HEB 6:17 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. Ἐν
2. en
3. In
4. -
5. 17220
6. P·······
7. in
8. in
9. S
10. Y64
11. 142700
1. ᾧ
2. hos
3. which
4. -
5. 37390
6. R····DNS
7. which
8. which
9. -
10. Y64; R142699
11. 142701
1. περισσότερον
2. perissoteron
3. more abundantly
4. -
5. 40560
6. D·······
7. more_abundantly
8. more_abundantly
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142702
1. βουλόμενος
2. boulomai
3. wishing
4. -
5. 10140
6. VPPM·NMS
7. wishing
8. wishing
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142703
1. ὁ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142704
1. Θεός
2. theos
3. god
4. God
5. 23160
6. N····NMS
7. god
8. God
9. GN
10. Y64; Person=God
11. 142705
1. βουλόμενος
2. boulomai
3. -
4. -
5. 10140
6. VPPM·NMS
7. wishing
8. wishing
9. -
10. -
11. 142706
1. ἐπιδεῖξαι
2. epideiknuō
3. to show
4. -
5. 19250
6. VNAA····
7. ˓to˒ show
8. ˓to˒ show
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142707
1. ἐπιδείξασθαι
2. epideiknuō
3. -
4. -
5. 19250
6. VNAM····
7. ˓to_be˒ showing
8. ˓to_be˒ showing
9. -
10. -
11. 142708
1. τοῖς
2. ho
3. to the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····DMP
7. ˱to˲ the
8. ˱to˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142709
1. κληρονόμοις
2. klēronomos
3. heirs
4. heirs
5. 28180
6. N····DMP
7. heirs
8. heirs
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142710
1. τῆς
2. ho
3. of the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GFS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142711
1. ἐπαγγελίας
2. epaŋgelia
3. promise
4. promised
5. 18600
6. N····GFS
7. promise
8. promise
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142712
1. τό
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····ANS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142713
1. ἀμετάθετον
2. ametathetos
3. unchangeable
4. unchanging
5. 2760
6. S····ANS
7. unchangeable
8. unchangeable
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142714
1. τῆς
2. ho
3. of the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GFS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142715
1. βουλῆς
2. boulē
3. counsel
4. -
5. 10120
6. N····GFS
7. counsel
8. counsel
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142716
1. αὐτοῦ
2. autos
3. of him
4. his
5. 8460
6. R···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142717
1. ἐμεσίτευσεν
2. mesiteuō
3. guaranteed it
4. guaranteed
5. 33150
6. VIAA3··S
7. guaranteed ‹it›
8. guaranteed ‹it›
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142718
1. ὅρκῳ
2. horkos
3. by +an oath
4. -
5. 37270
6. N····DMS
7. ˱by˲ ˓an˒ oath
8. ˱by˲ ˓an˒ oath
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142719

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 6:13–20: We can trust God’s promises because he does not lie

This section is the final part of the long appeal that the author began to make to his readers in 5:11. He urged them to keep on believing. He warned them not to give up what they believed. In this final section, he reminded them of God’s promise to Abraham, and he encouraged them that God always keeps his promises. We can come into God’s presence because Jesus, our high priest, is already there (6:20). He is a high priest like Melchizedek.

The last verse of this section is similar to 5:10, and connects this section to chapter 7. The author finished his long appeal to his readers in 6:20, and in 7:1 he continued his teaching about Jesus, our high priest.

Some other possible section headings are:

God always does what he promises to do

We can believe God because he always does what he said he would

Paragraph 6:16–20

In 6:16–20 the author continued to explain about God’s oath. In Greek, these verses are one long sentence, but English versions have divided it into shorter ones.The most solemn oath which the people of Israel used was “As (surely as) the Lord lives.”

6:17

In this verse the author applied what he said in 6:16 to God. God made a promise and then he also swore an oath. He used the oath to show people that he will surely do what he has promised.

6:17a

So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear

Similarly, God wanted to show very clearly that he will not change what he decided to do
In a similar way, God also wanted to strongly assure us that he will not change his plans/mind.

So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear: The word So is more literally “in which.” It indicates that God also did what the author said that human beings do (6:16). Just as a human being swears an oath so that people will believe him, God also wanted his people to believe him. So he swore an oath to show his people that he will truly do what he promised them. Here is another way to translate this:

God…wanted to make this perfectly clear (GW)

the unchanging nature of His purpose: The Greek word which the BSB translates as the unchanging nature means “unchangeableness.” It is used to refer to something that will never change. Here it refers to what God decided and promised to do. His decision is permanent and remains the same forever. It cannot be changed. Another way to translate this part of the verse is:

he will certainly not change what he planned/decided

of His purpose: The phrase of His purpose means “of his will,” or “of what he wants.” In some languages it is more natural to translate the noun purpose as a verb: For example:

his plans for them

what he decided/intended to do for them

For more translation suggestions, see the General Comment on 6:17a–c at the end of 6:17c.

6:17b

to the heirs of the promise,

for the recipients of his promise.
I am speaking of us who will receive what he promised.

to the heirs of the promise: The phrase the heirs of the promise means “those who would later receive what God had promised.” It does not imply here that anyone will die so that others will inherit what they owned. In some languages it is more natural to translate the phrase in a different way. For example:

those who would receive what he was promisingTagbanwa back translation on TW.

of the promise: The phrase of the promise includes what God promised Abraham and also what God promised to all who believe in his Son.

6:17c

He guaranteed it with an oath.

Because of that, he confirmed his promise with an oath.
So he added an oath to what he promised in order to make the promise even more emphatic.

He guaranteed it with an oath: The clause “he confirmed it with an oath” means “he made his promise stronger by adding an oath.” The word it refers to his promise.

Other ways to translate the clause are:

made the promise stronger by adding/swearing an oath

confirmed the promise with an oath

General Comment on 6:17a–c

The author talks about several actions in this verse, and he also mentions reasons for those actions. It is important to use a natural order in your language to translate the actions and the reasons for them. For example:

^17cSo God added an oath ^17bfor those who would receive what he had promised, ^17abecause he wanted to show them very clearly that his purpose/will could not be changed.

^17aGod wanted to show very clearly ^17bto those who would inherit what he had promised, ^17athat he would not change his plans for them. ^17cSo he added an oath to what he had promised in order to make it stronger.

^17aGod would not change his plan. He wanted to make this perfectly clear ^17bto those who would receive his promise, ^17cso he took an oath. (GW)

6:17a–c

(reordered) It is impossible that God will change his plans for the people who received his promise. He wanted to show them very clearly that he would never fail to fulfill those plans. So he added an oath to his promise.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

ἐν ᾧ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐν ᾧ περισσότερον βουλόμενος ὁ Θεός ἐπιδεῖξαι τοῖς κληρονόμοις τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τό ἀμετάθετον τῆς βουλῆς αὐτοῦ ἐμεσίτευσεν ὅρκῳ)

The word which refers back to how humans “swear” with an oath (See: [6:16](../06/16.md)). The phrase in which means that what the author speaks about in this verse happens in that same context or way. In other words, God used an oath, just like humans do. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces something that happens according to a previously stated pattern. Alternate translation: [in which same way] or [in which pattern]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

περισσότερον & ἐπιδεῖξαι

more_abundantly & ˓to˒_show

The phrase even more modifies to show. If it would be helpful in your language, you could rearrange the elements in this sentence to make clearer what even more modifies. Alternate translation: [to show even more]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τοῖς κληρονόμοις τῆς ἐπαγγελίας

˱to˲_the heirs ˱of˲_the promise

The author speaks as if believers were children who would receive property that a parent passes on to their child when the parent dies. He means that believers receive the promise from God, even though God does not die. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [to those who were to receive the promise] or [to the recipients of the promise]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

τῆς ἐπαγγελίας

˱of˲_the promise

The word promise refers to the contents of the promise, or what God has “promised” to give. If it would be helpful in your language, you could clarify that the author is referring to the contents of this promise. Alternate translation: [of the things from the promise] or [of the things that God promised]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τὸ ἀμετάθετον τῆς βουλῆς αὐτοῦ

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of quality and purpose, you could express the ideas by using verbs or in another natural way. Alternate translation: [that what he purposes is unchangeable] or [how unchangeable is what he plans]

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

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strongs
4. Greek word
5. Greek lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. In
2. -
3. 17220
4. S
5. en
6. P-·······
7. in
8. in
9. S
10. Y64
11. 142700
1. which
2. -
3. 37390
5. hos
6. R-····DNS
7. which
8. which
9. -
10. Y64; R142699
11. 142701
1. more abundantly
2. -
3. 40560
5. perissoteron
6. D-·······
7. more_abundantly
8. more_abundantly
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142702
1. wishing
2. -
3. 10140
5. boulomai
6. V-PPM·NMS
7. wishing
8. wishing
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142703
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····NMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142704
1. god
2. God
3. 23160
4. GN
5. theos
6. N-····NMS
7. god
8. God
9. GN
10. Y64; Person=God
11. 142705
1. to show
2. -
3. 19250
5. epideiknuō
6. V-NAA····
7. ˓to˒ show
8. ˓to˒ show
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142707
1. to the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····DMP
7. ˱to˲ the
8. ˱to˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142709
1. heirs
2. heirs
3. 28180
5. klēronomos
6. N-····DMP
7. heirs
8. heirs
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142710
1. of the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····GFS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142711
1. promise
2. promised
3. 18600
5. epaŋgelia
6. N-····GFS
7. promise
8. promise
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142712
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····ANS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142713
1. unchangeable
2. unchanging
3. 2760
5. ametathetos
6. S-····ANS
7. unchangeable
8. unchangeable
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142714
1. of the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····GFS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142715
1. counsel
2. -
3. 10120
5. boulē
6. N-····GFS
7. counsel
8. counsel
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142716
1. of him
2. his
3. 8460
5. autos
6. R-···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142717
1. guaranteed it
2. guaranteed
3. 33150
5. mesiteuō
6. V-IAA3··S
7. guaranteed ‹it›
8. guaranteed ‹it›
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142718
1. by +an oath
2. -
3. 37270
5. horkos
6. N-····DMS
7. ˱by˲ ˓an˒ oath
8. ˱by˲ ˓an˒ oath
9. -
10. Y64
11. 142719

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 6:17

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