^12:7Endure your suffering⁷ as discipline;⁸ God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? ^12:8But if you do not experience discipline,⁹ something all sons¹⁰ have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. ^12:9Besides, we have experienced discipline from¹¹ our earthly fathers¹² and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life?¹³^12:10For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness. ^12:11Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful.¹⁴ But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness¹⁵ for those trained by it. ^12:12Therefore, strengthen¹⁶ your listless hands and your weak knees,¹⁷^12:13and make straight paths for your feet,¹⁸ so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.

Do Not Reject God’s Warning

^12:14Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness,¹⁹ for without it no one will see the Lord.

Read in Logos

Hebrews 12:6: “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

Footnotes

4 Or “disregard,” “think little of.”
5 Or “reproves,” “rebukes.” The Greek verb ἐλέγχω (elenchō) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.
6 A quotation from Prov 3:11–12.
7 Grk “endure,” with the object (“your suffering”) understood from the context.
8 Or “in order to become disciplined.”
9 Grk “you are without discipline.”
10 Grk “all”; “sons” is implied by the context.
11 Grk “we had our earthly fathers as discipliners.”
12 Grk “the fathers of our flesh.” In Hebrews, “flesh” is a characteristic way of speaking about outward, physical, earthly life (cf. Heb 5:7; 9:10, 13), as opposed to the inward or spiritual dimensions of life.
13 Grk “and live.” Submit ourselves … to the Father of spirits and receive life. This idea is drawn from Proverbs, where the Lord’s discipline brings life, while resistance to it leads to death (cf. Prov 4:13; 6:23; 10:17; 16:17).
14 Grk “all discipline at the time does not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow.”
15 Grk “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
16 Or “straighten.”
17 A quotation from Isa 35:3. Strengthen your listless hands and your weak knees refers to the readers’ need for renewed resolve and fresh strength in their struggles (cf. Heb 10:36–39; 12:1–3).
18 A quotation from Prov 4:26. The phrase make straight paths for your feet is figurative for “stay on God’s paths.”
19 The references to peace and holiness show the close connection between this paragraph and the previous one. The pathway toward “holiness” and the need for it is cited in Heb 12:10 and 14. More importantly Prov 4:26–27 sets up the transition from one paragraph to the next: It urges people to stay on godly paths (Prov 4:26, quoted here in v. 13) and promises that God will lead them in peace if they do so (Prov 4:27 [], quoted in v. 14).