HEB 3:14 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. μέτοχοι
2. metoχos
3. partakers
4. partakers
5. 33530
6. S····NMP
7. partakers
8. partakers
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141809
1. Γάρ
2. gar
3. For/Because
4. because
5. 10630
6. C·······
7. for
8. for
9. S
10. Y64
11. 141810
1. γεγόναμεν
2. ginomai
3. -
4. -
5. 10960
6. VIEA1··P
7. ˱we˲ ˓have˒ become
8. ˱we˲ ˓have˒ become
9. -
10. -
11. 141811
1. τοῦ
2. ho
3. of the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GMS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141812
1. Χριστοῦ
2. χristos
3. chosen one messiah
4. messiah
5. 55470
6. N····GMS
7. chosen_one/messiah
8. Messiah
9. WN
10. Y64; Person=Jesus
11. 141813
1. γεγόναμεν
2. ginomai
3. we have become
4. -
5. 10960
6. VIEA1··P
7. ˱we˲ ˓have˒ become
8. ˱we˲ ˓have˒ become
9. -
10. Y64; R140980
11. 141814
1. ἐάνπερ
2. eanper
3. if indeed
4. -
5. 14375
6. C·······
7. if_indeed
8. if_indeed
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141815
1. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141816
1. ἀρχήν
2. arχē
3. beginning
4. beginning
5. 7460
6. N····AFS
7. beginning
8. beginning
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141817
1. τῆς
2. ho
3. of the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GFS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141818
1. ὑποστάσεως
2. hupostasis
3. assurance
4. assurance
5. 52870
6. N····GFS
7. assurance
8. assurance
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141819
1. αὐτοῦ
2. autos
3. -
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. -
11. 141820
1. μέχρι
2. meχri
3. until
4. until
5. 33600
6. P·······
7. until
8. until
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141821
1. τέλους
2. telos
3. +the end
4. end
5. 50560
6. N····GNS
7. ˓the˒ end
8. ˓the˒ end
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141822
1. βεβαίαν
2. bebaios
3. confirmed
4. -
5. 9490
6. S····AFS
7. confirmed
8. confirmed
9. -
10. Y64
11. 141823
1. κατάσχωμεν
2. kateχō
3. we may retain
4. retain
5. 27220
6. VSAA1··P
7. ˱we˲ ˓may˒ retain
8. ˱we˲ ˓may˒ retain
9. -
10. Y64; R140980
11. 141824

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:7–19: Warning: Do not reject God’s offer of rest

In the earlier sections of Hebrews the author showed that Jesus was greater than both the angels and Moses. In 2:1–4 he gave a first warning not to refuse the message which Jesus brought. Here in 3:7–19 he gave a second warning not to refuse Jesus’ message, especially the “rest” that God offers through Jesus. The author quoted from Psalm 95, which says that God wanted to give the people of Israel a land where they could have rest from their enemies. When they were slaves in Egypt, he sent Moses to lead them to that land, but they rebelled against God in the wilderness. Then God did not allow them to enter the land of rest.

It is often difficult to decide how to translate “rest” in this section and in chapter 4. Psalm 95 and Hebrews do refer to the time when Moses was alive and God promised to give the people of Israel land. However, King David was already in that land when he wrote the psalm, so the “rest” could not refer to the land. It refers to a different type of “rest.” That rest is a way of trusting God and depending on him for everything. We especially trust him to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. Because of the rest that God gives, we can have peace even when we suffer.

Be careful not to imply that the rest that God promises his people today is a certain place or land. Some scholars believe that the rest refers to heaven. It is true that we will have perfect rest in heaven, but Hebrews indicates that the rest that God provides for us begins on earth when we trust in Jesus.

Some other headings for this section are:

Rest for God’s People

Warning Against Unbelief (NIV)

We Must Continue to Follow/Obey God

Scholars differ about where to end this warning section. Some scholars end the warning at 3:19. Others make the warning section continue to 4:13. In these notes, 3:19 is the end of this second warning section, and the following section is 4:1–13.

Paragraph 3:12–15

In this paragraph the author told his readers and listeners how they should apply the quotation in 3:7b–11 to themselves. Just as God warned the people of Israel to be careful not to turn away from him, the Hebrews should also be careful. They should not refuse to believe what God said, as the Israelites did.

3:14

Verse 14 is similar to verse 6, both in meaning and in actual words. It is good to consider how you translated verse 6 as you translate verse 14. Below are some of the parallels between the two verses:

Verse 6	Verse 14
We are His house	We have come to share in Christ
Christ	Christ
if	if
confidence	assurance
hold firmly	hold firmly

3:14a

We have come to share in Christ

For we^(incl) now share with Christ
For we^(incl) all share in what our^(incl) Messiah gives/has

The Greek begins this verse with a word that many versions translate as “For.” It introduces the basis for the warning in 3:13. Believers must encourage one another so that we will resist sin, because we have become partners of Christ. Some English versions, including the BSB, leave the connection implied. Show the relationship between these verses in a way that is natural in your language.

We have come to share in Christ: The Greek word that the BSB translates as share was also used in 3:1. The clause We have come to share in Christ means “we all share in the life of Christ himself.” This sharing includes all those who have become believers in him.

Some ways to translate this are:

we share in Christ (RSV)

Because as for us, Christ is our constant companionTagbanwa back translation on TW.

We: The pronoun We includes both the author and his readers.

3:14b

if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.

if indeed we^(incl) continue to believe strongly until the end, just as we did at the beginning.
if we^(incl) remain confident/firm in our initial conviction that Jesus is the Messiah until the end of our lives.

if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first: This clause tells the condition for 3:14a. We continue to share in Christ’s life if we firmly continue to have confidence in him. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

if we are faithful to the end, trusting…just as firmly as when we first believed (NLT)

if we keep till the end the sure faith we had in the beginning (NCV)

The word hold occurred in 3:6c with the same sense as it has here. The author wrote about perseverance at other places in the letter of Hebrews. See, for example, 4:14 and 10:23.

we: The pronoun we is inclusive and refers to the author and his readers and hearers.

to the end: The phrase to the end means “to the end of our lives” or “always.”

the assurance we had at first: The Greek word that the BSB translates as assurance was also used in 1:3, where it referred to God’s “nature” (what he is really like). Here it refers to the reality of the things which the readers strongly believed when they first committed their lives to Jesus. They trusted Jesus himself and they also had confidence in what they were taught about him.

Another way to translate the assurance we had at first is:

trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed (NLT)

our initial conviction that Jesus is the Messiah

the sure faith we had in the beginning (NCV)

General Comment on 3:14a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of 3:14a and 3:14b. For example:

^14bFor only if we maintain firmly to the very end the original assurance, ^14athen are we sharers of ChristThe Modern Language Bible, The New Berkeley Version, Revised Edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1969.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

γὰρ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: μέτοχοι Γάρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεγόναμεν ἐάνπερ τήν ἀρχήν τῆς ὑποστάσεως μέχρι τέλους βεβαίαν κατάσχωμεν)

The word For introduces a reason why the audience should “exhort one another”(See: [3:13](../03/13.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a reason for an exhortation. Alternate translation: [You should do that because]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

μέτοχοι & τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεγόναμεν

partakers & ˱of˲_the Messiah ˱we˲_˓have˒_become

The author uses the possessive form to indicate that believers “share” Christ. See how you translated sharers in [3:1](../03/01.md). More specifically, sharers of Christ could mean that believers: (1) “share” the promise and the blessings together with Christ. Alternate translation: [we have with Christ shared the blessings] (2) “share” or participate in Christ himself. Alternate translation: [we have shared in Christ] or [we have participated in Christ]

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

τοῦ Χριστοῦ & ἐάνπερ

˱of˲_the Messiah & if_indeed

The author uses the conditional form to show that “holding firm” leads to being sharers of Christ. If the conditional form does not indicate a cause and effect relationship like this in your language, you could express the if statement in a way that does show the relationship. Alternate translation: [of Christ, given that]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

βεβαίαν κατάσχωμεν

confirmed ˱we˲_˓may˒_retain

The author speaks of persistently believing or trusting something as if it were holding firmly onto an object. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. See how you expressed the similar idea in [3:6](../03/06.md). Alternate translation: [we continue strongly in]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς ὑποστάσεως

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of confidence, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [from the time when we first believed in him]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / euphemism

μέχρι τέλους

until ˓the˒_end

The phrase the end could: (1) be a polite way of referring to when a person dies. Alternate translation: [until our lives end] (2) refer to the end of the world, when Jesus comes back. Alternate translation: [until Jesus comes back]

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 3:14