HEB 2:4 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. συμμαρτυροῦντος
2. summartureō
3. -
4. -
5. 48280
6. VPPA·GMS
7. testifying_with ‹them›
8. testifying_with ‹them›
9. -
10. -
11. 141284
1. συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος
2. sunepimartureō
3. testifying with them
4. testified
5. 49010
6. VPPA·GMS
7. testifying_with ‹them›
8. testifying_with ‹them›
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141285
1. συνεπιμαρτυροῦντες
2. sunepimartureō
3. -
4. -
5. 49010
6. VPPA·NMP
7. testifying_with ‹them›
8. testifying_with ‹them›
9. -
10. -
11. 141286
1. τοῦ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141287
1. Θεοῦ
2. theos
3. of god
4. God
5. 23160
6. N····GMS
7. ˱of˲ god
8. ˱of˲ God
9. GN
10. Y64; Person=God
11. 141288
1. σημείοις
2. sēmeion
3. by signs
4. -
5. 45920
6. N····DNP
7. ˱by˲ signs
8. ˱by˲ signs
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141289
1. τέ
2. te
3. and/both
4. -
5. 50370
6. C·······
7. ¬and/both
8. ¬and/both
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141290
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141291
1. τέρασιν
2. teras
3. wonders
4. wonders
5. 50590
6. N····DNP
7. wonders
8. wonders
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141292
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141293
1. ποικίλαις
2. poikilos
3. various
4. various
5. 41640
6. A····DFP
7. various
8. various
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141294
1. δυνάμεσιν
2. dunamis
3. miracles
4. miracles
5. 14110
6. N····DFP
7. miracles
8. miracles
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141295
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141296
1. Πνεύματος
2. pneuma
3. of +the spirit
4. spirit
5. 41510
6. N····GNS
7. ˱of˲ ˓the˒ spirit
8. ˱of˲ ˓the˒ Spirit
9. GN
10. Y64; Person=Holy_Spirit
11. 141297
1. Ἁγίου
2. hagios
3. holy
4. -
5. 400
6. A····GNS
7. holy
8. Holy
9. G
10. Y64; Person=Holy_Spirit
11. 141298
1. μερισμοῖς
2. merismos
3. distributions
4. -
5. 33110
6. N····DMP
7. distributions
8. distributions
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141299
1. θερισμοῖς
2. therismos
3. -
4. -
5. 23260
6. N····DMP
7. harvests
8. harvests
9. -
10. -
11. 141300
1. κατά
2. kata
3. according to
4. -
5. 25960
6. P·······
7. according_to
8. according_to
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141301
1. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141302
1. αὐτοῦ
2. autos
3. of him
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141303
1. θέλησιν
2. thelēsis
3. will
4. -
5. 23080
6. N····AFS
7. will
8. will
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141304

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)

2:4

This verse tells four ways that God testified along with the people who heard Jesus. In some languages it may be more natural to translate this verse as a separate sentence or more than one sentence. In other languages it may be helpful to change the order of information or to combine some of the four types of testimony. See the General Comment on 2:4a–c at the end of 2:4c for examples.

2:4a

and was affirmed by God

God was also confirming what they said
At the same time God himself also showed that it is true

and was affirmed by God: The Greek word that the BSB translates as affirmed by means “to witness together with” someone. Here it indicates that God testified along with the followers of Jesus. As they told people about the message of salvation, God showed that what they said was true. He helped them do powerful miracles to confirm the message. Some other ways to translate and was affirmed by God are:

God also joined them in confirming that it was trueBased on the Kankanaey back translation on TW.

God verified what they said (GW)

2:4b

through signs, wonders, various miracles,

with various proofs, awesome deeds, and different types of miracles,
by causing/helping them to do many kinds of powerful miracles and wonders,

through signs, wonders, various miracles: This phrase tells how God confirmed that the message was true. He caused the people who spoke the message to do signs, wonders, and miracles. These three words have similar meanings. They all refer to actions that are done by supernatural power.

The word signs implies that the actions have a meaning. The word wonders implies that people are amazed by the actions. The word miracles implies that the actions are done by supernatural power.

In some languages it is more natural to use verbs to describe the actions. In other languages it is more natural to use only one or two words to refer to them. You should translate the meaning in a natural way in your language. Some other ways to translate the phrase are:

he caused them to do amazing miracles to show that the message was true

God helped them to do this work in that they did miracles before the peopleOtomi back translation on TW.

all kinds of miracles and wonders (GNT)

These words also occur together in Acts 2:22; 2 Corinthians 12:12 and 2 Thessalonians 2:9. If you have translated these passages, see how you translated the words there. See also the notes on each word below. For more information, see miracle, sign, wonder, mighty work in KBT.

signs: The word signs refers to miracles that have a meaning. They show or prove something. Here the signs showed that Jesus’ message about God’s way of salvation was true.The word signs is also used in the Gospel of John in this sense, for example, in John 2:11, 3:2, and 4:48.

wonders: The word wonders refers to amazing events or actions. It often occurs with the word “signs” to refer to actions that God causes his messengers to be able to perform.

various miracles: The Greek word for miracles is the plural of the noun “power.” It can refer to a miraculous act of healing or to another act which cannot be done by human power or knowledge. The word various means “many kinds.” Other ways to translate the phrase various miracles are:

many kinds of miracles (NCV)

other powerful acts (GW)

2:4c

and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

and by distributing gifts from the Holy Spirit to people as he wanted.
and with other gifts from the Holy Spirit that he decided to give.

and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will: The phrase and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will is another way by which God showed that the message of salvation was true. In some languages it may be helpful to translate 2:4c as a separate sentence. For example:

He also confirmed the message by causing the Holy Spirit to distribute special abilities. He did this just the way he wanted to do it.

gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will: Scholars differ over the exact meaning of this phrase. The most likely meaning is that when God gives his Holy Spirit to people, the Holy Spirit causes them to have the various powers and abilities that God wants them to have. Through using these abilities (gifts), his people show that the message of salvation is true.

Some ways to translate this meaning are:

and with other gifts from the Holy Spirit as he wanted (GW)

and he gave them other kinds of power from the Holy Spirit, just as he decided to give to each one

Holy Spirit: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as Holy Spirit refers to the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is God, together with God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is “spirit” in the sense that he is a living being who does not have a physical body. He is “holy” in the sense that he is God and unique from every other being. He is perfect in every way and is completely pure and sinless.

Some ways to translate Holy Spirit are:

Spirit/Breath of God

Holy/Sacred Spirit

Do not imply that the Holy Spirit is like the ghost of a dead person or that God has died.

according to His will: The phrase according to His will means “just as God wanted.” In some languages it is more natural to translate the phrase His will with a verb or clause. For instance:

just as he wanted (NCV)

as he himself chose

See also the examples in the preceding note.

General Comment on 2:4a–c

In Greek this verse is the final part of a sentence that began in 2:2. Most English versions begin a new sentence here. Some ways to translate this verse are:

God himself confirmed their witness with signs and marvels and miracles of all kinds, and by distributing the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the various ways he wills. (NJB)

At the same time God added his witness to theirs by performing all kinds of miracles and wonders and by distributing the gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his will. (GNT)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

σημείοις & καὶ τέρασιν, καὶ ποικίλαις δυνάμεσιν

˱by˲_signs & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος τοῦ Θεοῦ σημείοις τέ καί τέρασιν καί ποικίλαις δυνάμεσιν καί Πνεύματος Ἁγίου μερισμοῖς κατά τήν αὐτοῦ θέλησιν)

The author uses three similar words to describe supernatural acts that God empowers his people to do. The word signs emphasizes that these acts reveal something; the word wonders emphasizes that these acts are amazing or unusual; the word miracles emphasizes that these acts are powerful. The author uses these three words to show that God uses lots of things to “testify” to the truth of the message about salvation. If your language does not have different words that emphasize these three aspects of the supernatural acts, you could combine two or all three of these words into one word or phrase and emphasize the variety of testimonies in another way. Alternate translation: [by many and various miracles] or [by many signs and various miracles]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ θέλησιν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος τοῦ Θεοῦ σημείοις τέ καί τέρασιν καί ποικίλαις δυνάμεσιν καί Πνεύματος Ἁγίου μερισμοῖς κατά τήν αὐτοῦ θέλησιν)

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of will, you could express the idea by using a verb such as “want” or “chose.” Alternate translation: [in just the way he wanted to do it]

Note 3 topic: writing-pronouns

αὐτοῦ

˱of˲_him

The word his could refer to: (1) God. Alternate translation: [God’s] (2) the Holy Spirit. Alternate translation: [the Spirit’s] or [his own]

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 2:4