a natural way in your language.

if: The word if introduces a clause that tells two facts about the angels’ message. This type of clause indicates that the facts in it are true. Both the author and the readers already knew these facts, and the author used those facts as the basis and support for what he said in 2:3. Here is another way to translate this basis and introduce the conclusion:

We know that the message that angels brought was valid. We also know that every violation or disobedience of it was justly punished. So…

See the General Comment on 2:2–3 at the end of 2:3b for examples of ways to translate the basis and conclusion in these verses.

the message spoken by angels: The phrase the message refers here to God’s Law (literally “word”) that was spoken by angels. It contrasts with what was spoken by the Lord (2:3). The Scriptures suggest that God used angels to give his law to Moses, and then Moses gave the law to the Israelites.Other Scriptures that indicate that God used angels in some way to give his Law to people are Acts 7:53 and Galatians 3:19. There may also be a poetic reference to this in Deuteronomy 33:2.

God’s law consisted of many laws (which are written in Genesis-Deuteronomy). The word message does not refer to only one particular law. It also does not refer to the type of message that is a short statement or request.

Some other ways to translate the phrase are:

God’s word spoken through angels (REB)

those laws of God that he caused the angels to speakTagbanwa back translation on TW.

the laws/words that God gave people through the angels

spoken: The verb spoken is passive. In some languages it is more natural to use an active verb. For example:

the message which angels spoke/gave…

angels: The word angels occurred in 1:4. You should translate it in the same way here.

was binding: The word binding means “legally binding, firm, and in force.” It indicates here that those who received the law had to obey it. The context implies that God would enforce the law. Other ways to translate the word in this context are:

proved to be so firm that… (NET)

it was not possible to ignore/change that law

it was required/necessary that people obey that law

The author will use the word again in 3:6, 3:14, 6:19, and 9:17.

2:2b

and every transgression and disobedience received its just punishment,

and whoever did not obey it or follow it received the appropriate punishment,
and God justly punished anyone who disobeyed it.

The clause in 2:2b is the second part of the condition that began in 2:2a.

and every transgression and disobedience received its just punishment: This clause indicates that everyone who broke the law or disobeyed it was justly punished. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate explicitly that 2:2b is also part of the condition that began in 2:2a. For example:

and if anyone broke that law or disobeyed it, that person was justly punished

and since everyone breaking that law received/suffered the proper penalty

In the law God specified the proper punishment for various offenses. The leaders and the whole community of Israel were responsible to ensure that the people were punished in those ways.

In some languages it may be necessary to indicate who punished the people. If that is true in your language, you may supply “God” as the subject or you may use an indefinite subject. For example:

God/They justly punished everyone who violated or disobeyed it.

every transgression and disobedience: The words transgression and disobedience have a similar meaning. In some languages it is helpful to translate this meaning with one phrase. For example:

all who did not do what the law told them to do

every transgression: The word transgression refers to doing something that God forbids in the law or not doing something that he commands. This word is used again in 9:15, as well as in other places in the NT.For example, Romans 2:23, 4:15, 5:14; Galatians 3:19; 1 Timothy 2:14. Some other ways to translate every transgression are:

every time a person did not follow/obey it

whenever anyone broke it

For more information, see “transgression” under sin, other words to compare in KBT.

disobedience: The word disobedience refers to a refusal to listen and obey. The implied object is the message, which was the law that the angels brought.This word only occurs here and in Romans 5:19 and 2 Corinthians 10:6. Some other ways to translate it are:

did not…obey it (GNT)

rejected itOtomi back translation on TW.

its just punishment: The phrase its just punishment implies that in the law there was a proper punishment for each disobedience. The law specified the particular punishment that a person should receive for various disobedient actions. The word just means “right, fair, deserved.” A just punishment was a fair or right punishment.

Other ways to translate this meaning are:

and whenever a person disobeyed any of the laws, he was punished in a fair way

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

γὰρ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ ὁ διʼ ἀγγέλων λαληθείς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος καί πάσα παράβασις καί παρακοή ἔλαβεν ἔνδικον μισθαποδοσίαν)

Here, For introduces the reason why “it is far more necessary for us to give attention” to the message ([2:1](../02/01.md)). This reason continues into the next verse ([2:3](../02/03.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a reason or basis. Alternate translation: [You can tell that we need to give attention because,]

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-condition-fact

εἰ γὰρ ὁ & λόγος

if (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ ὁ διʼ ἀγγέλων λαληθείς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος καί πάσα παράβασις καί παρακοή ἔλαβεν ἔνδικον μισθαποδοσίαν)

The author is speaking as if these things were a hypothetical possibility, but he means that they are actually true. If your language does not state something as a condition if it is certain or true, and if your readers might misunderstand and think that what the author is saying is not certain, then you could express the idea by using a word such as “since” or “because.” Alternate translation: [For since the message]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὁ δι’ ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς λόγος

the by angels (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ ὁ διʼ ἀγγέλων λαληθείς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος καί πάσα παράβασις καί παρακοή ἔλαβεν ἔνδικον μισθαποδοσίαν)

In the author’s culture, people believed that God gave his law to Moses through angels. Here, the message spoken through angels refers to this law that Moses received from God with angels as the messengers. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [the message spoken through angels to Moses] or [Moses’ law, which was spoken through angels,]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ὁ δι’ ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς λόγος

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 was spoken rather than on the person doing the speaking. If you must state who did the action, the author implies that God did it by means of angels. Alternate translation: [the message that God spoke through angels]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

πᾶσα παράβασις καὶ παρακοὴ

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of transgression and disobedience, you could express the ideas by using verbs such as “transgress” and “disobey.” Alternate translation: [any person who transgressed and disobeyed]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

παράβασις καὶ παρακοὴ

transgression (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ ὁ διʼ ἀγγέλων λαληθείς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος καί πάσα παράβασις καί παρακοή ἔλαβεν ἔνδικον μισθαποδοσίαν)

The words transgression and disobedience mean almost the same thing. The word transgression refers to when someone breaks a law or command that they know about. The word disobedience refers to when someone hears a law or command and ignores it. The author uses both words to emphasize that any kind of law-breaking was punished. If you do not have words that represent these two ideas, and if the repetition would be confusing, you could express the idea with a single word or phrase. Alternate translation: [misdeed] or [case of law-breaking]

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 2:2

SR Greek word order

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

2:2–3

2:2a

2:2b

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