OET interlinear HEB 6:6

6:6a

and then have fallen away: The Greek word that the BSB translates as have fallen awayThe Greek verb is a participle, which is rightly interpreted in this context as a condition. It is used only here in the New Testament. In general, it means “to fail to keep a commitment.”BDAG, (page 770) has for παραπίπτω: “to fail to follow through on a commitment, fall away, commit apostasy.” Although BDAG includes the meaning “commit apostasy,” some other scholars disagree with that definition. In a lengthy discussion of the topic, David Allen (Kindle edition, pages 260–261) indicates that elsewhere in Scripture, the word is not used with the meaning “commit apostasy.” Instead, it means “turn away.” He points out that the author of Hebrews warns the readers not to follow the example of the Israelites (Numbers 14), who turned away from God in the wilderness. Although God punished them severely, he still considered them his people and continued to take care of them. Allen considers the penalty for this type of turning away to be temporal punishment and loss of rewards. No amount of regret will change the results of that turning away, but he believes that the results do not involve eternal loss of salvation. There are different ways to interpret the word in this context. The most likely view is that it refers here to a person refusing to keep the commitment to follow Jesus. It implies a deliberate action.

Some other ways to translate this part of the verse are:

if they deliberately retreat from their faithUma back translation on TW.

and then they refuse to continue believing

In many languages it is natural to translate the meaning with a figure of speech. For example:

turn away from God (NLT)

they have deserted Christ (GW)

to be restored to repentance: The verb that the BSB translates as restored means “renew.” It occurs only here in the NT. This is the main verb that follows “it is impossible” in 6:4a. The author indicated that it is impossible to renew/restore some people to repentance. In this context it indicates that it is impossible to cause some people to repent a second time. These are the people who trusted Jesus to save them from their sins but after that, they decided not to trust him.

Some ways to translate this passive verb are:

• As a passive verb. For example:

  be led a second time to God (GW)

  to bring them back to a changed life again (NCV)

• As an active verb. For example:

  to make them repent as they did at first (JBP)

  cause them to repent again

repentance: The word repentance occurred in 6:1d. You should translate it in a similar way here.

6:6b

because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again: The word because indicates the reason or explanation why they cannot repent. In Greek, the verb is a participle without any connective, as was the condition in 6:6a. This is figurative language. When people reject the Son of God, it is like crucifying him again. They refuse to believe that he is God’s Son and that he can save them from their sins. Rejecting him is their greatest sin. That is why it is impossible for them to repent while they are rejecting him.

The meaning here is similar to the action “turns away from the living God” in 3:12. Some other ways to translate it are:

it’s as if they are again nailing God’s Son to the cross

what they have done is like they nailed the Son of God to the cross with their own hands

they themselves: The Greek word that the BSB translates as they themselves is more literally “to/for themselves.” Here is another way to translate this:

they again crucify to themselves the Son of God (NASB)

There are three main ways to interpret the word “for themselves” here:

1. It means that they themselves crucify God’s Son. For example:

   they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again (NLT) (BSB, NET, NLT, JBP, NRSV, NJB)

2. It means “to their own loss.” For example:

   for they are crucifying to their own hurt the Son of God (REB) (NIV, ESV, REB)

3. It adds emphasis and does not need to be translated specifically. For example:

   because they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others (NCV) (NCV, CEV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The author emphasizes that they themselves commit the same sin of rejecting Christ that the people who crucified him committed. They were not present at Christ’s crucifixion, but they figuratively crucify him again by rejecting him.

the Son of God: The title the Son of God indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. See how you translated the Son of God at 4:14. For more information, see the note on “his Son” in 1:2a.

6:6c

and subjecting Him to open shame: The Greek word that the BSB translates as subjecting Him to open shame was most often used of shaming a person by punishing him in public. Here it indicates that if people claim to be Christians and then reject Christ, they disgrace him and cause other people also to dishonor him. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

insulting him in public (CEV)

They cause that all the people make fun of him again.Otomi back translation on TW.

This word occurs only here in the NT. However, in other literature it is used to refer to shaming a criminal by punishing him in public. A related word occurs in Matthew 1:19.