HEB 6:9 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:11–6:12: Grow up in your faith, and do not give up

In Section 5:11–6:12 the author interrupted his teaching about God appointing Christ as the high priest in order to tell his listeners to mature in their faith and to warn them not to stop believing in Christ. After this warning (6:4–12), he will continue to teach them in 6:13–7:28 about the priesthood of Jesus and Melchizedek.

Remember to translate the section before choosing a heading for it. Some other possible headings are:

Warning about abandoning Christ

Do not be lazy but become mature followers of Christ

Paragraph 6:9–12

This paragraph is an obvious contrast to 6:7–8. In 6:7–8 the author sternly warned his readers that they must not give up their faith in Christ. Here in 6:9–12 he assured them that he believed better things about them. He encouraged them not to become lazy but to keep trusting Christ so that they will obtain all that Christ promised.

6:9a–c

Even though we speak like this, beloved, we are convinced of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation: The Greek text uses a different order of clauses than most English versions. It is more literally:

But we are convinced about you, beloved, of better things and things belonging to salvation, though thus we speak.

Use the order of clauses that is most natural in your language here. See the General Comment on 6:9a–c at the end of 6:9b–c for more information.

6:9a

Even though we speak like this, beloved,

¶ Dear friends, even though we^(excl) are talking to you^(plur) like this,
¶ I speak severely like this to you^(plur), but I love you,

Even though we speak like this, beloved: Here the author introduces a contrast to what he said in 5:11–6:8. In 5:11–14 he told the listeners that they were still immature. Then in 6:1–8 he told them that it is a terrible sin to stop believing in Christ. Here in 6:9 he will begin to encourage them.

Some other ways to introduce this contrast and encouragement are:

But even if we speak like this, dear friends (GNT)

My friends, we are talking this way. But (CEV)

Yet although we speak as we do, we are convinced that you, dear friends (REB)

Notice that English versions translate the word beloved in different places in the sentence. In many languages it is most natural to put such a direct address at the beginning of the sentence. Do what is natural in your language.

we speak like this: The clause we speak like this implies that the author spoke sternly to his listeners (in 5:11–6:8). He warned them severely. He seemed to imply that maybe they had stopped believing in Christ. In some languages it may be necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

Although we have spoken so sternly

We have warned you like this, but

we: The author used the word we here to refer only to himself. In some languages it is more natural to make that clear. For example:

even though my words to you are like thisWestern Bukidnon Manobo back translation on TW.

even though I am speaking like thisYakan back translation on TW.

beloved: After the severe words of the previous verses, the author addressed his listeners in a loving way. He called them belovedHe did not use vocatives often in this letter. The only other places are in 3:1a (“holy brothers”), and in 3:12a; 10:19; and 13:22 (“brothers”). because he still loved them and considered them to be his fellow Christians. In some languages it is more natural to use a different phrase. Some languages use kinship terms or other terms for fellow believers. For example:

you relatives whom we loveUma back translation on TW.

my dear friends/brothers

In other languages it may be more natural to translate the meaning beloved as a phrase. For example:

Although we are talking to you like this, we/I love you

6:9b–c

we are convinced of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation: Here the author assured his listeners that he believed better things about them than the things he described in 6:1–8. There he described people who were going away from Christ. Here he indicates that he did not believe that his listeners were going away from Christ like that. He believed that they were receiving the blessings of salvation and doing the good things that saved people do.

Other ways to translate this clause are:

we are convinced of better things concerning you—things that accompany salvation (NIV)

We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation (NLT)

better things…that accompany salvation: The phrase better things…that accompany salvation refers to at least two types of better things:

It refers to good things that saved people do. For example:
But we are sure that you are doing those really good things that people do when they are…saved (CEV)
It refers to good things that God does for people who are saved. For example:
We know that you have the better blessings that belong to your salvation. (GNT)

In some languages it may be necessary to focus on one of these types of better things rather than to try to mention them both. For example:

We know that you have better fruit…that is fitting for those who have obtained salvation from God.Uma back translation on TW.

Translate in a way that is natural in your language.

6:9b

we are convinced of better things in your case—

we^(excl) believe much better things about you^(plur),
and I believe that you^(plur) are not like that useless land, but your faith has good results/fruits,

better: The word better is one of the key words in Hebrews. It may be helpful to translate this word the same way whenever it occurs.

in your case: The phrase translated as in your case is literally “about you.” The pronoun your is plural and refers to the author’s listeners. Some other ways to translate the phrase here are:

about you (GNT)

as for you

6:9c

things that accompany salvation.

and these things show that you^(plur) are saved.
which show that God has saved you^(plur).

things that accompany salvation: This phrase refers to results or evidence of salvation. It implies that people who are saved will live as Christ wants them to live and do the good things that he wants them to do. Some other ways to translate the phrase things that accompany salvation are:

your doings are good and that is a sign that you are saved alreadyYakan back translation on TW.

your souls are saved, and therefore you do what is good.Otomi back translation on TW.

General Comment on 6:9a–c

There are different ways to order the clauses in 6:9. For example, the NASB follows the order of clauses in the Greek text:

^9bBut, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, ^9cand things that accompany salvation, ^9athough we are speaking in this way. (NASB)

In other languages it is more natural to reorder the clauses. For example:

^9aBut even if we speak like this, dear friends, ^9bwe feel sure about you. We know that ^9cyou have the better blessings that belong to your salvation. (GNT)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

πεπείσμεθα & λαλοῦμεν

˱we˲_˓have_been˒_persuaded & ˱we˲_˓are˒_speaking

The author uses the first person plural (we), but he is referring only to himself. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that more naturally refers to the author. Alternate translation: [I myself am convinced … I speak]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

πεπείσμεθα

˱we˲_˓have_been˒_persuaded

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 how he is convinced rather than on what has convinced him. Alternate translation: [we are confident]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

τὰ κρείσσονα καὶ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πεπείσμεθα Δέ περί ὑμῶν ἀγαπητοί τά κρείσσονα καί ἐχόμενα σωτηρίας εἰ καί οὕτως λαλοῦμεν)

The author does not clarify what he is comparing the audience to when he says that he is convinced of things that are better. He implies they are doing better than the people he mentioned in [6:4–6](../06/04.md), the people who have stopped believing in the gospel and have “fallen away.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [of things that are better than those who have fallen away and] or [that you are doing better than the people in my warning, and that you have all things that]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἐχόμενα σωτηρίας

having ˱of˲_salvation

The things that are accompanying salvation are everything that a person has and experiences when God saves them. These include having the Holy Spirit, growing in faith and knowledge, and experiencing God’s blessing. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [have to do with salvation] or [that go along with salvation]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐχόμενα σωτηρίας

having ˱of˲_salvation

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of salvation, you could express the idea by using a verb such as “save” or “rescue.” Alternate translation: [that come when God saves you] or [are experienced when God rescues someone]

Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

εἰ καὶ οὕτως λαλοῦμεν

if (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πεπείσμεθα Δέ περί ὑμῶν ἀγαπητοί τά κρείσσονα καί ἐχόμενα σωτηρίας εἰ καί οὕτως λαλοῦμεν)

The phrase even if we speak thus contrasts what the author has said in this verse with the warning he has given in [5:11–6:8](../05/11.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that clearly indicates such a contrast. Alternate translation: [despite the fact that we speak thus] or [notwithstanding how we have spoken]

Note 7 topic: writing-pronouns

οὕτως

thus

The word thus refers back to the warnings that the author has given in [5:11–6:8](../05/11.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could make what thus refers to explicit. Alternate translation: [with words of warning] or [such warnings]

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 6:9

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